Tales of a Tracker – Dollen
on Jan 03, 2024Sabi Sabi is home to many and held dear by all who get the opportunity to spend time in this breathtaking piece of wilderness. An ancient knowledge resides here encapsulated in the minds of a well-experienced team of Trackers. These men have an incredible ability and understanding which allows them to interpret their surroundings like no other. With highly acute senses and an inexplainable knack for being in the right place at the right time, these individuals have forged endless experiences with which they've kindly shared with countless people.
I am one of the more fortunate as I get the opportunity to spend many hours of my day in the company of these noblemen. Trust, diligence as well and enthusiasm have been the building blocks that support these incredible relationships, and I am privileged to be the voice through which these stories can come to light.
On this occasion, Dollen shares an incredible experience he had while out on safari.
In the voice of Dollen.
"Another day was nearing its end, the cool winter sun slowly moved towards the horizon. The last few safari drives have been nothing short of incredible, but one task still lay ahead. This was possibly the most anticipated encounter yet and although my guests had been enjoying the time spent with elephants and leopards, they still had yet to see the pride of lions which were known to roam the southern reaches of Sabi Sabi.
We probably had just over an hour left of sunlight before the darkness covered the landscape. While driving swiftly along I heard a distinct call, one which belonged to a Vervet monkey in distress. I beckoned to the guide to halt the vehicle for us to better determine the direction from which the sound was coming. As we turned the vehicle around and moved closer to the sound of the monkeys, we could see one perched at the very top of a large Sycamore fig tree, scanning the ground beneath it.
Instructing our guests to remain in the vehicle, the guide and I moved towards the riverine area in search of what was causing all the commotion. Slowly we meandered through the dense vegetation, keeping our eyes up and our ears sharp. We reached to soft sand that lay in the riverbed and paused, using this opportunity to listen for any clues. The monkeys had since gone silent and there was an eery mood that swept through the riverine.
We took a few steps forwards along the sand, all the time on high alert, when we heard a sudden rustle along the bank ahead of us. A large male buffalo scampered away from us, tearing through vegetation as he went. This was enough to get the most experienced of trackers' heart racing at a mile a minute. We strategically moved away from the direction he ran to and that was when we found the most vital of clues, a large paw print pressed deep into the river sand. This is when things became a little more exciting as we knew our chances of finding the pride were promising.
The sun was getting lower, and we were almost out of time when, not far down the river, we saw a flicker of a tail, one more step forward and there was the backside of a large lioness lying comfortably in the cool riverbed. This was enough and it was time to get back to our guests and tell them the good news, we found the lions. Our excitement could not be contained, and we spilled the beans as soon as we saw their faces.
I navigated the guide through the dense shrubs and massive riverine trees until we arrived in the riverbed. After travelling a few more metres along the riverbed, there the lioness sat, accompanied by two younger lionesses and three adorable cubs. We enjoyed their company for a while and watched the young ones playing and tussling in the riverbed. This turned out to be one of my most memorable sightings when I witnessed one of my guests unable to hold back the tears of joy. My job was done."
Blog by Macs Toich (Bush Lodge Ranger)
