Tanzanian Safari

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Ngorongoro Crater

Wild Animal Attack!!

We stop at a large lake to eat our packed lunch. A huge shady tree dominates the shore and a group of people are beneath it taking turns to take photos of each other. I take my lunch to the lake side of the tree and sit down. There are reeds and water plants on the other side of the lake as well as a group of hippos at safe distance.

The rest of my group mill around the four wheel drives.

I notice another hippo, not so far away and I consider how quickly I could climb the tree if the hippo decided to attack. Hippos are surprisingly fast and will outrun a person but they don't climb trees. The tree is easy to climb and the hippo is not concerned so I relax but stay alert. (The hippo is not the agressor - people are the agressors.)

A bright yellow and black finch lands two feet away in the bushy grass. I am surprised how close it comes, unafraid of human contact. I feel an intamacy with nature as we study each other. Another finch lands two feet to the right of the first. How wonderful.

Another finch lands on the tree behind me, a foot from my head. Now I am starting to feel surrounded.

As I start to unwrap the cling wrap from my sandwiches the first finch flys up and pecks at it. I wave it away. The other finches take flight, but not in retreat. They are looking for the best access to my lunch. This is Africa, where wild animals attack without mercy.

A fourth finch appears. I shoo the birds away like flies. I hold my sandwiches close to my mouth. This settles them down. They aren't game to come close to my cruel, powerful, razor sharp teeth. They don't know I am a vegetarian (who also eats fish).

I manage to eat half of a double sandwich. I momentarily lower my left hand when - wham - something hits the food in my hand. My fist automatically closes on my food as I see a medium sized eagle flying away.

Time to retreat. I head back to the four wheel drive. The rest of my group are standing close to the vehicles.

Numerous eagles circle overhead. A girl is returning from the rest rooms nursing her hand which has been scratched by an eagle. she is worried about possible infection.

I take stock of my lunch in hand. it seems to all be there. The eagles talons unable to gain purchase on a bread sandwich. I notice the cling wrap is missing. The bird must have carried it off like a magician whipping a table cloth out from under a dinner setting.

Another eagle makes a grab for my brown paper bag containing a banana. It gets nothing. I decide to get in the four wheel drive. some finches follow me - darting in through the open windows and the overhead hatch.

Everyone returns to the vehicles and we drive away leaving the wild birds behind. A few minutes later I discover that in all the excitement, I have left my water bottle behind, back at the tree.

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