During the day, the sun is a burning yellow fire, and everything wilts under it. Even the wildlife finds shade and lies down. As the evening comes, the setting sun paints the sky with streaks of pink and orange, and the animals emerge. They come individually or in groups. In the water, large hippopotamus frolic. The presence of crocodiles never intimidates them. A nervous buck comes dancing to the river. Then you see large tan-colored kudu, as tall as a horse, with their white flashes and meter long spiral horns. Here comes smaller dark brown impala with short spiked horns, tiny brown duiker. They carefully approach. Sometimes they stop to be sure that no predators are near. They dip their heads gracefully to drink. Some of them will suddenly jump and struggle as a crocodile grabs it and drags it under the water. Elephants come and splash around squirting water over themselves with their long trunks, or rolling in the mud that serves as some kind of a treat for them.
Lions eventually arrive in a pride, making the buck to move nervously away. The dusk gives a way to the sudden blackness of the night sky studded with silver stars and a huge silver moon.
Soon the animals are gone, and the river flows on into the night. There’s a noise that is similar to thunder that you hear here and there. In the early morning, the flowing river is alive again and sparkling in the sun. The crocodiles are basking in the warmth. The animals drink water while it is still cool, and the river broadens and flows in channels around green islands.
