The red indicator light on the dash flashed on at about 7:30am, in the Njuca Hill section of Makgadikgadi. We have not seen anyone in two days. We know what the light means. It’s the battery again. A connection becomes overheated and eventually melts the wiring. Fixing it requires time and experience which we have in abundance. This isn’t the first time the light has come on.

However, it is the first time we have come to a halt and gotten out of the vehicle in the wild Makgadikgadi Pans Game Reserve. Until now we have felt like we could camp safely; even the shower contraptions are close enough to use after dark. So here on this single-track road to nowhere, we find ourselves gingerly exiting the truck after we coasted to a slow stop and left the engine running. Now, do you know how hard it is to NOT shut the engine down? It is so automatic; we had to keep reminding ourselves that if we shut down, we won’t get started again. That would be bad. When will someone else come along? Who knows? So keep the engine running and let’s have a look-see.

I popped the hood and while Jim checked out the cables, I quickly looked around. Huh. What the …. is that in the road behind us? I did not see that a minute ago. Distances are so deceiving, it looks like Bat-eared foxes. I alert Jim – what do you think? While the binoculars just aren’t getting a sharp enough image, I shoot a photo of whatever it is, and I blow it up for a better view.

Oh, dear me. Or words very much to that affect. Those are lion. Three lion. No, six lion. And they are starring right at us. Shit. They are too far to charge us before we can escape into the truck, but still. Jesus. Jim already knows he can’t fix the truck here, so we after a quick discussion we opt to jump in and coast backwards to get a better look at the lion. Is that stupid? considering if the engine dies we will not be able to get out of the truck? We take a chance. It was worth it.