Why I go on Safari

I know this may seem like an unusual post, but bear with me. As I ponder an article on this topic, I realize that it is so complex I cannot sum it up in even a feature-length (around 3000 words or so) piece.

As a field biologist, just seeing new habitats and animals - game or non-game - makes a safari worthwhile.

As a lover of new cultures - people, art, food, etc. - being in a new country, or new part of a country brings a soul-satisfaction.

Watching the intuition, nearing a sixth sense, of Trackers and Professional Hunters amazes me and brings into stark relief my own limited talents.

And, taking the lives of animals, the mounts of which will bring back memories of the joys and heartaches when on a safari, makes me reconsider my passion for hunting.

Why do I go on Safari? Because I believe it is why I was fashioned in the way I was. No other activity comes close in providing a refreshment that lasts, and memories so rich. Not just of the chase, but of every encounter small or large.