Your trip is planned and you are about to set off on your overland trip!\u00a0 Excitement is big and contagious, but on the other end of the scale you are also a bit nervous as you are unsure how to act around wild animals.<\/p>\n

Let me, as an experienced and seasoned African traveller, give some basic do\u2019s and don\u2019ts when you are out there:<\/p>\n

\n
• Zip up your tent \u2013 no matter how hot it is in side, zip up for various reasons. It keeps out bugs, mosquitoes and slithering things like snakes.\u00a0 A lion will not bother you in your tent.\u00a0 They do not realise that they can rip open the canvas with a quick stroke of the paw and no, an elephant will not trip over your tent.\u00a0 Elephants are amazingly gracious when they walk.<\/li>\n
• When you go to bed stow all food (and garbage) either in your tent or vehicle. Inquisitive animals like hyenas, jackal, etcetera will come and have a look what is there to taste.<\/li>\n
• Do not wander off in the dark and outside the light of the fire. There are creatures watching you that you do not even know of.\u00a0 If\u00a0 you do have to go for a nightly routine walk let somebody go with you with a torch and keep close to your tent.\u00a0 Night animals have keen eyesight and spot you long before you even notice them, so take care.<\/li>\n
• Be extremely vigilant when vervet monkeys and baboons are around. They are very quick and will grab your food before you know it.\u00a0 Do not challenge a baboon, if this does happen they can be dangerous.\u00a0 Rather back off.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  <\/p>\n

  \n
  • Mana Pools is famous for its \u201cdagga boys\u201d (i.e. a lone stray buffalo) that venture into camp even in day times. Be on the look out and try to avoid them totally.<\/li>\n
  • A rather difficult one to do is if you have an encounter with a lion or elephant \u2013 DO NOT RUN!\u00a0\u00a0 I say again – DO NOT RUN!\u00a0 Your instinct will tell you to get out of the way, but stay put, stand very still .<\/li>\n
  • At rivers and dams be on the lookout for crocodiles that lurk in the muddy waters especially on the banks when you approach.\u00a0 Also keep an eye out for paths that animals (i.e. hippopotamus) use that lead to the water. A hippo looks clumsy, but they are not.<\/li>\n
  • Do not misjudge the small animals as they can bite you and there is a possibility that they carry rabies. Rabies are fatal.\u00a0 Wild animals that are prone to rabies are:\u00a0 monkeys, mongoose, meerkat, jackals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Remember that you are in the wild and wild animals can be unpredictable and “a lot”<\/em> quicker than you think.\u00a0 Do not party \u2013 alcohol impair your judgment towards wild animals and may land you in unexpected trouble.<\/p>\n

    —oOO—<\/p>\n

    “You have to look after wealth, but knowledge looks after you. — Zambian Proverb”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Your trip is planned and you are about to set off on your overland trip!\u00a0 Excitement is big and contagious, but on the other end of the scale you are also a bit nervous as you are unsure how to act around wild animals. Let me, as an experienced and seasoned African traveller, give some basic do\u2019s and don\u2019ts when you are out there: Zip up your tent \u2013 no matter how hot it is in side, zip up for various reasons. It keeps out bugs, mosquitoes and slithering things like snakes.\u00a0 A lion will not bother you in your tent.\u00a0 They do not realise that they can rip open the canvas with a quick stroke of the paw and no, an elephant will not trip over your tent.\u00a0 Elephants are amazingly gracious when they walk. When you go to bed stow all food (and garbage) either in your tent… Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4577,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[200,125,127,510,139,201,202],"tags":[1133,374,1134,1137,1141,1135,1294,1139,1138,1140,1041,232,335],"class_list":["post-4565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-botswana-countries-countries","category-countries","category-kenya","category-countries-namibia","category-south-africa-geocaching-countries","category-zambia","category-zimbabwe","tag-animal-behaviour","tag-botswana","tag-camp-etiquette","tag-elephant","tag-how-to-act-in-the-wild","tag-how-to-behave-around-wild-animals","tag-lion","tag-meerkat","tag-squirrels","tag-visit-national-parks","tag-wild-camping","tag-zambia","tag-zimbabwe"],"geo":null,"yoast_head":"\n