Subject: Africa is not for Sissy's! Read and Weep!!!

Hi Debs,

I thought I would let you know about our hair raising experience in the Boma last night. I have 3 men in and one of them is blind. We were sitting in the Boma having coffee after dinner chatting and laughing when I heard something behind the table. I looked around and there was this big male lion standing about 8 meters away.

I told them to sit very still because there is this male lion at the back of the table. Well we all froze!!! But when I looked to the other side I had even a bigger fright! Not even a meter away from me was this other huge male staring me in the eyes. I told the guest who was still watching the other one "Fuuuck there is another one right next to me, sit very still!!" (First time ever I swore in front of a guest)

Well then this lion started moving even closer and started sniffing at me. By that time I couldn't look anymore, I was waiting for him to take me by the arm and drag me off. The two other guest said to me afterwards that at one stage he was about 20cm away from me sniffing me. I was so scared! Well, after what felt like hours, but was about a minute or two he started to walk past behind the table and went to lie down about 6 m away, watching us. Lion number one has moved on and was nearly past the main building when another male (number 3) came walking out of the bush, had a dump behind the table and went to lie down next to lion number 2. Goitseone walked into the boma to check on the table so I signalled that she must stop, go back and call KB. She got hold of Sage on the radio and he and KB came down. In the meantime lion number 4 came out of the bush and went to lie down next to lion number 2 and number 3 got up and moved further away.

KB and Sage came into the boma with their rifles and first helped the blind guest out and then came to walk out with the rest of us. We waited in the kitchen for a while for the lions to move off and for our heart beats to slow down before we could move to the lounge to have a few stiff whiskeys!

KB and Sage saw that the guest got to their rooms safely and they took me home when the lions started roaring in the lodge. KB and Sage went down to the lodge again to check if the guest were OK and tried to chase the lions out of the camp with the vehicle. After that, things started to calm down but it was about 3:00am before I managed to fall asleep.

Well I am very happy to still be alive and in one piece this morning and am sure the guests are as well.

See you soon, Love, Roelene 

Roelene Beumer
Sandibe Lodge Manager

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Big Boys

Not sure where these were taken or who took them, I received them via email. They certainly had some kind of grudge against little red defenders.

Our lions fortunately, are a better behaved although some cubs go through a stage of chasing car tyres, they all seem to have grown out of it.

This photo taken at Hluhluwe, a nearby reserve, was emailed around the world. The ellie first rested his foot on the bonnet then draped and rested his huge trunk on the roof but other than a considerably dented car the occupants were fine.

My sister has a client with a game farm - this ellie has discovered how to get water from their irrigation system, he apparently stands drinking & hosing himself off for hours.

What do you think this baboon is saying?