Born Free by Adamson Joy

Author:Adamson, Joy [Adamson, Joy]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Macmillan Publishers UK
Published: 2011-02-27T16:00:00+00:00

18. Elsa’s Fight

One morning Makedde observed vultures circling and, going to the spot about a mile downstream, found the remains of a rhino which had been killed by poisoned arrows the day before while drinking.

The poachers had left plenty of footprints and had erected machans on trees close to the drinking place.

On the night of 8 July there was quite a concert, Elsa’s lion ‘whuffing’, a leopard coughing and hyenas howling. The next evening while I was taking tsetse flies off Elsa as she sat in my tent with her head on my lap, I was startled by a great roar from her lion. Like a flash she dashed off in the direction of the kitchen lugga. The cubs rushed after her but soon returned and sat looking bewildered outside the tent. Later, Elsa came back and stayed in camp until the lion ceased to call. As soon as she had gone, I heard the cracking of bones and realized that the hyenas were feeding.

The following evening she brought the cubs with her. After I had gone to bed she set off three times to cross the river, but as I did not see why I should be obliged to provide free meals for any predator who happened to be in the neighbourhood, I called her back each time and insisted that she should guard the remains. She obeyed and only made a final departure just before daybreak, when the carcase needed no more protection.

For three days she arrived in camp long after dark, and on the fourth (15 July) brought only two cubs; Jespah was missing. I was very worried, so after waiting for some time, I began repeating his name over and over again, till Elsa decided to go upstream and look for him, taking the two cubs with her.

For over an hour I heard her calling, till the sound gradually receded into the distance.

Then suddenly there were savage lion growls, accompanied by the terrified shrieks of baboons. As it was dark I could not go to see what was happening and awaited the outcome feeling miserable, for I was sure that Elsa was being attacked by lions.

She came back after a while, her head and shoulders covered with bleeding scratches and the root of her right ear bitten through. There was a gap in the flesh into which one could stick two fingers. This was much the worst injury she had ever suffered. Little Elsa and Gopa came back with her and sat a short distance away looking very frightened. I tried to put sulphanilamide into Elsa’s wounds but she was far too irritable to let me come near her, nor was she interested in the meat which I brought her. I placed the carcase halfway between myself and the cubs. They pounced on it, dragged it into the dark and I soon heard them tearing at it.

I sat a long time with Elsa; she held her head on one side and the blood dripped from her wound.

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