Planet Earth Live producer Kiri Cashell
As part of our Planet Earth Live global event, here’s the second installment from Kiri Cashell, our producer in Masai Mara.
Falling asleep in my tent at night is often one of the most exciting parts of my day. This might sounds strange, but bear with me……
When the dark veil of night descends over the Mara it is like the start of some strange magic trick.
The Mara is as wild and untamed as you could hope for, and at night the animals reign supreme.
It begins with a chorus of thousands. Cricket’s and frogs hum rhythmically like ticking clocks, and as the sun disappears behind the horizon, the camp is plunged into total darkness…….
As I lie in the black of my tent, I hear the familiar sound of hippos grunting, buffalo snorting and, as the hyena clans whoop in the still evening air, their cries are met with the guttural roars of 4 huge male lions.
Then, just when you think things couldn’t get any wilder….they do.
I begin to drift off, until I realise I am not alone………. the sound of something brushing against the side of my tent grows louder as something creeps towards where I am lying. My body freezes and I feel my heart beginning to quicken as I realise there is only a thin bit of canvas between me and it!
As my mind races to figure out what it could be, my thoughts are interrupted by a loud explosive noise. I sit bolt upright partly terrified, but mostly confused…this is one noise I haven’t heard before. What on earth could it be?
For days I am perplexed by what and who my mystery guest could have been, sharing my tale of terror with the rest of the team, we all surmise about which scary beast it could have been – surely a rogue leopard trying to get in to my tent for a quick snack..?
But last night I got my answer….as I walked back in the dark to my tent the same explosive sound rings out in the bushes, as I turn to the local guard walking me back – my eyes wide with surprise – I notice him giggling……..
Seeing the confusion on my face, he explained….’Missy don’t worry, that is Blossom (the camp elephant) he is being windy.’
As I made sense of his words, the penny dropped… my night of ‘terror,’ was infact a gentle, old elephant with a bad case of flatulence.
As I got back to my tent, I chuckled…there really isn’t anything like the sounds of the African night!
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