Right-of-way – Flightless Dung Beetles

In the Addo Elephant National Park, it is not just Elephants and other large animals that have right-of-way, when you drive around. The small insects do to, and in specific the "Flightless dung beetle" (Circellium bacchus).   They are now restricted to the Addo National Park, as this is the only area with animals like elephant, rhino and buffalo, still remaining in their natural area. They live by eating fresh dung or rolling it into a ball to bury for later use. The females also make "brood balls", which get buried underground, and they mate, underground, laying 1 egg into the ball. They are definitely some of the most important insects within the Addo National Park, the cleaners. We found one on the tar road, and it seemed it was very particular on the direction it wanted to go, steering the ball over the road.   When you walk or drive in nature, remember to give 'right-of-way' to all creatures you encounter, they are all giants in their role in the ecology of a region.