What the baboon left us - Albert Hlungani
WHAT THE BABOON LEFT US Alweet Hlungwani
Nyala tree
Xanthocercis zambesiaca
Once upon a time, there was a baboon who sat upon a termite mound contemplating life in the wilderness. The baboon left droppings
full of nyala seeds on top of the termitarium and went on his way to take care of his duties. The seed, activated by the warmth of the baboon’s gut, was immediately welcomed into the warmth of the termites’ activities in the mound. A few days later, with the help of the summer rains, the seed germinated. It thrived and grew into a huge, magnificent tree that attracted humans and beasts alike.
One of my special encounters with the nyala tree was while I was being trained to become a nature guide in 1998. I came across this tree in the riverine forest along the perennial Luvuvhu river in the northern section of the Kruger National Park. Here, these trees grow up to 30 metres high, with a crown equally wide. When I first saw the nyala among the other smaller trees, I was at first overcome with awe; I was soon enamoured by the beauty of this evergreen tree. This was a start of a journey of discovery.
‘Ancient trees are precious. There is little else on Earth that plays host to such a rich community of life within a single living organism.’ – David AttenboroughIt all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
The name of the nyala tree is nhlwaru in Xitsonga and mashatu in Setswana. In both languages, the name means ‘python’ – probably because the termite mound on which the tree grows attracts aardvarks, whose digging leaves holes become homes for different animals, including the African rock python. The warmth created by the termite activity in the mound facilitates the incubation of the snake eggs. I have many times had the privilege of spotting a python in a nyala tree, alerted by the mobbing of angry birds that want it out of the tree and away from their chicks. The tree is home to myriad other animals too. The rare Pel’s fishing owl roosts during the day in the green concealment of the tree, and so do other species like the African wood owl and the Verreaux eagle owl. Fruit-eating birds spend all day socialising and feasting on nyala fruits, while fruit-eating bats would be malnourished without them.
Leopards love to use the horizontal branches to rest and as a place to hoist their prey, away from hyenas. Baboons fill their cheek pouches with the fruit – you can actually hear them crunching away during game drives! These baboons also use the multiple branches for lodging at night. These trees also provide wonderful shade in the hot places where they occur, a blessing to many animals such as the fittingly named nyala antelope. Breeding herds of elephants love to sleep under these trees in the heat of the day as they wait for their afternoon bath in the river.
The locals, like the Makuleke people of the Tsonga tribe, who were forcibly removed from the land, used to use the tree’s pulp to make porridge and to tan leather. For all these reasons, the nyala is my favourite tree. In fact, I’ve planted one in my yard at home for me, my children and my children’s children to enjoy.