A dangerous surprise

Game ranger Williams stops dead in his tracks, so quickly that the two men behind him almost bumped into him.  He looks around and signals to the two men to be very careful and quiet.

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In spite of the early morning heat, he shivers with fear, holding his finger on the trigger of the big hunting gun.

At the back, a young farmer, Peter George, waves his hand in front of his face trying to keep the mosquitos away, holding his gun, a very small caliber, even tighter.  In front of him he can see the sweat dropping from his worker, Lucas’s face.  Lucas said he knows where the buffalo is hiding in the bushes.  He saw the buffalo storming into the bush earlier that morning, but he didn’t want to go with to show where the buffalo was.  He only said yes when Ranger Williams was quite angry with him.  

The smell of fresh buffalo manure was in the air, as Ranger Williams looked around at the half eaten plants.  The buffalo must be very close to them as the plants are still wet from the buffalo grazing.

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He tries to look into the thicket but can only see a path where the hippo’s walk going down to the river. This path is full of turns and so narrow that he can only see about 3m ahead.  

Ranger Williams thinks to himself  “Why do I always put myself in these situations?”  “Looking for an angry buffalo bull, a buffalo that broke out of the park, to the farm of Peter George, who lives next to the park and has no idea how dangerous these animals can be.”

The disruption this buffalo made in the farm fields, chasing all the workers away, is a minor threat to what they are really capable of… especially a buffalo that is old and alone

Before Ranger Williams decided to make his way through the thicket, he looked through his binoculars to see where Lucas told him he last saw the buffalo.  There was no sign of this angry bull, and Ranger Williams knew that the only way to find him was to go through the thicket along the spoor of the buffalo.  

This would mean that the buffalo could watch his every move, and as these old buffalo bulls do, surprise him along the way.  

The fact that Lucas, the worker, is going with him is not satisfying at all.  Ranger Williams know that these two “helpers” know nothing about the bush or wild animals, as Peter is walking with a gun only big enough to shoot some fowl. Ranger Williams asks Peter if he had ever hunted buffaloes? 

“No… but…”  was also not the answer Ranger Williams was looking for. 

“Listen” said Ranger Williams, “you can go with, but stay behind…far behind us for incase something happens.”

As Ranger Williams, walking in front, Lucas, walking shortly behind him and Peter, walking very far behind the two of them, try to find a way to the thicket, Lucas taps on Ranger Williams shoulder.  “I think we have to go to that opening over there to have a better view of where the buffalo is” said Lucas.  “No” said Ranger Williams, as he knows the buffalo might have already changed his direction. 

“We’ll keep walking through the th…”

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Not even completing his sentence, they heard a grunting noise in the tall grass a few meters away from them, coming in their direction.  

As Ranger Williams knew that trouble have just arrived, not being able to see this “monster” through the long grass, he signals to Lucas to head back in the direction they came from. 

Not long after that, he felt his feet lift from the air, as the buffalo lifted him with his horns, throwing him a few meters away from where he was standing.  Peter saw everything, and, without thinking twice, he started to run away from this angry “monster”.  The most dangerous thing any person can do.  

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With the buffalo quickly catching up to Peter, he lifts him from the ground, up in the air, gun and all. Coming back down, Peter fell on the back of the buffalo who threw him off, stampeding him into the ground but Peter holding on to the horns for dear life.  

As Ranger Williams finally came to his feet, he grabbed his gun and saw Peter underneath the buffalo, he fires the first shot.  The bullet went through the spine of the buffalo, sending him down to the ground with a very loud noise.  He knew that this angry buffalo bull would not even hear a warning shot and the only solution was to kill the buffalo. 

As Peter tried to get away from the buffalo, Ranger Williams sends off another shot through the brain.  At the same time the gun went off, Peter tried to get away, and with his hand pushing on the buffalo’s horn to get away, the bullet went through his hand and then through the buffalo.  Because of shock, Peter had not even felt a thing, but Ranger Williams saw the bullet splintering Peters’ hand

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A few days later, Peter put out his hand, to shake the persons hand that saved his life.  Both, equally quiet, knew that things could have ended much worse.Ranger Williams told him that they have been looking for this buffalo for a few days.  He was hurt and could have caused a lot more trouble. The only way was too put this old bull out of its pain and misery, something rangers don’t quite often do as they think nature should go its own way.

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Lucas was not to be seen for a few days after, as they think he is still running for his life.