It was a pleasant afternoon when we arrived at our lodge, in the mountains with only a faint rumble of thunder in the distance, we were allowed to take a walk down into the valley to the river where we enjoyed the sounds of the forest.
Upon our return we were met by a number of armed guards & staff beckoning & waving worried about our safety.
There had been a gorilla attack with two trackers seriously hurt & gorillas had been spotted in the same valley that we were in, all were relieved at our safe return & we were warned not to wander from the compound.

After our dinner, we retreated to our banana leaf roofed hut which had a high roofed veranda overlooking the valley. We turned in early ready for the following days trek & the thoughts of the attack in our heads.
I was awoken about 1am by the thunder, lightning, rain & wind.
Suddenly there was a large crash on the veranda as if someone or something had vaulted the railings.
Then…….Patter….Patter….Patter….to one end of the veranda
Patter….Patter….Patter… Back again
This seemed to go on for ages, up & down, up & down with the occasional thump in between.
I lay there not daring to move, my wife was sound asleep.
Finally as the wind died I heard what ever it was move off into the bushes & finally I slept & relieved that it was light when I next awoke.
As we lay in our cots listening to the forest I related the nights happenings to Kath.
“Why didn’t you take a look?” Asked she.
Can you imagine peering through a piece of cheap glass with lightning & thunder all around & a gorilla stares back at you only inches away?
I mean…..The content’s of my bowels were quite happy where they were!

Opening the door to greet the morn we found the evidence of our intruders identity….
A large cane basket which had been secured high in the roof of the veranda, had broken away in the wind & fallen to the plank floor where it had rolled up & down in the wind.

BUT! HONEST!
I did hear it move off into the bushes!!!!

I would add... That night we had the pleasure of watching the group nesting in the valley below & I was up before dawn, video & camera\'s at the ready. The females & young had already moved off & with a chest beat the silver back followed. With enhancement I do have video of him but with a lot of noise flicker on the picture.

isn't it fantastic what imagination can do?
excellent story kipper!

now it's my turn:

we went to wilderness black rhino camp in plamwag/namibia. it's a semi-permanent camp means no fussy funiture etc. just some things you need for a good sleep and a decent bathroom with a bucket shower.
i forwarded a scorpion from the canvas wall into freedom beyond the bathroom with my glas - i don't trust my husband if he does the job because i have to make sure myself it's gone
we saw lion tracks during a walk..............
after a good meal we enjoyed our night cap and soon retired to our tent.
fell asleep quickly........
all of a sudden there was a lion roar - the tent seemed to be shaking. i was certain that this great cat must be really close, i mean really really close. my husband was snoring - it sounded as if he were sawing the very remaining trees in and around palmwag. then it came to my mind that the lion must hear my husband's snore and might misinterpret that sound..........
i asked my husband to wake up - he fell asleep again, woke him up - fell asleep and so forth maybe for an hour or so.
i was happy when the sun broke and we could get up.................
when i look back it was fantastc but at that very same night it was a nightmere.

Excellent Jan!..
Kath says she doesn't snore!
Yea! Right!

I had the same experience at Pippa. I was staying in my tent (alone) at Satao Camp in Tsavo. I was awakened around 3 a.m. by the baboons barking in the tamarind tree at the waterhole. I had been told that baboons barking meant lion around while monkey barking meant cheetah around. I got up and looked out the tent screening and saw nothing. The baboons quieted down so I decided that before going back to sleep I'll make a quick trip to the loo. I had no more than sat down to pee when GRR, GRR right behind the bathroom wall! I quickly entered the tent wondering what to do next. The employees had told me the lions never tried getting into the tents, and yet I had read Man-Eaters of Tsavo and wondered if they were correct. I had also read that if you really feel threatened to get under your bed and pull the mattress over the side, so I was trying to decide what to do. I decided that if my end was near, I'd have a last cigarette. The roaring quieted down and I eventually got the nerve to climb back under the covers. In the morning the askaris told me there had been six lion right behind my bathroom wall!

Exciting after the fact, but while it is happening your mind certainly does expect the worst.

jan, a last cigarette is an excellent idea as cats generally flee when they smell fire
but imagine how you were sitting on your bed inhaling the smoke, listening, broadened eyes, holding your breath once in a while while waiting for whatever to come is fantastic!
but all these stories despite being frightening at that very moment to me it's the "salt in the soup" that is something you cannot book in advance you have to appreciate it when it's happening! despite being scared to death i would not like miss it!

That's exactly how I feel. I love Amboseli for the beauty of Kilimanjaro and the elephants, Samburu for the elephants also. But Tsavo - not nearly as beautiful but it is the only place I get a regular adrenaline rush. Almost every trip something fantastic happens whether it be nearly bitten by a mamba, charged by a wild matriarch with her two babies and almost killing me, meeting with several very special bull elephants up close within 10 - 15 feet and lions roaring 5 feet behind my bathroom wall! Truly incredible experiences that I will never forget and crave to have again in the future!

It is for these reasons that I wish more tourists would spend more than a day or two at each place. When you get to know a place well, the chance of these special events increases.