Walking with Ostriches

Last month I was out tracking rhino on foot.  There were four of us, Africa our guide, Terry, Vicky and myself. I love walking in the bush, you never know what you are going to see and who you are going to be walking with.  So we set off into the unknown making sure that we were quiet and that we knew where the good trees were in case of charging rhino or elephant.   

I was bringing up the rear, making sure that the unexpected was expected and that none of the feisty elephants would sneak up on us.  You may think that this is rather impossible, given their size, but an elephant's step is one of the quietest out there and it is mind boggling how you can loose an elephant in the bush, they blend in so well.  But loose them you do.

So there I was, giving the landscape the old terminator scan, checking for elephant, when suddenly, looming over my right shoulder was the head of an ostrich.  (My terminator scan was temporarily dysfunctional.)  I have no idea where she suddenly came from, but there she was, walking behind me as if she was part of the tracking party.  I have to admit that she did give me a bit of a scare and I did move pretty fast away from her to ensure my body remained in tact.  Ostriches can disembowel a person if they choose to do so.  However, this one was more concerned with being part of the group than removing my innards. 

Terry and Vicky had a good laugh at my sudden erratic movements, until they got the same eyeballing treatment, and this ended up with all of us trying to get away from her.  She was none to pleased with this and 'herded' us together taking over my job of bringing up the rear.  Well I wasn't doing a good job was I?  She stayed with us for 20mins, enjoying our company before moving off to find something more interesting to follow.

Walking with Dinosaurs?  Ostriches can be far more eventful.  And the rhino can wait...