LOOKING WITH YOUR EARS
The musth bullʼs charge was a primal explosion of power and sound but the lions stood their ground, roaring defiance at his rage. The riotous cacophony vibrated through me as more elephants joined in, trumpeting their discontent. I knew what I was hearing were proclamations of dominance and power. But it was the first time I had felt them in my rib cage. Amplified, and in stereo, they put me at the very heart of this epic showdown.
When it was over – the lions and elephants moving off in different directions with a few final rumbles and roars – the bushveld felt empty, like someone had suddenly pushed the mute button.
Sound safari specialist Derek Solomon was grinning. Not all his game drives from Sausage Tree Safari Camp in Balule Private Nature Reserve include the level of acoustic drama weʼd experienced. Heʼd recorded it, ʻbut I think that the trumpets and roars were so loud in that interaction that it clipped way past the recorderʼs capabilitiesʼ, he said. By the time we stopped for coffee, the rent in the fabric of the
