New Life on the African Savannah

Giraffe with her new baby

“New life, it is always a blessing”, Jackson, our safari guide, said as we watched in silent awe a tall giraffe saunter along the edge of the trees with a little one at her side. The dried red covering the back of her legs gave evidence of the recent birth.  “You know, they walk within just an hour after birth.”

It is said that Africa has the most efficient recycling system.  Every part is deeply connected and dependent on another.  On our first day, during the short drive from the airstrip to the camp, we watched the hyenas chew the skin of an enormous hippopotamus that was killed by lions just a day prior.  No part of any plant or animal is wasted in Africa, ever.  Before our eyes we witnessed the rawness of death and life co-existing, both essential to the health and balance of life on the African savanna.

Being in Kenya in a different context and out of routines, has opened my eyes to some things that need to end or change and to elements that have brought new life to my heart and spirit.  New life can takes many forms, a new vocational direction, passion, perspective, or any other step into the new or unknown.  Part of living here has been, for me, like taking a deep breath of fresh air, filling my lungs with that first breath of life- giving oxygen.

Sometimes hurtful patterns, stages or seasons of life, or involvements need to or naturally come to end or “die”.  Within the same landscape, without death there is often not space or nourishment for new life.  Some things must come to end, for something new to begin.  Neither death or life is wasted.

One afternoon we sat with baited breath as a family of elephants crossed in front of our jeep from the forest on their way to the swamp.  As they drew nearer to us, ever so gradually, two grown elephants aligned themselves on either side of the young one, putting their giant bodies as shields to protect the vulnerable among them.  As soon as they passed the perceived danger, they spread out once again, giving the young one space to roam and explore.  As with the baby elephant and giraffe, new life birthed within us, deserves protection and nurture as well.  The voices of doubt, fear, or insecurity need the strength of a stalwart shield to keep them at bay.

However, it is impossible to protect it completely from danger, and soon after birth, it must learn to walk.  It needs to stumble and try out its skills, as feeble and unpolished as they may be.

With the sun nearly setting, we set off to try to catch a glimpse of a leopard, the last for us of “The Big 5” of an African Safari.  Almost as soon as we arrived on the scene, a warthog, unaware of the leopard’s presence, ambled over to check on his hole.  The leopard instinctively knew this was easy prey, so he slinked around, flattened down into a pouncing position, and even checked out the warthog’s home.  The warthog and the leopard faced off, but despite the leopard’s posturing, the warthog walked away unharmed.  “He’s a young one,” Jackson said speaking of the leopard with a chuckle.  “He’s only about a third the size of an adult.  He knows he doesn’t yet have the strength to win the battle.”

Sometimes with new life it looks clumsy with lots of false starts.  It lacks the polished gracefulness of the more experienced around us.  New birth is risky and it’s messy, but as Jackson said, it’s always a blessing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some other snapshots of the safari......

Seth flew co-pilot on the small plane to the Masai Mara

   

Our safari jeep- we all had a great view of the animals!

One morning we watched 2 cheetahs as they
roamed and explored

We saw lots of lions and their cubs.  It was fun to
see how they greet each other by a nuzzle and loud purring 

Our guide, Jackson, was an amazing animal tracker.
His gentle character and great storytelling made it
easy to spend hours together in the jeep

At the camp where we stayed, we ate outside with
beautiful views of the savanna.  Warthogs often
wandered through camp.

Watch part of the encounter between the leopard and the warthog that was described in the post: