On
our morning bush walk, we drove miles in the freezing pre-dawn dark, saw
a sunrise to take your breath away for the rest of your days, climbed
stiffly out of the Land Rover and hadn't walked a quarter mile into the
bush when our guide silently held up a palm, gestured to our left and
we turned as one to see these rhinos grazing. A great start to an incredible
day. The White Rhino is the third largest land mammal. Massive, stocky,
and with a reputation of being not quite as aggressive as the Black Rhino.
By 1896 white rhino were extinct in the Lowveld, while elsewhere a relic
50 animals survived between the White and Black Umfolozi rivers in Zululand.
Successful conservation measures made it possible to re-introduce 337
rhino from 1961 onwards, and the Kruger Park now safeguards the world’s
largest population. White rhino require a reliable supply of water, both
for drinking (every two to three days) and for the protective layer of
mud that helps shield their hides from biting insects.
In bottom left, though we were up on a 30-foot high bridge and many yards away, I could still feel the roar of that hippo in my collarbone. The large hippo is an aggressive animal; old scars (easily visible in the bottom left photo), or fresh, deep wounds are signs of daily fights that are accompanied by much bellowing, neighing and snorting. The huge open-mouthed "yawn" that reveals formidable teeth is one of the most aggressive postures. With the long, razor-sharp incisors and tusklike canines, the hippo is well-armed and dangerous. They move easily in water, either swimming by kicking their hind legs or walking on the bottom and are well-adapted to aquatic life with small ears, eyes and nostrils set at the top of the head. By closing its ears and nostrils, the adult can stay under water for as long as six minutes. Hippos have a flexible social system defined by hierarchy and by feed and water conditions. Usually they are found in mixed groups of about 15 individuals, but in periods of drought large numbers are forced to congregate near limited pools of water. This overcrowding disrupts the hierarchical system, resulting in even higher levels of aggression, with the oldest and strongest males most dominant. Hippos are unpredictable. If they are encountered away from the safety of water, anything that gets between them and their refuge may be bitten or trampled.
In bottom left, though we were up on a 30-foot high bridge and many yards away, I could still feel the roar of that hippo in my collarbone. The large hippo is an aggressive animal; old scars (easily visible in the bottom left photo), or fresh, deep wounds are signs of daily fights that are accompanied by much bellowing, neighing and snorting. The huge open-mouthed "yawn" that reveals formidable teeth is one of the most aggressive postures. With the long, razor-sharp incisors and tusklike canines, the hippo is well-armed and dangerous. They move easily in water, either swimming by kicking their hind legs or walking on the bottom and are well-adapted to aquatic life with small ears, eyes and nostrils set at the top of the head. By closing its ears and nostrils, the adult can stay under water for as long as six minutes. Hippos have a flexible social system defined by hierarchy and by feed and water conditions. Usually they are found in mixed groups of about 15 individuals, but in periods of drought large numbers are forced to congregate near limited pools of water. This overcrowding disrupts the hierarchical system, resulting in even higher levels of aggression, with the oldest and strongest males most dominant. Hippos are unpredictable. If they are encountered away from the safety of water, anything that gets between them and their refuge may be bitten or trampled.
