Ways of the wild

A tiny airstrip stands right in the heart of a national forest surrounded by shrub forest, bush and grasslands. A small plane from Johannesburg ferrying just a handful of us lands right in the midst of this greenery. There are no other planes in the runway. All I see is a small pretty building made of timber with thatched roof and a small board that reads, “Skukuza Airport.”

Skukuza is the largest camp of the Kruger National Park in South Africa, and the airport primarily services tourists. It barely looks like one though. Giant carvings of wildlife greet me the moment I enter the luxurious lobby. Skukuza, I am told, means to sweep, and it was a nickname given by the Tsongo people to the wildlife warden, James Stevenson Hamilton, who was a pioneer in conservation, working hard to keep the park clean of poachers. The town, located in Mpumalanga, is on the banks of River Sabi, one of the rivers that pass through the national park.

Ways of a river

But I am not on a safari. Instead, I seem to follow the river, staying at dams and golf courses along its banks or listening to it murmur in a dense forest. As I drive along, I see the baboons and the antelopes. Darting through the trees is a herd of impala, a species of antelope that is native to the country. And then I encounter the nyala or the horned-striped antelope. A pair of wildebeest dashes through the bushes even before I pick my camera lenses. And then I see more antelopes, smaller in size called the kudu, and then I finally spot the national animal of South Africa — the springbok, its white face standing out amidst the greenery. 

But my prized wildlife companion is right on the road almost adjacent to my vehicle, and I can see it slowly chugging along from my window. It is a leopard tortoise. Giraffes and zebras can be seen in the distance as I finally enter the portals of Sabi River Sands. The mountains form a boundary to the lush landscape surrounding me. There is a golf course while little rivulets flow along. The sun paints the sky in shades of crimson and gold. As I walk around, geese cackle. I cross a little wooden bridge across the river, and see a crocodile basking in the sun. Another one is swimming in the waters. The naturalist here takes me to another dam where a thunder of hippopotamus is submerged deep in the waters. Some are floating while others are fighting. The birds are everywhere. I see some ibis and the naturalist calls it hadeda. Shining in an armour of grey and brown, with a hint of purple feathers, the birds stroll along the grasslands.

My journey takes me into the heart of the river, where I leave pretty golf courses and head into the wilds where River Sabi flows untamed through the jungles cutting through rocks and ravines. The area is called Hazyview, but what I see from my log hut is a dense jungle with serpentine branches curling down to my balcony and the unbridled river gushing through the woods. A little stampede and I can hear voices, “Hippos in the river, stay indoors.” I look for them but they seem to have already vanished into the forests. The retreat at Summerfields is romantic and wild in its own way. I have a cup of tea and watch the mangled branches create a green fabric.

The Big Five & more

The river seems to be the lifeline of the wild denizens of the forest, but tourism thrives along its banks. Besides jungle resorts, private game reserves beckon many a wildlife enthusiast. And that is my final destination for the day — Earth Lodge at Sabi Sabi, a private game reserve that is adjacent to the Kruger National Park. Home to the Big Five and several endemic wildlife and birds, this is just one of the many private game reserves that form a part of Sabi Sands Game Reserve named after the rivers Sabi and Sands. Spread over 65,000 hectares, Sabi Sands Game Reserve was formed with local landlords, and it has an unfenced border with Kruger and forms a part of Greater Kruger.

My safari virtually starts during lunch. An African elephant comes in through the dense canopy of trees bordering a small little pond flapping its large ears. It slowly turns around and then trumpets. Almost as a cue, the call is followed by a herd who arrive to quench their thirst. It is also my cue to head out on the safari. I am told that the game reserve has the highest density of wildlife in the area. The landscape is dry with a few stunted thorny bushes. I see a sudden movement and spot a large bird, a stork with a red beak. The saddle-billed stork, a common visitor, is similar to our own black-necked stork.

I see several species of antelopes as they dart into the woods — the nyalas seem to be in pairs while the impalas are in a herd. The giraffes strut their necks out from the bush. A dazzle of zebras walks past me. On the slopes of the mountain are small dark spots that seem to be moving around. They look like little clumps of bushes, but my naturalist points out that they are rhinoceroses.

But I am carried away by the drama in the skies. Sunset is virtually a showstopper, as the clouds are tinged with shades of purple and pink. While I wonder where the Big Five are hiding, I see one of them. Rolled on the ground, content after a heavy meal and purring is a leopard. The shutterbugs are all excited. The leopard looks at me askance and then it goes back to looking the other way again.

The night sky throws a veil over the entire landscape. The shadows of the trees create a mysterious aura around the forests. And creatures furtively lurk amidst the wilderness. One of them is a hyena that crosses my path and rushes into the wilds. The trees seem to merge with the darkness as the moon shines through the woods. The river is now quiet, lulling itself and the denizens to sleep. The silence echoes through the breeze as I head back to my lodge. It is just another day in the wild.

 Fact file

The jungles of South Africa are home to the Big Five fauna — elephant, lion, rhinoceros, leopard and buffalo.

Besides national parks, private game lodges and reserves take you on wildlife safaris. There are also resorts and retreats that organise safaris in national parks.

Kruger National Park is one of the main destinations for wildlife enthusiasts.

You can fly into Skukuza from Johannesburg and several airlines fly to South Africa from India .