havecarryonwilltravel

Warthog

Funny little fellows. They seem shy, scurrying away when the vehicle approaches. If the truth be told they are quite ugly. While running, their tails stick straight up in the air, just like the movie character Pumba. Apparently this tail thing is so that warthogs know where each other are, even in higher brush. Ever wonder where the idea of those fluorescent orange bike safety flags came from? Pumba!

There is a mother warthog and her children hanging around the hotel in Kasane, Botswana. The kids are playing and I am amazing at how fast they move.

Every time we see warthogs on the move they look like they are on a mission.  Don’t spend a great deal of time watching these guys but they do make us laugh every time we see them.

Warthog

Thompson Gazelle

We see so many different types of antelope that we have trouble keeping them straight. We see too many to include all in a post, so here is a sampling.

Thompson Gazelles are the only ones to participate in the great migration. They have a black stripe down their sides. Grant’s Gazelles (no stripe) were named after the fellow who liked to hunt them, Ulysses Grant, an ex President of the USA. Dik Dik are the smallest with a height of maybe 60 cm. Delicate and nervous, they seem to travel in 2’s. Thompson Gazelles, Grant’s Gazelles and Dik Diks are all grass eaters. Phew!

Dik Dik

Impala are colored much the same as a Grant’s but they have a distinctive set of black and white stripes on their rear end. Pat says their stripes form an “M” shape for “McDonalds”, which is where the cats and the wild dogs go to eat. Their horns spiral away from their head. Leaves rather than grass are their meal of choice.

Male Impala

Tsessebe are multi-coloured and have a sloping back profile. It is said to be the fastest of the antelope.  We only see them in ones, twos or threes.

Tsessebe

Waterbuck have a shaggy coat and a distinctive white ring around the rump. We find them near water only in small groups. How do they stay cool with that shagginess?

Waterbuck

Banded Mongoose

Small, curious little fellows. They travel in packs. Sometimes live in termite hills. The group of them runs around bumping into one another, wrestling and rolling around. They remind me of the Keystone Kops.

Yellow Mongoose

We came across the scene below one day in Botswana. A Leopard Tortoise strolled through a Banded Mongoose neighbourhood. The mongoose were very curious and watched and followed but didn’t get too close to the meandering hard shell.

Curious Banded Mongoose

Giraffe

Tweega, in Swahili. Tall and lanky, sort of like a teenage basketball player, but more graceful. After observing them for some time we are amazed at how well they manage their long neck and skinny legs. They move in an elegant manner almost flowing over the landscape. Being as tall as they are, the giraffe are able to reach the highest and tastiest leaves. The tall acacia trees are the giraffe’s private feast. They do have a bit of trouble with the low stuff but can kneel down if need be. I understand they can run if necessary but generally the are not in a hurry to go anywhere.

This giraffe below was chewing on some leaves and chewing and chewing. He swallowed and then….glup…..regurgitated the clump of cud and started chewing and chewing again. It is amazing that this ball of cud travels so far along the giraffe’s neck. He performed this regurgitation numerous times while we watched.

Cape Buffalo in Tanzania

These creatures are big suckers. Off in the distance they look like cattle but when the vehicle pulls up within 3M we have a real appreciation as to their size. We are told they can be down right ornery as well. From what is said they are probably the most unpredictable of all of the animals here. We did not test the hypothesis.

They have a comical look to them with their ears pointing downwards and their horns pointing up. Their horns are massive and I would not want to carry those on my head for too long.

African Buffalo in Botswana

Pat, our guide in Botswana, gave us a list of YouTube videos to watch. There is one called “Battle of Kruger”. Give it a watch!