Hiding by the waterhole

“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”

A dazzle of zebras came by the waterhole, where we hid, while the sun created some warmth in the Namibian Winter day. I don't think any family photographer would be happier after getting all the individuals facing the camera. Zay cheeze!

They all made it to the gathering, paying each other respect or... whatever...

This is a nature reserve, just by the Eastern gate of Etosha, that contains this amazing waterhole. We drove ourselves from the main gate to the lodge and had to stop on the way to let zebras, giraffes and antelopes pass. It is very much like visiting a world where we don't fully belong and it feels reasonable to ask the dazzles, herds and troops of animals for permission to enter.

It is obvious that the life on the savanna follows a few unspoken rules. No one just approaches the water, apart from the warthogs, since one has to wait for the right drinking slot. There is an order and the elephants seem to be the first ones to enter. And while one is drinking, the other one looks for  potential danger.

While hanging out there, one slowly learns to know the animals and how they behave. What scares them and where they direct their attention. How they adjust to their own pack and how they approach the others. 

Spending a few hours by the waterhole is rewarding. Dazzle by dazzle, tower by tower and troop by troop they enter the area to drink of the precious water. They eat a little and then disappear in another direction. And so do we.

Quotes from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince