The Bush Baby Adventure

I wanted to share a story from a few years ago when we were living in the bush with our little dynamo of a daughter, Zoe. She’s still little now, but even then, she was a whirlwind of energy. Reflecting on this time brings back such happy memories of an extraordinary chapter in our lives.

Motherhood has taught me many things. It’s an enormous journey filled with surprises. I’ve learned that prunes leave stubborn stains and that time seems to sprint by. I’ve discovered reserves of stamina that let me function without sleep for extended periods. Most importantly, Zoe has filled my life with a love so immense that I can’t fathom existence without her.

Zoe possesses an incredible talent for rolling out of bed in a blink of an eye. In my eyes, everyone else on the road drives at warp speed, and every corner holds a potential kidnapper. I’ve become aware of the overwhelming amount of chemicals lurking in our water, food, cosmetics, and cleaning supplies. Realizing I hadn’t been aware of my unhealthy habits before I became pregnant, I was struck by how much I cringed at my past excessive drinking and smoking.

Despite these challenges, Zoe’s infectious humor always brightens my day. We can engage in conversations that stretch on for hours. I’ve learned to overlook the mess of mashed peas that seems to find its way into every corner of our home, just as long as she eats something after having been sick for days on end. Certain songs from my childhood have an uncanny power to move me to tears, evoking memories long forgotten. The beauty of it all is how my emotions can shift from tears to laughter with lightning speed, and vice versa.

Most moms carefully plan their pregnancies: checking if the timing is right, if their job allows it, if they have enough money saved up, and if they have enough time to take care of their health. They give up smoking, drink less, and take all those vitamins and supplements. Well, that’s not how it happened for me. I quit my well-paying job as a manager at a safari camp because I wanted to become a game ranger. I wasn’t bothered by the six weeks away from home, giving up my decent salary and future bonuses, or leaving behind my comfortable accommodation. The corporate world and being stuck at a desk just weren’t for me. The pressure was unbearable, too. So I packed my binoculars and headed off to the ranger training camp. I was really excited about the course. It was like a boot camp, where we would sleep outside in the bush, cook our own food, not have any showers, and endure some intense marching in the hot and humid weather.

It was during the second week of the course when I began to feel a little “off”. I thought it was because our training was physically demanding, so I continued. However, one night while rolling a cigarette, I almost gagged. The next day, I took a test, and it came back positive. I remember thinking, “Okay, now what?” but with some stronger language.

Those first few weeks were rough, let me tell you. I was constantly feeling sick and couldn’t stomach anything except fresh fruit, plain yogurt, and salads. Even the smallest whiff of cigarette smoke or coffee would send me running. And fish? No way. Being a vegetarian at the time, the smell of meat made me want to throw up. And the fatigue was relentless. All I wanted to do was sleep.

But honestly, it all felt surreal. So much had happened in such a short span of time that I couldn’t fully process it. It wasn’t until we had our first ultrasound and saw Zoe’s little heart beating that it hit me like a ton of bricks. The weight of the situation crashed into me like a charging warthog.

So, here’s the thing: we used to be game rangers, roaming around in the wild and having grand adventures. But life took an unexpected turn, and now we find ourselves in the Eastern Cape, a place where we actually have to care about having good doctors nearby. You’d think that things would settle down and become normal, right? Well, not exactly.

One frosty winter morning, when the sky was still dark and the baboons were sound asleep in the cliffs, my husband got up to use the bathroom. I woke up too, curious about what he was up to. Suddenly, he froze in his tracks. And then, I heard it too – a loud hissing sound, like air escaping from a tire. “Stay there!” he shouted, and the light came on. Right there in the middle of the floor, coiled up and ready to strike, was a massive puff adder. Talk about a surprise! Picture this – my husband, stark naked, staring at the enormous snake, and then glancing back at me, making sure I was safe and sound in bed. Oh, did I mention it was winter? Let me tell you, it was freezing, and reptiles aren’t exactly at their best in the cold. Thankfully, the snake was too sluggish to do much, giving my husband enough time to grab a towel, wrap it around himself, and fetch his handy snake-catching tool – a contraption with a claw on one end, specially designed for capturing snakes. He tossed aside the laundry on the floor, scooped up the snake into an empty basket, and placed it outside with a heavy lid on top, secured with an enormous stone. We could deal with the situation once the sun came up.

So, here’s what happened. It seems that a sneaky visitor managed to slip into our kitchen while we weren’t looking. Our kitchen door is always open, and this little intruder found its way behind the kitchen cupboard. We both walked past it countless times throughout the day, completely unaware of its presence.

Then, out of the blue, Phill gathered up the laundry basket and everything inside it. He hopped into his trusty landrover and drove far into the bush, making sure our uninvited guest wouldn’t find its way back to us. (Do snakes even have a built-in GPS? I’m not exactly sure about puff adders and their homing instincts. Either way, better to be safe than sorry!)

Fortunately, we all survived this unexpected encounter. However, I couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of what could have happened. After all, I’m pregnant, just two months away from welcoming our little bundle of chaos into the world. If I had been bitten by that sneaky snake, it could have been a real disaster.

The other day, I sent a message to Zoe’s nursery school to let them know we would be late because a group of elephants was blocking the road. And just last week, while we were picking herbs in our garden at sunset, we heard a lion roar from the other side of the river. It sounded like the lion was hiding in the area where we grow rocket plants! Zoe’s eyes widened, and she jumped into my arms, trying to hide under my shirt like a little monkey. Then she turned to me and exclaimed, “Wow, Mom! He sounds really close, doesn’t he?”

Zoe has some amazing skills. She knows how to catch rain spiders using a jar and a piece of paper. She can spot a cheetah sleeping on a termite mound from a distance. She can even tell the difference between rhino dung and elephant dung, and identify different types of antelopes when we’re out exploring.

Back in the day, it was unbearably hot even when the sun was setting. We were at our favorite watering hole, and she took off her clothes and jumped into the shallow water. “Hey, look at me! I’m a warthog!” she exclaimed, and then she walked along the water’s edge to search for different animal tracks. We’re really fortunate to live like this. There’s not a single day that goes by without something reminding us to appreciate our way of life.

At some point, we’ll probably have to move closer to school, but for now, every day feels like an exciting adventure.

At some point, we’ll probably have to move closer to school, but for now, every day feels like an exciting adventure.