ALL THE SMALL THINGS

“STAY THERE, stay there!” We quietly willed the pangolin to wait in the bush. The ant-eating mammal couldn’t see what we could: it was pushing blearily through the vegetation, right into a waiting lion’s paws. As the pangolin quickly curled into a tight, armoured ball, the young male lion gnawed at its impenetrable scales, until he tired of the game. Cautiously, the pangolin unfurled and attempted to shuffle away, but the big cat immediately pounced back on his new toy. The scene played on repeat until sunset, when the lion finally left.

I had to pinch myself. It’s wildly good luck to see a pangolin on safari, and even luckier to