Boxing Day Firsts

I do not think I will ever tire of seeing the wild animals of Africa in their natural habitat. Every sighting is a blessing and every encounter a gift. Even the repeats like the ever-present herds of impalas which you find around almost every corner. Each time I see them, my appreciation for these beautiful animals only intensifies. Their innate gracefulness, their delicate features, their balletic agility.

But there is something just so exciting about seeing something brandy new for the very first time. Whether it is a previously unseen species of animal or a unique characteristic of a particular sighting or a new display exhibited by a familiar animal. Boxing Day in Pilanesberg proved to be another day of firsts.

We saw a new example of the many species of antelope, the Tsessebe  We have seen many varieties of antelope on safari, multiple times. From the Springbok to the Gemsbok, the Nyala to the Kudu, the Hartebeest to the Wildebeest. Each species of antelope has its own distinct horn shape and design, its unique fur colors, markings and patterns. I do not know if I will ever be fluent in antelope!

The Tsessebe has a hump-back similar to the American Moose or the African Eland, but it is reddish in color and its horns point backwards.

 

 


We saw a Kori Bustard out in a field in full courtship display. He was all puffed up prancing about like Mick Jagger on stage, but there was no prospective mate in view. I don’t know whether he was practicing his moves like Jagger for the disco that night or was just satisfying his own narcissistic needs.

We saw a whole flock of Marabou Storks standing on top of the dam wall. They are so vulture-like. It is amazing anyone saw past their ugliness to admire their necklace of snowy white feathers.

And a near-death experience provided another sweet animal encounter. Our guide Bert almost ran over this cute little terrapin crossing the road. I am sure he is smiling because he won this battle of terrapin over machine. Stay safe, little friend!

Since it was Boxing Day, we were visiting Pilanesberg in the middle of winter summer. There are advantages and disadvantages to a safari in summer. The bush is more dense which can make viewing more difficult. It is also the rainy season so there is a greater possibility you will get rained out or at least fogged out. And there is plenty of water to go around so the animals are not drawn to the watering holes for their daily drinks.

On the plus side though, the weather is much more pleasant for game drives. It can get pretty chilly driving in open vehicles in the summer winter! And the biggest advantage of all … lots of babies! 

The elephants, antelopes, rhinos and monkeys all had babies in tow.

We even came upon a Wildebeest mother who must had just given birth in the last few hours. The baby was still trying on his spindly legs and we watched as he got stronger and stronger and stayed up longer and longer. We knew he was a newborn because there was even evidence of the afterbirth. He still had part of his umbilical cord dangling underneath.

Another first. Amazing!