I am Doing What? – African Safari

When coming to Africa for a holiday, the prospect might be a bit daunting, especially if you are planning a safari. Africa is known for it’s wild animals that roam the yellow grasslands. Exposing yourself to this wildlife in an untouched landscape can be scary if you grew up in the city.

But safaris are not about being eaten alive or living on the edge. Most accommodation is luxurious with beds, running water and electricity. Lodges include mosquito nets to protect you from the insects at night. Tour operators also send lists to their customers describing necessities to pack.

Safaris involve night drives and morning walks, giving you opportunities to observe nature. These animals are dangerous, but a trained game ranger will accompany you. They are experts in their field and will not risk your life. The game reserves are large enough with plenty of game to keep the predator animals busy without worrying about you. But that doesn’t mean that you can treat the animals like domestic pets.

The hippo might be a herbivore (plant-eater) but it is still dangerous. Hippos weigh 1500 to 1800kgs, making them one of the largest animals in the world. To put their size into context, their closest living relative is the whale. They are 11ft long and are 5 ft tall. They have short legs but are able to run faster than a human on land. Their average speed is 30km an hour.

What might make you less scared of the hippo is the unusual site of it releasing its bowels. This is a rather comical site as the hippo reverses itself from the river onto the riverbank. At this point you should move into a sheltered position or whip out your umbrella. The hippo starts spinning it's tail like a fan as it takes a dump. The spinning tail thwacks it’s faeces into little bits in all directions, causing it almost to rain. The reason for this entertaining sight is for the hippo to mark its territory in the most efficient way.

30kms an hour might be fast compared to a human, but it is slow compared to a cheetah. Cheetahs also populated large nature reserves such as the Kruger National Park. It can run at 112km/h to 120km/h, going from 0 to 110km/h in 3 seconds. This is faster than most sport cars.

If you are the prey, the speed of a cheetah could be alarming. But if you are safe with the guide, there is nothing more spectacular then watching this elegant cat charge across the Savanna. The cheetah is covered in spots making it a complete blur when at full speed. It's perfectly aerodynamic for its speed. Watching it charge forward is just as graceful as watching a skilled ballet do a pivot.

The Leopard is one part of a group known as the Big 5. It has a body length of 190cm and the shoulder height can be up to 80cm. The leopard weighs 90kg, making it one of the smaller cats. But it has incredibly powerful jaws, which make up for it.

The leopard is light in body weight to help it climb trees. After killing its prey, it hauls the carcass up to the top branches where it can eat in peace. Leopards generally kill their prey at dusk when the air is cool, so when taking an evening drive safari check the trees for these cats. They normally have a leg or tail swinging from the branches as they elegantly eat their supper.

An animal that you should worry about when it comes to jaws is the Nile crocodile. It has a bite force of 5,000 pounds per inch (ppi). Just to put that in perspective, a rottweiler has a jaw force of 351 ppi and a white shark is 690 ppi. The Nile crocodile is the second largest crocodile, next to the saltwater crocodile in Australia.

Although the Nile crocodile is quick in the water, on land it seems rather lethargic. It sun bathes on the sand with its mouth open for all to see. Visitors are warned not to approach the animal, but seeing about four or five of these giant lizards lie around is an amazing sight. You can use binoculars to get a close look at the rows upon rows of teeth the Nile crocodile has. If you are lucky you might see a little bird crawl into the crocodile’s mouth. The crocodile does not eat the bird, as there is a partnership between the two animals. The bird picks at the left over food in between the crocodiles teeth like the local safari dentist.

When thinking about all the dangerous animals in Africa, you might have a brief moment where you are wondering why you are going. As long as you stick to the rules, stay by the guide, there is nothing to worry about. African safaris are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The landscape is beautiful and the flat plains are perfect for sunsets. There is nothing quite like sitting by the campfire in good company with a cocktail in your hand, watching the animals. As long as you watch them from a distance.

Celeste writes for Outlook, which is a African travelling tour operator .