A wonderful gift your Dad gave me- Caroline Murray

This is a wonderful story about Carolines encounter with Keith in Africa! 

So, when I met Keith, I was in my twenties – a thousand years ago, more or less! Here I was, a Brit (pom) used to the hustle and bustle and drizzly grey of London. And off I trotted to the biggest adventure ever: a trip to the vast expanse of Africa.

Literally nothing could compare to the moment I landed. The smell, the warmth, the sheer scale of it all – endless space. It was like a deliriously empty country, where your nearest neighbor was several towns away. Just an enormous place, with hardly any people. That's what I remember.

Then I met Keith. Okay, I'd heard of this legendary figure, and the first thing that sticks in my mind is his smile. He was a born leader, irresistibly funny, hilarious. He thought we Brits (poms) were all hilarious too. Though, let's be honest, he wasn't laughing with us, he was laughing at us, which somehow made it even funnier.

Honestly, Keith gave me the greatest gift, and it wasn't until you asked me to share these stories that I truly reflected on them. I never really thought about it before, but he bestowed upon me the incredible gift of witnessing and being part of his animal capturing process. We went behind the scenes in his crazy world, and the first capture I experienced I remember being terrified.

We were positioned near the beginning of the operation, and Keith was catching wildebeest. Oh my god, I have literally never been as scared in my life! And of course, Keith found my fear absolutely hilarious.

From that initial, terrifying experience, things evolved. These "weird animals," space looking animals, led to a whole new experience – the utter gentleness and quietness of capturing a giraffe in the boma. Here was Keith, gently guiding these exquisite creatures, all while operating a ridiculous little helicopter that flew around the sky like a fly. He was just an extraordinary person.

Yeah, so thank you for asking me about this. It's brought back some amazing memories.