Final walk (part 2)

In the previous post (part 1) I mention "Hapoor", "hap" meaning "nick" and "oor" meaning "ear". He was the dominant elephant bull for 24 years since 1944 – 1968. The nick (right ear as we see him) is believed to have been caused by a riffle bullet, which led him to become a hater of man. He was the sire of most calves in this period and although he was challenged for leadership in fights to the death, he remained "king". He even killed a female who was darted for medical reasons, first trying to keep her up and then when she fell stabbed her with his tusks. He was deposed by that very female's son in 1968, and he became a loner, which lead to him breaking through the elephant fence, it is said the only one to do this, and knowing his nature and the fact that no fence will hold him in, Hapoor was shot as there was no other choice. He left his mark in the genetic stamp on the elephants in the park, but also a cast of his head in the interpretive centre and a watering hole named after him. I believe the head is about at his height, which would have been close to 4 meters, so me with Boeta on my shoulders would nearly have been able to walk underneath him. This also gives you an idea how big these animals get in relation to humans.We all posed for a picture with Hapoor. Boeta also loved to look at him from underneath and he got a deserved wave too. Then we headed back to the old diesel. Not before mom showed him the interesting trees on the way, wild fig trees, I believe. Finally we were ready to go. Ready for some last viewing as we took the route home through the park. We had the whole Sunday after all. Filed under: Family, Fauna, Holiday spots, Parenting, toddler Tagged: dad, Elephants, Family, Holiday, mom, Nature, Parenting, photos, Wildlife

 

The sleeping, seeking, drinking jackal

We did a post on the Black-backed Jackal a while back. On this trip we saw a few of them and I picked 3 occasions to show 3 different activities we found them in. The first was around midday, near the first camp, we saw a jackal having a lazy afternoon. The second interesting occasion was very early in the morning on the third day. We saw a pair hunting or seeking to catch something they cornered in some thorny bushes. They were chasing it up and down from one side to the other, but my guess would be the protection given by the thorns prevented anything further, unless the prey tried to make a run for it. Look carefully and you can see the mate on the other side, mimicking the partner. On the final day, we tried to visit a few water holes on the way out, and although to my regret, we did not have time to sit and really take pictures, on the fly, so to speak, we saw another pair come for a drink. One did not drink, just decided to take a nap near the water, the other took a drink, here the regret, great photo opportunity ruined by life's time constrictions. At least I have something to show.

 

Last night in Addo

So so very quickly we came to the last evening in the Addo National Park. We were having lots of fun, all three of us. You cannot explain the influence and effects really, it just happens. We knew as husband and wife, we needed it, as parents, we needed it and the little man needed it as well. Here are a few shots of that last evening. Near the central area of the main camp there is a restaurant as well as a viewing area with underground hide and high spot to view from. I took pictures of Boeta running and stretching his legs here, and this is the view of the Addo from that spot. Sometimes the Elephants come to this watering hole for a drink. Talking about the restaurant, one great option was to order "take away" from the restaurant, which we took back to the chalet and this allowed a much more peaceful setting and better "control" over the "toddler". That night we got RIBS, wow, they were perfect, but even better, we all had ribs. Boeta took to one of our favorite foods immediately and enjoyed it immensely. He even started humming while working the bone and getting all the goodness of it. Fantastic last evening.

 

Caracal (Felis caracal)

Very few things give us more pleasure than finding something special, be it bird, plant or animal. In this case it was a caracal. Only seen by us and another couple, before it disappeared again on that day at least, we were pretty excited. We saw one a few years back, fleetingly, and we saw a couple in breeding facilities, but to see it in the wild, something special. It is the biggest of the African small cats, males being just over 1 meter in length, 45 cm at shoulder and males weighing around 13 kg. The markings around face and base whiskers are distinctive. Lovely long tassels on the tips of the ears. This one had a tick on the forehead too. But the eyes, I loved the eyes. They take mammals up to 40 kg, like small antelope, hares, rodents, birds, like the spurfowls and guineafowl we saw earlier. Also reptiles form part of the menu. Interestingly they do not have long tails either, shortened to such a point one may think it had an accident, but that is one of the animals traits. The luck part was emphasized by the fact that it stood up, because it just awoke, and in the process gave a nice yawn for the camera. They are nocturnal, so to see this one was a great gift indeed, and usually alone. These are moments that will be edged in my mind, I will always remember this occasion without question.

 

Stretching legs and nap

After a morning of hunting for animals and birds, it was time to get back to the camp and let Boeta stretch his legs for a bit before lunch and nap time. We decided to go down to the lookout inside the camp, see whats there and also let the little man run. Not much was going on, midday after all. We saw a few warthog and a kudu (female) coming down for a drink. So, mom put the little man down and watch him go. By now he was very much into this wildlife and freedom holiday. He enjoyed every minute. We went back to the chalet and after the changing and feeding the runner got a chance to nap. He woke up refreshed, but as his mom, takes a little time to really wake, so daddy took the chance to take pictures. It does not take long for him to be at full speed again. The camping cot changer also made for a nice "grotto" to hide and play in, so we left it on. Off to do some more safari-ing.

 

FW: Speckled Mousebird (Colius striatus)

Endemic to Africa, this specie is fairly unicolor grey, with a rufous belly. Still they are always good to see, just because they tend to hang on branches, rather than sit on it. Usually in small groups, whenever you see them. Although I read nowhere about the blueish tint around the eye, still looks like it to me. They love fruit trees, both in the garden and wild. The hanging with the belly out is also called "sunning." Long tail to complete the picture and a nice crest.

 

Southern Boubou (Laniarius ferrugineus)

My son's favorite bird for now and another example of an adaptable bird. They are described shy birds, not so, in the Addo. They were very willing to see what is cooking at the picnic site as well as the chalet. The female is said to have a more rufous belly towards the breast, whereas the male has more white towards the breast. They tend to like hunting in the underbrush for insects and fruits. Endemic to South Africa's east and south-western coasts. Given the description the bird at the chalet could be a male. He was very sociable and had some breakfast scrambled egg with me, but also came into the chalet a few times, much to the amusement of our son, who had the job of chasing him out. He loved the interaction with nature or then a bird, led to many laughs and lots of running.