We move on but stop again soon to observe the scene of a leopard kill. Julius explains that the small tufts of hair left on the ground indicate that it was an impala. He estimates it is about two weeks old.
We move on again and Julius soon picks up leopard tracks. He tells us they appear to be from the night before. His knowledge of the bushveld is impressive.
Allan shows us a porcupine's home in the base of a huge tree. There is a quill just inside the entrance confirming ownership. My question about the tree's age is answered when he tells us that this tree is about 400 years old, and that the hardwood trees are much older.
We learn of the methods different animals use to mark their territory, and we identify more tracks, how elephant dung is used to relieve headaches and ward off insects, which plants are dangerous if eaten, and which ones the animals enjoy, and so much more. A little further on we find more leopard tracks. They are fairly fresh and could be from that morning.
Even though I am aware that one has to be constantly alert to the possibility of danger, the sense of peace and the stillness continue to evoke feelings that are difficult to define. It it as though something from deep inside me is trying to connect with this place. Is it a vague attempt at a re-connection with the vast universal soul, perhaps the mind of “Gaia”, or memories of countless lives lived before the noise and the crowds of civilization broke that connection. Feelings akin to those aroused by beautiful music, exquisite prose, art, and the works of the great poets, well up inside me.