Observations from the African Soul Safari 2011


for eating leaves and bark – it knocks down the trees to get to the leaves that aren’t secreting protective chemicals. The leopards work best hunting alone and the hyenas and lions work best in a team structure. No one is complaining that life isn’t fair or that the herbivores need protecting from the carnivores. They get on with their lives.
It became obvious too, that the animals and plants were strategic. One particular leopardess had her cub killed by a male leopard (who was not the father). Instead of staying in a state of grief, she proceeded to mate with as many male leopards as she could find, in order to secure her next cub’s life (all the males would think it was their own offspring). The hippo would issue the same 3 warning signals that you are in their territory – loud chainsaw noises, then opening their mouth wide, and finally coming out of the water and throwing faeces everywhere. Most of us left by the 2nd signal. Even the trees would start to secrete chemicals that made their leaves taste bad and also warn other downwind plants, as soon as animals started eating at them. Therefore, the giraffes eat downwind.
Things were done with purpose, for a reason true to that particular species or creature. The animals stayed true to who they were, working with their own strengths and weaknesses. An impala didn’t forget who he was and then act like a leopard. I’m pretty sure he didn’t wish to be a leopard or hippo, either. Action with purpose, and staying true to yourself – that is the flow of life.