I´ve already told you that during my Safaris I enjoy very much observing all the animals I have the opportunity to encounter, not only the most desired ones. Besides, you only have to pay attention and Nature will always reward you in an extraordinary way.

While driving one of those days along the river bank in the Serengeti Park at sunset, we heard the insistent cries of a female Crowned Lapwing coming towards us from the ground. She was crying and moving from right to left very nervously. Alerted by her behavior we reduced the speed in order to find out why was she acting that way. Before reaching the place where she was, Swai (our expert driver) told us that perhaps her nest was very close and she was trying to protect it from the wheels of our 4×4.

We waited expectantly and scrutinized the place without managing to see anything but her nervous movements. Then, we approached her slowly and realized that gradually she was coming down. As her cries and her movements finally sopped, we were able to park carefully next to her. Suddenly we became speechless before what we found: two cute and tiny lapwing chicks almost invisible camouflaged in the sand, whose lives we had luckily saved. If you look carefully at the pictures below, you´ll be able to observe the birds next to other cars´tracks that had just passed by. If we had not paid attention to her behavior (something very probable as they are normally very noisy birds), we would have run over them without noticing them.

Luckily Nature again rewarded our attention exceedingly. Those moments that we shared touched by the lapwing family gave way a bit later to another incredible encounter that few people have been able to experience in their safaris and which I promise I will let you know in another moment.

It might sound exaggerated, but every time we have taken time enough to enjoy what we see with respect and admiration, we have received a subsequent prize. Always!