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Nature In The Raw – Mexborough Airman’s African Adventures

December 1959

South Yorkshire Times December 17, 1949

Nature In The Raw

Mexborough Airman’s African Adventures

Mr and Mrs. L. Brammer, of 1, Oak Close, Mexborough have received an interesting letter from their grandson, Ivor Brammer, who is serving in the R.A.F. in Southern Rhodesia. Ivor describes several face-to-face encounters       with baboons, leopards and lions in their natural haunts

Chased By Baboons

A former student of Mexborough Grammar School, Ivor joined the R.A.F. for a 20 years’ term. Last March he was drafted to Southern Rhodesia, where he is now a navigator.

After describing a visit to the Victoria Falls, which he says are ” breathtaking, ” Ivor relates how while he and some friends were being guided through the Rain bow Forest they saw a young baboon with its mother. One the party decided to take a photo graph, but Father Baboon,  “five feet tall, with huge ugly green teeth, and terrible claws,” was summoned by his suspicious mate, and grabbed at the photographer. The latter flung the camera at the animal, and fled with the rest of the Party, pursued by about 40 or more of the baboons.

Next afternoon they went out in a car to a game reserve. While near a drinking place they saw a buck pursued by a large lion. . “From the look of this one all those in circuses must be specially what and shave,” wrote Ivor. The lion killed the buck., and with the help of the lioness dragged it away

Later an “object’ in front of the car proved to be a leopard. The driver got out, fired one shot at the animal, scrambled back into the car and accelerated to safety.

Retreat in Reverse

An elephant which they encountered later charged the car, which was quickly reversed and kept going that way until the elephant gave up the attack

A few days later they were cruising on the river, when they saw a native woman washing some clothes in the water. Suddenly they heard her scream, but thinking she had only lost some washing’ did not take much notice. Before anyone on the boat could do anything they saw her slowly dragged under the water, victim of a crocodile.

Ivor finishes his letter by saying ” we saw enough to convince us that this is still the Dark Continent.” Ivor is one of many members of  H.M. Forces who, receive the “South Yorkshire Times” every week