8 minute read
Close Encounters
Nothing compares with riding out at dawn in pursuit of elephants, leopards and lions – and confronting an angry male rhino is part of the thrill. But it’s not something for the amateur. Only expert riders should apply, warns Midge Todhunter
There he stood. Two massive tonnes of white bull rhino straddled across the track in front of us. King of all he surveyed. e bull fl ashed his steely glare across our group then with shuffl ing body language began demanding to know why we seven horse riders were wandering about on his patch?
‘Whatever you do – don’t turn and run,’ said Philip, our mounted fi eld guide. ‘You’ll not get further than 20 yards before he has you crushed to the ground. We gotta do some negotiating here.’
Two years earlier, I’d had a close encounter with a bull rhino on the African bushveldt. at beast had come charging at me through some side bushes – circa 40kph. My horse’s natural fl ight instinct saved me on the day, but could I be as lucky again? I don’t play polo, but you will certainly need to be a confi dent rider to survive these potential
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encounters. is is no place for beginners, and you must be capable of galloping away from dangerous situations. If not, the company won’t take you.
Bull rhinos spend most of their days away from the herd, marking their territories with great sprays of urine, and scrubbing their bottoms aggressively on tree trunks. But this was a cool, balmy evening, and our bull rhino did at least look semi at ease with the world. He had clearly just bathed (albeit in sticky mud) and he’d been grazing the central strip of grass on the track when we came meandering around the corner.
All of us knew Philip had packed a .458 Winchester magnum rifl e on his saddle which would have the fi nal say if things cut up rough. But fi rst we would prefer some arbitration. And with that, Philip nominated me to join him in approaching the big bull with a view to asking if he’d please shift his butt. e tension grew palpable as Philip and I urged our horses ever closer until we were but a few inches from the bull rhino’s massive head. So close, I could feel the bull’s hot breath on my boot as he instinctively sought out our identity. I could see the thinking in his eyes: were we passive, or a challenge to his territory? e next two minutes seemed the longest 120 seconds of my life. e rhino sniff ed at us, looked us up and down, and then sniff ed some more. We didn’t move a muscle. e bull fi nally concluded we were no threat – we didn’t smell, or act like a challenge to his domain. With that, he gave a grunt, turned and slowly ambled off into the bush. Breaking wind loudly as he went.
Gerti and Philip Kusseler own and operate Wait A Little game reserve close to the Kruger Park, in South Africa. ey’re a delightful and well organised couple who manage to strike a balance between not taking foolish risks, yet making each ride searching and adventurous. My invitation to join them for the inaugural running of their new Makalali Ride promised fi ve-star luxury in South Africa’s fi nest game lodges with par excellence Pan-African cuisine. And the twice-daily experience of riding top quality horses to seek out the native big game herds in the 22,000-hectare Makalali Big Game Reserve e rewards of riding this land are rapid access to the more secret places which few motorised safari clients will ever encounter. Horseback is certainly the best way to approach the game. In a jeep safari you will do little more than peer from a distance with binoculars. But mounted on a horse with a trustworthy guide at your side, you can steadily edge closer. Some animals will have none of this. But the majority will give you the benefi t of a small doubt and allow you to approach, albeit on their terms, their very private life among the herd.
Philip is the qualifi ed guide of the mounted team. ‘Approaching animals in the wild is all about body language and understanding their comfort zones,’ he says. ‘ e distance at which the animal has begun to issue clear signals tells you where you have violated his personal space.’ ere’s something wildly intoxicating about riding the open savannahs of South Africa. A gallop at dawn with the Zebra herds; see a startled family of warthogs burst into action and scurry off in all directions; exploring dried-up river beds in late afternoon for
Main picture: Ant Baber leads English players into the Limpopo bush as they track big game, left to right, Emma Tomlinson, Nina Vestey, Sophie West. Above: Emma Tomlinson, Sophie West and Caroline Tully close in on a white rhino mum and her calf.
Luxury lodge at Wait A Little
deep static pools where snorting hippos bob inquisitively to the surface. And on every ride, the possibility of a thrilling encounter with one or more of the Big Five.
As an admirer of Ernest Hemmingway, I like to believe it was potential confrontations with the Big Five – elephant, (black) rhino, (Cape) buff alo, lion and leopard – which drew the great novelist and big game hunter to Africa. I envy those tales of his bohemian lifestyle which seem to relate so well in this part of Africa. A constant seeker of the ultimate in adrenalin rush (he should have played polo!), Hemingway would surely have heard how these fearsome creatures had earned their title: not for their physical size – but for the size of the fi ght within them.
For should the hunter wound an animal, chances are that beast will turn and run. But not the Big Five. Wound one of these fi ends and they will keep on coming – head down, and in full charge mode. e hunter has but one chance of a shot to the brain to bring down one of the Big Five. Fire a wounding shot, and the enraged adversary will continue with its charge. And end the confl ict… in its favour.
In Hemingway’s day, big game hunters were pioneers who cleared this mineral rich land of such dangerous animals, allowing ship loads of settlers landing at Cape Town to press ever further north. Ironically, in these modern times of adventure seeking travellers, it is the big animals which are the star attractions of Africa’s game reserves. lazy afternoon, a hammock in a shady spot, a gentle breeze and a bottle of the fi nest chilled white Burgundy that I can aff ord at the time. I spent my afternoons doing just that. e new Makalali Ride is limited to small groups of six. Riding begins at 7am and stops around 11am when the midday heat is getting fi erce. Afternoon tea at 3.30pm and the evening ride begins around 4pm when the grooms will have your horse tacked up and ready to mount. Each evening ride cleverly winds up at a predestined place where a Land Rover will be waiting in the glorious red sunset.
English polo players were guests at another private reserve, Ant’s Nest and Ant’s Hill in the Limpopo Province. e group, including Emma Tomlinson, Nina Vestey, Lucy Taylor and Sophie West, had just played in a tournament at the Inanda Polo Club in the Transvaal and were much in need of a bit of R&R and pampering after some tough polo action. ey got this and more at the luxury lodges run by Ant and Tessa Baber. Ant has lived in Waterberg all his life and is a passionate conservationist. e players watched as Ant and his helpers released new animals into the reserve. ey rode out with him for some really close encounters with big game in their natural habitat. ere were canters across the open plain and hacks into the mountains that provided spectacular views. e Englishwomen returned in the evenings for stress-busting laying on of hands on the massage table and chilled out with sundowners on the terrace. Like mine, theirs was an experience of a lifetime. is is tough riding, and you’re expected to handle it. But this shouldn’t be a problem for a polo player. ■
Night accommodation on Makalali is at three of the fi nest game lodges anywhere in Africa. And for me, the star of these is Garonga. Garonga is pure style. It’s glam without the glitz and attracts clients from all over the globe to be soothed, massaged, and gently rocked back to a state of calm. It was created in 1997 by ex-army offi cer Bernie Smith. A genial chap, Bernie is a proud hands-on manager of what he calls “ my quiet oasis”. e ambience of the place glides along at a gentle pace, with striking attention to detail.
Bernie was there to greet us on arrival with warm face towels, and chilled home-made lemonade. And just to remind us he’s an Englishman abroad, a tray of the most delicious bacon butties arrived at our table fi ve minutes later. An English couple arrived during our stay to be married next day on a high platform above a nearby watering hole. Another couple from America had two nights at Garonga on their silver wedding celebrations agenda. It’s simply perfect for that special two-day occasion. My idea of bliss is a long, Makalali Ride 11 days/10 nights, staying in four diff erent camps. Maximum group six, very experienced riders only; costs £300 per night, plus fl ights to Johannesburg and transfers. Visit www.waitalittle.co.za or tel: (+) 27 (0)83 273 9788. For Garonga, visit www.garonga.com or (+) 27 82 440 3522
For information on Ant’s Nest and Ant’s Hill, visit www.waterberg.net.
