Tag: brown

Irritated

The Red Hartebeest is a large, reddish-fawn antelope with a sloping back and long narrow face. Both sexes have heavily ringed horns. Of the 12 subspecies described in Africa, the Red Hartebeest is the only one which occurs in South Africa. The name Hartebeest was thought to refer to the heart-shaped curve of the horns but the accepted theory now is that it comes from the Dutch word “hert” which means deer in Dutch and “beest” meaning beast. The term hartebeest was used by the early Boers who thought the animals looked like a deer. Hartebeest is the Afrikaans for “hertebeest”.

Irritated

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Unaware

Like normal cheetahs, king cheetahs also have tall and slim bodies. Although they look similar, the king cheetah has a fur pattern mutation (caused by lack of genetic diversity) which results in its large connected black patches – differing from the smaller and more plentiful spots found on the common cheetah. They have binocular vision, allowing them to rely more on sight than scent when hunting. The dark tear marks assist with this too. They are solitary diurnal hunters, except when in a coalition, where they will hunt together and attempt to capture larger prey. Once prey has been captured and depending on its size, the cheetah suffocates it by biting at the neck. They often eat quickly after a kill because they are unable to fight off other predators, especially if they are larger.

Unaware

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Departing

The crested francolin is a common resident in northeastern South Africa and KZN. The voice is a loud, lilting crow chat ‘kikwerri-kwetchi’ repeated several times. The bird’s preferred habitat is bushveld, riverine forests and dense woodlands, especially around rocky koppies and cultivated lands. Usually found in pairs or small groups, they are very noisy at dusk and dawn. They often run with their tail cooked like a bantam. When escaping, they run into dense vegetation rather than fly. Crested francolins have an appetite for bulbs, seeds, berries and insects. They also nest on the ground, often under a bush. They are monogamous.

Departing

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