Just when you thought my fun was over.
I was on Manyari’s trail to the west of Banyini when I came across not one, not two, but three Black Rhino in the open area.
And this in the daytime.
3 black rhino!
in the daytime!
in the open area!
You can’t ask for it better. Black Rhino are usually solitary, predominantly nocturnal and shy (hanging out in thick bush).
So there I was following the rhino in the open savannah. Moving ahead of them I stopped waiting for them to come towards me. They came and only at about 50m did they notice something different and in their aggressive inquisitive way they kept coming.
Black rhino are known for their aggressive temperaments and are known to charge at just about anything they’re not sure off. They’re definitely not short on aggression or character.
The cow took the lead and kept coming followed by her subadult calf, the bull hanging back, thankfully. Only 10 meters away and she charged but stopped just short, spun around and took off.
I followed and again they came towards me. And so the morning went on. In the 4 hours I was with them (a record in its own. The longest I’d been with a black rhino before was about 10 minutes), I was charged about 10 times, mainly by the cow. The bull did charge a couple of times which was rather scary as he never seemed like he would stop.
Eventually the rhino rested in some shade and I chose a tree close by and rested with them like I do with elephant. I couldn’t believe this, resting with 3 Black rhino! So so so awesome.
They are such cool animals and to see them right up close they almost look cuddly. Their eyes look so gentle. It’s just that horn that always looks rather threatening the way they hold it like a warrior holding his spear as heads to war.
That was my morning taken up and I didn’t get to look for Manyari. She can wait, black rhino will always put her in second place. I love these animals.
When the rhino moved into the mopanie woodland it was too difficult to follow them and I picked up on several herds of elephant to the west of Banyini.
By sunset they had moved on to Banyini and were drinking at the pan.
Once they came out the woodland, they just kept coming and coming. There must have been about 80 elephant at Banyini.
One-Tusk was there. She walked up to the car and past. Mandlovu was there with her family.
And the big tusker who charged me yesterday. But he was totally fine.
So today on Banyini I had all the dudes who have charged me in the last few days.
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