Disturbing the peace
A dramatic encounter broke the silence on the Zambezi, as Courtney Hoffman watched buffalos risking life and limb.
No quiet moment in Africa should be taken for granted, as I discovered during a boat safari in Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park. Motoring gently downstream, I could see elephants picking through the tall grass on the riverbank, while pods of hippos appeared sporadically in the water, exhaling through their gigantic nostrils. It was all very peaceful – until we rounded a bend. There, on the Zambian side, was a herd of cape buffalo preparing to cross the water to Zimbabwe. Joseph, my guide, quietly brought the boat to a halt in the papyrus, as we anticipated the buffalos’ next move.
The bovids were searching for a spot to cross. Some of the older bulls and cows eventually made the move, entering the water and swimming hard against the fast current, the grunting and splashing of their efforts echoing along the valley. More and more followed, until the river was a seething, splashing mass of bodies.
Most of the herd had reached the safety of the other side when I saw a juvenile alone on the far riverbank. Left behind by the adults, it jumped into the water and started swimming, desperate to catch up. It made it halfway, then suddenly submerged, vanishing from sight. As we strained to see why the calf had disappeared, the water exploded suddenly.
The buffalo surfaced, splashing and bellowing, its rear leg clamped firmly in the jaws of a young crocodile. Its eyes were filled with terror as it desperately tried to resist the predator’s death roll. Minutes of intense struggling passed, then both parties hung motionless in the water, as if gathering their strength for the final battle.
The fight resumed, then the buffalo turned limp and slowly sank among the hyacinth weeds. Quiet descended over the river once again, as we took it all in. Joseph reached for the ignition, ready to re-start the engine, but the silence was once again broken by a loud splash. It was the buffalo erupting from the water – having managed to kick free of its captor, it was now paddling for its life.
Emerging from the shallows, the feisty yet exhausted calf collapsed on the sandy bank. It took a few minutes for it to catch its breath, then it stood up and rejoined the herd.
More and more buffalos followed, until the river was a seething mass of bodies.