Is it wrong to think of something as photogenic and delicious? (posting from the road)

 

Three years ago I became mildly obsessed with visiting Namibia's greatest game park, Etosha. It started after George, one of my guides in East Africa mentioned that it held a special place in his heart -"the animals seem to get along there". He was mainly referring to the obvious sharing that has to occur at just a few waterholes inside this massive arid park.

Instead of taking the guided safari tours I have become accustomed to we elected to self drive and "hunt"for

game on our own. Success! Well...to some degree.

I have seen heaps of giraffe, springbok, ostrich, oryx, elephants, jackels, zebra and wildebeest. Throw in some kudu, ground squirrels, impala, three white rhinos and a hyena - that has been my luck so far. It sounds impressive until you realize that absolutely no tracking abilities of any sort are required to find these creatures...many of them literally walk in front of the truck. The sheer size of some others makes them more of a challenge or overlook then to actually spot. (Honestly...very few of the trees are as tall as the Masai Giraffes here...you can

see them for miles and the elephants are some of the biggest in the world)

Still eluding our stalking skills are the big cats. Theoretically Etosha is home to the three large cats; leopard, lion and cheetah. You would assume that they must be there right? I mean for population control alone? Without these apex predators the park would be crawling with herd animals as far as you can see...

Turns out the problem may not be my tracking. I have discovered the Namibian secret to herd animal population control...it was on my dinner plate. Served to us over the past few nights have been zebra, hartebeest, bosbok, impala, kudu and oryx. Maybe there are no giant felines...just hungry Canadians. Guilty feeling...yes. Delicious meal...yes.

(Before the hate mail arrives. The meats served to us and all folks in Namibia are not hunted on game preserves. The fact that I have not seen the big cats has everything to do with my poor tracking and not their phantom existence)

The best...hartebeest.