| The land cruiser launched into the air then | | | | and traded me a pair of sandals for a toothbrush |
| bounced onto the sandy desert. My rear view | | | | (unused of course), and a knife. The sandals were |
| mirror showed the paved street pulling away like | | | | not exactly stylish, made from the tread of a |
| the end of a rope vanishing behind my whirling trail | | | | blown out truck tire they sometimes seemed |
| of dust. Soon only sand and scrub brush could be | | | | more uncomfortable than the hot sand, but I |
| seen in all directions. After spending several days | | | | suppose they were better than nothing. |
| in South Africa, I left the paved roads and | | | | After the jackal gulped down the mouse she put |
| trekked over the sand into southern Botswana's | | | | her nose to the air and swiftly detected my |
| Kalahari Desert. | | | | presence. As she tilted her head and made eye |
| The trail was corrugated like a washboard forcing | | | | contact with me, I realized I was most likely, the |
| the truck to violently vibrate and veer side to | | | | first human she had ever seen. After several |
| side. As I drove further into the desert, the deep | | | | seconds of interest, she tiptoed passed me with |
| sand was like snow and made the truck more | | | | no appearance of concern and meandered out of |
| difficult to handle. Without police, speed limits, or | | | | sight over the dunes. |
| people for hundreds of miles, I felt free to drive | | | | I turned my attention to the sky and realized the |
| as fast as I could. But the loose sand would | | | | moon appeared to be shrinking. A half-hour before |
| eventually throw me out of control when I dared | | | | it was full, and now it was at half phase. It was a |
| to push my luck. | | | | lunar eclipse. As the earth's shadow gradually |
| This truly untamed part of Africa is endless | | | | covered the moon, its last glowing sliver faded to |
| rust-red sand dunes dotted with solitary trees and | | | | black, and the desert was swallowed in absolute |
| scattered grasses. The Kalahari Desert is a part | | | | darkness. Seconds later a group of jackals began |
| of the largest continuous area of sand in the | | | | frantically yelping like dogs in a pound and then a |
| world. The area covers approximately 2.5 million | | | | spotted hyena began wailing over and over |
| square kilometers within the countries of Congo, | | | | again.whoop, whoop, whoop. |
| Gabon, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, | | | | Spotted hyenas have over ten different |
| Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and South | | | | vocalizations that can be linked with specific |
| Africa, with some areas of sand reaching over | | | | behaviors. If familiar with these sounds, one can |
| 300 feet deep. Despite the fact that the Kalahari | | | | imagine much of their actions without seeing |
| lacks any surface water, it is technically not a | | | | them. For example when a spotted hyena "whines |
| desert. It is a semi-arid zone, but none the less it | | | | or whinnies" which is a series of loud, high pitched |
| is one of the most treacherous lands to travel. | | | | squeals and chattering noises, it is usually begging |
| Yet, this rigorous climate has remained in constant | | | | for food or was just weaned from its mother. |
| balance supporting an overwhelming diversity of | | | | Like a squad of air raid sirens the rest of the |
| life for millions of years. When I reached camp I | | | | pack chimed in like a frenzied gang of looters. |
| pitched my two-man pup tent next to a dune and | | | | Their sounds totally drowned out the tiny jackals |
| started a fire. While I cooked an ostrich steak | | | | and, as they ranted and squabbled, they painted a |
| over the flames, I watched the moon slowly | | | | clear portrait of the fierce competition for survival |
| peek up over the horizon. | | | | in the Kalahari. The accelerated speed of the |
| Sitting hundreds of miles from modern civilization, | | | | whoops led me to believe the hyenas were |
| I could hear the faint hum of silence. Given that | | | | challenging a lion over a kill. More than likely, a lion |
| our world is drowning in human created noise, | | | | took advantage of the eclipse's complete |
| silence is a quality of life countless people lack; | | | | darkness and tackled down an antelope. |
| many individuals have never experienced a single | | | | The Kalahari lion with its characteristic black mane |
| minute of pure silence, whether the faint hum of | | | | was once thought to be a subspecies of its own, |
| a refrigerator or the blast of a car, noise | | | | but is now classified as a lion particularly well |
| surrounds us. As night approached an odd sound | | | | adapted to a desert-like environment. Its fur is |
| began to resonate from the bushes next to me. | | | | lighter than lions elsewhere and serves as |
| Eee Eee Eee, Eee Eee Eee... | | | | excellent camouflage in the sand. They have also |
| Soon the air was overwhelmed with the sound. I | | | | adapted the ability to go weeks without drinking |
| poked my flashlight into one of the bushes and | | | | water and survive on a minimal amount of prey. |
| learned that there were Gecko lizards, thousands | | | | In this vast region, they must fight harder for |
| of them calling from the bushes for a mate. | | | | their food than in any other territory because |
| The gecko's love song became rather hypnotic as | | | | stalking is more difficult in such a wide-open area. |
| I lay on the ground and watched the stars. The | | | | As I suspected, a lion's deep roar cut through the |
| sheer number of stars was overwhelming and the | | | | night and immediately the hyena whoops were |
| cooling air made them all intensely shimmer and | | | | replaced with high cackling laughs. This comedic, |
| pulsate. As gravity connected me to the lower | | | | yet sinister sound which is associated with the |
| hemisphere of the earth I felt as if I were | | | | common name "laughing hyena" is typically made |
| peering down from the night sky gazing upon an | | | | by individuals while being chased or attacked. |
| infinitely huge city. To this day, never have I | | | | The lion must have been protecting her kill as the |
| looked overhead and found stars more | | | | hyenas tried to steal it from her. I specify "her" |
| magnificent than in the Kalahari sky. | | | | because after a lion's typical twenty-hour day of |
| The bright moon illuminated an eerie glow over | | | | resting, 90% of the time it is the female that |
| my surroundings and without the need of a | | | | hunts. Males simply trail behind the female until |
| flashlight, I clearly saw a black-backed jackal tiptoe | | | | after the quarry is killed and then he will run up |
| past my tent in search of food. As her sensitive | | | | and claim "the lion's share". With two deep bursts |
| ears detected something under the soil, she | | | | from the lion's lungs she called the rest of her |
| leaped straight into the air and upon landing swiftly | | | | pride. |
| dug up a mouse which she promptly swallowed | | | | AAAAAHHHHOOOO! |
| whole. Most jackals execute this unusual vertical | | | | AAAAAHHHHOOOO! |
| leap as they locate prey; it is a rather comical | | | | The chilling sound took my breath away. The rest |
| habit to watch. | | | | of the pride must have arrived rather quickly |
| Weighing only about 20 pounds, the jackal | | | | because the hyenas began to whoop again. But |
| resembles a small coyote. These nocturnal animals | | | | now the sound had a slow drawn-out "o-o-o-o" |
| feed on small rodents, bugs, and occasionally, wild | | | | which means the competition for the kill had |
| fruit. I learned one morning that jackals are very | | | | become too fierce and the hyenas decided to |
| inquisitive and mischievous after noticing my | | | | hang back at a safe distance and wait for the |
| leather sandals were stolen during the night. The | | | | lions to finish eating. Occasional fast whooping |
| only clues left behind were jackal footprints | | | | followed, which expressed their impatience while |
| leading into the desert, accompanied by the | | | | sitting on the side lines. |
| tracks of my sandals bouncing across the sand as | | | | The moon then gradually reappeared brightening |
| they were dragged in its mouth. This seemed par | | | | the desert once again, and I retired to my tent. |
| for the course at the time since a human thief in | | | | As I fell asleep, I heard the hyenas bickering over |
| Johannesburg two days prior stole my sneakers. | | | | the scraps from the kill, and the sound of lions |
| Fortunately, I was barefoot for only three days | | | | calling to one another soon faded off into the |
| when a bushman noticed my need for footwear | | | | night. |