Page 32 - SeniorsToday May20
P. 32
but to one of the less famous and perhaps Just at that moment, from the corner of my
even less inspiring animals – the delicate eye, I noticed two jackals: no doubt hungry,
and dainty fawn-coloured gazelle, and the no doubt ready, no doubt eager to pounce at
wildebeest. On one of my numerous trips what was for them an undoubtedly required
to Tanzania in March, I was witness to one meal.
of nature’s most beautiful spectacles: the But the mother had seen them before I did
birth of a wild animal, a little gazelle in the and she stood up from where she had been
Serengeti. This is where the wildebeest, lying in the grass and urgently nuzzled her
zebras and gazelles give birth as they baby
wander in search of green grass.
Unlike antelopes, which prefer to give
birth in private, gazelles are comfortable
bringing their babies into this world in
front of their entire herd. I watched in
wonder as the mama rolled over in the
grass and a gray, gassy, balloon-like shadow
substance slithered out of her. She didn’t
seem particularly uncomfortable though she
grunted a little.
It took a little while for this slimy mass prompting him, pleading with him, firing
to completely emerge from her, and him – to stay down. Down! It was a matter
within seconds, a darker-hued baby was of life or death. The baby understood and
distinguishable from the opaque substance. stayed low, hiding in the long blades of grass.
The baby, very unsteady on his feet,
lolled around with the umbilical cord still Once assured that her baby had understood
dangling loosely from him. the urgency, the mama butted his body
reassuringly before turning with all her
wrath on the two jackals.
They say hell hath no fury like a woman
scorned but I beg to differ.
Hell hath no fury like a mama gazelle, one
of the gentlest of animals, who knows her
baby could be lunch to two hungry jackals:
with a fury completely unexpected from
her until now docile demeanour, she turned
32
