ears Archives - Page 20 of 59

Old-timers

As buffalo get older and their reproduction peaks pass males will often be chased from the larger herds and are often found in small groups or on their own. These animals then get the nickname Dagha boys. Dagha is the Zulu name for mud and refers to the buffalo spending a lot of their past time in mud wallows. Buffalo are very easily recognizable on a game drive as they are a large ox-like looking animal with very large bossed horns. Buffalo are dimorphic which means there is little difference between the male and the female. Male buffalo are often covered in mud and their bosses met in the middle of their head to form a helmet-like structure on the head. Younger bulls often still have hairs on their horns.
Info source: https://hluhluwegamereserve.com/african-big-5/cape-buffalo/

27 March 2019Picture of the day, Wildlife

Teenager

Waterbuck calves are kept hidden for two to three weeks or even two months. At about three to four weeks, the calf begins following its mother, who signals it to do so by raising her tail. Though bereft of horns, mothers will fiercely defend their offspring from predators. Calves are weaned at eight months, following which time they join groups of calves of their own age. Young females remain with their mothers in nursery herds, or may also join bachelor herds. The waterbuck live to 18 years in the wild and 30 years in captivity. As soon as young males start developing horns (at around seven to nine months of age), they are chased out of the herd by territorial bulls. These males then form bachelor herds and may roam in female home ranges.
Info source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterbuck

25 March 2019Picture of the day, Wildlife

Comical

Neither graceful nor beautiful, warthogs are, however, remarkable animals. They are the only pigs able to live in areas without water for several months of the year. Warthogs are found in most of Africa south of the Sahara and are widely distributed in East Africa. They are the only pigs able to live in areas without water for several months of the year. By tolerating a higher-than-normal body temperature, the warthog is perhaps able to conserve moisture inside its body that might otherwise be used for cooling. The face is fairly flat and the snout elongated. Eyes set high on the head enables the warthog to keep a lookout for predators even when it lowers its head to feed on short grass. The warthog’s large tusks are unusual: The two upper ones emerge from the sides of the snout to form a semicircle; the lower tusks at the base of the uppers are worn to a sharp cutting edge.

20 March 201920 March 2019Picture of the day, Wildlife