A stroke of luck and overcoming overzealousness

A few months ago, I joined some acquaintances at a tourist camp on the outskirts of Maun.

The camp lies along the river, so we stayed in tented facilities.

One afternoon, I walked to our room, and decided to use the adjacent toilet. As I unbuttoned my pants, I noticed a black creature slithering in the corner. I peered closely, and came eyeball to eyeball with a humongous snake.

Yei!

I felt my sphincter muscles weaken and my full bladder threaten to betray me.

I retreated quietly in slow motion, and once outside, I screeched!

People came rushing to see what was happening.

I animatedly described that I had seen a huge snake but could surmise that some thought I was being dramatic or adding “spice.”

The black mamba was later spotted “chilling” on a tree next to our tent room, and it was shot since it was identified to be venomous.

My acquaintances teased me saying that because of my Ngozi-vibe, maybe my ancestors were trying to communicate with me. I’m a zodiac water sign and naturally, my spiritually and astral prowess was heightened because I was near water. My intuitive seraphic energy was also hard at work. It was a blessing in disguise because had I not spotted the snake, it might have attacked and bitten someone at night.

But knowing black folk and superstition some prophesied doom and said that someone devious was trying to bewitch me. Okho. Owaai!

I perceived the snake as a good omen. I believe that sighting a snake symbolises spiritual growth, feminine power, healing, transformation, and signifies new beginnings.

The camp managers, who interestingly shared that it was the first time a snake was spotted in a guest’s room, brushed it off as a chance encounter with wildlife. After all we were trespassing its territory because snakes live in the bush, hello!

I recently read with amazement a story of a quick-thinking elderly Motswana man who was attacked by an irate elephant, and although it injured him, he survived the ordeal after he played dead for several hours until it left him. Give that man a goat!

Another incident that piqued my interest recently, was of a South African woman who was reportedly attacked by a leopard while on holiday near the CKGR. She apparently survived by the whiskers of a cat after she fought it gallantly. Talk about sheer bravery!

But we all know that some people haven’t been lucky as evidenced by the endless incidents of lives lost to wildlife. It’s contentious to encroach wild animals’ territory because you wouldn’t know if they will spare you or become agitated and defensive. Fa o le bati, o a go kopana le bo Sekoti le

Silver Eye, ba bo ba go gautsa!

Experts’ campaigns around human-wildlife conflict often reiterate the need to learn and understand animal behaviour. They also say that one should remain calm when they get face-to-face with a wild animal.

Ijoo! How?

I’m reminded of a story about an overzealous pastor who took his flock to a crocodile infested river for a baptism session. The pastor assured his loyal congregants that God’s grace would protect them.

But as if an afterthought, he apparently exclaimed: “Fa o le tumelo tshesane, o seka wa tsena mo metsing!” As the congregants made their way into the water, humming in trance, one of them noticed what looked like a log floating in the water, and instinctively noticed that it was a crocodile.

She shouted: “Kwena!” Apparently, that same pastor was the first one to dash out of the river and sprinted to safety.