Tswalu – Hyenas, Lions, and Horses

Start of Day 3 at Tswalu.  A dark shape moves down the track towards us before sunrise. It is one of those rare, shy creatures – the brown hyena. Initially startled by our vehicle trying to follow it, it decides the best course of action is to lie down near a drainage line and pretend we’re not there. The light is very low, but we end up spending 30 or so minutes with this elusive creature as dawn brightens the sky. With its long, shaggy coat and dog-like face, it reminds me of a small German Shepard.  Eventually the hyena tires of our presence and disappears into a thicket for a nap out of sight.

It turns out to be a great morning for lion cubs. A lioness has only recently brought her 4 little cubs out from hiding. There are about 3 months old, and very cute. They seem to be enjoying the early morning sun and pose for a while on a rocky ledge. Mother has a reputation for being protective and grumpy, so we’re a reasonable distance away from the family group at all times.

 

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I’ve decided to go horse-riding this afternoon. Tswalu has it’s own stables with 14 horses. My horse is called Adelon. I’ve probably got the spelling wrong. He’s a lovely grey gelding, calm and steady. A horse-back ride provides a different view of the vastness of Tswalu – the wildlife are less concerned about the horses than the vehicles, and it’s possible to get closer to them sometimes.

 

Unfortunately he collapses under me 40 minutes into the ride with colic. Suddenly we’re all sitting on the ground. Poor guy, he’s sweating under the saddle and not a happy camper. The very excellent second in command of the stables, Patrick,  who is leading the ride, has Adelon back up on his feet, and we walk slowly as we wait for Ben, one of the grooms, and Jonas, the tracker, to come to collect us. Patrick and Ben ride two of the horses back and lead Adelon back to the stables for some medicine. I hope he’s ok.

The clouds  are building up quickly, and a strong cold front is forecast to move through. It makes for some interesting colour as the sun starts to set.

The storm hits during dinner – thunder, lightning, and a short burst of rain. A typical Kalahari storm. The temperature is due to plummet overnight and tomorrow, with strong winds keeping the temperature down until Saturday.