A Congo Camp

In many animal institutions around the globe, no matter in what environment, one can walk in on an unexpected creature from the wild, which has been domesticated and part of the human genre (daily life).

Recently whilst on patrol in the Drakensberg in Natal, there was an establishment which had a pet cape otter (Nimrod) and a karakul (Jonty) Both had been adopted at an earlier age, and whilst retaining their own characteristics,fitted in well to daily life of domestic pets and human daily chores.The otter used to make surprise appearances in the guest' s bath tub and appear from underneath cushions in the bar, whilst Jonty used to claw himself up trees and tease the dogs!


Here in the Garamba, a similar scene greeted me on my arrival. A baby baboon had made mates with a small vervet monkey and continuously nursed it from any perceived danger. Another monkey had befriended a nanny goat and clung to its back on patrols around the camp. The goat took its burden in its stride and only once did I see it bucking like a horse in a rodeo anxious to rid itself of its rider which grimly held on!

The pilot had a chimpanzee saved from a Congo bush meat market which followed him wherever he went. Duty took him on several occasions to other parts whereupon he used to leave it in the care of the camp guards. One night they neglected to house it and a sniggering hyena dined out.

We also have a 3 month old lioness named Nagere She spends her night caged in a wooden crate and on a leash out in the paddock during the day snapping at insects, chasing birds and playing with the off duty guards.. Two days ago, she bit her way free & disappeared into the elephant grass. We expected to never see her again. But she turned up meowing and looking for a bone to chew upon. Of course, she had no mother to teach her to hunt and would have proved a tasty dish for some other carnivore or killed by a pride of lions living nearby. I have sent out an SOS for someone/anyone to take her into a home outside the Congo.Do you want her perhaps?

Last night the tug boats fog horns blaring, moved into base and fought a dual not 5 meters from my tent. Bellicose, bellowing hippo tore into each other and there was a moment or two in the pitch black darkness, I thought that I would be paid an unwelcome ,3 tonne visit, through the thin fabric.The commotion died down

Dawn brought in a thick mist. I was about to prepare lectures for the day when local grass cutters drew my attention to the banks of the Dungu river. There, caught up against a dead tree 10 meters out in the water, lay a colossal Nile crocodile with legs pointed to the sky. There was a single wound on the exposed belly.A fatal bite from a hippo perhaps?

Out in the park amongst the high grass, sightings of lions, elephant, kob, hartebeest, oribi, waterbuck, mongooses, squirrels, a sub species of giraffe, Nile buffalo, hyena. But none of the last remaining northern white rhino on this planet which are either extinct or very close to it.

Downstream, the last remaining domesticated elephant remains alive. She was part of a troop tamed in better days to conduct elephant back tours around the park, similar to what is done today in other parts of Africa. This, like everything else, collapsed amongst the Congo's internal wars and strife.One cannot feel deep compassion when gazing into this animal' s eyes. You can almost hear her asking, " Why"? I am one of God's creations after all

Its muggy, hot and humid again. The skies don't hold the promise of refreshing rain, but what will the night bring?