Bonnie J. Fladung

by James Alexander Currie
with Bonnie J. Fladung
Excerpt:

I am about to take my binoculars down when I see it. A big African male lion, black mane, is padding straight towards me through the moist plain, leaving a trail of glistening droplets clinging to the grass in the morning light. From a vehicle the sighting would have been splendid. On foot, terrifying.

I know from my past experience with male lions that they will hardly ever confront a human, preferring instead to run away. But this one keeps coming albeit nervously and uttering a low call, not unlike the moaning at the end of a full roar. A constant low grunting.

He is about 300 metres away, just padding towards me. I back away from the open floodplain and head for the safety of the car, returning up the rugged path through the thick brush. My experience as a game ranger reminds me to walk slowly, turning to face the lion constantly.

Each time I retreat the lion moves forward, each time I stop, he stops and looks straight at me. I retrace my steps very, very carefully back up the path. I am constantly glancing down, reading the tracks in the soft dirt when I see the worst thing imaginable.

Over my footprints there are the unmistakable fresh tracks of more lions! Bugger.

To be continued....
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