Lions and Tigers…oh my!

I’m alive. Barely. Just spent two weeks in Africa, and I’ll tell you there were some tense moments. Like when a leopard walked within six inches of my jeep, and when a hippo decided to jump into the river and swim towards my little dinky motor boat. Not to mention the closest call of all: being asked to eat crocodile. (Yes, of course it tastes like chicken!)

Nature has it all figured out. Nothing is wasted. A lion kills an impala, shares it with her cubs and leaves a bit of the carcass to the vultures, who in turn leave some bones for the hyenas. There are even huge mounds (some five to six feet high) where termites go to work on dead trees, which die after elephants have spent countless hours scratching their backs against the bark.

It’s amazing how animals co-exist and form partnerships. The zebras were often found grazing alongside warthogs. Elephants bathed in the river not too far from hippos. And the birds, well they were everywhere! Over 1,000 species! It was cool to see so many “avian dinosaurs” hitching rides on the backs of hippos, removing parasites from its taxi driver’s tough exterior. The exchange? Bird gets hearty lunch. Hippo stays clean.

Once I reached the safety of Seat B23, I began pondering why we humans can’t be as efficient as these animals. They waste nothing, yet we barely manage to keep up with all our waste. For the most part animals get along, or at least share an ecosystem peacefully. When they do kill, it’s primarily for sustenance, not fun or financial gain. I’ve even began to wonder if animals live with mental illness. That’s not such a far-fetched idea when you think about their highly developed systems of communication and co-existence. They risk their lives for their offspring and, in many cases, are monogamous, sometimes living with a partner for up to 50 years or longer. It’s not out of the question to imagine they live with stress (if you’re married you know what I mean!). Think about what it must be like to have another animal eating dinner on your back! Or in the case of elephants, what it might be like to lead a herd to the river you visited last year, only to find that it’s completely dried-up. Happens often, actually.

The cool thing about these guys, though, is that they seem to have found a way to navigate the stresses without therapy or drugs. Granted, the beauty of a sunset in Mala Mala might be therapy enough, but the animals have found a way to move right on through the upset and irritation. They have no choice, really, else they risk becoming someone’s next meal! They seem to have their priorities straight, the major one being survival.

Maybe that’s the key: maybe if I could live my life like this moment could be my last, things would be different. I could stop worrying about doing my income taxes for this year. And who cares how the Royals do this summer? I wouldn’t fret about how my suits fit or whether or not I have the latest iPhone. I’m thinking if I start living in and for the moment my depression might lighten. Stands to reason that fewer stresses couldn’t hurt, either.

I think that settles it. From now on, I’m an impala, acutely aware that I’m just one hungry lion away from the end… But first, I think I’ll go on a diet. Skinny Impalas live longer!