Who has seen the movie `Hatari `with John Wayne and Hardy Krueger? If so you know the scene when a rhino attacks the open Jeep in which one of the hunters is sitting in. The rhino is next to the open car and tries to escape. John Wayne sits on a special seat on top of the car´s hood and tries to catch the rhino with a mesh.
At one point the rhino cannot help it and tries to escape by attacking the car and hits with full speed and its big horn the driver´s door and thus the thigh of the driver. The rhino escapes while the driver needs the ambulance. Of course I wanted to be like John and Hardy when I was a kid (maybe even now). However, I was never keen to get into troubles like in this scene with the rhino. Well, I never became a `go getter` or a big game hunter either like those two. I hunt animals only with my camera and from distance - it is safer. Nevertheless, on our South Africa trip this year we encountered quite a similar story. Everything started as usual - relaxing afternoon safari in Hluhluwe national park. We had another 13 km to go before returning to our camp and 50 minutes left before the gate closes. We had seen 10 rhinos already when another 4 adult rhinos with a little one showed up in front of our car. We started taking pictures and were waiting for the rhinos to disappear in the bushes.
However, they liked it on the street and were not planning to go into the bushes. Time went by we worried that we would not arrive at the gate in time which means to pay a penalty. Moreover, driving in the park when it is dark is kind of risky. So we tried to pass – slowly. When doing so the male rhino made sure that we understood he did not like this. He turned around again and again and marked his territory which we should not pass.
Well we did it nevertheless and that is what he really did not like at all. When he went aside we took our chance and passed him. We managed to do so. However, we still had the other 3 rhinos and the little one in front of us. They were scared started to run and tried to escape, however they stayed on the street. We wanted to drive slower to make sure to give them enough time. Remember - there was a rhino behind us. When we looked in our mirror this one was chasing us full speed, with his dangerous horn coming closer and closer. With 40 km/h we drove on this dirt road surrounded by rhinos (~1000 kg heavy). The animals in front of us panicked and the one behind us was furious. We were captured between rhinos and had no clue how to escape. So we decided to give the male rhino behind us the opportunity to go to his group even if there was a slight chance that he would attack our car (like in Hatari). We drove to the side and stopped so that the rhino could pass. It did and then it stopped right next to our car, looked at us furiously. We thought that was it. Then it turned around and went to his family. We were soaked in sweat and adrenalin was flooding thru our veins. We made it. Now we had another 40 minutes left to go back to the camp. A look in front of us was telling us that there was no way to take this road as the rhinos had blocked the road to protect the little one. We had little hope that the stress level of the rhinos will be lowered soon.
Thus we turned around and had to go a way which was double as long as the one we had intended to take. We were never making it in time to the camp so we called the office to let them know that we were running late. It was dark already and the road appeared narrower than by daylight. We hoped not to encounter any more rhinos. That was actually our first night safari on this trip – little joy we felt. Finally we got off the small dirt road and were on the main road which was bigger. Only 10 more kilometers to go, 30 minutes late... We almost made it…. But of a sudden a huge male elephant was standing in the middle of the street and started coming towards us with the usual warning signals of an elephant.
Of course we made sure we used our back gear. That is not easy at all if it is in the middle of the African night and the road is not marked. We stopped at a certain point and hoped we got rid of him.. The hope did not last long when the elephant showed up again behind the curve and came towards us. So we backed off some more. Finally he let go and went into the bushes. The last 3 kilometers to the camp we managed without any further challenges. We drove through the gate, happy that we made it. After the first safari beer on our porch we could smile again about what had happened. And with every sip our shaking disappeared ….
At one point the rhino cannot help it and tries to escape by attacking the car and hits with full speed and its big horn the driver´s door and thus the thigh of the driver. The rhino escapes while the driver needs the ambulance. Of course I wanted to be like John and Hardy when I was a kid (maybe even now). However, I was never keen to get into troubles like in this scene with the rhino. Well, I never became a `go getter` or a big game hunter either like those two. I hunt animals only with my camera and from distance - it is safer. Nevertheless, on our South Africa trip this year we encountered quite a similar story. Everything started as usual - relaxing afternoon safari in Hluhluwe national park. We had another 13 km to go before returning to our camp and 50 minutes left before the gate closes. We had seen 10 rhinos already when another 4 adult rhinos with a little one showed up in front of our car. We started taking pictures and were waiting for the rhinos to disappear in the bushes.
However, they liked it on the street and were not planning to go into the bushes. Time went by we worried that we would not arrive at the gate in time which means to pay a penalty. Moreover, driving in the park when it is dark is kind of risky. So we tried to pass – slowly. When doing so the male rhino made sure that we understood he did not like this. He turned around again and again and marked his territory which we should not pass.
Well we did it nevertheless and that is what he really did not like at all. When he went aside we took our chance and passed him. We managed to do so. However, we still had the other 3 rhinos and the little one in front of us. They were scared started to run and tried to escape, however they stayed on the street. We wanted to drive slower to make sure to give them enough time. Remember - there was a rhino behind us. When we looked in our mirror this one was chasing us full speed, with his dangerous horn coming closer and closer. With 40 km/h we drove on this dirt road surrounded by rhinos (~1000 kg heavy). The animals in front of us panicked and the one behind us was furious. We were captured between rhinos and had no clue how to escape. So we decided to give the male rhino behind us the opportunity to go to his group even if there was a slight chance that he would attack our car (like in Hatari). We drove to the side and stopped so that the rhino could pass. It did and then it stopped right next to our car, looked at us furiously. We thought that was it. Then it turned around and went to his family. We were soaked in sweat and adrenalin was flooding thru our veins. We made it. Now we had another 40 minutes left to go back to the camp. A look in front of us was telling us that there was no way to take this road as the rhinos had blocked the road to protect the little one. We had little hope that the stress level of the rhinos will be lowered soon.
Thus we turned around and had to go a way which was double as long as the one we had intended to take. We were never making it in time to the camp so we called the office to let them know that we were running late. It was dark already and the road appeared narrower than by daylight. We hoped not to encounter any more rhinos. That was actually our first night safari on this trip – little joy we felt. Finally we got off the small dirt road and were on the main road which was bigger. Only 10 more kilometers to go, 30 minutes late... We almost made it…. But of a sudden a huge male elephant was standing in the middle of the street and started coming towards us with the usual warning signals of an elephant.
Of course we made sure we used our back gear. That is not easy at all if it is in the middle of the African night and the road is not marked. We stopped at a certain point and hoped we got rid of him.. The hope did not last long when the elephant showed up again behind the curve and came towards us. So we backed off some more. Finally he let go and went into the bushes. The last 3 kilometers to the camp we managed without any further challenges. We drove through the gate, happy that we made it. After the first safari beer on our porch we could smile again about what had happened. And with every sip our shaking disappeared ….
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