African Hunter Published Books Campfire Tales Volume 2 of 20 | Page 9

was animal spoor everywhere and even leopard tracks at the pool
where it had bent down to drink. I wanted to stay longer but it was
getting dark, so reluctantly, I left and headed back to camp.
Our trapping success had been poor at this camp, yet I could
not bring myself to tell the others about the umhombo. It did not
need to be scrutinized, photographed, trapped and shot over by
anyone. It was sacred. It is only now, some 30 years later and the
Cabora Bassa Dam has covered that place with acres of water,
that I feel I can tell anyone about it. When word got home about
the dam, I immediately wondered what happened to that guardian
spirit when the waters slowly rose covering all. Did he or she just
vanish, or did the spirit whisk off to another wild special place in
the hopes that man does not pave, flood or destroy other pristine,
wild, cool sanctuaries that are so rapidly disappearing on this
earth?

African Hunter Magazine - Campfire Tales, Volume Two

Page 9