Nourlangie Safari Camp, Episode 9 - Flemming Jensen

Nourlangie Safari Camp, here is 9SLK is anybody listening? (My radio code) The Diaries of Flemming Jensen, 1968-1969

In the previous episode, visitors from the Conservation Camp arrived at the safari camp.

Tuesday 21st January 1969

Early in the morning Pat and I left the camp for buffalo hunting. Just before we left a swamp tiger nearly frightened the life out of us. I discovered it when it was probably two feet from me. Pat who was sitting inside the car threw a wrench after it and she hit it. Then it disappeared into the high grass. Pat says she has never seen so many snakes before at this time of year, but that is only a little consolation.

Look out buffaloes! This time it was me who had to do the shooting and Pat who was the driver. In fact I do not think Pat wanted to shoot. I never had shot a 303. I have never shot before at all, only fun shooting in the Tivoli Garden in Copenhagen and I never killed such an animal before, so I was nervous. Pat said that I shook!

We did not go for one of the great old bulls. We wanted a young and delicious one, therefore we took our time to look for what we are looking for. Suddenly probably about one hundred metres from us, we saw two of them and one was just what we wanted, a little fellow of about two years of age. When I quietly left the car they heard me and took off but one of them stopped and stared curiously. This is not unusual and has caused the life of many buffaloes because that gave me the time to load and shoot.

"I aimed where I was told where the heart was sitting, right behind the shoulder"

We did not bring our dog Patra and that meant that if I did not hit right we could risk having to chase it for miles because I was told a wounded animal had to be shot down. Patra always used to chase a wounded animal and that gave the time to get done with it. I aimed where I was told where the heart was sitting, right behind the shoulder. I shot and what happened? The animal turned around and ran. I cursed and Pat swore. I have not heard her swear before.

I was disappointed but also relieved. The gun had not been as difficult as I had expected so next time it would be better, I thought. When I looked at Pat she shouted ‘Look out!’ And a strange thing happened after the bull had run a few metres, it did like a somersault. I conceived hopes. Did I really hit it? I took aim again and shot as it came up on its legs again and down again.

Some say the wounded buffalo do not say anything. It is not right. This fellow roared in pain and agony and the blood flowed out of the mouth. While I have been running the gun lock got stuck and it took a little time with arousal and excitement before I could aim and give it the grace, just behind the horns.

Our author, Flemming Jensen from Denmark, with his first “buff”.

I have got my first “Buff”! But not quite, because now began the work of cutting it up and taking what we needed. We did not leave much to the vultures who were waiting in the nearby trees.

After the holes to judge either the first or second bullet must have hit the lungs and perhaps touched the heart and the other went right in the centre. This is the way I see it, a really respectable debut. The technique is that you only hurt the animal if it is not possible to complete it in the first shot. It is nearly impossible for these guns and bullets as they are designed only to kill people and that is something else entirely. I did not know this, but that was something Allan told me.

It took us one and a half hours to cut up the animal and take the meat. Pat says that it only takes twenty minutes for Toby but he has been doing this for ages since I was born. It must have been at that time when they did the shooting from horseback. I do not know but I have been told that they mostly used the skin for saddles and other leather clothing. In the evening we got a meal of wonderful steaks and they tasted in honour of the occasion out of the ordinary, but it has its natural explanation!

Wednesday 22nd January

There is not much to write about today. We did nothing special and there was nothing beyond the ordinary. The water is coming up and the sailing trip out to the water pump is getting longer.

I’m starting to think about my stay here at Nourlangie. I have had of course wonderful experiences but I would also like to earn some money. When Allan comes back I’ll talk to him about the economics. When he picked me up at the Stuart Highway I told him I was looking for a job so it cannot surprise him. I do not think it will be something special as he is accustomed to having people here on the camp.

In the next episode, Flemming does a bit of thinking while watching the grass grow at Nourlangie Safari Camp.

Reproduced with permission: Kakadu National Park Cultural Heritage & Biodiversity Management Unit.