Dávid from Zambia – XIX. Blog Post
Have we truly forgotten how to live in harmony with nature? A huge shout-out to everyone! This will be a slightly different post compared to the usual African adventures. However, I find it more than important to share my thoughts and the experiences and knowledge I gained during a Safari trip two weeks ago.
I should clarify right from the start that I am neither a scientist nor a researcher. The thoughts shared in the following lines are based on what I have seen with my own eyes and felt with my own soul and heart, nothing more. This is not science, just simple observation.
Two weeks ago, during our visit to Lusaka, Zambia's capital, we had the opportunity to visit the Chaminuka Wildlife Reserve. This reserve operates with the support of the government and several local environmental organizations, offering activities for visitors such as Cheetah walks, lion feeding, fishing, and, of course, the most famous, the Safari.
This isn't a Safari like those you see in movies. The most famous national parks in Zambia, like Kafue or Zambezi National Park, unfortunately require a deep wallet, and volunteer wages don't really cover the cost. Even if the entry fees and activities themselves aren't too expensive, the accommodation and continuous transport will definitely burn a hole in your pocket. Keeping this in mind, and realizing it relatively early on, the team and I decided to go for a cheaper yet still enjoyable Safari.
For our money, we got an hour-long tour in an actual safari jeep. As expected, we rocked side to side in the vehicle while observing various animals in their natural habitats at a distance of about 5-10 meters. We saw zebras, antelopes, lions, cheetahs, ostriches, buffaloes, and elephants. I have to say… that one hour (which turned into 1.5 hours) felt like just 15 minutes.
An interesting fact is that Zambia is home to the world's largest species of antelope, the sable antelope, which we were able to observe from about 12 meters away. Surprisingly, this species is known to be quite aggressive. Interesting… Nonetheless, we were very satisfied with our choice, and we don't regret spending a single penny. It was an incredible experience and a deep lesson to be so close to the wildlife… (once again).
During the Safari, we surprisingly discovered that locals live nearby. They were so close to the animals that a young guy cycled past zebras just 5 meters away. A few kilometers further, an older woman was bathing her child outside, about 500 meters from the antelopes and buffaloes. In the vast, grassy, and bush-covered areas, local people were walking and working... they weren't bothered, living their lives. The animals didn't pay much attention to them either, probably because they have learned to coexist in harmony.
At this point, I started thinking about what happened to us humans. We are destroying and ruining our natural habitat. Not just the animals' habitat, but our own too. We are erasing our very essence. We are wiping out the only thing in this world that has given, gives, and will give meaning to life: nature. And why? For a few material things? Cars? Factories? Money? Do you recognize the feeling when you're fed up with everything and just want to escape? Do you go for a walk in nature for a few hours? Do you bike through the mountains? Do you go for a run or simply seek a quiet, peaceful place near water to get away from the city noise? There's a reason you act that way. There's a reason you crave those things.
Since the beginning of humanity, we have lived together with nature. Everything we have now comes from nature. Animals, plants, flowers, mountains, and forests. The human soul is soothed by proximity to nature: the sound of birds, the closeness of animals, the fresh air from the mountains, the touch of water, and the scent of the forests. The color of human eyes matches nature perfectly: brown like the earth, blue like water, and green like forests. The veins in our hands also resemble the veins of certain trees' leaves. The inside of a tree trunk is a perfect replica of a human fingerprint. The walnut resembles the shape of our brain and eating it stimulates brain function. The dried earth is a sign of decay, and it perfectly mirrors the wrinkles that come with old age, which is also a sign of passing. This list could go on for a long time…
Nature was created with humanity, and we were not here first. We've forgotten to honor and appreciate our motherland, and that is an unforgivable sin. By doing what we do, we are not only killing nature, but we are also killing ourselves. We are erasing the meaning of human existence; our soul, our heart, and our physical body. We are slowly but surely making ourselves sick, and eventually, fatally so.
Why is it that we are the most peaceful when we spend time in nature? The answer is simple. We are a part of it, every little element of it. We are one with it.
During our trip, I watched the local people with mixed feelings, some of them standing just a few meters away from elephants, watching them in awe, even though they had seen them before. Others were gazing at the sunset. While some just sat outside and chatted near the antelopes, only a few hundred meters away. Everyone seemed very comfortable alongside the other, no hatred, no anger, no greed. Just humans, wildlife, and nature spending time together.
We live in excess. We live in too much comfort. We have too many opportunities in the world, and because of that, we've completely forgotten where we came from, as well as who gave us our home. We've forgotten who we are, and we've forgotten how crucial our role is in protecting and sustaining nature and the animal world.
We have distanced ourselves from our home. We've distanced ourselves from everything that was once very important and life-saving for us. We've distanced ourselves from our human nature, from nature, from life itself.
~ April highlights
