A few minutes later, Anto slammed on his brakes at the sight of a large, muscular lion standing right in the middle of the road, only about five feet in front of us. The sun beaming down on us from above gave the lion a golden aura. Never before had I been so close to the king of the jungle without the safety of a thick glass or moat to protect me. The majestic, powerful beast had distinctive gold fur and a long, thick, bushy impressive mane. He cast us an amber stare, as if he was curious.
“He’s…huge,” I said, my mouth agape.
“I can see why he’s king,” Jake said. “Surely no animal in their right mind would mess with him!”
“The lion is a symbol of power and dominance,” Anto said, gripping the steering wheel. “He can eat up to forty pounds of meat in one sitting.”
“Whoa! That’s, like, over a hundred Big Macs!” Jake exclaimed.
I shot Jake a big smile. “I dare you to go pet the kitty.”
He playfully slugged me. “Not a chance.”
“Why doesn’t he attack?” I asked.
“He’s not interested in eating a vehicle, but it might be a different story if we get out.”
I chuckled. “I think I’ll stay put.”
“We’re not moving until the lion gets out of the way,” Anto said, shaking his head and clicking his teeth. “Today it was a lion, yesterday twenty-foot-tall giraffes.”
“That’s a whole other kind of traffic jam than what I’m used to!” I said.
The lion let out an intimidating roar, stretching his powerful jaws wide. Staring in amazement, I aimed my camera and started snapping, just in time to capture the big cat with his mouth open. After making his presence known with that roar, the lion shook his head and strolled away as if he didn’t have a care in the world, which he probably didn’t.
Once the lion had trotted off across the veldt, Anto pressed the gas on the Land Rover and took us to the place where water buffalo were known to gather. Our assignment was to have our picture taken next to a wild herd.
“Ah, the perfect spot!” Anto said as he parked the vehicle.
I grabbed my camera and stepped out. Beneath my feet, the grass was a deep gold, the same color as the lion we’d seen, and above me, the skies were blue and filled with raptors, like something out of prehistoric times. Acacia trees stretched out for endless miles.
We waded through a river, which wasn’t nearly as easy as they made it look in the movies, and before long, I was panting from the effort. Pebbles shifted under my shoes as I walked to the other side, and under the stifling weight of my wet clothes, I stumbled over a rock or two. I just hoped no crocs lurked nearby. In spite of the difficult river crossing and my trepidation about being eaten alive, the spectacular wilderness, undisturbed wildlife, and breathtaking scenery was a dream come true. As I stared around me, I couldn’t stop smiling. Everything in every direction was absolutely stunning.
My gaze drifted to Jake. My cheeks grew hot as I stared at the safari shirt stretching across his broad shoulders and strong chest, with the sleeves rolled up at the elbow. Khaki pants were the perfect finish for his swashbuckler ensemble. His black hair hung in shaggy waves under his hat. He looked really hot, but there was no way I’d ever admit that to anyone. The guy still made me furious. If he’d had a bullwhip, I would have wanted to strangle him with it.
Anto advised that we should hike downwind so the herd wouldn’t smell us. I stared ahead through the tall elephant grass. As the buffalos grazed, their tails and ears wagged and twitched. Their reek drifted through the air, and I covered my nose with my hand. Nonetheless, I peered straight ahead. The animals resembled overgrown oxen, with short faces, wide muzzles, and a flat forehead with prominent eyes. A thick layer of mud covered their dull, gray skin. I stared at their giant heads and enormous, white, curvy horns that stretched out to a five-foot span. Even the smallest of the beasts had to weigh close to a ton, and most stood six feet at the shoulder.
I heard the snap of a twig, followed by a loud crunch as we moved along, and I was terrified the noise would alert the animals that there were intruders at their buffet. “Is this really such a good idea?” I asked, fearing I’d be trampled any minute.
“We need that picture, and we’re
gonna get it,” Jake said, taking another daring step closer like it didn’t even faze him. “That’s no bull!” he said with a grin.
“Stop,” I said, rolling my eyes at him.
“What?” he said, feigning innocence.
When we were within twenty-five feet of the buffalo, I could hear them chomping away on grass. I tugged Anto’s arm. “This is close enough, right?”
He nodded.
I let out a sigh of relief. “What if they charge us?” I whispered.
“They’ll run first. But if they do charge, don’t run. Just lie flat on the ground behind me and my gun.”
“What!? I don’t wanna be a doormat for those things!” I said. “We’ll be trampled!”
“Maybe…or maybe not,” Anto said, shrugging. “It’s still our best chance.”