‘YOUR BABIES ARE HATCHING!’
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The call came early one January morning, while I was on a cross-country run not far from my home base of Waterfall Estate in Midrand. It was Kevin Gow calling. The excitement in his voice was palpable: ʻIngs, your babies are hatching.ʼ
Kevin is a good friend who has, for many years, been involved in the management and conservation of wildlife on the estate, a protected, eco-sensitive property on the border of northern Johannesburg and Midrand.
I knew immediately which “babies” he was talking about, and with a renewed spring in my step, I sprinted the last 3km home to collect my cameras and telephoto lens. Iʼd been waiting for this.
It had all started last September while I was taking our dogs for their morning walk.
Being an eco-sensitive estate, Waterfall has preserved vast expanses of natural veld grass that is interrupted only by several small dams, a flowing stream and a network of pathways.
It was along one of these pathways on that morning walk that I first encountered her: the large female
