Denis said later, on the way to Sharpeville, he thought that game rangers always go on a bit too much about the sexual habits of animals. Personally, when it comes to animals, I am really not sure if “habit” is the right word. I always thought of a habit as something you can change about yourself, with enough determination, on January 1. Unless of course it is a good habit, then you can write a book about it and others can acquire it, and hopefully you can make a bit of money.
And perhaps that is an interesting thought right there. “The sexual habits of highly effective animals” may be a best-seller yet.
I have been on a couple of game drives in my life. I don’t need my fingers AND my toes to count them, but still. A few. On this specific drive I retained most of the information dished out by the ranger, which was atypical. I usually forget that stuff as soon as we sit down to breakfast, or pour the first whiskey, depending on the time of the drive.
Perhaps THAT made the difference. There was no breakfast and no alcohol involved afterwards. Or maybe that was not it. After what could only be described as an abridged version of a game drive, we stepped into a zoo to see two lion brothers mating in captivity. So, everything about the morning and the animals we saw was slightly surreal. The whole experience was also tinged with guilt: I kept on thinking that if Bob, my friend the conservation nazi, were there, he would have had to drink a lot to make the memories go away. Continue reading
Betty Noire 