Many "Painted Dogs and one Ele-

Many Painted Dogs and One Ele.

“I can't believe this” John said.

Ant shook his head in wonder: “I've been a guide for many years. But I've never seen the like of this.”

I did not have time for astonishment, since I had to photograph this entire scene.

“Did you see this last attack?” John asked. “It was almost funny” he added.

We sat atop Ant's Toyota Cruiser, called T.C. For short, with the roof wide open, giving us a great view of the goings-on just meters in front.

We had been watching a small pack of Painted Dogs, who were actually 'teasing' an Elephant.

There was this big Elephant.

To the small Painted Dogs she must have looked 'humongous' .

And yet, they had grouped around her, yapping!

Two feinted an attack against the Ele's huge, stomping legs. They darted in and as

quickly, they slipped away.

The Dogs did not 'bark'. They 'yapped' as they lunged in and out.

The Ele just stood there, slowly waving her trunk like a lazy pendulum.

She seemed as astonished as we were.

“Why would Dogs do that?” John asked.

“I truly have no idea” Ant answered.

“They can't consider the Ele as food. They don't compete for space or food with Eles. Elephants are no threat to Painted Dogs.” He added.

“It's more like the Dogs are a threat to this Ele.” John laughed.

After a short while the Dogs seemed to grow tired of this game and ran off in the direction of a small pond.

We followed them, coming to a stop just meters from the edge of the puddle.

“Let's get out and join them” Ant said.

“Are you joking?” I asked him.

“No, I'm dead serious.”

“I hope the emphasis is on 'serious' and not on 'dead'

I could not believe my eyes. Ant slowly and noiselessly opened the truck door and stepped onto the sand.

“Come along” he waved.

Following his example, I too left T.C., taking one of my cameras with me.

The Dogs were lolling about, some slurped from the puddle, some just lay there, seemingly enjoying the rest after the excitement of the Elephant romp.

Ant and I sat in the sand, less than 5 meters from the dogs.

They seemed to totally ignore us, which was alright with me.

I just took picture after picture.

Slowly the Dogs moved on, further into the thicket.

Back in T.C. Ant said: “There has never been a case where a Painted Dog attacked a Human.

“Now you tell me” I said. “I needn't have worried then?”

“Do you really think that I would have exposed you to any danger?”

“No, that's why I followed you!”

“Just imagine,” John said. “Just imagine: Sitting in the sand, two meters from a pack of ferocious wild Dogs, snapping pictures. Wait till I tell Glad when we get back home.”

“First, John”, I said “we were almost five meters, not two, from a Society of peaceful Dogs, and, more important, I did not 'snap pictures'! I took carefully composed, perfectly focused and exquisitely exposed images.”

John and Ant laughed, while I, unsuccessfully, tried to project an offended, haughty attitude.

“The highly individual fur pattern, it is said that no two are alike, make the

'African Wild Dog' , also called 'Painted Dog” a most attractive animal.”

Ant was 'lecturing' us, sounding as if he stood in front of an audience of Naturalists.

“Sounds terrific” John said. “what else can you tell us about this animal?”

Ant smiled. “If you really want to know, pups are given first call at a kill. Even the Alpha pair will stand back until the pups have had their fill.

“Not at all comparable to the Lion, where the pup is last when it comes to the dinner table”. John said.

“Another difference between the Painted Dog and, for instance, the Lion is that the female, after the pups are weaned , will leave the clan to join another one, while the male sticks around with his old pack.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ant carefully slipped the cruiser into gear and it started slowly to move back onto what

passed for a road.

“Where are we heading? “ I asked Ant.

“In a wide circle, eventually back to our camp site. I don't want to be caught in the dark out here.”

“Somewhere special? John asked.

“No, just cruising.” Ant said.

“Sometimes the most wonderful things happen when you are 'Just Cruising'”

The countryside was lush, the rainy season having finished just a week to ten days ago.

Mongoose, those speedy little snake fighters were playing at the base of a fig tree

and all seemed peaceful and quiet. The struggle to survive was every species' task.

From far off, the roar of a Lion could be heard, and the Ring -necked Dove gave its constant and monotonous call.

Here is 'Rikki-Tikki-Davi' the wonderful, curious and brave snake fighter

in Rudyard Kipling's 'Jungle Book'

I never thought I'd meet him in person.

***************

Slowly Ant guided TC over a slight rise. Without a word spoken, he simply pointed straight forward.

“How do you like that” he asked? with triumph in his voice, proving his earlier declaration that “most wonderful things happen, when you are 'Just Cruising'.

“Did you pre-arrange that?” I asked Ant, totally unable to keep the delight off my face.

“Absolutely” John added. “Must have been by prior agreement, that this Ele comes to this place at this time, taking exactly this position, to impress the hell out of us.

How else could it have worked so perfectly?”

Ant beamed all over his face: “Don't just look at it! Soak it up, boys!”

and following our joke, he added: “Took a lot of persuasion and a good bribe, to make him come here and wait for us.”

Yes, we remained almost mesmerized by the beauty and almost majesty of this moment.

Of all the Ele shots I have taken, 

and there must be many hundreds of them,

 this, by far is my favorite image of an Elephant in his natural surroundings.

take a good look ... and linger awhile...

It is difficult to leave such a scene. This, however, was not the Ele's opinion. After watching us for a while, he obviously grew tired of us and slowly he waded downstream and finally he lost sight of us.

“If you painted this picture, people would call it 'kitsch'” John said.

“Have you seen enough for today” asked Ant, “because we'll be back at our campsite in less than half an hour.”

“Yes”, I said, “I think I'm ready to go back, have one of our famous 'bucket showers'

eat one of your delicious dinners, have a good glass of wine, sit around and talk about today.”

“You mind where the wine's from?” John was being his usual funny self.

“We'll see what's left in the ice box.” Ant grinned and put TC into gear.

And, as promised, we were back at our 'mosy-tents' in less than the announced time.

So was a visitor.

We stayed at this sight for three nights.

This Ele visited us each evening, drank from a nearby puddle

and ponderously left again.

'twas a great day