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The rains have helped the grass grow tall and green. Many of the trees and flowers are in bloom and many of the animals have young. Hartebeests, Thompson’s gazelles, Grant’s gazelles, topis, impalas, waterbuck, a herd of about 200 buffalo, giraffes, zebras and gnus graze quietly. The occasional warthogs run away at top speed, their tails held high like radio antennae. The ears of three bat-eared foxes peep up from the tall grass and we are lucky to see the small animals emerge for a brief look at us.
The birds are something else! Colourful, caring lovebirds sit in a tree and nuzzle each other affectionately. Multi-coloured lilac-breasted rollers perch on twigs. Huge, muscular ostriches bow their heads to find items of interest on the ground. A pair of large kori bustards stride by, on the hunt for insects. A crowned crane struts, showing off its silly but impressive headdress. Superb starlings and Hildebrandt’s starlings change colours as they move in the rays of the sun.
We head for a hippo pool. On the way we see a lion in a tree and a leopard in another tree. The pond is packed with a huge pod of the pudgy hippos. They loll about, sometimes submerged, sometimes coming up for air. As is their custom, they defecate in the water, energetically swirling their tails to ensure maximum spreading of the manure. The result, unsurprisingly, is a pool that is one big, murky, greenish, fetid toilet. Yech!
