Written by Marina Lamprecht
Late one November evening, the sounds of a predator on the prowl were heard near the lodge – a carnivore, hunting …
At dawn the following day, clear leopard tracks were seen on the edge of our garden, as well as signs of a scuffle and traces of blood – the hunt had been a success.
A day later my son, Hanns-Louis’ German Shorthaired Pointer, Tau, proudly strutted onto the front lawn, gently cradling something in his mouth, and very carefully, with a pleading look in his eyes, placed an emaciated Duiker lamb at the feet of Max – the mother had clearly fallen prey to the Leopard.
Max, our farm manager, was a man of great empathy and compassion for all living creatures. He called us all and collectively we scrambled for advice on what to do in order to save the fragile lamb.Â
Wildlife veterinarians, estimating that it was 6 to 8 weeks old, were of the opinion that there was NO WAY that it would survive, being so young and having been unattended in the veldt for 36 hours.
Max researched further and found a recipe for a milk concoction that would nourish and hopefully sustain the lamb. Full cream milk mixed with egg yolks, paediatric multivitamin syrup and glucose powder fed by bottle every 4 hours. Max was determined, and it worked!!
Bok-Bok, as we affectionately called him, grew stronger every day and was soon prancing around the garden with our dogs, as well as charming my granddaughter, Hannah.
Tau, of course, remained his best friend!
Our Hunters Namibia Safaris’ team does not believe in domesticating wild animals, so Bok-Bok was never ‘caged’, but always had the freedom to wander on the lodge’s lawns, in the gardens and beyond.
After about two months, he became less dependent on being bottle-fed and started very selectively feasting in our vegetable and herb garden – the only member of our team who was not thrilled was Chef Henock, as his supply of fresh herbs and lettuce dwindled!
Bok Bok soon began to wander off into the veldt for a few hours at a time, and later for days. He returned often to play games with our dogs, especially Tau, and would often strut through the lodge, very confidently hopping up the stairs to Hanns-Louis’ office.
Now that Bok Bok is about 18 months old, his visits have become less frequent. He is regularly spotted just beyond the driveway with another Duiker, having clearly, to our delight, made a friend.Â
While his companion keeps its distance and watches him with great curiosity, Bok Bok still meanders into the veggie gardens for a snack and gets up to lots of mischief with his best friend and saviour Tau. He then returns to the veldt to live wild and free – that was always our wish for him.
