NATURE’S TREASURES

It’s not necessarily awesome grandeur that leaves one breathless. This thought rekindled itself when I recalled showing an overseas visitor along Steenbras Dam nature trail in Cape Town recently.

It was almost like stepping into an ancient tapestry: mottled mauve, browns and ochre merging into all shades of green. Shy sunlight filtered through the foliage, giving an almost secretive air.

We emerged into an open, warm spot and saw there a dainty klipspringer, poised tentatively on a boulder. It seemed unperturbed by our presence, doubtlessly more concerned by the tawny head of a caracal with tufted ears thrust through the undergrowth.

Fortunately for the little buck, the predator’s attention was on us. Then its great golden eyes swung around to the klipspringer. There was a flash of tiny hooves and the buck safely disappeared behind a clump of proteas. Silently the cat merged back into the tapestry.

The visitor commented that he was more impressed by that simple natural tableau than the might of the great dam. FH, EMAIL