It's the "diary written in the sand", the spoor left by animals big and small, that fascinates me, and in Klaserie private game reserve, part of South Africa's Kruger national park, I find a gory story of a fresh cheetah kill.
After carefully examining the mix of footprints and furrows in the sand, we (myself, the rangers and fellow guests) redramatise what has happened … the cheetah swings out at an impala, the prey slips and skids on impact, gets dragged into the cover of a bush where it bleeds out and gets disemboweled. Here is the place of death. Lions come, then hyenas to clean up on the guts. Nothing is left. Everything is crunched up and eaten. I wish I'd been here to see it. Incredible.
I am passionate about conservation, and over the years I've returned many times to South Africa's wild spaces, where there's a great surfeit of exotic wildlife. There is also an incredibly rich diversity of environments in South Africa, from scrub to forest. And the people are friendly and the roads are good, so it's accessible. I always look forward to coming here – driven in part by my rich memories, and in part by what's yet to be discovered.
I am staying at the Africa on Foot safari lodge, near the Timbavati Gate which is about half-an-hour's drive from Hoedspruit airport. The lodge is in the northern section of the Kruger park, where huge herds of elephants roam, and lion and cheetah kills are common sightings.
I especially enjoy meeting other naturalists and having things pointed out, like the plants that play a vital role in the ecosystem as well as in local culture for medicinal purposes. It's as much of a learning experience as you make of it – the more questions asked, the more absolute strangers share their vast knowledge of a land that, to most Brits, remains a complete mystery.
And I enjoy the fact that you can learn so much on the game walks – without even necessarily seeing the animals. In the last two days, I have found everything from a leadwood tree whose bark looks like a work of art to grassy, white rhino poo – fascinating – to a set of enormous giraffe neck and jaw bones. And that's not to forget the fantastic splash of colour presented by some impala lilies. You just don't see these things from a vehicle.
I feel, though, that the best is yet to come. And it's this anticipation that I predict will keep me up most of the night, as I listen to the night sounds and wonder what stories are being enacted in the landscape, fresh for me to uncover tomorrow.
