As our major civil engineering project has used up all the scrapers and dozers in a 100 mile radius and is still ongoing we decide to postpone the second dam improvement until next summer. One evening on our last visit we were taking a stroll up to the dam and were amazed to see the whole dam wall moving in the twilight. It seems this is the evening sun-bathing spot for a troop of 30 or so pretty nonchalant baboons. One of the old males has been thrown out of the troop and, standing over 1 metre at the shoulder, is a pretty awesome sight as he meanders slowly just outside the garden fence. He has decided that he really is a bit too senior and crusty to be scared by a bunch of humans having a braai.
Snakes are common too.
One morning, when taking some feed to the horse in the paddock at the back of the garden, Manie noticed something in the long grass and stopped dead. Jane his wife, following his gaze, saw a large black snake and screamed. Well it depends what sort of state you are in when you meet them. According to Redvers one of his staff was meandering home after a Friday night drinking session and fell into a large drainage ditch. He had the misfortune to land directly onto a cobra which was mighty upset and bit him 24 times.