The July school holiday was the last visit to Oom Johan in the Kruger National Park. The coming January would see me conscripted into the SADF like most young South Africans.
Oom Johan also felt that the young lions had to be released into the wild soon, and the only chance they had of survival would be to seamlessly incorporate them into an existing pride in the area. Perhaps even the pride of the lioness that was shot by the patrollers. He insisted the pride must have young lions about the same age as Shumba, Lady and Jane. He had a portable holding cage with a slide back door that could be opened by pulling a rope from a distance, it was designed that the door showed very little movement and made no noise.
Oom Johan had to leave early the one morning for a meeting with the Parks Board top brass in Skukuza. Breakfast was left over Impala stew and pap with a hot cup of coffee. It was still dark outside when he left with the bakkie and one of his rangers. I had helped him carry a trammel of tools to the bakkie. “Remember” he said sternly “always leave a note with the direction you are headed out in! Avoid being seen by any member of the public and stay off the roads! Watch out for Black Mamba and never try outrun a lion!” I nodded my acceptance and understanding as he handed me the keys to the Parks Board Yamaha 125 off-road motorcycle.
I went back inside the house and wrote a note. {North East towards the Mountain Cliff}. Had another cup of coffee, prepped my back pack with a few bottles of fresh water and headed into the bush on the Yamaha. I would look up ahead in the direction I was going, find a landmark like a large tree or mound, ride to that point. Then switch off the engine of the motorcycle, and listen, observe the surroundings carefully, then start up and move on. At one point I had come across a public road, fortunately there was no one around, so after crossing the road I walked back and brushed out the motorcycle tracks with a branch and leaves. Then continued on my quest.
I have no idea how many times I had stopped to listen and observe nor how far I was from the Rangers house, but judging from the position of the Sun it must have been close to midday. I took a swig from my water bottle, which was now almost empty, as I reflected on the sightings and encounters thus far on my outing. Kudu, Impala, Warthog, Puff Adder, Elephant, Wildebeest………I decided that it was time to head back. Looking down the pathway towards home I saw a movement to the left in an opening the lead down towards the track cut as a firebreak, then another, and another, for a moment I thought it was Shumba, Lady and Jane but the appearance of two large male lions and then followed by three adult females made it obvious that this entire pride was what Oom Johan was looking for. The pounding of my heart and scent of adrenaline pouring through my system must have alerted them to my presence and they moved off at a brisk pace.
Being calm and subdued on the ride home was no longer an option as my excitement got the better of me and on more than one occasion nearly fell off or ran into a wildebeest, as I gunned the Yamaha homewards at full revs.
The large adult Giraffe stood on three legs in the middle of the road, its left front leg broken and hanging limply from a knee that protruded forward keeping the hoof from touching the ground. Incidents like this are not uncommon in the National Parks, as delivery vehicles and tourists alike sometimes speed and run into animals crossing the road. Most of these incidents go unreported as the Park will sometimes prosecute or expect compensation from the offending driver.
The sharp crack of Oom Johans hunting rifle shattered the peace and quiet of the early evening. The injured Giraffe jerked back and convulsed as its muscles contracted and then instantly, collapsed onto the road, a second shot rang out hitting the Giraffe in the head to ensure that it was dead. This is standard operating practice among Rangers and Guides. The Giraffe was too large and too heavy to be loaded onto the Parks Board bakkie to move and so chains were tied to its rear legs and attached to the tow bar, then low range four wheel drive was engaged and the carcass dragged off in the direction where the lion pride had been spotted. Working in the head lights of the patrollers vehicle, the Giraffe was gutted whilst Oom Johan raced to collect the cage made for the release with Shumba , lady, and Jane. The cage with the adolescent lions inside was positioned near the carcass of the Giraffe, the vehicles moved back and into position with the rope attached to the release door. The guts, entrails and blood of the Giraffe was poured over the cage and the lions inside as well as along the release rope. This was done to disguise any human or foreign smell from the scene.
About an hour later a clan of Spotted Hyena were the first to arrive. They showed more interest in the adolescent Lions in the cage than on feasting on the carcass. Their whoops and cackles had Shumba, Lady and Jane cowered back, visibly scared, their snarls and growls almost sounding pitiful amongst the hyena’s cacophony. Then there was silence. The two big pride males walked up to the carcass, the hyenas backed off into the night. They would skulking in the background and this in its own was a threat to the release of Shumba, Lady and Jane, but time had run out. Oom Johan could no longer keep at home and sending them to a Zoo was never going to be an option. The rest of the pride arrived and waited as the big males started to feed on the giraffe. Oom Johan slowly and carefully pulled the rope to open the cage. Jane, the cheeky one came out first and went to the carcass to feed in front of the big male. He lashed out at her, his paw impacting squarely on her cheek, her head snapped back against her body from his effortless power. She was dead before she hit the ground. Tears streamed down the face of Oom Johan, but he remained still and silent.
Behind this horrific scene, Shumba and Lady had joined the rest of the pride and a lioness had started to lick them clean.