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The waterbuck is known for its trademark white ring around the hindquarters which they use as a ‘follow me’ sign. Only the males have horns which are handsome, long and prominently ringed, sweeping backwards and up. The eyes and nose of the waterbuck have beautiful white markings and it has a noticeable white collar under the throat line. Waterbuck has a brownish–grey shaggy coat with a lot of hair around their necks. This neck hair is hollow which allows for extra buoyancy when swimming, helping them to keep their heads above water. Waterbuck gives off a strong scent that can be smelt even by humans, which is believed to deter certain predators.

21 September 2018Picture of the day, Wildlife

Caged

Lions are in serious decline across most of the African continent. According to the most recent International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessment, as few as 20,000 lions remain. The increasing trade in lion bones and other body parts is recognized as a major threat to existing lion populations, alongside habitat and prey loss, human/wildlife conflict and poorly regulated trophy hunting.

20 September 2018Picture of the day, Wildlife

Proud

Egyptian Geese – also known as Nil Geese named for their place of origin (the Nile Valley in Africa) – are large, very distinctive waterbirds with conspicuous dark chocolate-brown eye patches. These water birds are excellent swimmers, but are mostly terrestrial and can be seen perching on trees and buildings. Their maximum recorded lifespan in captivity is 25 years. The ancient Egyptians considered the Egyptian Geese sacred and these geese appeared in much of their artwork. They occur in various wetland habitats, grasslands or agricultural lands that are close to rivers, dams, lakes, reservoirs, marshes, estuaries, sewage works and, occasionally, offshore islands.

14 September 2018Picture of the day, Wildlife