[Southern Africa Map] [Okavango Delta][Herbivores][Primates][Oddball Birds]
[Denizens of Ponds and Marshes]
[click on photos for larger view]
 Southern Africa is home to numerous predators and
scavengers of many mammalian families. In addition
to those shown below we saw the common genet,
the dwarf mongoose, suricate, black-backed
jackal, serval and leopard. | |
) In Botswana [see map]
we encountered a
pride of lions relaxing
on the shores of the
Kwai River. The
lioness scouted the
area around our safari
vehicle...... |
) ...before
bringing
the cubs
over to an
area of
tall
grass... |
) ) ...where several males were quietly
lounging. The entire pride
consisted of 5 females, three males,
and their eight cubs. They seemed
to ignore the several Land Rovers
parked among them and the people
inside. We tried to be careful to not
make any sudden moves. But even
when our driver accidentally honked the horn and Lloryn dropped her binoculars,
the lions simply glanced nonchalantly over at us. We were a little concerned,
however, when our truck briefly wouldn't start. We didn't relish four of us spending
the night in the cab! | |
) ) In Kruger National Park, South
Africa, [see map] the lions were
often more hidden or farther away.
But it was no less exciting to
observe them. We watched the pair
on the right mate. The male lets out
a very characteristic howl after
copulation while the female rolls on her back. | |
| African lion, panthera leo; Habitat: grasslands and savannas, woodlands and dense bush. Range: Senegal east to Somalia; e Africa; Angola, n Namibia and the Kalahari east to Mozambique and the n Natal of South Africa. Lions eat everything from tortoises to giraffes depending on what they learned to eat. Lions are the only truly sociable cats; related females share a traditional home range, tend to reproduce in synchrony and cross-suckle their young. Prides include from 2 or 3 to 40 lions. Pride members perform a ritual greeting upon meeting; they rub heads and sides together, with tails looped high, while making friendly moaning sounds. Females are lifelong residents of their mother's territories unless scarcity forces emigration. Adolescent males depart when fathers treat them as potential rivals; they spend two or three years until maturity, then seek a pride to take over. Success depends upon numbers. Two males is the minimum. Trios and quartets have longer tenures. Most coalitions are of male brothers, but unrelated males sometimes join forces. Tenure is usually just long enough for one set of cubs to reach the age of independence. [From National Audubon Society Field Guide to African Wildlife] | |
) Spotted hyenas were seen on several occasions in Botswana
and once in Kruger Park, where they had established a
burrow next to the road to Shingwedzi Camp. They are the
second largest carnivore, next to the lion, and occupy most
of the same habitats. One night they wandered through our
camp in the Moremi and sniffed at the edges of our tent!
The same night we heard lions roaring and grunting nearby. | |
| Spotted hyena (laughing hyena), Crocuta crocuta. The spotted hyena adult is capable of running down and killing a bull wildebeest, and hyenas in packs kill zebras and larger prey. Females produce hormones which make them as aggressive as males, or more so, and that may account for the development in females of a phallus. The alpha female is the biggest and best-fed member of the clan, which may number from three to twelve animals, and up to 80 in reserves. Males play no parental role. | |
 African herbivores are legendary, especially when it comes
to migratory numbers on the plains of the Serengeti. But
Southern Africa's wildlife, while it can't boast a mass
migration across a river, is no less diverse and abundant
than east Africa, and has a greater variety of habitats. | |
) Elephants were abundant
everywhere. ) Some were
observed at a distance, such as
the large bulls (left) enjoying in
a mud bath. Others were within
feet of our truck (right) and
threatened to charge us as we passed close by. The
plentitude of elephants has had an impact on the habitat,
especially the mopani
forest. But culling is an unpopular and seldom used option. | |
) ) Giraffes were plentiful as well. Although
their height is an obvious advantage for
browsing mopane (mo-pa-nee) trees,
their long necks give them an ungainly
appearance reminiscent of long-necked
dinosaurs. In fact, the Jurassic Park feel
permeates the landscape as one encounters one remarkable
creature after another. | |
) ) Their ungainliness leaves giraffes
vulnerable when they drink. At
left they keep a wary eye or three
out for predators. Like many of
the species encountered
numerous giraffe parents could
be seen in August with young ones in tow. | |
) Warthog. Found in
most habitats except
rain forests and high
altitudes. The diurnal
warthog uses its
sensitive lips to harvest
high-protein seeds from the ends of grass
stems, and its nose disk works perfectly to
unearth nutritious culms and rhizomes of
grasses. This ability to make the best of scarce
food has made the warthog one of the most
abundant and successful herbivores in Africa. |
) Impala.
Ubiquitous from east to southern Africa, the symbol for Kruger Park. A grazer during rains, switching to browse in the dry season and outcompeting both pure grazers and browsers in their habitat. Found in separate herds of bachelor males and females with young. They are renowned jumpers. |
) Cape buffalo. Forms
large herds which
cooperatively protect
herd members by
charging predators en
masse. Polygynous
mating within clans. |
) Greater
kudu.
Common
in
southern
Africa.
Nearly
pure browsers. |
) Waterbuck. A large shaggy
antelope, reddish brown to
grizzled gray. Rump ring is
diagnostic. |
) Sabal.
Arguably
the most
handsome
antelope.
Very shy
and cautious of man. |
) Plains (Burchell's)
Zebra.
A nomadic grazer, keeps within 20 miles of waterholes. Social units consist of stable harems or family herds each with a mature stallion, and bachelor herds of adolescent to young adult males. |
) Blue
wildebeest.
Also known as Gnu, is the dominant plains ante-lope in acacia savannas of eastern and southern Africa. Migrates long distances in search of green pastures. |
 | |
) Common
hippopotamus.
The heaviest land
mammal after the
elephant, feeds by
plucking grass with its wide muscular lips.
Hippos forage individually, coming ashore to
feed at night, sometimes commuting up to 6
miles along well worn paths. They spend the
day digesting and socializing in the water.
Males defend exclusive mating territories.
More humans are killed by hippos than any
other African animal. |
) Nile
crocodile.
Feeds chiefly on larger fish, but will ambush antelopes, buffalos, zebras, and domestic animals coming to drink. Approaches prey on land, or under water camouflaged as a log. They, like the hippos, are surprisingly fast runners and make walking near water an adventure. |
) Yellow billed storks.
As in North America the ponds and marshes have a large variety of wading birds. In addition to storks we saw yellow-billed egrets, gray herons, African darters, sacred ibis, hammerkop, and others. Each has a separate feeding strategy to permit coexistence in their common habitat. |
) Saddle
billed
stork.
(immature) |
 It feels truly pre-historic to find other primates swinging from the
trees and making their way through the forest in large troops.
Vervet Monkeys are as common as squirrels in many areas, and
are
more aggressive in the picnic grounds. And their grasping ability
and nimbleness make them much more successful.Common (Savanna) Baboon, Papio cynocephalus. The Chacma race, is found from southern Angola to the tip of the Cape of Good Hope. They forage with ease both in trees and on the ground. Troops can be quite large, are non-territorial, and are aggregations of family groups of females and their offspring, with a small number of mature males. Rank determines access to food, water, and sleeping sites. High ranking males tend to obtain first matings with the troops estrous females. However, lower ranking males often form alliances which allow them to dominate rivals. Males can also achieve reproductive success by ingratiating themselves with particular female groups or individuals, staying with and helping to protect them and their offspring. Troops avoid one another but often must share sleeping trees or cliffs and water holes. | |
 Africa makes up for its lack of jays with hornbills,
a family of
birds with raucous calls and aggressive behavior. Their generally
primitive appearance adds to the pre-historic feel of the place.
Ostriches are found from the Sahara and Sahel through much of east Africa, and from Angola and the Zambezi River to the Cape of Good Hope. Penguins are the only family of birds in which all species are both aquatic and flightless. Their bodies are uniformly covered with feathers which are thick, dense, and hard, providing insulation and waterproofing. Their flat flipper-like wings are superb for "flying" through the water. The 17 species of penguins are strictly Southern Hemisphere birds. One endemic species, the Jackass Penguin, nests in southern Africa, with other Antarctic and subantarctic penguins wandering up at times. NON-SWAN LINKS We also saw the very odd-looking Secretary Bird [another link] & the Maribou Stork. | |
[To People, Places, Things of Southern Africa]
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