It is 6.15 in the mourning and you drive towards Mukuni Big 5 Safaris (http://www.mukunibig5.co.zm) by an amazing sunset that colors the sky with red, orange and pink! 15 minutes after you just got there and looking out over the Zambezi valley from Mukuni Big 5 Safari's main entrance would be "just another spectacular view" if it weren't for one very distinct difference. Every so often, the calm silence is interrupted by the primal groans and growls of some of their more prominent local residents: cheetahs, lions, elephants, and caracols.

Though I'm sure it wasn't the case, I chose to interpret the sounds as my official welcome. Thinking of the animals as friendly strangers was my strategy for overcoming any lingering concern about what I was about to do.

"Right, today you'll be riding elephants and then walking with cheetahs and lions" said one of the staff. That's about the moment that I and everyone else looked around at each other with that wide-eyed, child-like grin, shaking our heads in disbelief that this was actually going to happen.
Don't get me wrong, I knew what I'd signed up for but somehow to hear it spoken out loud like that is just totally absurd. Nevertheless, like kids in a candy store, off we went.

Elephant Ride

When the elephants came out to say "hi", all I could think was "wow, are they ever humongous". The gentle giants literally make their presence felt when they come towards you. Their deep guttural communication "is meant to be heard through the ground" one guide told me as I climbed up the ladder and hopped onto the back of one. He went on to explain that they do much of their listening through their feet.

This was just one of many interesting facts the knowledgeable guide shared with me as we walked in a line through the Zambian bush. Another thing that stuck with me was that elephants are known to hold grudges. He said that's one reason to use positive reinforcement during training since there are apparently stories of elephants seeking their revenge a decade or more later, when the disciplinarian least expects it.

Besides being a great learning experience, the whole ride was very calm, comfortable, and enjoyable. For me the highlight came at the end when we got to feed them because that's when the trunks really came to life. I can only describe it as something out of Close Encounters of a Third Kind as the trunk comes right up and start sniffing and rubbing and trying to pry into your hand. It's such a funny feeling with their dry rubbery skin and coarse black hair. The thing really does seem to have a mind of its own.

After feeding our elephants  under a giant baobab tree, it was back to home base for the next event.

Cheetah Walk

The cheetah walk started with a meet-and-greet in their running enclosure. There were three of them all relatively young but fully grown in size. Black lines running down their cheeks, fuzzy round ears and a vacant stare set these big cats apart from others. That and the fact that they're built for speed--something we would find out first hand later on.

"Meet Suzy" the guide said, "You'll be walking her today". Suzy was laying down and as soon as I approached her she leaned over and began licking my hand. What a feeling!

I thought maybe she was just interested in lapping up some salt from my skin but apparently I was being groomed. "This is the way she gave back the attention you gave her by caressing her back and her tail", said the guide Aaron.  Though the tongue is rough like sandpaper it really made me feel like I was one of the pack.

Just then, as if the moment couldn't be any more spectacular, another cheetah walked up beside Suzy and started to lick my head. Well that did it for me. I now considered myself one with cheetahs.


Once back from our walk we got the "grand finale" show. You could notice the wild animals change of attitude after the walk. They Knew exactly what's come next. "They got into a frenzy food mood" said Aaron.

Every morning, each cheetah gets to chase a flag on a motorized pulley set up in a triangle track for exercise. Watching them sprint full out was simply incredible. As they weaved back and forth over the line to catch their "prey" I could see their huge tail counterbalancing their every step. When the flag finally came to a stop at the finish line the cheetah's would disappear into a cloud of sand and dust before emerging to get their reward--a nice piece of raw chicken.

Lion Walk

After saying our goodbyes to Suzy and the other cheetahs it was on to the third activity of the day, the lion walk, but instead of meeting them in a fenced enclosure we walked out to see them in a wide open space. Also unlike with the cheetahs, this time at the sight of who we were about to get up-close and personal with, my heart started beating hard and fast.

There they were, right there in front of me, three lions. Three really big lions with really big paws, claws and teeth. From the safety briefing I knew it was going to be fine but it's still one of those moments where your instinct says "this is not right".

To get started we all took a turn sitting behind each of the lions and patting them. They didn't react much and I decided that was a good thing. During the walk we had plenty of chances to give the big cats some rubs or walk hand-in-tail with them which was felt as unbelievable as it sounds. As long as we didn't commit any of the safety offenses like "showing weakness" or "running away from them" then we'd be fine.

However, sometimes the cats did get a naughty look like they were all of a sudden thinking about eating you. I vividly remember one of those moments. I was walking beside it with my GoPro camera and it just turned and stared me square in the eyes as though it was looking into my soul. Not to be overdramatic but it was without a doubt one of the most powerful animal moments of my life. Definitely a deep sense of connection--at least for the moment before the guide came running in to distract the lion away from me.
 

Mukuni, A Must.

At the end of the 3 hour morning I was feeling a deep sense of fulfillment--like I had just ticked off half my bucket list and finally knew my place in the animal kingdom. It certainly made me jealous of the volunteers who get to spend day after day with the animals in the name of research and helping to repopulate the African wild with some of its most precious and awe inspiring animals.
All in all, it was a top day. Mukuni Big 5 Safari's is nothing short of a must for any visitor to Livingstone.

For more information about Livingstone as the Gateway to Africa's Wonders, please go to http://www.livingstonetourism.com