There was heavy congestion on the road to work this morning! The usual wake-up call of what sounds like hundreds of unbelievably raucous and attention seeking birds partaking in the dawn chorus, was brought to a crescendo by another noise this morning – the sound of alarmed horses snorting, stamping and pacing around their stables. Having pulled myself out of bed to check on them, I was halfway through unzipping my tent when I heard an almighty grunt that stopped me in my tracks. Climbing cautiously out, I crept along to the fence and peered through, following the transfixed gaze of the horses.

Two enormous hippos had waddled down the driveway, passed the line of stables and parked themselves along the river in front of the house! Quite content and oblivious to the turmoil they were causing in the house stable block, the pair settled themselves down for a morning paddle and graze on the bank. Time was ticking by and I was becoming increasingly late for work; these guys had settled in and were clearly in no hurry. Consequently, I made a rather memorable phone call, and certainly one I never thought I’d have to make, to explain that even in the Botswana bush you can be held up by “traffic” and unforeseen road blockages on the way to work!