A Quiet Encounter in Gembu
Meeting Two Antelopes
“Beauty is where you are — look for it, and you will find it.”
Sometimes, it doesn’t come in grand landscapes or dramatic moments.
Sometimes… it walks gently into your space.
Unannounced.
Unbothered.
Unforgettable.
A Day That Became a Memory
There are experiences you plan for.
And then there are the ones that simply happen to you.
That day, somewhere within the serene embrace of the Mambilla Plateau, I was not searching for anything extraordinary.
I was just present.
Seated. Writing. Observing. Breathing in the calm that Gembu offers so effortlessly.
And then, without warning —
Beauty arrived.
Two Quiet Visitors
At first, it felt unreal.
Two antelopes.
Not in the distance.
Not behind barriers.
Not in a documentary.
But right there.
Just a few inches away from where I sat.
They moved slowly, gracefully, as though they belonged entirely to that moment — and I was merely a guest witnessing it.
No fear.
No rush.
No chaos.
Just presence.
More Than Just an Animal Sighting
I have seen antelopes before.
In pictures.
In videos.
Even in documentaries.
But this was different.
Because there is a world of difference between seeing and experiencing.
Antelopes, such as small forest species like the Bates’s pygmy antelope or duikers like Ogilby’s duiker, are known to inhabit parts of Nigeria, often thriving quietly in forests, grasslands, and even near human settlements (Wikipedia).
But they are naturally shy.
Elusive.
The kind of creatures you don’t expect to encounter so closely — especially in such a calm, unguarded way.
And yet, there they were.
The Gift of Stillness
What made the moment even more powerful was not just their presence — but their calmness.
They weren’t startled.
They weren’t running.
They were simply… existing.
Walking gently around the compound, as though they had done it a thousand times before.
As though humans and nature had reached a quiet agreement:
“You stay in your peace. I’ll stay in mine.”
And in that stillness, something shifted within me.
Gembu’s Unexpected Gifts
Gembu does not overwhelm you with its beauty.
It doesn’t force experiences on you.
Instead, it gives.
Quietly.
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Unexpectedly.
- A landscape that feels like a painting
- A people that feel like home
- Moments that feel like grace
And now, for me —
Two antelopes, walking freely into my memory.
What the Moment Meant
That encounter was not just about wildlife.
It was about awareness.
Because beauty is not always hidden.
Sometimes, we are just too distracted to notice it.
Too busy.
Too hurried.
Too focused on what’s next.
But when you slow down — when you truly see — you realize something:
Beauty has been there all along.
Beauty is not hidden in the distance, it is here all along. Quietly there.
Related read — Seeing the Beauty You’ve Been Missing
Nature, Unfiltered
In many parts of the world, seeing wildlife requires effort:
- Safaris
- Reservations
- Protected parks
But here, on the Mambilla Plateau, nature feels closer.
More intimate.
The region itself is known for its rich biodiversity, hosting a variety of animal species across its forests and grasslands (FAO AGRIS).
And sometimes, that biodiversity steps out of the forest.
And into your moment.
A Lesson in Presence
Those antelopes didn’t perform.
They didn’t try to impress.
They simply existed — fully, freely, beautifully.
And in doing so, they taught me something profound:
You don’t have to be loud to be beautiful.
You don’t have to be seen by many to matter.
You just have to be.
Finding Beauty Where You Are
As I sat there, watching them disappear as quietly as they came, one thought stayed with me:
Beauty is not somewhere else. It is here.
In the places we overlook.
In the moments we don’t expect.
In the stillness we rarely allow ourselves to feel.
Gembu gave me many things during my stay.
But this one?
This quiet, fleeting, almost magical encounter —
This was a gift.
A reminder.
That if you look closely enough…
You will find beauty.
Right where you are.
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