Paparazzi

Nothing turns a calm game drive into chaos quite like the word: “Lion!” Radios crackle. Jeeps converge from all directions in a frenzy. In minutes, a solitary lion becomes a spectacle worthy of Hollywood.

I am right in the middle of it — leaning out of the Jeep angling for the perfect shot, feeling the adrenaline surge of being in the presence of Africa’s apex predator. But the lion seemed utterly indifferent, blinking slowly at the commotion and flicking a tail with regal boredom. The true drama was not in the lion’s behavior but in ours.

It struck me that safari’s are as much sociology as zoology. Humans hunger for the novel and unique – and a story to bring home. There we were, supposedly escaping into nature, yet bringing with us celebrity culture. The lion became a star and we the paparazzi – desperate for proof of proximity. 

Safari is not just a window into African wildlife but a mirror into our own curious species. 

Toodling and Noodling, Stan