African Description

The sun is hovering just above the horizon of the Masai Mara, its rays barely peeking out over the shadowy mountains in the distance. Animals are waking up, the suns rays signaling the beginning of a new day. Another day to survive, find food for the young ones and protect themselves as best they can, never knowing what is coming next.

A lioness is laying in the dirt, yawning lazily, her mouth stretches wide open, showing large, white teeth. Her tongue is pink and covered in short rough hair, to help remove the skin of any animal that has been unfortunate enough to get caught. She swishes her tail impatiantly at the flies that have started to gather. A small cub cannot resist the temptation and lunges at his mothers tail, giving out a small snarl and a hiss. The lioness humours her son, she lays there and tolerates his attempt at a vicious attack. She cannot help but think that, despite the needle sharp teeth, claws and scary noises, he has failed miserably.

Some distance away, in the east, a young zebra is burning off energy from the long night. He is running around his mothers legs, bucking and kicking, enjoying all that is his. His freedom, his family and his zest for life. His mother looks up from where she is grazing, to see her foal racing through the herd, his ears foward and alert. Suddenly, the entire herd is galloping in a frenzy, dust billowing out from around their hooves as they panic. It is a sea of confusing stripes as the herd moves off at a rapid pace. The mother zebra and her foal are in the center off the herd, protected from any danger that might be present. In a tussok of grass nearby a cheetah slinks away, angry that it has been seen and the herd moved on, wondering how it will get its next meal.

A young girl is walking through the sparse brush, she's carrying two large empty containers, one in each hand and has another balanced skilfully on her head. Her clothing is bright, the wrap around skirt and makeshift top are adorned with decoration. A bead of sweat rolls down her forehead, dripping down her face. She doesn't bother to remove it as it joins the rest of the moisture gathered on her skin. She still has another half a mile to walk before reaching the filthy water supply, and once she has filled all the containers, they must be carried back to the small mud hut that her vast family sleeps in. She sighs, wishing her older sister was healthy enough to help, but knows that it isn't fair, nobody can fight the sickness known as malaria for very long.

At what was once a waterhole, lush, green and full of life, a lone hippopotamus is struggling to survive. Her bones are jutting out, she is painfully thin. The last hippo living in the muddy puddle, the droughts are effecting the African wildlife severly. There is no grass, it has all been stripped away by animals, and none has grown in its place, there is only dusty mud, dry and cracked. The stumps of trees are sticking out of the ground, all their bark has gone, and there are teeth marks in the wood where animals have tried to eat it, out of pure desperation. The hippo gives out a low groan, her body swaying before falling to the ground, all strength gone. She is struggling to get to her feet, her frantic movements are become slower, and now stopping all together. Her body is laying on the floor, next to all those of her fallen family.

The sun is sinking slowly, disappearing behind the far off mountains. The heat haze distorts the landscape, causing it to flicker and jump. The animals are starting up their evening routine, calling out and reassuring one another. Birds fly up into the tree tops to roost, out of harms way. The sun slips entirely behind the mountains, and darkness falls. Another day is ending in Africa.