LivinginSouthAfrica,Ihadalwaystakenthewildlifeprettymuchforgranted.Nottosaythatweweresurroundedbyit,buttheaccessibilityofgameparksandwildlifesanctuaries（避难所，庇护所）alwaysmadeitseemlikeanaturalpartoftheenvironment.Forthisreason,IsupposethatthewaymyEuropeanfriendsusedtotalktome,wasn’tsostrangeafterall.TheywouldaskmewhatIthoughtatthetimewerereallysillyquestionswhichgotonmynerves.They’dsaythingslike‘Doyouhaveapetbaboon?’or‘Doyoutraveltoschoolbyelephant?’.

WhenAmanda,afriendofminewhowasvisitingfromEngland,invitedmetojoinherandagroupoffriendsonawildlifeexpedition,Iwasnotfilledwithenthusiasm.However,fromthemomentweenteredthegatesoftheZaluzigamereserve,IknewthatthiswasnotgoingtobeanythinglikeIhadexpected.WehadbeentravelingalongtheNationalRoadwhen,suddenly,weturnedontoadirttrackwhichseemedtobehiddeninthemiddleofnowhere.Amazingly,thescenerychangeddramatically.Thecivilizedenvironmenttookonawild,chaotic（混沌的；一片混乱的）aspectandcontinuedtodosoaswewalkeddeeperintothebush.

Afterhavingagoodnight’ssleepatoneofthereserve’sbungalows,wewerewokenatthecrackofdawn.Afteraquickbreakfastwepiledintoajeepandsetoff.Ourguideassuredusthattheearlystartwasnecessaryinordertohavethebestchanceofseeingwhatwasreallyworthwhile.Armedwithjustathermosofcoffee,wesetouttowardstheshoreofasmalllakewhereitwasexpectedthatwecouldseethatanimalsthatuseditastheirmorningwateringhole.

Onthewaytoourdestination,wetoppedahillandthere,againsttheemergingmorninglight,wereagroupofanimals. Itwasastunningsight.Aswemovedcloser,theanimalsdidnotappeartobealarmedbyourpresence.Petbaboonsaside,Ihadneverbeforecomewithinsuchcloserangeofaprideoflions.Itdidcrossmymind,however,thatwemightbeinacertainamountofdanger.WhenIaskedTimothy,ourgameranger,ifwewereactuallyinanydanger,herepliedstraightforwardlythatoneisneverentirelysafeinthebush,buthisknowledgeandexperienceallowedhimtoanticipateanydangerwithreasonableaccuracy.

However,thefollowingdaytherewassomecauseforalarm.Nothavingstartedoutsoearly,wemissedth