Growing up, my father liked to take us on family holidays to the bush. Not the luxe kind. You know, where you gaze at ferocious animals from the safety of a game viewing vehicle whilst sipping a refreshing beverage… Nope. Dad grew up on a farm and wanted us, his city-dwelling offspring, to experience the real Africa. This meant suffering through many a home-baked safari, groveling in the sand because he forgot the ground sheets of our tents, or being charged by a variety of savage beasts that he was determined to get up close and personal with. Once we even woke up to an elephant scratching its butt on the window of our camp rondavel and, when we yelled for help, we could hear him loudly chuckling. Chuckling, I tell you!
So do you blame me for being terrified when my evil siblings (older sister, younger brother) invited me to celebrate their joint milestone birthdays while walking the wilds of the Pafuri Triangle a.k.a. one of the most biodiverse areas of the Kruger National Park.
This pristine wilderness is so diverse, in fact, you’re practically guaranteed to see leopard, rhino, crocodiles, elephants and even the occasional lion… You know, all the large, scary animals that like to munch, crunch and squish the idiots dumb enough to wander through their territory on foot.
‘Relax,’ our trail guide, Devon, told me after I shared my fear of becoming a carnivore’s dinnertime canape. ‘Humans are not intruders in the wild. As a species, we’ve spent thousands of years living, walking and hunting in the bush. Many animals, even the dangerous ones, view us as their predators – not the other way around.’
‘Cool, cool’, I replied, not believing him for a second. If I was going to survive this, I would have to take matters into my own hands. ‘Outta my way, leopard bait,’ I hissed as I sped past both of my sibs to take third place in our single file walking line. Right behind Dev and our other trail guide, Callum. And their reassuringly big guns.
Three days of walking later, I was still very much alive. Not because I’d had to outrun or outclimb my own family, but because Dev and Callum had calmly guided us through the wilderness as comfortably as if it was their own backyard. Yes, we’d stumbled upon a pod of grumpy hippos, watched a nearby elephant drink from the river, and even waded through a croc-infested river, but on both occasions, I’d felt completely safe in their expert care.
‘It’s about creating a positive encounter for both humans and animals,’ Callum explains. ‘By understanding the body language of the animals that we interact with, we know when they’re comfortable with us being around, or when we need to tread more lightly.’
What was most interesting was that when I finally stopped scanning every thicket for a predator about to pounce, I started to really enjoy how natural it felt to walk in the wild. How real it felt to stand with my shoes in the dust, and every sense tuned in to the awe-inspiring sights and sounds of nature. Far away from the addictive screens we love to distract ourselves with. Exactly where we are meant to be to experience the intense pleasure of simply being alive.
Interested in walking the Pafuri? Email Devon Myers of African Born Trails to book your very own walking trail.
1. Elizabeth Summer Safari Hat; 2. Dolce & Gabbana Leopard Print Sunglasses; 3. Zeiss Terra ED 10 x 42 Binoculars; 4. Adidas Terrex Anylander Hiking Shoe; 5. Mesoestetic Mesoprotech Melan 130+ Pigment Control; 6. Wilderness X Sealand Recycled Rowlie Backpack.
