As the sun continues to beat down upon the plains, a dusty haze fills the air and the birds retire from the branches and flutter back to their nests. Soon the savannah is an island; the sound of silence fills the air and the plains seem to be lifeless and still. A pride of lions lie lazily in the tall grass. Their tails only just visible above the sun bleached tips, swishing too and fro, keeping the flies at bay. Their manes thick and shiny, the tips, tinted red from a carcass, caught as the sun rose and the fiery glow allowed enough light to spot an unfortunate impala; who had ventured out alone. One yawns. His teeth flash like the glimmer of a knife, his long fine whiskers twitch.
As the African heat rises, the antelopes and Kudu no longer occupy the lion’s train of thought. Until darkness sweeps in, these antelope will be safe from their predator, but their ears are still strained, their eyes flickering, waiting, watching, for a tell tale sign. They occasionally drop their guard and hurriedly bend down to eat the coarse grass, which is seldomly un-rooted from the dry, dusty soil. A few young impalas drowsily awake from their day time slumber. They look frantically around for their mothers and after being reassured of their presence in the herd, continue a game of some sort under a shady tree.
Nearby the leaves of the fig tree rustle in an occasional, refreshing breeze, and as evening slowly arrives, the animals gratefully awaken and the savannah is filled with the chatter of birds once more.
Come winter, when the monsoon rain hits the plains, and the wind rushes through the grass, the Fig tree is a canapé, and its strong branches provide a safe nesting place for the summer birds. The other trees stand naked, and while the winds continue, a swirl of leaves dance in the air, before being carried off along their way. Only the fig tree, with its evergreen leaves, can offer the animals a source of shelter.
A pair of young giraffes canter un-steadily up to it, their long proud necks quickly lost in the dense mass of leaves, while their tails swish gently in the breeze. Their patchwork coats drip slowly onto the thirsty earth and their damp manes lie flat, like the battered savannah grass.
