EmotionsofAfrica

While on safari in the Kruger National Park, we came across a herd of elephants. Suddenly a tiny baby elephant grabbed our attention. He stood in front of a bush, adorably scratching his bum with real intent. After this comical display, he moved away from the bush. We immediately realized that this was no ordinary baby elephant. He had a stumpy tail, with more than half his tail missing! We came to the conclusion that his tail was definitely bitten off by a predator. A horrifying experience that left this baby elephant scarred for the rest of his life and in extraordinary pain. Not to mention the emotional stress this poor little guy had to deal with. The first two years in the life of a baby elephant is the toughest. They are vulnerable to the many dangers and challenges lurking in the African bush. Their biggest threat are lion and hyena, especially at night. The wounds on the tail clearly show that this poor baby elephant was attacked and grabbed by the tail, which was then bitten off. His only saving grace was his mother and the rest of the herd. Since it takes 22 months for a calf to be born and the calving interval thereafter is at least 4 years, calves are family investments that are not easily replaced. The elephant’s tail can be as long as 1,3 meters and is tipped by a series of very coarse, wire like black hairs. They have an extraordinary degree of control over tail movement and use them as a fly swatter against biting flies and insects. This was the main reason for this baby elephant with his stumpy tail scratching his bum against a bush. After a good scratch, the little elephant quickly joined the herd again. As they move off into the bush we can clearly see how the rest of the elephants are using their tails to keep the insects away. This poor baby elephant will never again be able to swat these insects away. He will forever have to find an alternative way to get rid of the itch on his backside.

When you spend a lot of time in the African bush as a safari guide, you get to see and learn allot about the behaviour of various animals on a daily basis. Observing animals and getting to understand their common behaviour is key to delivering a great safari experience to our visiting tourists. Every once in a while Mother Nature will surprise even the most experienced safari guides with an unexpected, uncommon or rarely seen sighting in the wild. While guiding a recent safari in the Kruger National Park, we noticed a large cloud of dust hanging over the bush a short distance ahead of us. There were also loud clashing noises coming from the same area. We decided to drive closer and investigate what was going on. When we arrived at the scene, we were stunned by what we saw. Two big male kudu antelope were locked in a serious fight using their incredibly large and powerful horns. We could clearly hear the loud bashing sounds of their horns clashing together. The kudu bulls were evenly matched and were pushing each other around while creating a huge dust cloud. Near the end of the intense fight one kudu bull managed to hook the other male around the neck and dragged him around in a solid grip. This particular fight lasted over half an hour until one male eventually gave up and ran away. In my 10 years of guiding and living in the African bush, this is only the second time ever I have witnessed such an event. After the eland antelope species, the kudu is the world’s second largest antelope. The kudu male has the longest and most impressive horns of all the African antelope. The male kudu is normally not aggressive with each other at all. Usually, dominance is established by a peaceful lateral display. During a lateral display, mature bulls will weigh up their opponents only by a show of their good looks and posture. The biggest and most impressive contender will then peacefully maintain all mating rights with the females while the other contender moves on without any objection. Only under rare circumstances when two animals are equally matched, will they actually fight using their large majestic horns. These fights can also potentially go all the way till death. Watching these majestic antelope doing battle with their magnificent horns was a priceless experience indeed.

On a recent safari in the Kruger National Park, we came across a very unusual and rare sight. Three lions sitting in a tree close together. Lions are not known for their tree climbing abilities and climbing up and down trees is by far their weakest trait. Unlike the leopard, these big cats are not agile enough to climb trees with ease. The lion’s size and weight also counts against them. Finding this small family up in a tree turned out to be an unforgettable and amusing experience. The big lioness with her sub adult and 9 month old cub looked really uncomfortable up in that tree. Getting up into a tree is one thing but getting down again is a total different occasion. While commenting on the uncomfortable lions with their unsteady footing up in the tree, the sub adult lion suddenly loses his footing and falls out of the tree. Like a true cat, he lands right on all four his paws without any injury. It was as if the young lion heard the comment regarding his poor tree climbing abilities and instantaneously showed us how insecure he really was up in that tree. After the sub adult’s ungracious effort, it was the little cub to go next. Hesitant at first, the cub slowly and carefully starts his descend down the slippery tree trunk. He is determined to get down and with a combination of sliding and jumping, the adorable cub makes it down just fine. We felt relieved and amused at the same time. Once her offspring were safe on the ground, it was time for mommy to give it a go. At first she looks unsure about how she will go about getting down.This mother was definitely not going to jump like her youngster did. She rather assessed the situation patiently before making her decision. She finally gets herself into the fork of the tree and gracefully walks down, showing her young exactly how it should be done.

The video shows an elephant bull, looking like he is having the time of his life while chasing other animals around with his intimidating behavior and loud noises. This elephant bull was spotted at a large watering hole in the Kruger National Park. The waterhole was busy during the heat of the day with various animal species visiting the watering hole to quench their thirsts. There were buffalo, impala and elephants in great numbers at this particular moment. This particular elephant bull stopped drinking and started looking around at all the other animals around the watering hole. The bull elephant was at an age that is still far from maturity. He looked full of mischief and decided he was going to have a little fun with the other animals and show them who is the boss around the watering hole. Being the biggest land mammal on earth, the elephant probably thought ‘why not?’ It was rather funny to watch this elephant bull going after the buffalo and then the impala, shaking his head around, throwing his trunk around while letting out trumpeting sounds and a few loud screams. It was hilarious to see how the animals would just scatter in all directions while the elephant would pick his next target, and so he went on and on. Not only did the elephant get his little fun in for the day, but he also created a wildlife sighting that was very entertaining and funny to watch.

While enjoying a safari in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, we came across a single male hyena lying in the middle of the road. He was resting during the late afternoon and looked very relaxed. Suddenly the lone hyena rolls onto his back and surprisingly starts with the most unusual and funny looking back scratch move we have ever seen. With his belly and all four legs up in the air, the hyena maneuvers himself from side to side while scratching his back on the gravel road. The hyena’s movements made for very entertaining viewing, looking like he was performing a very strange looking but amusing dance move. This type of behaviour by any hyena is rarely seen in the wild. We established that this funny performance by the hyena was due to an enormous number of flies that pestered the animal during his late afternoon rest. Rolling onto his back while scratching it in such an odd looking manner was the hyena’s only option to get rid of the flies and the unbearable itch on his back. Even though hyenas are associated with rotten meat and flies, ironically enough it is uncommon to see hyenas scratching themselves, let alone scratching their backs. In the end the hyena enjoyed a good back scratch and at the same time entertained us to an unexpected funny move right in front of us in the middle of the road. Majority of the time hyenas are seen as scary, blood-thirsty predators that eats rotten meat. For this reason it is very hard to imagine that these creatures in actual fact also have the ability to put a smile on your face and make any person laugh. This sighting turned out to be the highlight of the afternoon safari and it left everyone with a totally different perception of one of Africa’s top and most feared carnivores.

This video shows the astonishingly beautiful silhouettes of giraffes going about their late afternoon activities with an incredibly beautiful golden sunset in the backdrop. The giraffe is rated as Africa’s most photographed animal and definitely one of Africa’s most iconic animal species. These graceful creatures are the world’s tallest land mammals and cannot be confused with any other species of animal in the African wild. These tall creatures make for truly impressive silhouettes when filmed or photographed with the last light of the day glowing directly behind them. The image of giraffe silhouettes parading in front of a stunning sunset has always been iconic to the continent of Africa. It was during a recent safari in a wilderness area of the Kruger Park in South Africa that we spend the last half an hour of the day admiring and enjoying the beautiful golden light of a sunset over the African bush. The last hour of daylight is referred to as the ‘golden hour’ by photographers and filmmakers. This is the time when the light shines softly, beautifully lighting up the whole area in an array of colours ranging between a mixture of pink, orange, yellow and red. We were absorbing the sheer spectacular beauty of the breath taking scenery when a small herd of giraffes unexpectedly appeared. The giraffes relaxingly walked past us in the near distance. One of the giraffes even perfectly stopped right in front of the setting sun, holding its pose while chewing. This created an amazing image not to be forgotten by anyone present. These giraffe silhouettes moving in the golden light of an African sunset created a dream picture. The giraffe silhouette moving past in the sunset is one of the most sought-after scenes for photographers and filmmakers. We were lucky and very fortunate enough to capture this true African golden moment.

The semi-arid Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is situated in the remote northern western part of South Africa. It is one of the last true wilderness places left in Southern Africa. It is a vibrant semi-desert wilderness area with a surprising abundance of life. There is a diverse number of fauna and flora and one of the great attractions are the incredible number raptors found in the park. Birds of prey include various species of eagles, hawks, falcons, vultures and owls. During a recent visit to the park we stopped at one of the few small picnic spots where you can get out of your vehicle, stretch your legs after a long drive and have something to eat. We were the only people at the rest stop at that stage. While we were relaxing I suddenly noticed a movement on another picnic table on the other side of the resting area. I grabbed my camera and started filming. We realised it was a baby spotted eagle owl, standing on the table looking a little confused. The owlet kept looking upwards into the tree as if it urgently had to get back up into the tree. We decided to drive a little closer and see what this little one was up to. The owlet was still standing on the table looking unsure when it suddenly made an attempt to fly back up into the tree. The clumsy little owl failed miserably in its attempt. It looked more like the juvenile took a leap of faith and ended up nose diving straight down to the ground. We couldn’t help but to find this sudden fall very funny. The baby owl looked a bit shocked and confused after the fall. With us laughing at the owlet’s failure, it decided to sneak off and hide behind the tree. We drove around the tree and found the youngster hiding under a fallen stump on the ground, staring at us with its huge bright yellow eyes. It was as if the baby owl felt embarrassed by its sudden fall from the table and just wanted to hide. We decided to leave the owlet in peace and continued with our journey.

The video shows a baby elephant slowly moving through thick mud before wiping out, taking a nose or trunk dive straight down into the mud. Watching any baby elephant going about their business in the African wild is mostly an amusing sight. While still a little clumsy, like any child in their first few years, baby elephants have to navigate through all the challenges that living in the wild can bring. While on safari we watched a herd of elephants crossing through a muddy river. While the adults of course found it easy to march through the thick mud, it was a little more challenging for the younger elephants. The baby elephant in the video was treading slowly, one foot at a time. The mother elephant even stopped and looked back to see if her baby was doing all right. Just as the baby elephant looked like getting to the end of the mud, it slipped and smack, face and trunk first, straight down into the mud. Another adult female elephant came past to lend a little support to the clumsy baby elephant, lying face down in the mud. Slowly but surely the baby elephant managed to get back onto its feet and finally got out of the thick mud, making its way straight to its mother. While it was funny at the moment to watch the clumsiness of the baby elephant, we couldn’t help to feel a little sorry for it at the same time. All was well in the end, knowing we witnessed one of the many challenges a baby elephant would have to face while growing up in the wild.

Unconventional events in nature have amused and confused mankind for centuries.This video is a great example of one of those mind boggling events that took place in the African wild. We came across two large male lions while on safari in the Kruger Park, South Africa. They were lazing around and occasionally falling asleep. While the big cats were dosing off, we noticed a tiny antelope called a steenbuck. He was busy feeding, directly opposite the lions, less than a hundred meters away. Clearly he hasn’t noticed the lions, or did he? As he kept moving closer, our hearts started beating faster by the minute. He carried on feeding towards the lions and eventually walked past them, a mere ten meters away! At this stage we were all very confused. Why would he risk his life walking past so close? Did he even see the biggest cats on the continent, lying right out in the open? How was it possible that the largest predator in Africa totally missed the opportunity for a quick snack? Lions are opportunistic hunters.They hunt anything from mice to elephants if the opportunity presents itself, even when they are not very hungry. A highly developed sense of smell and incredible hearing give these apex predators a big advantage over most of their prey. Steenbuck, the smallest antelope in the park, have remarkable eyesight along with big round ears for superior hearing. They are on the menu for most predators in the wild and need these senses to survive in the wild. Surprisingly enough, none of these common facts really came into play on this very day. It looked like the antelope had no clue the lions were there in the first place. At the same time the lions were probably so fast asleep, they never even heard the steenbuck walking past. In the end, all we really know for sure is that it was a good day for both animal species. The steenbuck lived to see another day and the lions enjoyed an uninterrupted sleep to regain some much needed energy.

Facing the largest land mammal on this planet, rushing towards you, is a nerve wrecking experience. My wife and I were alone on safari, admiring a small herd of elephants next to the road. Suddenly, there was this enormous bull elephant approaching us. He did not look like he was on a Sunday afternoon stroll. This guy looked determined and on a mission. Our hearts were racing while the elephant rushed towards us. There was a big branch hanging from his mouth and he looked pretty scary. We had no choice but to remain calm. He then moved a little off the road and bashed through a small tree next to the vehicle. He was showing us that he meant business. Suddenly he just froze, showing no emotion and not giving away any signals on what his next move might be. This was probably the most terrifying moment, sitting dead quiet and waiting on his next move. This bull elephant then pretended to be moving along and leaving us alone, but then approached us from behind for yet another anxious moment. Standing right behind the vehicle, he slowly peeked over the back. Simultaneously, he slightly bumped the back of the vehicle with his tusks. We managed to keep quiet through this whole experience but this was when we both raised our voices. From previous experience, we’ve learned that he would have carried on and become more violent if we did not say something. Immediately he stepped back, shook his head and left us alone. It turned out that this bull elephant was in a state called musth. When older male elephants are ready to mate, they go into a musth period with heightened testosterone levels. These males are extremely temperamental and dangerous at the same time. They chase, intimidate and sometimes even kill anything that does not look like a female elephant. We managed to keep our cool but at the same time were very lucky to get away without a serious incident.

The Kruger National Park in South Africa is home to a great variety of large predator species. While the big cats such as lion and leopard are very popular amongst safari goers, one specific predator has a very different reputation. The spotted hyena, mostly viewed with fear and contempt because of their scavenging habits and their alleged cowardice. Among the beliefs held by some cultures, hyenas are thought to influence people’s spirits, rob graves, and steal livestock and children. With such a reputation it would be hard to believe that these amazing creatures can also be very cute and adorable, especially when they are still young. We had the fortunate experience to witness some of that unknown hyena cuteness. During a safari in the Kruger Park we stopped at what is called a communal den, usually a hole or burrow inside a termite mound. The focus of a hyena clan centres on a communal den where all the females keep their young. On our arrival we found one large female lying outside the den together with her cute little cubs. Our attention was drawn to one specific cub that stole the show. The cub was lying on its back and belly up next to its mother. This adorable baby hyena made for entertaining viewing as it was clear that it was very tired and could hardly keep its eyes open. The mother hyena was fast asleep and the baby hyena tried to keep itself busy and not fall asleep. Even chewing on its own leg didn’t really help and we could see how the baby hyena’s head was slowly falling backwards. For a little while the hyena cub could resist the sleepiness until it just became too much. The baby hyena finally fell over onto its side, lying in a much more comfortable position, joining mommy for a nap. Watching this cute baby hyena in its attempt to try and stay awake was hugely entertaining and funny at the same time. It also shows that hyenas are far more diverse and fascinating than the dull, one-dimensional creatures most people think of when they hear the word hyena.

As frequent travelers we are fortunate enough to have stayed in many hotels, resorts and lodges all over the world. Most of these places usually deliver great settings where one can enjoy a relaxing atmosphere during meal times, whether it be indoors or outdoors. Never in my life have we been treated to a breakfast experience like the one recently at a wilderness camp in the Kruger National Park. After a late morning safari, we arrived back at our camp and were heading straight to the restaurant for a well-deserved late breakfast. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were told at the entrance to please be very quiet and slowly take our seats. When we got to the outside section of the restaurant, we couldn’t believe what we saw. Less than twenty meters away from the table where we were supposed to sit was a small herd of elephants standing and lying in the shade on the lawn of the garden. What a surprise it was indeed. The video shows the table where we were going to sit. We didn’t take our seats immediately, standing in awe while watching the elephants carrying on as if they could not be bothered by us. A few other people were already eating and looked pretty comfortable having their breakfast while enjoying this amazing sight. We did the same and enjoyed a long breakfast while watching the elephants. The young elephants were playful in the beginning while the older elephants just wanted to rest. It was late morning and getting very hot already. These elephants knew that the biggest shady trees are located in the camp during the dry season. The camp was not fenced at all and these elephants enjoyed coming in and out of camp at their own time. Out of all the holiday breakfasts I have ever had in my life, this breakfast in true African style was and still is the most memorable one by far.

his footage was recorded in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. It’s fascinating to watch how the tallest land mammal on this planet go into battle to settle their differences. Giraffe are not territorial and a local status hierarchy develops according to age and size. This is established through ritual necking encounters amongst bachelors from an early age. These fights are not violent unless two equally matched bulls are contending for a female ready for mating. These necking rituals are synchronised and seem like a graceful dance.

Majority of people on this planet today are becoming busier than ever before as life just becomes more and more demanding and allot faster at the same time. Living the Rat Race, chasing after money and success. Slogging our bums off Monday to Friday and living for weekends. That all leads to allot more stressful people. This video was created to bring a smile to everyone living the crazy busy Rat Race. Using various Elephant scenes from the wild to portray our stressful lives in a more humorous manner. This might not be the exact order of a typical day for many but there is somewhere something many will be able to relate to

During a recent safari in the Kruger National Park, we came across a family of white rhinos all covered in mud. White rhinos love wallowing in the mud, cooling themselves down and getting rid of pesky insects on their bodies at the same time. Once a rhino finished wallowing in the mud, the remaining mud becomes dry and hard on the skin. Numerous ticks and insects are trapped in the cakes of mud still stuck to the rhino’s body. Their skin then becomes very itchy, forcing the rhino to find an object against which it can scratch its body. Old tree stumps and rocks are popular rubbing or scratching posts. The video shows how the mother rhino and her young calf were using a big fallen tree stump as a rubbing and scratching post. It was clear that the young male rhino was very itchy after his mud bath and needed a good scratch badly. While scratching his belly, the young rhino calf became super excited. It was hilarious to see the little rhino jumping and bouncing around. The relief of the itch was clearly very satisfying. The rhino calf made for very entertaining viewing, scratching its belly from all angles while standing in the most amusing and awkward positions. While the calf was having a blast rubbing his belly against the stump, the mother rhino was standing next to him, patiently rubbing her horn against the stump. Suddenly the mother decided that her calf enjoyed enough belly scratches and that it was her turn to get a good body scratch. The mother rhino gently pushed her calf to the side while moving herself in between him and the rubbing post. To our amazement the young rhino reacted by pushing and shoving his mother in an attempt to move her away and reclaim his rubbing spot. The calf’s mother was not going anywhere. After his funny and very unsuccessful attempts, the rhino calf decided that it was better to let his mother enjoy her scratch and moved away. We couldn’t believe the cheeky attitude the young male rhino showed towards his mother. The calf’s belly must have itched so much that not even his own mother was welcome to use his rubbing post.

The video shows a baby elephant’s funny-looking struggling attempts to get back onto its feet in the slippery mud out the African wild. Watching baby elephants in the African wild is always an entertaining experience. In their first few years, baby elephants are still a little clumsy and can be awkward in their actions when it comes to learning and mastering the many challenges of life in the African bush. While on a safari in the Kruger National Park, we came across a herd of elephants busy taking a mud bath. It was scorching hot and elephants usually use the opportunity to cool down in the mud during the heat of the day. There was one particular baby elephant that looked like it was having the time of its life in the mud. When it was time to get out after playtime in the mud, it became really funny to watch this baby elephant trying to get back onto its feet again. The mud was clearly very slippery after all the elephants wallowed in it and the baby elephant just couldn’t find its feet initially. The baby elephant was slipping and sliding, falling down back into the mud several times. With its legs kicking in the air to build momentum, it was hilarious to watch the attempts of the baby elephant trying to get out of the mud. At one stage one of the other young elephants came to give it a nudge with its trunk and after a while the baby elephant finally managed to get out of the slippery mud. The baby elephant looked really happy to be out and right away sprinted straight to its mother which was already making her way back into the bush.

After watching and filming this old Buffalo Bull struggling around in the mud, I couldn't help but to see the striking similarities between his behaviour and that of some wise words most of us have heard in life before. We all get stuck in the mud, just like this old Bull, on occasions during our journey of life. Most of the time we are left with only one choice but to pull ourselves together, get up, show courage and keep moving forward. So when life is pushing down hard again, just remember this Wise old Buffalo Bull showing some balls.

Wilderness areas in Southern Africa are majority of the time extremely dry environments. Wildlife find themselves locked in a daily battle for survival, looking for food and water. On rare occasions, good rains come down and Mother Nature provides in abundance. These events bring about a total different behaviour in the majority of wildlife. Immediately after the rains, this giant plated lizard comes across an explosion of flying termites and instantly starts stuffing his face. Quickly he is joined by one and then two squirrels also making the most of this rare and tasty snack. This abundance in flying termites only occur after a good drenching summer rainfall. Termites reproduce by establishing new colonies and the vectors for this task are the winged reproductive castes called alates. The worker termites open special guarded entrances allowing the fertile alates to exit the mound in an event known as the ‘nuptial flight’. This happens only once a year for each colony. These alates are highly nutritious and rich in protein and surprisingly tasty. They provide a major food source to many creatures as well as humans. When deep fried in oil, they have a distinctive peanut butter taste to them. The giant plated lizard is the second largest lizard in Africa. They are predominantly carnivorous and very shy creatures. This healthy snack was more than enough to get this lizard out and into the open. Squirrels in the African wild are herbivores most of the time but they do not hesitate becoming little carnivores once an opportunity like this presents itself. In general, lizards and squirrels are never seen together or associated with one another in the wild. On this special day, all conventional behaviour disappeared and these two species had no problem with sharing this rare snack together. Both species rarely even look at one another. They were solely focussed on gorging themselves as quickly as possible.

During a recent visit to the Kruger National Park we came across a very amusing and entertaining sight while checking in at one of the rest camps. It was late afternoon and extremely hot when we arrived at the reception of the camp. Near the entrance was a fish pond and in the fish pond we spotted something moving in the water from a distance. To our amazement we realised there was a primate, called a vervet monkey, swimming in the pond. The monkey even had its head under the water looking like it was swimming breaststroke lengths in the pond. It was clear to us that this monkey was very comfortable being in the water and actually looked like a great swimmer. It was not long before a second monkey joined in for a relaxing cool down swim. A third monkey arrived but decided to leave them in peace. It soon became clear that the second monkey was a male joining the first monkey, which turned out to be the female. Like a true couple they spend time together enjoying a relaxing afternoon cool down session. We could not never imagine finding monkeys swimming in a fish pond right at the entrance of a rest camp. To see any primates swimming is a rare and unusual occasion. During extreme heat conditions various primate species have been observed cooling down only in shallow waters. The deep fish pond was ideal as there were no predators lurking like crocodiles as they would find in the rivers and lakes out in the bush. On this day the heat was just too much for these monkeys and they adapted by swimming in the safe waters of the pond. At the same time the male saw this quiet moment as a great opportunity to spend quality time with the female in the water. Something we have never seen before.

During a recent safari holiday in the Kruger National Park, we were treated to some of the best game viewing in Africa. The Kruger National Park is one of the biggest protected wildlife areas in Africa and hosts and incredibly diverse amount of fauna and flora. Out of all the animals in the African bush, the African elephant is a big favourite amongst tourists and visitors of the National Park. Not only are elephants the largest land mammals on the planet, they are also seen as the most intelligent of all animals in the African wild. At a young age, elephants are amazingly entertaining. Their clumsiness and playfulness while learning the skills of life in the African bush is just so funny to watch. We came across a herd of elephants bathing in a large river. While majority of the elephant herd started leaving the water after their swim, we noticed two young bull elephant brothers, still having to make their way out of the river. The first part of their climb up the river bank was very muddy and slippery while the remaining part was hard and very uneven terrain for them to walk on. The older brother was the first one to make an attempt which failed miserably with the young elephant slipping, then falling down onto his little brother. From there both young male elephants looked hilariously clumsy while they made an attempt to climb up the river bank. The mother elephant immediately came over to see if her two struggling boys were fine. She carefully watched her two sons slipping and sliding, staying close should they need help. In the end, help from the mother was not needed. The older brother took the lead and carefully made his way up the slope. His young brother followed right behind, looking very awkward on his wobbly legs. The young brother’s attempts were very entertaining to watch, with his backside sliding to the side the whole time. Just as we thought he might fall down, the young male elephant showed real focus and determination and finally managed to get himself up the river bank and stable on his feet. Once again, the African elephant was by far the most entertaining animal to watch during our whole safari holiday.