Freedom at Cape Point

This afternoon we decided to take advantage of SA National Parks' free access week to selected nature reserves and obviously chose Cape Point, as that is where we have been going for the last 40 years or so. We set off in the Mini in bright sunshine, but as we got closer to Cape Point, dark clouds were gathering on the horizon and we could see that the sunshine would soon be a thing of the past. We took our usual turn down to Olifantsbos which He Who Can Fix Anything has frequented since the age of 3 and if he could live there, he would. In all the years we have been going there, the only fauna we have seen are baboons, bontebok, ostriches and tortoises. If there is anything else at Cape Point, it has yet to put in an appearance for us.

The bokbaai vygies gave a brilliant display in the last of the sunshine and we pulled in at the place where a house used to be many, many years ago. We can no longer find the remains, but I recall 40 years ago seeing odd bricks from the walls lying in the overgrowth. While I remained at the car, looking at birds and flowers, HWCFA took a short hike up the mountain and suddenly called me with some urgency. I rushed up through the trees thinking that there must be something really worth seeing and there was.

Trapped under a low branch and lying on its back, with absolutely no way of ever righting itself, was a large tortoise. I can only think it must have toppled over, perhaps in a fight with another tortoise, and become wedged because of the sloping ground. He lifted the branch while I climbed underneath the bushes and pulled the tortoise free. There was no sign of life and we were very worried that it had already died.

We put it out on the lawn and stepped back to see if a leg or the head would come out, and within a few minutes I am delighted to say he was on his way, apparently fit and well, but there is no doubt that he would have died had we not come across him.

There is no doubt that synchronicity ensured that we would be in that exact place and look down at that exact moment to allow us to rescue that tortoise from certain death.