Most of you will have probably heard one or two stories about a hippo coming to the assistance of other species in danger. Whilst there is some casual evidence that hippos can behave altruistically, the real truth is that these massive herbivores are in fact giant jerks. If you don’t believe that, then check this chap out. Carolyn Wridgway was on Safari in South Africa’s Kruger National Park recently and came across the following scene.
We aren’t quite sure which of these babies made the bigger mistake, the juvenile mongoose that ran straight in to the welcoming claws of a leopard or the apex predator who wasn’t able to take advantage of an easy meal. The footage was filmed by a group of tourists on safari in Djuma Private Game Reserve in South Africa and the stars of the clip is Tlalamba a young leopard and a pretty brave mongoose that was lucky to escape meeting an untimely death.
Dogalogue has a new voucher code that can be used this June. All you need to do is make a purchase from the Dogalogue store on or before 30th June 2019 and enter voucher code D19G006 at the checkout and you will be eligible for a massive 10 per cent discount on your purchase. Remember it’s for a good cause, all profits go towards Guide Dogs for the Blind, so you will be helping someone in need.
Field guide Timothy Jansen Van Vuuren who was guiding a tourist group on safari in South Africa’s MalaMala captured footage of a tiny pink elephant calf. The calf which is champagne-pink in colour is thought to be between two or three weeks old at the time the footage was shot. If you watch the video you will see the calf is the smallest in the her and is being carefully protected by the adults. It is not possible to tell from the footage whether the calf is an albino or its skin pigmentation is caused by another genetic condition known as leucism.
Recently a rescue team from South Africa’s Tow Oceans Aquarium were able to rescue a trapped ocean sunfish that found itself marooned in a dry dock at the V&A waterfront in Cape Town. Workers who were draining the dry dock noticed the massive fish flapping around in the shallows and alerted authorities who then called in the experts. The rescue team have had a fair amount of experience performing this kind of thing and were well prepared for the task before them.
Flood’s earlier in the year in the far North of Australia resulted in widespread devastation of local agriculture. As the waters rose, half a million cattle were wiped out and there was a humanitarian crisis. Humans weren’t the only species affected, wildlife was affected with crocodiles washed downstream whilst those animals who were hiding were flushed out. There is no better example than this video of a scrub python gobbling up a wallaby in Queensland.
Lions depend on well-choreographed team work in order to take down large prey like giraffe or buffalo. Lion prides are incredibly successful as cooperative hunters with each member playing an important role in order for the group to secure a hearty meal. However, things don’t always go according to plan which you can see from this ‘fail footage’ that was filmed by Peter Craig-Cooper in South Africa’s Kruger National Park on the banks of the Crocodile River.
When you are visiting somewhere new that is unfamiliar, it is critical that you follow the instructions in order to stay safe. This could not be truer when you go on safari. Many conservation tourist attractions allow visitors to go on self-guided tours where visitors can drive through on their own to check out the wildlife. Whilst that is possible it doesn’t mean the animals no longer have their instincts. Wild animals will always be wild.
Kgaladi Transfrontier Park in Southern Africa has some of the toughest and most ferocious lions on the continent, but it would seem they are no where near as tough as a lone tortoise. If you check out this video of two young lions having a go, the pair were simply unable to overcome the tortoise’s tough exterior despite their sharp canines and claws. The young lions spotted the passing tortoise after the adult members of the pride were sleeping following a kill and the temptation proved to be too irresistible to resist.
Most solitary big cats like leopards may well be happy to hunt moderate sized prey, but lions which are a social species can be very ambitious when it comes to the type of species they take on. Thanks to hunting as a pride and the need to feed every member, the big cats have been known to be willing to take on buffalo bulls and even elephants. One of the more sizeable meal options for lion prides are giraffes but taking one down is by no means an easy task.
Let's be friends