…we leave early in the afternoon with new-found friends from far-off lands; the intense warmth is still palpable but a subtle coolness spreads its wings over the dry landscape of central Ruaha. Heading south now, away from Mbagi and the palm-fringed and comparatively lush Mwagusi River basin, we drive slowly and quietly through the Bush-willow and Baobab filled woodlands towards where the Mdonya River skirts the majestic Kimilimatonge mountain! The afternoon sun's golden rays envelop the granite giant and it becomes more vibrant in colour with each passing minute as the light from our life-giving star caresses its crags and crests. The mountain almost seems alive and moving as we watch it through the passing trees like a cartoon film - it approaches us! Suddenly other giants appear seemingly out of 'nowhere', extending and craning their ludicrously long necks, first one, two, four, six… We sit with them a while and chat about their strangeness and beauty, a few snapshots taken for posterity and remembrance.

" You must know that the giraffe is short in the body and slopes down towards the rear, because it's hind legs are short…It has a small head and does not harm anyone. Its colour is dappled red and white. And a very pretty sight it is!" Marco Polo, Description of the World (1298).

The ground slopes downwards now and we seem to be entering the cool embrace of the Mdonya and its sandy bed…someone spots another giraffe but this one looks curious. Or, more correctly, as we take time to look closely, he is looking at something curiously! Not us! That's odd…he is taking no notice of our noisy vehicle even though we proceed slowly to investigate his odd behaviour. "Let's see what he is so interested in" one of us say…onward we inch slowly forward and closer and closer to the cliff-like edge of the Mdonya…"Lion!!"

The big cats are lying in the sand below us and after a short time of taking in the excitement and wonder of finding them, we move a little to obtain a better view. Growls and grunts emanate from the bosom of the river below as the feline fiends feed on an unfortunate victim of their insatiable lust for flesh…another giraffe! Twelve lion pay us almost no attention and we become irrelevant and neutral observers of this ghastly but somehow wondrous scene before us. Leaving the predators to their night-stalking we return to our retreat at Kwihala, the cool air flowing sweetly over us, the butterflies settling into their safe places…