Rains Down Journal
A collection of experiences from the Rains Downer.
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GENTLE GIANTS world
10 June,2019
……… Was a constant joy to spend hours with these Gentle Giants. At that day sun rise came out around 06h45 and as it was above the ground we picked these beautiful creatures on a thick woodland.
Then, able to follow them onto habitats from valley, hills, open areas and later went down the river bed to drink.
We were lucky to observe several interesting behaviours BUT one particular which was how these Gentle Giants use their trunk.
And these are some……
A fusion structure of a noise and upper lip form a trunk … they can inhale, exhale, blows, vocalises, push, pull, slap, lift, throw and drinking as the one the picture we took above of this calf. We believe they are so many others but we decided to leave that day with those few
THE FLAMBOYANCE IN ANIMAL KINGDOM
20 May, 2019
Think of Flamboyance in Animal kingdom
Mammals tend to be less colourful than other animal groups but some are strikingly in black and white….
Look at the beautiful Zebra;
Did you know Zebra are typically black in colour. Embryology studies has relieved that;- at early stages, the embryo is completely black BUT the white colouration comes at the end of embryonic stage.
And later… it saves the purpose which amongst all, it deters biting flies from landing especially the Diptera.
ETERNAL ENEMIES
15 April, 2019
Early morning while out on game drive in the Central part of Serengeti, we picked a serious fight between a Clan of Hyena and a Pride of Lion.
After spending two hours and a half watching this serious fight, we came to realise these eternal enemies started to fight a lot when Hyenas almost 50 hunted down a full grown wildebeest and started to pull it apart with lots of noise.
The noises went far enough to attract the Lions, which decided to make their way on the site within their territory.
As soon as they arrived, they find out almost 50 Hyenas aggressively feed on this Wildebeest which was still alive and struggling to escape by then.
Without hesitation Lions went straight and try to take over this prey BUT Hyenas decided not to give up so easily especially for this prey which they have given a lot of energy chasing it. There then, the fight begun.
It didn’t take long one Big male Lion killed a single Hyena and the rest of the Hyenas decided to back up whilst watching from the distance of their kill dragged to the shade.
Not sure if there will be a day for the two to become friends BUT am sure the enmity will last forever!!!
……Imagine what will happen next if the same clan of Hyenas comes into contact with a single lioness from the same pride or a different pride…… Eternal Enemies
The Synchronizing birth of Wildebeest
29 January, 2019
Arrived from a 10 days Safari, everything was fantastic and happened to see a New Calf (Neonate) and her mother running in a population of thousands and thousands of Wildebeest. We thought in this 2019, it might be the first being dropped in Maswa-Southern part of Serengeti.
Did you know Wildebeest got Synchronizing birthing?
After eight-month of carrying the pregnancy you will be able to see them running towards south of Serengeti, the magical calving place which opens the opportunity to see more than 50% or more females giving birth at the same season.
I am sure after we left the place more babies will be dropped and at the end of two to three weeks we might see thousands of babies wandering around with mothers.
The Magical of Rainbow in Serengeti
25 December, 2018
Driving in Mwiba Wildlife Management area in the evening after the rains, we came across the rainbow and straight it takes me back in the book of Forces of Nature written by Brian Cox, Brian reveal why Earth is the most colourful world we know, “Exploring the white light of the sun as it travels through the darkness of space until it hits Earth's atmosphere where it begins a new journey, splitting into a rainbow of colours from the great plains of the Serengeti, the volcanoes of Indonesia and the precipitous cliffs in Nepal, to the humpback whales of the Caribbean and the northern lights of the Arctic”.
Ground Engineers
6 June, 2018
Few of the most scientific studies of all animal built structures are the Castles of African termites, the fungus-growing termites. At the image below, the dry part of the soil represents the old built structure whilst the wet/black part it’s a chimney elongation process and a wall refurbishment.
That early morning, we found some workers, each carrying very tiny soil particles from the inner side of a termite mound and put one after the other in a very astounding technique, the same way the Egyptian Pyramid were built back in the days.
Imagine, these little creatures got no eyes to look at what they are doing and the structures can go up to 10feet or more depends on the temperature of the region and the depth of the water table … What an amazing Engineering
The Power of Marshal Eagle Talons
8 July, 2018
The happy moment of Martial Eagle was totally the opposite to the poor Helmeted-Guinea Fowl.
Close by to the Mara River, Tanzania the famous Wildebeest crossing point when migrating to Maasai Mara in Kenya there was this Juvenile Martial Eagle Soaring at the edge of the river.
After a long surveillance up and down stream, he found a flock of helmeted guinea fowl feeding on the elephant dung. He maneuvered, very quickly, silently, gliding down like a super jet to the flock and got lucky picked a single individual while the rest of family with the usual alarm, fast and repeatedly kik-kik-kik-kik-kik-kik-kik-kik-kaaaaaa……… very loud and loud to scare-off the eagle but was too late for that.
We later observed the impressive sharp talons were totally hooked in, a guinea fowl body like Lion claws penetrates in Buffalo skin to stop it from walking away.
So instead of this Eagle flying away with it as customary, he drugged a fowl to a far away bush, opening it wings of about 2.1 or .2 meters to obscure the visual of his prey and managed to escape the challenge from other Eagles.
Wooow!!!! the sighting was special, the time everyone realized the powerfulness of the Martial Eagle talons.
Quench your Thirst
5 May, 2018
One-day afternoon, in a hot time of day, a hot time of year the sky was blue and lovely too. Cool breeze from an open jeep, driving around Tarangire National Park one amongst few famous places for Elephant sightings.
We came across an elegant family of 45 Giraffes in Acacia Woodland, all individuals were feeding around, walking in a very known stance, beautiful long neck, long eye brows and same color patterns.
They started slowly walking down the river bed, then this mother was near her calf all the time, were the first to reach down the bed. The drinking flair started to arose various questions which principal brought us to this story.
Giraffes drinking style differ from many other creatures in the animal kingdom. Blessed with a long neck placed them to the advantage of feeding to tree leaves out of reach of others and suppress the competitors that feeds on same kind of food.
The other side is, drinking water with the long neck needs some scientific engineering brain set-up to avoid the pressure of the blood accelerating from the heart when drinking.
In a simple way they have sponge-like material which will suck all that blood and releasing very slowly to the brain to avoid concussion.
Even that, seems not to solve all that, that’s why they have to quick heading down and up to be on safe side.
It’s a complicated story behind all that process but yet they need to quench their thirsty.