Tracks and scat

Our first GPS destination was about 2.5km away and a long trek across the stony wilderness. The sun was rising slowly from behind casting long skinny shadow giants before us. It was difficult to know what we were heading into, into such an unknown terrain. But our priorities were tracks and scat, otherwise known as paws and poo. Between the five of us I felt least confident to contribute so fortunately the others were quick to identify herbivore prints and scat, which were scattered all around us. At home you avoid them, cursing other dog owners, but here they are our message boards.

Some tracks appear randomly between the sparse bushes but others follow natural lines in the ground. Perhaps a few zebras walked their first, then an oryx, maybe a few baboons. Over time these loose tracks form highways over which other prey will pass and upon which predators will hunt. Together these animals will share paths both literally and figuratively. It's like we are given a chance to peek into a secret world normally invisible to our distant metropolitan lives.