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Article: ANIMAL MAGNETISM; Ruaha National Park in Tanzania is an isolated oasis of wilderness that only 2,000 human beings see each year. Among its elephants, hippos, giraffes and zebra, our correspondent is reminded of a fundamental truth: People are animals, too.(TRAVEL)
- Article from:
- Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
- Article date:
- December 12, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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1/3 There was a constant temptation to treat Ruaha as a strange dream.
The crocodiles sleeping in the river. The lions roaring in the tall grass. The elephant looking in my eyes. Not real.
Even when I comb through the experience now, from the safe distance of memory, there seems to be a haze of improbability around it.
On the third night in Ruaha, I woke up about 3 a.m. to a terrible growling and stomping a few feet from where I lay in my bed. Between me and the large animals was a window screen. It was designed to keep mosquitoes out.
I was sure it was lions, and I lay there with my eyes open in the dark, wondering if I should ...