The one that smiled!

Unlike other tiger reserves I have been to, you are allowed to disembark from the your safari vehicle at set points to look out over the landscape in the observation towers. It was at one of these stops in the Central range that I had a close encounter with a rhino. My companions went up the observation tower, but I stayed by the jeep, looking out over the tall grass to the receding water line of the pools and distant images of rhinos and deer. Suddenly a 2000 plus kilogramme rhino appeared out of the elephant grass about 10 metres in front of me. I grabbed my camera and crouched in front of the jeep as it sauntered towards me. It kept coming, closer and closer until it was about 5 metres from me. I was taking photographs the whole time, but I must admit those shots towards the end where getting blurry as my hands shook. As it got too close for comfort I made a tactical retreat into the jeep, observing it though the passenger window. It looked at me, and I looked back. It appeared to smile at me then turned away back into the grass. Adrenaline pumping and, grinning from ear-to-ear, I counted my lucky stars that it did not charge.