I saw an Aardvark!!! A real, live Aardvark doing Aardvark-ish things!
Last month, I completed a painting of this elusive creature. As the work progressed, a feeling of longing grew inside me (that sounds more dramatic than it really is…!) — I wanted to see an Aardvark in real life.
On various social media posts sharing the progress of the piece, I expressed this desire. In my blog post where I introduced the final painting, I wrote, “One day when I’m all grown up, I hope to see one of these incredible creatures in real life!”. I said it out loud to my hubby and family - my loved ones that would soon share an awesome trip to Mokala National Park just outside my home town of Kimberley.
I do believe in the power of manifestation - bringing something tangible into your life through attraction and belief. But it is more realistic to wish for fish when you’re out fishing; dreaming about your next big career opportunity after you’ve sent out your CV; hoping to win the lottery when you’ve actually bought a ticket…
We were heading to the Northern Cape: Aardvark country! And just to be sure, we enquired about night drives, since the Aardvark is nocturnal. We would have to be very brave (or stupid?) - after all, you’d have to be to endure a night drive on an open safari vehicle in the middle of the Northern Cape winter!
We were staying at the charming… (wait, perhaps I shouldn’t share that with you… I’d like to keep it all to myself!)… Haak en Steek cottage - a rustic little house overlooking a private watering hole (it dries up this time of year, but there is a trough that is kept full for the animals to drink from).
The first evening was extremely cold! It was dusk, and we were huddled around the fire in the outdoor boma, about to cook our dinner, when hubby Alex noticed some movement on the far bank of the watering hole.
“Aardvark! Aardvark!”
I couldn’t believe my eyes. There it was, trotting merrily along towards us, kicking up deep red dust as it went. The most bizarre creature I have ever seen - made up from animal parts that shouldn’t really go together, and yet, evoke such whimsy and beauty…! We stood and watched - aghast - as it paused at the trough to drink some water. Then it just kept coming closer and closer, sniffing here, a quick dig there… When it was about 10 meters from where we stood, it veered off to the right, and slowly disappeared into the bush.
We were so dumbstruck that we didn’t even think about grabbing a camera from inside the cottage. But sometimes it’s better to just take a moment in, rather than wasting energy on trying to take a photo of it. It was an absolutely surreal experience and one that I will never forget!
There was no need to brave the night drive now - we couldn’t have hoped for a better sighting! In the aftermath, I actually got quite emotional. I hoped and dreamed up that Aardvark, and when it came along, it was a gift far better than I could have ever imagined (that is exactly as dramatic as it sounds!).
What's your most memorable wildlife sighting? Let me know below!
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