well the clouds have broken apart we
have sapphire skies golden African Sun
the siesta is over
this is safari live
[Music]
standing by
oh good afternoon everybody and a warm
welcome from Juma Game Reserve here in
South Africa with safari live my name is
taro joining me on camera is Craig and
we also have byron out on the other
vehicle along with Senzo and back in
front of control we do have Alice and
Chantelle and we also have a special
guest appearance all the way from Mara
James and he’s going to be looking for
Lions for you this afternoon so exciting
it is absolutely wonderful to be out
this afternoon as I say it is beautiful
temperatures here 25 degrees 77
Fahrenheit is lovely but I think it’s
definitely time that the animals need to
stop siesta ring now and let’s get
heading out there and seeing what we can
find in the African bush today if you’d
like to join us please do this is a live
Safari so we have no idea what’s going
to happen it all in for unfolds in front
right in front of us and if you would
like to join in ask any questions answer
any of ours
then it’s hashtag Safari live on Twitter
or the feed on Facebook and YouTube as
well so there’s plenty of ways to get in
touch so please do it’s always great to
hear from you and let’s see what we can
find
now we have actually taken a look around
the painter den just behind me here to
see if we’ve got any movement so we came
by yesterday and there was actually the
female with the curb out but it looks
like they’re not showing their faces
today I was really hoping there might be
out just enjoying the sunshine
having a nice snooze before they head
out later on this afternoon to go and
find food but I’m not giving up hope
completely we are going to take a little
drive around the termite mound on their
way out just in case the sleeping may be
round the back or they might even be
just on the ground in some of the shade
so I’ve been keeping my fingers crossed
for us that we can maybe see a hyena
and then we’re going to head out down
towards the dams and the the drainage
line see if we can scratch around for
any sign of cats this afternoon but I
think we’re gonna head to Byron
apparently he’s found something quite
unusual this time of day so enjoy that
we have indeed and look it’s moving
everyone a beautiful scops owl now this
is such a wonderful surprise the
smallest owl in the region or in this
area or actually in Africa I believe the
scopes are very very tiny little owl
similar in size to the pole spotted owl
but a little bit smaller and it’s very
well camouflaged but it’s so nice to see
these little owls during the day it was
calling earlier but we cheated a little
bit because we saw we actually saw this
owl earlier in between Drive and he
hasn’t moved so I thought I’d come and
have a look and see if he’s still
sitting any is indeed fortunately for us
and I thought it would be wonderful to
show you the owl rows you say a day I’ll
see what they do is they perch
themselves on trees and they sit and
rest and then get active at night but
they do occasionally call during the day
as I said we did hear him calling in
that town we found him this cops owl and
also the pole spotted owl will also do
that at times this is one of my favorite
little owls I do really really enjoy was
enjoy seeing these owls petty you’re a
new viewer good off the new penny
wonderful of you to join us and and you
said what an amazing old it is and it is
tiny everyone that owl is very small
it’s only about 17 centimeters tall
about the size of my hand not very big
at all maybe a little bit bigger
but but very very small owl the smallest
owl that we have in the area see house
just turn its head is obviously resting
and dozing off a little bit and later
will probably go off and look for snazzy
you can see the little talons of this
owl – you know you can’t see them
holding on to that branch there we go
that’s nice look at those you can see
those little little talons of the owl
and so well camouflage doesn’t have
blend in perfectly with that bark of the
dead tree now this little bird when it
flies around at night will try catch
insects maybe even during the day –
insects and little rodents perhaps and
maybe frogs and geckos of frogs in some
obviously there’s no frogs out at the
moment but you can see how well
camouflaged it is look at that wonderful
wonderful wonderful very nice view of it
it’s actually very close to one of the
houses so what a great start my name is
Baron and on camera with me this
afternoon it’s Enzo and it’s great to
have all of you with us now as I said
we’re very close to you actually right
in the in the next to the White House
but as I said it’s been sitting here for
for most of the day
and it didn’t move so I thought we have
to show you
to show you that even when we not on
Drive we still having a lookout for
interesting birds and interesting little
creatures to show you always listening
to the bush and hopefully we find
something that we can show you now this
morning I was not very lucky I didn’t
find much at all so I’m hoping my luck
changes I’m going to head towards some
of the dams it’s quite a warm afternoon
it was cool and chilly this morning but
it’s warmed up beautifully very very
nice
temperature currently there’s a
beautiful Apple leaf tree maybe do a few
trees I know taro is doing some trees
earlier today but this this is a
beautiful Apple leaf get the name Apple
leaf from well apparently if you crunch
the the leaves or bend the leaves in
half it sounds almost like biting into
an apple I do think you need bit of an
imagination for it but that’s apparently
where the name Apple leaf comes from the
crunchiness of those leaves and they are
green throughout the year some cultures
refer to it as the rain tree and the
reason for that is the locals would
often sit under these trees for shade
and they would feel little droplets of
water dropping down on them and they
called it the rain tree but what it was
is the spittle bugs we gets little
spittle bags that draw moisture out of
the leaves and what happens is these
spittle bugs then the moisture passes
through of the liquid passes through the
spittle bags very very quickly and they
then secreted and it drops down little
droplets of secretion or water really
that’s basically what it’s made up of
and these little droplets in felt like
rain and the locals would refer to it as
the rain tree but it’s from the spittle
bugs that sit on the apple leaf
oh well it sounds like Tara’s in luck
already she’s got a high net the den
let’s go have a look hopefully we’re
gonna have a lucky streak and hopefully
starting with the hyena so we’ve come to
the back of where we were so we’re
literally on the opposite side to where
we were of the hyena den and sharp eye
Craig actually spotted and Timur the
little cub which is just in the thick
bush and definitely the height helped
there was no way I could see I was
literally trying to see where
it was just somewhere in the bush there
she she is popping her head up every so
often but I don’t want to get too close
and disturb her
but then we do have mother who I can see
why we couldn’t see it from the other
side because she’s very flat and there’s
actually a little Ridge of the termite
mound just in front of her that would
have hidden her because trying to work
out how we weren’t able to see it from
there but that’s obviously why so
definitely worth checking around the
back of the hyena den and you can see
the honey then this side is in shadow
and it’s quite possible that the honey
dome was actually in shadow where the
female was lying but I’ll see her as the
Sun has crept over the sky the female is
now exposed so obviously she’s enjoying
the Rays sunbathing it’s not too hot for
at the moment as a nice lack of breeze
coming through and you can see the
golden fur I think she’s actually not
too older and a high you know because
they do tend to get lighter with age and
they do tend to get shorter fur with age
as well so I think she’s probably middle
age
but as I said I haven’t really had a
good look at her yet so I’m just taking
from what I’m seeing at the moment now
for these guys
nocturnal nocturnal activity is the norm
but like I was saying I do like to sleep
and enjoy the Sun as well and Lisa Lisa
thinking it was a snake to begin with Oh
not a good place to learn buddy frankly
given a long call and actually flying
straight over to where the hyenas are a
rethought that would actually wake them
up wonder what actually disturbed yeah
hello good morning lady highness just
looking up now over a shorter to see
what was all the commotion no not worth
my bother wonder what did disturb the
Franklin
not parently nothing too much seen as
the Franklin’s decide have a bit of a
certain it does bathe that’s the first
time she’s lifted up her head since
we’ve actually been here so I wonder if
she was in a very deep sleep oh it is
absolutely delightful demócrata
tomorrow soaking in the Sun tomorrow
also wishes she could be doing that and
it is it’s one of the best things in the
world soaking in the African race I did
wonder if she was going to get up and
reposition herself
and there goes the little want to go and
join her oh we might be lucky she might
go and suckle shall we go around to the
front it looks like they’ve gone around
to the front of the den we might be in
luck look like the curb was hungry
so we’re gonna reposition ourselves see
if we can get a better view slightly
more open around the front as well
they are aren’t they snazzy hyenas are
super pretty and unfortunately I think
Highness get a bit of a bad press and a
lot of people don’t like cleaners but
you know what a lot of documentaries and
I think the Lion King added to it as
well
that yes hyenas are scavengers and they
will steal kills but hyenas are actually
a very good predator in their own right
and lions will often steal kills from
hyenas and quite often what’s been
missed is the how users are actually
trying to get their kill back off the
Lions they are absolutely beautiful
especially when they’re younger they can
look at a little bit and moth-eaten when
they’re a bit older less them so we came
in on that bit so yes if we’d have come
in on the other side we would have seen
her there there she is there’s little
one hello but yeah I think we’re gonna
just keep pulling around oh she’s gonna
go there okay just in case she
disappears now it is quite difficult to
determine male and female hyena so
especially at such a young age
generally speaking females are a bit
more boisterous than males females have
a lot of testosterone in their body
which actually helps them to out-compete
the males because of that their
genitalia actually looks like that of a
male which is very unusual obviously in
the mammal world oh yeah nice resting
spot you can see that’s one of the
favourites that’s actually where we saw
them yesterday a nice little pillow and
a very nice shadow
I miss the name dee-dee-dee-dee-dee
gasps Oh
geeky geeky Beth a great name geeky Beth
so nocturnal love sleeping and loving
the Sun geeky Beth thinks that she’s a
hyena as well I wonder if he could hear
the whistle of the bird that was just
calling any sharp eared people if you
could hear it
hashtag Safari alive what bird was just
calling I’ll try and point it out again
if it does call again so yes I believe
the the bold nature of this curb and
incidentally you can call a haina the
offspring a pup or a cub it’s one of
those funny ones that you can use either
either because originally heiner’s were
in the dog order or sub order and they
got changed over there into the cat sub
order in the whole taxonomic grouping so
I think that’s why you can actually call
them pups or cubs but suppose
technically now they’re in the cat order
sub order it would be better to call
them Cubs but yeah Z saying such a cute
cub it really is but as I say I think
possibly the personality of this is one
and may’ve made people believe that it’s
a female and that could possibly be it
will also depend on the rank of the
mother so if the mothers are very high
ranking female then her offspring are
more likely to be a lot more boisterous
with other Cubs because they are higher
ranking even males will be quite
boisterous towards the other Cubs but
yeah as I say if you can get two cubs
together and and you can see if one’s
more boisterous and the other
and that’s a possibility that’s a female
but it’s very very difficult to sex a
hyena
hi Raphael and good afternoon to you
Raphael wanting to know how old the curb
actually is so it’s nice and fluffy and
it’s actually it does have its spots so
they’re actually born black and they’re
usually quite small little black
creatures like this they’re so cute and
they start gaining their spots when
they’re about four months old so this
one’s got quite a lot of spots as you
can see and it started to go a bit
lighter around the neck so I would say
it’s probably around the 6 7 8 month old
area so still very much reliant on mums
milk the only really get weaned or start
getting weaned after a year can be up to
18 months so it’s quite a long time that
they will actually suck suckle milk from
the mother very rarely will hyenas bring
anything back me twice to the den so
this little one will actually stay
around the den it won’t join mum until
it’s over a year old out on the
scavenging missions so it’s going to be
keeping nice and safe close to those
holes so this is an old termite mound
originally aardvark would most likely
have made those holes because they are
the excavators of the bush they’ve got
huge claws and they can build these
holes they can actually dig something
like a metre in ten minutes they are
just absolutely amazing animals and they
can dig six meters down to make
themselves a bedchamber and then they
dig holes into termite mounds to get at
the termites
so once the termites have been
extinguished from that mound then other
animals can actually take over those
holes and that’s why you get the hyenas
using the termite mounds and the holes
so they’re going to be having quite a
nice cool area in that hole but also the
the Cubs will actually make a little
area sort of scrape it away so only they
can fit in there so if there are any
predators around they can actually
retreat back into
the right at the back of that hole and
hopefully keep nice and safe from
predators while mum is away
so did we have anybody coming back with
the whistle orange in the door sorry I
think I preempted your question there
about hyenas making the holes themselves
so not really they’ve actually they
don’t have very long claws really they
are claws like dogs and that’s one
reasons why they got placed in the dog
suborder because they do look like a dog
especially with the claws a lot of the
members of the cat order are able to
retract their claws especially the true
cats or at least have nice sharp claws
but not the hyena but it’s all to do
with differences in the skull between
the dogs and the cats I wonder if that
Franklin’s making its way around and
that’s possibly what the little hyena is
hearing
man soup there is a chin spot that is
calling but that wasn’t the bird so I’m
wondering if it was just something a
little bit too far but chin spot batiste
says three blind mice chin swap batis so
do listen out for that one as well but
this one was more like a whistle like a
see if I could actually do it yeah that
was rubbish so it was actually a grey
hornbill sounding like an Admiral’s
whistle so I think we’re going to head
to byron i think he’s actually found
something good luck enjoy and I think
it’s a mammal this time yeah it is
indeed Tyra I’m a beautiful big male
giraffe he is now moving away from us
[Laughter]
actually down in a drainage line and we
look we’re looking up at him but he’s
now moving off to through the thicket
well thank goodness you got a brief view
of the giraffe with us so we found
something we have found a mammal so far
it’s a bit better than this morning I
better start fortunately is not
interested in hanging around now how am
I gonna get out of this drainage line
I’m gonna try reverser quickly
we’ll just get back out
since I let me know when I hit something
gentlemen you asked is it a cat day and
you asked who is roaming the
neighborhood that we should look out for
well this morning we had tracks of the a
mating pair of leopards they were around
yesterday morning we didn’t get to see
them though because we weren’t up and
the amira show was on but then yesterday
afternoon no one could find them and
last night we heard them right outside
camp they were very close to camp their
walk walked and drank at at the Gary dam
that will for your teller damn we found
tracks of them this morning but we
couldn’t find to find them they crossed
into arethusa and fortunately no lions
were found this morning so we don’t know
I gentlemen I’m going to try and see
maybe we find some leopard tracks a
little bit later that would be great but
for the moment for as we know there were
no cats on Juma this morning but it does
change and they do move around and
especially during the day in winter the
cats do move around a lot more than
usual so maybe we’re lucky and lions or
leopards arrived sometime during the day
so see and keep a lookout for fresh
tracks
where’s Ella you asked if most animals
have a routine that they follow no not
necessarily I don’t I don’t think so at
all I think the animals will go and
drink when they are thirsty not
necessarily at specific times of the day
I think predators will hunt when they
are hungry not necessarily at specific
times of the day I don’t think there’s a
routine at all not at all
if it was it would probably be a lot
easier to find these animals but it’s
not so no I don’t think it is a routine
I think the only certainty idea is that
at the moment our drives are from 3:00
in the afternoon to 6:00 in the
afternoon and the mornings from 6:00 in
the morning to 9:00 in the morning
that’s the only certainty
all right well I’m gonna scan his
drainage lines a little but maybe we
find a herd of elephant moving through
the area that would be great let’s head
back to Tyra with those hi Annette the
den it is so true Byron the only
certainty is the drive going out because
it is live we have absolutely no idea
what is going to happen now we were
hoping to find the hyena snoozing some
days you can come here and there’s no
movement and some days you can hit it
lucky like we have done now
so there’s mum so you can see she is
fairly lighting color but she still has
quite a bit of fur on her and say
sometimes they almost look bald once
they’re very old
hi orange in the door another question
from you which is great to hear
asking how big the honey packs can get
now it depends on the area that you work
in and this is one of the things that I
absolutely love about Safari live is
that we have a lot of different guides
who have guided all over the different
reserves and across the country in
different countries as well because what
can be true for one animal in one area
can be completely different for the same
animal in a different area because
there’s different things that are
actually influencing them so whether
it’s the weather the seasons the
vegetation so the different animals that
might be there some individuals can
obviously be different and have
different characteristics so there’s a
lot of things that can change from one
area to a neck so that’s really
important you know sort of answering
these type of questions and that’s why
it’s really good to hear other people’s
stories and experiences because the
books that are out there were written
usually by one or two people and that’s
so that’s their experience as I say it’s
not necessarily taken into consideration
what happens elsewhere so a lot of us
have obviously guided here in the sands
and then serviced about she guided in
smaller reserves larger reserves and
that is going to have that impact so
here in the sabi sands we don’t tend to
see the clans that big we I think the
largest clan number that I know of here
in the sands and maybe Byron could
actually correct me because I know he’s
done some some time here in the sands in
the southern side so they could even be
slightly different there but certainly
around this area
I’ve not seen more than sort of ten
adults or so maybe 15 in the clan
something like that in the Mara I
believe they do actually have much
larger clans I think they could get up
to 60
but again the Mara does actually have
the numbers of animals to support the
clan size now here there’s there is a
lot of animals but not to the extent of
the Mara
so the clans sighs it’s not going to be
able to support that that sort of size
so that’s why it’s going to be quite
small still so if you’re interesting to
hear how many Barons actually seen so
wonder if we can bounce that over to him
as well but as I say here I remember
there being a floppy ear some viewers
might actually remember her and she we
believe she was actually the matriarch
the high-ranking female but I’m not sure
what’s going on with the clan members
now I believe this is like a mid-ranking
female so I’m sure the guys would have
seen the interactions and that’s how you
can tell where they are in the rank is
the interactions with other hyenas if
they’re submissive or if they’re the
dominant ones if other hyenas come up to
them and sniff them if they are the
dominant that as I say the others come
up to sniff if they’re submissive they
go to the higher ranking to smell them
so I think Byron has maybe got something
in his sights I’m hoping for you I was
trying to have a look everywhere now I’m
often you get these little bird parties
where a bird party is basically a number
of little birds fly in in a group and
they’ll go and look for food and and and
moved together now southern blacks it is
a is a great indication of a bird party
they’ll always be in with with a number
of other birds now this is a beautiful
beautiful knob for net that the birds
are actually flying in at the moment
there’s a lot of birds around here and
let’s see what that is on the left ear
since that is the southern black shut it
two of them you know black and white in
the wings but their number
of birds and with all these flowers
around at the moment a lot of buddies
looking for food in there but look at
that beautiful yellow flowers and as I
was saying it’s hard to see all the
birds around there but we saw black
editorial bar throated appleís Taylor
hello Taylor Taylor’s watching and she’s
on leave and Taylor said she’s missing
all the animals already on Taylor so Am
I because I haven’t been able to find
anything well this morning there we go
what if we go jumping around there it
looks like a long build crumpet no not
that one that I don’t want it that is
the bath right Syd hapless everyone that
little one that is jumping and moving
around there to see if we can see it and
we just need some lights on the front
you’ll see very yellow and a black bar
very clear black bar across the chest
there we go come on out into the open
for us and you could just see the yellow
look this way come on hold and since
it’s very difficult to keep up with
these little birds and keep jumping
around come on one more we just need to
jump out into the open hiding behind the
branches a little bit there there it is
there it is narita
let’s just see if it you can get another
view of it
actually just trying to have a look you
know what that might have been might
have been the yellow yellow breasted
Palace just jumping around it Rita
you’re asking what they they feed on so
mainly insects little insects sometimes
fruit or nectar I just wish you can see
it again it’s jumping around but as you
saw it so difficult to get a good view
of them while they’re jumping around and
these thick trees they tiny tiny little
birds one of these let me show you a
photo quickly so you know what we’re
looking for
it’s nice to see these little birds so
we bought right to the playlist where
appleís is quite common in this area
you know so it was definitely not the
bar throated you can see clearly so this
is very light in coloration but with
that black prominent bar as I said I
think it might be the yellow hang on a
second I’ll just find it for you yellow
bracelet that’s it yellow bracelet
appleís or payless depending on how you
want you said and that’s what we saw you
could see it better the yellow jumping
around and then they’re very prominent
black bar down the front so yellow
bracelet up a palace or Palace it’s a
nice little one to see
some you asked how many kinds of birds
live in Africa now I’m not too sure of
the total number in Africa I know
southern Africa however southern Africa
is just over 900 species I think it’s I
think it’s 924 or something like that a
la 968 968 species recorded in southern
Africa that’s what it is 968 that’s
quite a quite a number of bird species
alright looks like these birds have
moved off and I think I’m going to do
the same but interesting to see when you
are out when you are out on safari if
you drive you around and you see a
number of little birds around and
especially that little southern black
touch that black and white one it’s easy
to then see that it is a bird party
perhaps so chances of seeing a lot of
different bird species together Oh some
Impala running across the road in front
of us
and it’s nice to to stop and have a look
around and see how many different bird
species you can see
yes now Tyra was chatting about the
hyena clans and I don’t know what the
largest is in this area I haven’t seen
enough Hina around here I don’t know the
largest clan I’ve seen probably in about
been I think 10 or 12 Hina but speak of
the high knowledge it back to Terra
found out how those hi not doing at the
den awesome thanks Byron
so yeah around the 1012 mark the biggest
one that he’s seen here for the clan
size so yeah that seems to be maybe
around the sun’s then as I say is is
dependent on so many different things so
it would actually be interesting to hear
James’s views when he joins us as well
deer watcher hello again welcome on
board this afternoon asking if there are
other any hi are there I try that one
again if there any other hyenas so these
are the spotted hyenas so called because
obviously the spots on the coat but
there are brown hyenas which are about a
similar size actually then they have
long brown fur and they are a lot more
solitary and they also have a very
different call to the spotted hyena so
the Lion King was very spot on when they
had the giggles of the hyenas when they
get excited they do have a very
high-pitched giggle and you can also
hear them contact calling which is what
I was hearing a couple of nights ago
outside my room and they’re they do have
a little nosey around camp as well I did
have a female coming to camp knocking
over the bin waking us up so I had to go
out and chase her off but you tend to
have the spotted hyenas sort of hunting
together as a pack sometimes sometimes
they go off and forage by themselves
it’s more than norm here in the sabi
sands as I say they are a very good
hunter in their own right but the brown
Hina tends to be more solitary there’s
not been a whole lot of research done on
the barren ohina but I think there has
been some more come through fairly in
the fairly recent years so I think they
can still den together but they will
still go off and forage alone I’ve been
lucky enough to have a few brand heinous
sightings and there was one actually on
the old reserve used to work at and we
stopped for drinks and there was a bunch
of ville de biessed in the distance and
to sort of separating themselves and it
was just it was just becoming dusk and I
suddenly realized hold on a minute
that’s not to build a base they’re a
little bit too small and the back is
sloping even more so than that of the V
lobbyists and out she’s realized it was
too brown hyenas walking so they must
have been mating which would have been
really amazing to see but unfortunately
they’re very secretive
they’re probably even more secretive
than the leopard actually so if you get
to see a brown hyena
unless you’re in the very special places
like the Kalahari and I think Taylor was
saying that she’s seen quite a number of
brown hyenas and I believe Taylor’s
actually on board this afternoon
missing the animals already hi Taylor
and I know the Brown hyena is something
that she really wanted to see here in
the sands we’ve had one sighting a long
time ago by Peter Pretorius some of you
might remember joining him for that
drive and they actually have quite a
strong pungent smell and that’s one of
the smells for some reason I can pick up
on very easily so I’m forever keeping a
smell out for you guys there’s also the
striped hyena which is a little bit
smaller than the spotted and the brown
nice silvery colour with black stripes
they tend to be found
further north of the cut in there Oh
Archie the whole continent so more
centralized
they’re also quite a beautiful hyena
hi David asking if clan takeovers are
common amongst hyenas I’m kind of taking
it as if a female try and take over
another clan I’m kind of taking it as
that but not really
you tend again the clan members are
going to be related so it’s going to be
the mother and the offspring the aunts
the daughters that sort of thing the
males will tend to be pushed out they
tend to be a little bit more solitary
once they leave the clan after about two
years of age although the high-ranking
female Cubs sorry the Cubs from the
high-ranking female can tend to stay for
a little bit longer maybe until they’re
about three and it’s possible that gives
them the edge when they’re trying to
approach other clans they actually are a
little bit bolder because unfortunately
male hyenas have a bit of a hard time
because the females have so much
testosterone in their body they’re
actually a lot larger than the males
generally so they have quite a lot of
aggression as well so a male has to
approach female very cautiously so if he
gets on the wrong side of her believe me
those jaws are extremely powerful
I think they’ve actually measured it
like 1,500 psi or pounds per square inch
so they’re actually one of the strongest
bites of the mammal Kingdom they really
are quite astonishingly strong so if
they get on the wrong side of the female
they hold no punches they will tell that
male she is definitely not interested so
they almost have to go through this
ritual of sort of bowing to her and then
creeping forward then bowing again so it
can be quite intimidating so if the
males have actually built up their
courage and especially as a say if they
from a high-ranking female they’ve built
up that courage they tend to be a little
bit bolder and it’s more likely they get
the matings as well because they do have
that edge but in terms of clan takeover
if if that VI right ranking female dies
and it’s going to be the next high
ranking female that takes over really
and again that’s that’s generally
already established because of the ranks
and all the rituals of coming up and
showing dominance and some submissive
behavior a lovely Lurie
welcome on board this afternoon lovely
lori wanting to know if males actually
make coalitions or group of males so
obviously with the Lions and the
Cheetahs hopefully you’ve heard that
term before the coalition and that’s
just the brothers basically banding
together it’s generally related males in
terms of Hina’s I don’t I’ve not really
heard of males doing that I’m just I’m
wondering if maybe two hunts I wonder if
that happens in the Mara say with the
larger clan sizes there but I’m just
really remembering that males do here
might have to do a little bit of digging
just to remind myself about that but at
this stage I’m saying I’m pretty sure
they don’t again because there’s a lot
of competition between individuals but
I’m willing to be corrected on that one
if anybody wants to check out for us
just to remind me then please do so
hashtag safari live but I’m pretty sure
they don’t
so I think we we’ve got another question
coming through our new viewer lion
welcome on board this afternoon I hope
you enjoy your first live Safari and
Lyme wanting to know are hyenas
dangerous to humans well they can be and
this again anything in the bush has the
ability to be dangerous to humans if you
lose the respect for the bush and
Heinen’s
are no exception if you turn your back
on a Hina at night a Hina can actually
do some damage and there’s been the odd
story where people have left their doors
open to their rooms at night and the
hyenas have actually come in and taken
them off the bed and dragged them away
and killed them so you do have to treat
these animals with respect but again as
I say I chase one out the camp the other
day or the other night I was still close
to my room so I wasn’t making any silly
moves but I had to tell her you know
what this is my territory
get out and again as that respect there
she knew she was in the wrong and she
ran out of that to their siesta because
I said before say it’s yester is over so
we’re going to carry on our search for
other animals and see what Byron has got
for you while we do that
oh nothing just yet is a bird soaring
above us let’s see if we can try to get
on camera and see what it is
oh no it’s but it is a bit far for us in
the sense of the screen
ID I think it’s even too far for the
camera maybe what do you think’s in
there looks like a martial Eagle I think
it’s a martial Eagle everybody I caught
a glimpse of white underneath and fish
that is far it’s disappeared into the
sky well but I did think it was a
martial eagle soaring above us I just
caught a glimpse of white dead brown
eyed maybe I’m just trying to convince
myself but I do think it was a martial
Eagle but just too far unfortunately I’m
going to head down towards Chitra damn
hopefully we have some activity there of
animals coming down to drink or animals
in the area some elephant anything
because for the moment haven’t seen too
much
and this let’s try her let’s see yeah
there we go
and I can’t be there’s a better layer
flying and a vulture which I’m any
focusing on first since let’s have a
look that is a vulture look like a white
back Fulcher amazing to see them soaring
above us like that in some vultures
there was a better layer above us too
but they’re flying credibly high today
I’m assuming the thermals are giving
them a hand I’m soaring above us like
that it’s actually nice to see birds of
prey flying around but it’s just
unfortunately they’re so far it’s very
difficult to get them on camera
James not at all I have not seen any
buds on any of the trees
the only thing showing signs of life
really is the is the acacia nitrate
since the knob for the knob thorns are
any tree that is showing signs of life
with those beautiful yellow flowers at
the moment the rest of the trees I
haven’t seen any new buds or anything
just yet I I think we need to wait in a
few more weeks before we start seeing
anything
chatty chatty make you so it’s hard to
believe that those were actually flowers
on the knob phone of course they will
make what else would they be
hey word I am the beautiful yellow
flowers that you see on the on those
knob phones this time of year and every
now and then you can pick up that sweet
smell of those flowers very very sweet
smell I love flowers I must be honest
that’s one thing that becomes difficult
in summer is identifying all the little
flowers around it’s not easy you often
forget I need to go back and refresh and
try and remember all the names again of
the different flowers
now we had some birds flying above us it
sounds like Torres another bird that
she’d like to show you
yeah she said literally just as they’re
gonna link to it’s gonna fly and it did
but I’m just gonna pull back so I can
still see him but because I are there we
go stay come on this is your five
seconds of fame yes you ain’t talking to
you okay so just so yeah just up you’ve
got him in the shots just a bit higher
up yeah there you go
there we go so this was the bird who was
whistling like an admiral and a little
bit earlier the grey hornbill that shock
of yellow on the bill other than that
completely gray now a technical term for
the hornbills they’re split off into two
groups we’ve got the head up whistlers
and the head down Cluckers believe me
that is actually a technical term
amazing isn’t it so the head up
whistlers are the gray hornbills because
when they whistle they put the head back
and then they whistle and as you might
expect the head down clickers which
include the southern red build and the
southern yellow-billed hornbills put
heads down and they cluck it really is
true so next time you hear the horn
bills they kind of go back go back go
back go back go back go back go back and
they doing this with the wings in the
down like this it was really cool to
watch I’ll see if I can find it for you
but yes nice to see the gray hornbills
so apparently someone has spotted some
Buffalo at the pan just over the way
here so we’re gonna see if we can catch
up with them because I know you guys
haven’t seen Buffalo for a wee while so
it’d be nice to catch up with the old
boys I’m sure it will be a small herd of
but Duggar boys or even just one Duggar
boy so we’ll see if anybody is still
with them there any station with the
yachty at Gallagher waterhole
sorry pan
through there there’s a jackal thought I
saw movement just disappear through the
bush me just see if I can see him again
side strike jackal how about that I
don’t know if you’re gonna be able to
see it I think he might just disappeared
into the thick bush some literally just
something caught my attention there the
corner of my eye
that’s after me saying I’ve only seen
jackal once and Bobby but I’m afraid I
think he has just disappeared through
the bush maybe you’ll come out to the
woods the watering hole maybe
Oh lacquer oh you’re in for a treat
whoo well done Byron I’m gonna wait for
him to show you what he’s got look at
this yes our plan has worked out an
elephant and he’s actually been swimming
since he’s completely wet he’s been
splashing around in the water down here
at chudd to a dam how this is wonderful
really wonderful I’m hoping he goes back
into the water whatever look this is
always a very very pleasant surprise if
we do get elephant down at the dam for
some reason they really enjoy they
really enjoy coming down to swim and
splash around in the water it’s just a
lone bull I don’t see any others around
it’s not unusual to find a bull by
himself sometimes you find the Bulls in
small groups two three four of them
moving around especially the younger
bulls watch it guys yes yes look at that
is completely on his side this is my
favorite every one I promise you I can
watch this for hours and he seems to be
having a lot of fun
how beautiful and those white tasks are
in contrast to the body now the body is
very dark gray because he is so wet ah
yes
Wow look at that we’ve got a breaching
elephant everyone that’s what’s going on
here a breaching elephant
seek truth you say a dunking elephant
look how mad are that elephants enjoying
that water is wonderful as I said look
at the contrast those beautiful tusks
against that dark skin the light is
perfect now what words would you use and
you don’t really have to use words and
sightings like this it’s just nasty sit
and appreciate and and watch I mean this
is special this is one of my favorite
things to see out in the bush ruin his
elephants play and splash around in the
water
Kim could afternoon to you you’re a new
viewer apparently and you say it’s
almost like this elephant is performing
just for us it almost looks that way
doesn’t it it just looks like he’s
having so much fun being on Linden go as
a new target but of food on the bank and
then comes back into the water
Komi you asked if elephants ever get
water in the years I don’t know I’m
possibly I’ve never seen an elephant to
get out of the water then jump on the
side on one layer or two legs did you
hit the water out there is this I don’t
know probably not probably not I doubt
it let’s have a look this fish eagle
just took off from the dam I wonder look
there it goes
a beautiful african fish eagle well done
since early
I was probably going to some trees to
the back we may get another view of him
later I see where you landed carry on
watching our elephant for a while though
I think amazing now in other parts of
southern Africa especially up in
Botswana and Zambia the the elephants
need to cross big rivers deep rivers so
they’re very used to swimming and they
do enjoy it and often see I’ve seen
elephants herds of elephants move
through or cross a river just their
trunks sticking out to the water
no entire herd even the youngsters
it’s quite a breeze coming off of this
dam at the moment cool cool breeze has
he had enough is he going to move off
chatty chatty Meg he said that was just
too cute yeah it was indeed Meg I hope
you enjoyed that he’s definitely
behaving quite well in quite a
boisterous manner this elephant wonder
if he isn’t in a bit of mast obviously
we can’t see now because he’s completely
wet so we can’t see if he’s sweating
from his possibly in must I’m not sure
as I said we can’t tell now because he’s
completely wait elephants way go in
there walk downhill tracing
right now I think we’re going to leave
this elephant and his wonderful Swagger
and it’s hit across to somebody who also
has bit of a swagger my friend James in
the Mara good morning everybody
no that’s a ridiculous thing to say good
afternoon hello welcome to the sunday
Sun sets for ephraim at the masai mara
my name is James Henry Fergus is on
camera grubby hand that has been a dusty
day dusty day it has we’re in amongst
the wildebeest here where I as I’ve
aspired of course some might say more
alive than Byron and a hashtag Safari
live is how you get hold of us now you
may notice from the flapping of my hat
that there’s quite a lot of wind at the
moment and that’s because over there
there’s a large storm there it is I
think it’s moving up the escarpment so I
think we’ll be alright we are getting
the odd spattering of rain but what we
have around us of course is a huge
number of wildebeest in the tree over
there we’ve got some vultures and down
in the valley where there is no signal
there are some lions and those lions are
not far from here and they seem to be
heading up in this way we can’t really
go any further down from where we are
now so what I would attempt to do is
show you where they are from here well
that won’t be hard because they’re two
vehicles there but I’m going to pick up
my binoculars and let’s look down there
together
and we’ll see if we can’t I saw one of
them get up and move towards this area
here and they keep making sort of gentle
movements in this direction
Breezie you want to know how many will
the best I think there are here
approximately I would hesitate to guess
but I’d say hmm four or five thousand
maybe it’s no I don’t know I think it
would be very interesting to put me into
this area get an answer out of me and
then do the same with the print and the
same with Scott and the same with Jamie
and see that without us knowing what
each other had said and then get some
kind of an indication because I think
you’ll find that it would be very
different for every one of us I don’t
know I would say about a few thousand
years now that shop that you have there
is what we call a slightly compressed
shot in that the lion is is not quite as
close to the world of business she looks
there and we use that technique
sometimes when we were on Bush Walker
and then you come to us and suddenly it
looks like we’re standing underneath an
elephant or some sort of trick of the
trade if you like and so although I have
almost no doubt that there’s lions who
don’t look very fat or thinking about
hunting these wildebeests are not sure
obviously when they’re going to do that
we’ve seen Brent in this area a few
times with lions watching them on the
hunt and they have been startlingly
impatient about it
some might say to the point of
incompetence so he was running into the
middle of them and seeing what they
could find and seeing if they couldn’t
catch one that tripped over its own feet
and we’ve yet to see these chaps be
successful but we might be lucky here I
think it’s definitely gonna be worth us
sitting here and waiting to find out –
these lions are going to come up here
and hunt one of these wildebeest so in
case you’re wondering now I’m just going
to tell you our plan out here in the
Mara for the duration of the time that
the the lobbyists and Thompson’s
gazelles of course and zebra are here is
going to be to try and find them
and the predators that are hunting them
and see if we can’t well first of all
make some sort of prediction about
what’s going to happen and then watch
the Hunts failed or otherwise most of
them will inevitably be failures and of
course many of us myself included don’t
mind the failed hunts they’re good fun
to watch and so was quite nice to enjoy
day without death but some of them will
be inevitably successful and so while
you
hi everybody it sounds like you’ve had
some wonderful views from the Mara with
a herd of wildebeest and some lions
sitting behind them that sounds like
something might happen there something
exciting so I’m sure James is going to
keep us updated on what’s happening
there the wonders of technology hay from
the Mara up in Kenya back down here to
South Africa in the blink of an eye
absolutely fantastic so we are we have
two niala bulls and one of them
displaying oh that is one of the best
things to see look at that I’m saying
one of them’s displaying can you see the
male at the back he’s got that
Silvermane erect he’s being very
deliberate at where he’s placing his
feet and the other male is not even but
I hope that’s why there is another male
there’s a third male it’s gonna say this
younger male in front is kind of saying
no you’re the winner but there is the
rival so they are slowly dancing around
each other they’re sizing each other up
trying to work out who is going to be
the winner they’re going to do
everything they can to avoid a direct
confrontation because if they get
injured during that confrontation I’m
going to move a bit further along the
war because we’re gonna lose them behind
the bush there
the dance of dominance very much so I
think we might be better this should be
a nice view there’s actually a fourth
male there that is amazing
oh maybe we were better back there I
thought we were gonna see them through
there definitely coined a phrase their
dance of dominance I am wondering if he
has decided that maybe he’s not going to
be the winner how stopped his dance oh
there we go he’s starting again so
animals go through these rituals because
as I say if they actually have a direct
fight those horns could potentially
spear the rival male and if there is the
loser that does get injured that could
actually impact on their ability to run
away from predators it could actually
reduce their ability to find food if
it’s if they’re really badly injured so
they go through this ritual to work out
who is likely to win who is the largest
who is the strongest by showing off
everything they have so by standing with
their fur erect it makes them larger and
you can see them arching the back as
well hi Zoey
and welcome on board this afternoon and
so he wanted to know is it mating season
or do they do this throughout the year
so generally speaking in the Oilers and
there’s the other male coming interview
again so generally speaking the spar
hall now slow and the niala don’t have a
very strict mating season although when
the young are born they will often drop
when it’s sorry I think I swallowed a
bug excuse me it’s very about that so
yes they will often drop their young
during the rainy season when
plenty of food but there might be a
female that’s actually a nice truss not
too far from here
and that’s triggered these males to come
together and fight for her fight for the
right to mate with her but I think the
male behind I think he’s the winner
because the other the male that’s in
front of the shot he seems to have
remained stationary for a little while
the hairs gone down on his back so I
think he’s kind of realized that perhaps
he is not the best male oh and it sounds
like that solitary male elephant has
found a few friends so I’m gonna see if
they do carry on there’s actually
another that there’s a fifth male niala
around here so I’m wondering if there is
a female around that’s caused them to
all get there here he’s just here on the
right here but nowhere near as
magnificent with the horns as the other
two males who were displaying just now
that I think that bull has found some
friends so I think it’s worth definitely
checking them out well then it is indeed
now I think the bull moved off but look
at this wonderful hood I think we’re
about 22 elephant that have just arrived
to drink I’m not sure if they’re going
to feel comfortable enough to go in get
in and swim oh there we go
already one or two of them wading in but
I’m assuming I’m hoping the whole herd
comes and spreads out they all seem to
be keen for a drink
I think this big female the right in the
front and the left-hand side I think
that is the matriarch she is one of the
largest elephant sorry I bigger partner
not that one just to the the right so he
says they just behind her that one name
yes
I think that is the matriarch she is the
largest female that I can see in the
group also she led the herd down to the
water she walked in front and she kind
of surveyed the area to make sure it was
safe just listen to the silence I’m
gonna keep quiet for a second listen to
them sipping and slurping up the water
in their drank sucking up the water and
drinking
splashing the water and isn’t that
wonderful
see again in situations like this
society exactly elephants just playing
in the water
how it positioned that so when I saw the
hood coming down and I actually moved
away from we were on the damn wall saw
them coming and moved away because I
could see they were female that the
large female was smelling I don’t want
to make her nervous she can obviously
see something’s blocking away look at
that isn’t that amazing little youngster
staying very close to the hood that is
cute as I was saying looked like that
heard listen to communication going on
between the
or elephant coming I can see in the
background and and she then eventually
led the whole herd across the dam wall
and came out to drink on this side and
drinking that side before so I assumed
they would come here and and also I
positioned a little bit further away the
wind is in our favorites playing it’s
not blowing directly to them and often
if our scent is blown directly to them
they do get a bit nervous so we actually
the perfect spot right now
wonderful
you see others large females are very
protective over their youngster stays
close to them stays in between the herd
a lot of the time they’ll stop and
they’ll just basically listen and see if
they can smell us they want to make sure
we not a threat or we aren’t a danger
for the younger elephant and while the
hood is drinking
there are looks like to swimming at the
moment just behind the hood isn’t this a
magnificent scene though
and we just set here patiently and
waited for them and I’ve said this
before give give the animals their space
and often they’ll relax and then either
you can move a bit closer all they’ll
move closer to you so again that mutual
respect and especially having respect
for the animals not making them fuel in
any way that they are in danger I mean
look at those elephants swimming back
there now
now it’s interesting if we just have a
look these little elephants off to the
left here now look at that little one
now it takes an elephant – young
elephant about two years before they
really know how to use their trunks you
can see often what they’ll do is the
young ones off or watch the females and
these this is a learning curve for the
nails still be suckling completely from
the mother they’ll be drinking milk but
they will start learning to drink water
and it’s interesting to see how they’re
trying to use their trunks to put the
water in their mouths and they will
learn that from watching the adults
all right let’s quickly head across to
taro with the slender Mongoose and we’ll
wait and see what these elephants get up
to welcome back everybody so we were
just going to turn around because we can
hear some elephants actually behind Gary
dam wall we saw a slender Mongoose
making its way over to the two mounds
that are on your screen now and it
actually popped its head up from behind
the back mound so I was hoping maybe we
might catch a glimpse of it but I think
he’s playing hide and seek but it’s a
set it’s a mongoose that’s quite
solitary so we see the dwarf mongooses
quite a lot but we don’t get really get
chance to see the slender because
they’re just so quick and they’re quite
shy as well so they tend to stick to the
undergrowth but they are a mongoose that
are diurnal they they’re active during
the day they’ll also prey on the dwarf
mongoose so the operator of the dwarf
mongoose and unfortunately i think he is
a bit camera shy sadly i Rick and
welcome on board asking if the Mongoose
are part of the same family as ferrets
now I’m really gonna have to dig deep
for this I remembered it just like that
years and years and years ago but I do
I’m pretty sure the ferrets are actually
part of the mustelids which are part of
the dog order but I’m gonna have to
double check that one for you because
that’s like sure I haven’t used that bit
of information from about seven eight
years ago so I will double check that
one for you and I shall do that while
you head across back to Byron and we’ll
see if this little guy pops out
otherwise we’ll head on down see if we
can find the elephants just at the back
of the dam as well
it looks like more of these elephant is
decided to swim and play even some of
the younger ones all getting involved in
having a bit of fun in the water
absolute favorite I must be honest
citing now I counted 22 initially but
but five more have joined
see these ones a little bit nervous they
were further behind the herd and this
thing just excited they can see everyone
else’s swimming they might decide to go
and get in the water to just catch up to
the herd a little bit
it’s incredible they were making a lot
of noise and as soon as they got out the
water it is quiet
can hear some of the water thick knees
calling that high-pitched whistle that
we just heard a lot of birds around
starlings three-banded clovers Egyptian
geese that fish eagle that we saw
earlier that moved off I think it just
perched herself in in another tree and
still some more elephant – joining
another one or two wonderful hurt
Jana there’s no set number of how many
elephants will be in a herd it can range
from three elephant up to a hundred and
fifty or 300 elephant in some areas it
all depends the most elephant I’ve seen
in the sabi sands probably between 80 80
and 100 elephant in one group one heard
occasionally what can happen to is that
group of that herd will split possibly
two different herds three four different
herds that have mates up in an area and
they split up again so it can vary and
it can change the most elephant I’ve
seen I think is in Botswana in one heard
about a hundred and fifty elephant
together but wasn’t that perfect timing
to get down to the dam and see this
interaction
Tina you asked though you said the so
much room why did they bunch up so close
together well the thing is Tina I would
I would say and I mean this is my theory
I don’t know but elephant herds there’s
a very close-knit family unit and they
rely a lot on each other for safety and
when they do come down to swim or drink
rather the the elephants are so cautious
even though they are big and powerful
and these herds probably don’t have any
predators out here but they are still
very cautious and they look after the
young they look after each other and
because they’re also so social the
swimming behavior that we witnessed is
very social behavior it’s a bit of fun
and it’s nice to see that herd moving
around together and I think that’s why
they stay close together is just for
safety will better fund establishing
those bonds between the herd
there’s the last one so as I was saying
our timing is perfect
just see them moving through and
swimming that was just fantastic
absolutely fantastic I hope you enjoyed
that as much as I did
let’s head it back to let’s head her
back let’s head back to Tyra and see if
she’s still got those in Yala and if
there are still doing their wonderful
dancing display hello everybody we do
still have them niala they are still
down there so we’ve been back some
forwards across the damn wall a couple
of times because we have heard the
elephants in the background there so
we’re just trying to work out the best
part it’s about try and see them and I
think they’re actually heading towards
the western side of the drainage line
but it looks like there’s a couple of
very big balls there so there is the
niala another go at trying to display
their cue see he was really arching his
back and even the tail joins in as well
and gets curled around and he’s
definitely much larger than the male on
the left who he’s just forced back but
interestingly enough or the female niala
were on the northern side of the dam
right off in the distance there I think
there’s some in part that’s joined them
as well there’s our Impala so they’re
niala where I think they’ve had him more
to the right there’s actually a couple
of dead trees a bit further right
somewhere around there yeah there we go
yep so just seeing if there was another
vehicle that wanted to cross the wall I
have just seen the elephants just moving
that way so I think we’re going to drive
around and just see if we can catch up
with them so
hi Antelope that’s why just miss the
question antelope asking about antelope
right it confused me then welcome on
board wanting to know if antelope other
antelope species use dance as a way of
intimidating other males and it’s not
really spring to mind like the dance
that the niala do but they certainly
will size each other up and sort of side
by side a lot of animals actually do
that even the cats so if this male
Impala is actually showing he was
throwing his head back and actually
grunting then so he might just do it
again so there’s a couple more males
here today just showing his dominance so
they don’t tend to dance but they do
tend to rule and just strut their stuff
as I say just walking side by side helps
them to see which one is taller they go
to see them to see him actually throwing
his head back the elephants are coming
up behind us so I’m going to just try
and turn the vehicle around just so
we’re facing them so they can see what
they get up to
and he doesn’t like a big bull
just trying to work out where he’s
likely to want to go because we don’t
want to be in the way of this bull see
where it is he’s gonna come out just in
front of us there there we go look at
that I’m wondering if he might just be
going down to drink
hello mister
good afternoon to you
and the second one’s going to be coming
up behind shortly
so there’s a second one that’s just
coming through the bush where the first
one came from now he’s not immersed I’m
not smelling anything quoted welcome on
board asking if the bull we’ve just seen
is the bull from Byron said picking his
time and I think there’s a little little
herd with him as well but Byron but 15
minutes 10 or 15 minutes maybe just to
get down there it’s not too far but it
is far enough that there’s no way that
elephant could have got here from there
in that time so pretty sure he is a
different bull you can hear them just
starting to come out the bush here so
with that bull
taking that pathway there I want to make
sure that we keep that clear it’s likely
that the other elephants are going to
want to come through there and obviously
we don’t want to get in their way so you
can just about see and the head poking
through and I seem to remember this was
always a spot that elephants liked they
always like to stop here for a dust bath
so apparently it’s really good dust
there and the dust her she just helps to
dislodge any parasites that might be on
the body helps to keep the skin in good
condition and obviously during the
summer they will actually put mud all
over their bodies as well and when the
mud hardens then that’ll have fall off
and they’ll actually scratch against the
tree to encourage it to fall off and
that can also pull out ticks and any
parasites that court amongst all the
wrinkles in their skin now these look
young boys so maybe they’re his
entourage as we was saying earlier on
today the young bulls tend to start
breaking away from the female herds when
they’re about 16 18 years old and then
they go and find older Bulls to hang
around with and they learn how
to be Bulls they learn how to spar and
fight as well the same thing spawn
fighting but they also learn what to do
and the etiquette of being male
elephants basically so it looks like
they are learning from the big male who
postures now I think that big male was
possibly in his late 30s maybe early 40s
maybe slightly later maybe mid 40s now
that’s quite a young a young bull that’s
trailing behind
so there might be some females in here
as well it looks like they might go down
to drink so I think it’s worth is going
onto the wall again they’ve taken a
slightly different route so the big male
carried on walking towards the lodge but
these are just going down to the water’s
edge here so it might be that we get see
them drinking
hi-yah COO oops
yeah COO wondering how far elephants
walk during the day so I just misjudged
there’s a little bit of a dip in the
road there and just misjudge that one so
we were going for a little wee slide
there but yaki wanting to know how far
elephants walk in a day and again it
depends on the time of year this time of
year they will walk much further looking
for food and water yeah there we go
then during the summer the summer they
tend to do small closed loops a figure
of eights actually when they in an area
looking for food and they get wider and
wider as they go further into summer
into winter sorry oh that’s nice
unfortunately the wrong way around but
there’s some Impala sparring just to the
left of the elephants and the elephants
are drinking as well how about that now
elephants are quite particular about the
water that they drink they don’t like
having any mirdle grits or anything like
that mixed in so you notice they’ll
actually skim the surface of the water
with the trunk and get the water that’s
on top you can see they’re not putting
their trunk right in the water
sure those Impala Rams are also really
going for it to the back there and the
other big bulls on his way back to join
these three boys look at that
so exquisite X I think that the name was
wanting to know how much water an
elephant can hold in its trunk it will
depend on the size of the elephant of
course but some of the big adults could
hold up to 14 liters in the trunk now I
wonder if we’re going to see a bit of a
standoff now these elephants we
definitely saw them all together in the
drainage line but there seems to be a
bit of a interesting thing going on here
now which looks like they’re wanting to
greet each other their trunks are
actually being held as if they were
going to put them in each other’s mouths
there we go there’s the younger bull
putting his trunk in the older bulls
mouth so maybe they didn’t quite greet
there we go in the drainage line
apparently that’s the best part
to drink from again look at him he’s
just got the tip of his trunk in the
water filtering off a slightly cleaner
water on the surface now they could
drink up to 100 liters in one go
shantelle synchronized drinking oh and
we’ve got another young bull coming in
yeah definitely synchronized drinking so
there’s a you a little bit of a myth
that elephants can use their trunk like
a straw and drink it straight through
cuz obviously that is their nose so they
have to hold it in the trunk and squirt
into the mouth on average a day a big
bull elephant could take in maybe 200
litres 300 litres of water if then if
there’s something wrong then they will
drink obviously a lot more and if
they’re drinking up to 400 or 600 liters
that means there is something not quite
right with them there we go there’s the
greeting is he allowed to put the trunk
in the mouth heard a bit of a trumpet so
there’s some more elephants to our right
in the drainage line now I did hear
someone found some leopard tracks
actually a spaghetti dinner he got moved
out by the bull elephant so babies
decided you know what I’m gonna show my
power to the Impala instead but don’t
know if you kind of saw that I was just
having a look for the elephants see if
there’s any more movement from his
behind that they have found yeah just
keep on watching that ball he’s not
happy with the niala
and the impala females so there’s a
jnanam male just coming into shot there
and they Impala females heading a little
bit further around the waterhole I think
that’s a good idea girls oh great I
think it does sound like everyone saw
the little little ball oh there we go oh
that was towards oh we got going on
there
what’s their little one oh it’s the
niala ball on the damn wall now he’s
gonna be interesting when he’s a big
bull if he’s throwing his weight around
now oh here comes the rest of the her I
was gonna say he’s a little bit young to
be on his own here comes the rest of the
herd that’s where he’s family off
so many species all at once
definitely Katherine it is getting a bit
cooler animals to tend to come down to
the water horse to drink late afternoon
especially in the summer they’re all
coming down to drink now so I’m gonna
stay on the walks I’m hoping they’re
gonna take the same route as the other
elephants it’s been quite boisterous I’m
just hoping that it’s they don’t think
it’s me that’s upsetting that little boy
so I’m just gonna keep my eye out on
them like I say I heard them talking
about leopard tracks coming up from
Spaghetti Junction and Spaghetti
Junction is the next Junction down from
here so they may be finding and they
said that the lack of tracks went north
so I thought maybe hearing the
trumpeting there’s a little one oh
there’s lots of little ones here we go
amazing
Oh mum was nudging the little boy he was
causing all the commotion there nudging
him down towards the water hole again so
perhaps the trumpeting was actually more
to communicate with the little boy see
where he’s gone maybe rather than them
being scared by a leopard but I’ll keep
my eyes peeled
perhaps the leopards are making the way
up here that would be nice
so a few people a bit concerned about
the Lapwing so the Lapwing is rather
just making a lot of noise they do tend
to get a little bit upset but it is out
the way so you don’t need to worry about
that okay so we might get a bit of a
greeting going on here the Bulls
actually greeting the female and
checking to see if she’s in Easter aside
oh if you saw there was that the trunk
just going between the legs again and
apparently she she looks like she might
be in E stress she’s the side of her the
glands by her eye is actually weeping so
that can be a sign that they’re in East
hrus or it could be a sign they’re a bit
distressed so they might have bumped
into the left foot a bit further down
because it doesn’t look like he’s
responding to her being in E stress like
yeah you can see the Lapwing just to the
right of the ball so it’s in between the
ball and the cow there it is now they
shouldn’t have eggs this time of year
there we go there’s the greeting between
the ball and the females sorry oh no
tell lie that say you know the young
bull so that was the Bulls I think that
were with him earlier so possibly
wanting to try a little bit of sparring
there
Gerber Walla interesting question there
is there any explanation as to why the
tails get raised horizontally and it’s
funny actually there are a number of
animals that do it rhinos giraffes when
they are scared when they are excited or
becoming aggressive if that tail gets
raised and I’m I’m actually not sure
exactly why what causes that and it
could be so it is a very much and
there’s no way it can be misunderstood
that it is actually a sign to say
something is wrong because they say
sometimes these animals use their body
language to actually communicate
elephant eyesight is not very good so
that for an elephant I would say
possibly not and especially with them
with the Rhino as well I have to do a
bit of digging see if anyone’s actually
done any research on that as to why the
tail gets raised and say we all know it
does but why it gets raised that is an
interesting one this is absolutely
fantastic
I rush nee rush Neos making the
observation that she’s often seen the
elephants running towards a dam as if
there’s not enough water around for them
and I think it’s the excitement but flow
do the same as well I think it is that
excitement possibly wanting to get there
before everyone else muddies the water
because I say they can be quite
particular about their water this time
of year there isn’t a lot of water
around but these elephants also know
where to go digging for it again the
Spaghetti Junction I mentioned they do
have the the sandy areas where you can
find weather elephants have actually
been digging and sometimes you can
actually catch them drinking there and
they’ll take that they’ll wait their
turn
so they’ll dig they’ll wait for the
water to fill up the hole and drink and
I’ll see that water is going to be
filtered by the sand so it’s going to be
nice and clean and they will actually
wait their turn
oh right oh right oh so there is
actually a black blacksmith Lapwing nest
they do still have a nest or they did
apparently one of them what other
zoomies actually saw one of the
elephants actually stand on the nest I
wasn’t sure where the nest might be so
now I’m understanding why people are
getting a bit concerned of what you’re
getting concerned for the bird to say oh
no the birds going to keep well out of
the way but they were trying to keep the
elephants from trampling their nest but
unfortunately this time it didn’t work
because a I’ve actually seen lapwings
die falling because they weren’t really
doing that I thought they were just
being fussy about the elephants coming
down because they do tend to get quite
vocal and but when they’re trying to
protect nests I have seen them
dive-bombing
the animals trying to keep them away
from the nest which I didn’t see this
time but unfortunately as I say possibly
because they haven’t done it they’ve
actually lost their nests sadly
oh it could be that this Lapwing pair
and not as experience maybe they just
put the nest in a slightly too much of
an open area and so be interesting find
out someone has a screen shot and maybe
put an arrow on it to show me where that
nest might have been because
unfortunately for the lapwings they they
don’t make a song and dance about where
the nest is purely because obviously
they don’t want to show where their eggs
are an eggs are extremely well
camouflaged as well oh we’ve got the
niala look the elephants and thoughts
liking the build-a-bear sauvignon i
think we need to maybe move they’re not
happy about this build abyss coming in
got a base to decide you know what
elephants it’s art in the drainage line
because they are being extremely
protective assuming it is build a beast
but did you see this female right up
front making sure the babies are behind
her
absolutely fantastic
so I think we’re going to see what
Byron’s caught up with and we’re going
to just reposition ourselves and see if
we get another view for you wow we found
some zebra and the zebra is posing
beautifully for us
that’s a beautiful beautiful shot had
golden light and the zebra enjoying the
termite hunt getting a bit of a view
from up there just listening to one of
the other guides I’m giving an update
they trying to look follow up on leopard
tracks or trying to check a leopard
they’ve got some deeper tracks um I
don’t think it’s on Juma and I think a
different sets of tracks around at the
moment I am but he just said to the
other guard he said and is he’s been
looking around looks like a tracks head
north but no joy yet so that obviously
means he just hasn’t found it yet
there’s another zebra stick Ian’s head
out just to the right of the termite
mound well it was it’s now put its head
down
so it looks like we’ve both had a lot of
luck with elephant this afternoon Tyra’s
also had a wonderful sighting of the
elephant near the dam and and sounds
like they covered in mud at the moment
let’s head back there and see what
they’re up to
oh well we were going to move on to see
if and get a better view but then they
started rolling in the mud and it’s just
so wonderful to see that so we have one
of the females really giving yourself a
good mud bath and as I say even in the
wintertime it can actually help remove
ticks and other parasites during the
summer it helps keep them cool you’re
helping that one down there it’s like
absolute awesome play for the little
ones they really seem to enjoy having a
mud bath some of the smaller elephants
you can see right in the middle of the
herd oh and it looks like the old bull
might try to be rolling in mud I’m not
sure if he’s really gonna do well there
but first I’ve seen this before
it’s almost like he’s actually crouching
solely feeling less intimidated by him
look at that absolutely fantastic
Luke the Duke I think I totally agree
with you elephants are so much better
than humans but it really is amazing how
much we share with them it really is and
the more we learn about elephants the
more we realize we didn’t know say I’ve
never actually seen this type of
behavior with an old bull and a young a
bull before this is absolutely lovely
now you’d see that tail swishing that’s
very common for the elephants to kind of
keep tabs on where the other elephants
are especially with the females with the
babies you’ll often see them just
smacking very lightly their baby just to
make sure they know exactly where that
baby is
there he goes a bit of sparring going on
now yeah I think he probably is around
his 30s mid 30s that bull doesn’t have
very deep indentations in his skull
the length the Tufts are controlled by
the genes but you can generally get a
gist of how old they are as well through
the Tufts you can kind but as I say you
can’t just go off of that because it is
determined by genes so some elephants
are able to grow much larger Tufts and
others certainly looking at the
indentation in the head the height of
the animal now I’m wondering if these
ladies are actually patiently waiting
for us to move I think maybe they’re
wanting to walk up onto the damn wall so
I’m wondering if it’s worth is moving
back and letting them come up here
because there’s one lady just looking at
us of this say you’re going to move
anytime soon so I’m gonna see
if that’s what she wants us to do
ah and I think we’ve got something just
to finish off that sighting for you so I
think we’re going to cross over to byron
and have a lovely sunset
there’s a zebra enjoying the sunset a
beautiful golden light on it at the
moment still upon their on the termite
mound
very very beautiful sight
ana ban this is known as the Birchall’s
zebra it’s not a sub species of zebra
it’s just a species of zebra so I think
it echoes echoes but but chilly if I’m
not mistaken the Bertels zebra or the
plains zebra also known as the plains
zebra so this is echoes but chilly and
let me double check my no I beg your
pardon so this and this i’m completely
mistaken it seems to have changed echos
quaja is the is the scientific name for
the plains zebra which is the zebra or
the perch I mean used to be called the
virtual zebra and now it’s a khuswaha
the plains zebra I’m a sexually
double-check because this book of mine
is a little old it’s from when I started
training a little older may have to
invest in a new memo book perhaps have
discovered new mammals since then now we
only have three species down in southern
Africa we’ve got the plains zebra and
then we’ve got two other species known
as the Cape mountain zebra found kind of
this southern central part of South
Africa in the kuru and that is the cape
mountain zebra down well obviously down
in the cape and you might be able to see
let me show you quickly this is the Cape
Mountain zebra and that one see the
stripes don’t go all the way down the
belly they stop and very white belly
those stripes are lot closer together
and then and then the other one is the
Hartman’s mountain zebra so this is the
plains zebra which we see see how those
stripes go all the way down right around
the belly straps much wider parts and
the prominent brown shadow in between
the black and white stripes
and then the the other one over here is
the Hartman’s mountain zebra and that
one is found up in northwestern South
Africa so right up almost in the wall
actually in the Kalahari and then up
into Namibia
that’s the Hartman’s mountain zebra
looks very similar to the Cape mountain
zebra so those are the three species we
get down here all right well I think
since I shall we ride off into the
sunset let’s carry on and see what else
we can find you can just call me John
Wayne from now on everyone and my horse
Wendy and we will be on our way into the
sunset
[Laughter]
alright it sounds like Torres found
itself in a interesting situation
elephant are blocking her way let’s go
have a look yep yep they do so we’re
gonna try and check out what’s going on
along twin dams Road so the elephants
did decide to go off this way but
there’s a couple of young bulls who are
busy sparring just on the road they’re
just up ahead of us while the rest of
them disappear through into the open
area the other young balls are oh
splashing around oh sorry
making their way into the water there
just while they rest the heard of making
the way off into the open area so that
is just lovely
with the youngster still looking on
amazing
I want to be an elephant now and play in
the water it’s just a little bit too
cold for me as a human but that looks
like a lot of them no we’ve got the
little youngster gonna go have a go at
the blacksmith laughing again he is
gonna be a handful here my little one
you’re getting left behind hi Jana Jana
asking if I’ve ever been charged by an
elephant I have there was a female that
she was halfway between a warning charge
and a full-on charge but there’s enough
vegetation between us and her that
slowed it down and it was actually more
displacement behaviour than anything so
I think the Lions we think were in the
area and I think they’d been upset by
them there were a little bit more on
high-alert than what they would normally
would do so I stopped quite a distance
from them a good 18 meters or so and
maybe more and
it just got to breaking point and she
decided she was going to displace it
behavior towards to me and she came for
us but she is a say she had to go around
the bushes a little bit so she didn’t
have a full charge so by the time she
got to where she had slowed down quite
considerably and I just thought
something said to me in my head don’t
shout so I just said hey lady what’s
this
and it almost broke her concentration
and she stopped about four meters from
her something like that but sometimes
whatever you do it’s not going to stop
them and you just have to get out of
there and it’s trying to know when
that’s going to be because sometimes if
you actually move that triggers them to
follow and that sort of changes the
behavior to actually follow through so
it’s trying to read that behavior of
when they are just warning you or
whether you know where the best thing to
do is to actually get out of there if it
is a full-on charge but obviously we try
and avoid getting into that situation in
the first place but the more you go into
the bush the higher the possibility of
actually having an instant like that
because I say every day is different and
you do what you can to limit it and
sometimes you find yourself in that
situation these boys are having an
absolute party I was going to say jaw
but there suddenly realized people
aren’t going to really understand that
but that’s what we call a party down
here in South Africa
hi Jason Jason asking why elephants spa
and they actually learning how to place
their terse where to place a terse
learning what their capabilities are
they’re building up the muscles so when
the day comes that they really have to
do this for real and they’re fighting
over a female because they’re not
territorial it will be over a female
then they know what to do so this is all
very important for haver for them like I
was saying earlier you can’t really go
off to just Tufts alone some elephants
will grow longer to us than others and
you can see these two boys they do
actually have different sized Tufts but
they look roughly about the same age
maybe a year or two difference but not
much but the ball that’s now in view he
looks like he’s got slightly longer
tosylate ball behind him
yeah it’s picking his toes now those
feet are very sensitive so he might have
stood on something that you didn’t quite
like yeah quite quite a big size
difference actually the touching is just
about see the Tufts of the other mouth
showing through there now say size-wise
is not much in it first size of the
elephant but yeah those toasts are
probably about three times longer but
they probably both around early twenties
or so so yeah the bull on the right
maybe early twenties ball on the left
maybe about mid mid twenties by léa
léa wanting to know how do you age an
elephant I say it’s not an exact science
is a bit of guesswork you kind of have
to look at everything so the indentation
on the head as I say the length of the
turf buzzards are shown you know there
is a big difference between the ages
looking at the height of the elephant as
well so these two have got some growing
to do that you try and put everything
together whether they still with the
herd or not whether they’ve broken away
from the herd drink break time out there
doesn’t look very nice water
oh and lovely so I think we’re going to
I think these guys are just enjoying
being the stars of the show at the
moment
[Applause]
so while these two take a timeout I
think we’re gonna cross over to byron
and see a beautiful orange sky with him
I have a look at that magnificent sky
that we have sunset with a silhouetted
yellow bold horn ball isn’t that
beautiful
well off it goes but that is just really
really very pretty
isn’t it beautiful last little sensit
tough day in Africa
well our afternoon has definitely
definitely been much better than our
morning we when I say we I struggled
this morning I was unable to find very
much I found some water that was about
it but this afternoon it’s been great
we’ve seen too rough we’ve seen elephant
but the owl the owl was the highlight
for me the little scopes are very
beautiful we started the show with that
so that was a nice little start now
there’s a vulture sitting in a tree off
to my right it looks like a white back
vulture let’s have a look now yeah they
are actually a few vultures around here
they are formed there’s that one and
then there were another three sitting on
a tree behind us but I don’t think it’s
because of a caucus now occasionally
vultures I mean well they do raced at
times and they do perch in trees I think
if there was a potential killer on I
think we probably would have seen more
and we would have seen tracks of
predators in the area and we haven’t
seen anything I’ve been looking around
so I think maybe these vultures are just
resting at times might find one or two
vultures fly down and perch in a tree
and rest and then one or two may see
them and then just kinda investigates
and just see if there is food but they
do rest and perch up in trees and
especially bare trees like that that
looks like a Marilla from him I think it
is yeah and and they’re likely not too
many branches or leaves around so it’s
easier for these large birds to land in
and and roost in for the nut so they
will probably end up spending the night
Chenin tomorrow as the day warms up
catch the thermals and start flying
around looking for food
doubting myself a little bit now I’ll
tell you why hold on hold on a second
it’s let me show you something no we’re
just gonna move away from this vulture a
little bit there goes another vulture
that just took off from that tree that’s
not really what I’m worried about this
give me a second
now I’ve spotted another bird of prey
now this makes me curious let’s see if
we can get it from here first I don’t
want it to fly away
straight ahead Center you’ve probably
spotted it already there we go do you
see that that is a better layer eagle
you see it sitting in there now why I
say I’m curious is because the batter
Liam is actually a scavenger battle ear
and tawny Eagles are both scavengers and
they often will go and get to a caucus
or a kill before the vultures do and the
reason for that is these Eagles fly a
bit lower than the vultures and then
there are site is also very good and
they will try and get in and scavenge
off a kill before the big voltar’s
arrive you can see it again
since I just had a little moment take
[Laughter]
what is my favorite bird of prey and
that is a martial Eagle martial Eagle is
my absolute favorite now this as I was
saying with these will the sign of this
I’m Betty Lee Eagle around I don’t know
I think because now there are a lot of
vultures around so that would make me
think because there is a bit of a bit of
prey that’s a scavenger a little better
layer eagle and then of course these
vultures are round dotted around here I
wonder if there wasn’t anything that
that maybe died of natural causes I
can’t smell anything I haven’t seen
tracks of anything
no sign of lions around so I don’t know
I don’t know however this little area
that were in I think these battle yeah I
think I’ve got a nest nearby I know even
James usually see them around yeah there
was a juvenile Betsy lay around for a
long time in this area so I wonder if
they don’t have a nest near but that
would make sense and then the few
vultures dotted around possibly just
resting for the night if there was a
carcass we may see them fly down and and
sit on the ground possibly if there
aren’t any predators around I don’t hear
anything don’t smell anything I don’t
think there’s a carcass here but it’s
always good to have a look
you know snazzy use a stiff different
scavenger Birds wood fighter to kill
definitely snazzy definitely now the
best examples I can give on usually what
happens is the birds to arrive first at
a carcass the birds of will scavengers
it’s let’s say the vultures for example
you’d have the hooded vulture they often
get their first because they are the
smallest of the vultures that we get our
chap
so now arrive first then often the white
back vultures will arrive and if it’s a
big carcass you may get you want to get
the Sun set their sins it do you want to
Salou it with the vulture okay hold on a
second we might have a beautiful
silhouettes of a vulture on a dead tree
with the sunset well this could be very
good sin so we might be a little too
light hold on what about that sins is
that okay I think that’s lovely look at
that yeah you know vehicle positioning
sensor saying snazzy the the hooded
vultures and the white bag vultures
often get get to caucuses first but but
the leopard face vultures when they
arrive these other vultures quickly make
space for them those are the largest
vultures they can get quite aggressive
they really big really powerful and I’ve
seen these other vultures move out the
way very quickly so yes they will
definitely fight to the carcass and
chase one another away and then of
course the big marabou storks they may
taste a vulture
two away or they’ll feed on one side and
let the vultures feed on another side
lovely silhouettes of a vulture
our lorem where you say the cameramen
are such artistes they are indeed but
this is a lovely view
can we brighten it a little bit let’s
just see that’s beautiful that’s
beautiful now as well and there’s our
sunset our afternoon sunset
now this would be a perfect time to stop
and stretch our legs and have some
sundowners with guests and just listen
to the bush a little bit and maybe
something alarm calls and alerts us to
where there might be a predator moving
around sounds like some arrow Mach
babblers calling not far from me
well that’s very beautiful hey isn’t
that lovely
I still think the the best silhouette
I’ve ever had on Safari live was with
some of you might remember it was I
think it was last year if I’m not
mistaken I think it was last year but it
was of a brown snake eagle perched in a
tree similar to this and just beautiful
clouds and sunset the colors were
magnificent but that shape of a brown
snake eagles silhouette was really
amazing and then I must I must be honest
I think that’s one of the best
silhouettes of ever had
well I think shall we continue let’s go
see oh we still got a little bit of
light if we don’t get some tracks or
find something moving around
now apparently a lot of you are
wondering because I mentioned that holds
such a big flower fan and what my
favorite flowers also favorite flowers
easy in the bush – flowers
the leopard orchid and cilia Afrikaner
beautiful beautiful leopard orchid that
we get our check yellow and brown
flowers and the other one is the Impala
Lily scientific name not remembered I
left I looked it up I forgot the
scientific name of the Impala Lily but
the beautiful white and pink flowers
very bright very vibrant and usually in
winter that’s where all the oil they
flower in winter so everything else is
being barren and get these wonderful
Impala lilies flowering at the moment
well hang on a second everyone look what
we have your wait let me just look for a
gap quickly
[Music]
since I could find a gap nap maybe three
there hold on hold on trying to find a
gap I’d like to show you all something
quickie is that I can Center beautiful
sunset off to our left that’s standing
really really wonderful and then off to
our right I see a bad moon rising let’s
have a look up there quickly just above
the trees and a beautiful moon look at
that almost full moon not quite yet
I think another day or two it’s judging
by the time and that and yeah another I
mean it looks full it looks full but
it’s not full yet isn’t that beautiful
when I used to guide permanently Justin
you say this is too beautiful this is
wonderful this is really really
wonderful but and we’re not used to God
full time when we had a beautiful full
full moon rise sorry since I was just
pointing something out to me he says it
looks like there’s a footprint on the
moon if you look the top left hand side
of the moon what would you say since our
three toes and a back pad so a honey
badger missing two toes hey hey three
toed honey badger
that’s what since I says walked on the
moon because of the back pad it looks
like there’s a the different sections to
the back pad I agree with you but I’m
not sure how it lost its two toes but I
get to a G saying sensor I think so so
if any of you were wondering yep a honey
badger has walked on the moon
yeah since I maybe we’ve been arch a
little too long so as I was saying when
I got head permanently we myself and one
or two other guys as soon as we got a
beautiful full moon rise we would kind
of recite the words – I see a bad moon
rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival I
don’t know if anybody really enjoyed it
but I thought it was quite funny so I
would say Richard confirmed
do you see a bad moon rising you would
say a firm I see a bad moon rising and
someone else would say well don’t go
round tonight it’s bound to take your
life there’s a bad moon on the rise
James is gonna kill me for singing I can
just I can see the the the angry texts
coming through already from James
asking me what the hell am i doing
okay well it sounds like Terra has
managed to fight off and fend off some
gremlins but she’s got some birds in the
road I’m assuming they’re Franklin’s
let’s go and have a look and see we’ve
actually gotten Attell spur file there
with some babies there was actually
about four chicks that ran from the road
so there’s one just actually there’s two
just a little top left of your screen
and then there’s another one with the
adult there how sweet are they then tell
spell file you can see there’s bright
orange bill and legs really standing out
in the bush there but it takes both
parents to raise the young so even
though the young are capable of finding
food for themselves once they hatch out
the parents still need to be around to
defend them and there they go
disappearing into the bush oh that was
so sweet though
very very cool so we’ve just checked
along the river bed the mill Watty
see if there is any sign of those
leopard tracks or indeed the cats that
made them unfortunately there it looks
like the elephants have actually pushed
over a tree so unfortunately we couldn’t
get that far we’ve got two probably
about opposite as now
so we’re gonna carry on heading back
towards Gary dam and just see if we’ve
got any long cause as we go
something that might tell us that a
leopard is there I’ve I’m convinced that
leopard is going to be heading towards
Gary Dam I don’t know why possibly
because all the animals are around there
but I’m hoping my feeling is right –
keep your fingers crossed that would be
absolutely amazing to see the leopard
they really are building themselves up
for me I think I’ll be very upset if I
don’t get a chance to see them before I
leave as you know they are one of my
greatest loves and absolutely
fascinating animal I think there it is
is it there is it there is it there oh
it’s a bush book just disappearing Oh
thought that was just so poetic then oh
I’m on tenterhooks eyes are peeled not
that it is just a bush book but it would
really be nice to see them definitely
holding firms everybody thank you so
much I know you guys have had two
leopards the other day Tandy and
hosannah
I knew he forgot his name then that’s a
new name for me I think we were some
really fantastic interaction there and
we think that there was actually a
mating pair seen heading east
from sorry heading west from voya teller
Lodge into the block somewhere between
Aubrey’s and Sandy patch yesterday
morning it was possibly it was possibly
Tandy or shadow I’m not entirely sure
who we think possibly Tandy may be seen
with Tembo which would make sense with
maybe why Hosanna was around maybe he
was picking up on her being in East hrus
but while we carry on seeing if we can
find any sign of the leopard I think
we’re going to cross live to Jamie in
the Mara with some of the animals
crossing enjoy that be spectacular and
welcome to the disembodied voice part of
this afternoon’s a sunset Safari where I
narrate over one of our river cams here
in the Maasai Mara and in this case the
main North River camera as you can see a
gathering of wildebeest has started on
the banks it seems as though it’s
crossing time once again just a quick
introduction because otherwise I’m going
to continue well I’m going to continue
to be a disembodied voice my name is
Jaime and this afternoon I will be
controlling the camera so if it’s you
know 70 veers off wildly off to the left
off to the right that is entirely my
fault
what we’re watching at the moment is
pretty standard crossing behavior the
Valda beasts know they have to cross the
river I also know that within the river
there are crocodiles and in this case a
grumpy hippo that is strutting along
through and trying to show off just how
big he is the hippo don’t like the bull
the Beast particularly either and so as
a result the wildebeest gather together
on the banks looking somewhat terrified
and eventually one of them will be brave
enough to take the plunge which one is
it going to be in this case all little
internal skirmish there one of these
herds gather together lots of males lots
of females and as a result the males
to spend a lot of time fighting off
rivals watch this hippo disappear it’s
astounding
Laurita you would like to know if the
wildebeest signal to each other if there
is danger around yes by running away
that is essentially the way that they
signal to each other at least at the
river crossings when you’re looking at a
situation where there is a lion for
example and the Volta beasts have
spotted it what they’ll often do is a
sort of a hmm sound I don’t know how
accurate that was but it’s disclosed
what was that
do you want to see a head pop up over
the left there’s that line there so I
imagine that did anyone else see the
head on the left I saw a bird but I
thought I saw a head pop out of the bank
I did see lines on the river cameras
earlier but not at this crossing but one
not too far away
it’s just keep an eye on that I can’t
quite work out if I imagine that maybe I
did maybe I didn’t
I’m not a hundred percent sure and
unfortunately we’re on the northern end
of Maine north which means that we only
have a long distance view of the
gathering wildebeest let’s see if I can
spot anything I can work out if I if I’m
going completely now is that it I’m
desperately trying to see I think I’m
going to stay at this position I think
that’s exactly what I’m going to do I’m
going to stay and watch these wildebeest
oh yeah I narrated icon train found in a
race at the crossing or if I was just
looking I think I was just looking
because the crossing was already halfway
through and I was so distracted by the
wildebeest climbing up onto the opposite
ends of the bank that when I returned
the camera to where they’d originated
from they had completely missed the lion
kill right out in the open and I got
some serious death stares from people
who were in here with me for missing
that one up so I think I’ll stick there
for now we were talking about warning
each other of danger I don’t know
whether any of you have ever watched
that YouTube animation of the Valda
beast gathering on the crossing and the
the one is trying to convince the other
one with our speech but with just little
speech bubbles that the log that they’re
looking at is in fact a crocodile but I
cannot help but see that every time I
witness one of these crossings that’s
what’s going through my head the entire
time log crocodile log crocodile oh now
apparently tough how funny is that tar
is on the same page and I’m so sad that
I’m missing her while she’s a tumor I
would have loved to see her again and I
hope she’s having a fantastic time I did
see the mouse running away from the lion
running into them no mouse running into
the lion and terrifying the lion
sighting which is absolutely hilarious
seems as though she’s been having some
good luck my barony ptarth was hoping
that I’d seen that animation have it’s
hilarious and I had to laugh when I saw
that somebody had put it on brains
Facebook I think it’s the sound effect
oh is it yellow-billed stork that just
crossed in front at the bottom left of
your screen I’m reluctant to follow it
though in case I miss the line popping
out there’s something in the Valda
beasts body language there are they
looking where are you looking who’s
going to be brave enough his mum and
ethyl one you know what I find quite
heartbreaking is when you end up on the
opposite side of a river crossing and
the proof separated youngsters and
mothers racing up and down calling
contact calling to each other constantly
be sad pull things although I did what
does a reunion which was relatively
joyous mother running from I mean it was
move it
just like something out of a movie or a
film with the female running flat out
from one side and the baby running flat
out from the other side and then coming
together with great relief and then the
baby immediately having a chance to
suckle maybe it was water that I saw
splashing maybe there’s a hippo there
hiding on that maybe it’s a hippo
breathing out because I just saw a
little spray there whoops sorry
I hope you’re not prone to motion
sickness there’s a slight lag on his
camera a Mercedes here’s the confusing
thing about the crossings I think it
might have been a hippo that I saw
here’s the confusing things about the
crossings so Mercedes question is about
when do they next cross back or do they
stay there for good sometimes you get
crossings going in the opposite
direction so during the migration it all
becomes a little bit confusing there’s
rain on one side of the reserve in this
rain on the other side of the reserve
and grass is a little bit greener for a
little bit longer so the I think it is
hamper the wildebeest and zebra do move
backwards and forwards so there’s no
saying one wildebeest one individual
might go across the river and not cross
it again until in another five months
time when it’s time to migrate back in
the same direction that they’ve come
from oh it might move backwards and
forwards several times over the river
it’s impossible to say for certain but
they do often cross backwards which
seems so pointless doesn’t it running
that going to some gorge it more often
than necessary see the wildebeest
looking for the crocodiles ricci the
herd he doesn’t really have a head sir
et was wondering if the head of the herd
will Forge across the river first
risking life and limb for the rest of
the group it doesn’t really work like
that remember this is made up of this
herd is not one unit of wildebeest
at several different units and clustered
together and so it either happens to be
the bravest wildebeest that jumps in or
it happens to be the one that’s been
pushed so hard from behind by the other
wildebeest that it’s kind of had to
either jump in or falling oh there’s a
little bit of all the beasts action at
the back and one male that’s looking the
wrong direction off to chase the rival
so no it’s not the head of a herd well I
think it could be something interesting
to see what the head of the herd would
have to say okay we’re going to sit
patiently and wait to see whether or not
these bullies decide to take the plunge
while they bumble about on the side of
the river let’s go all the way back to
South Africa where Baron is doing some
bundling of his own I am indeed I’m
searching the trees for owls I’m
searching for leopard I’m searching for
everything really nothing just yet
hold on a second sir can you someone
calling me on the radio might be torrid
go ahead I’m about to come out on twin
dams right I’m just south of Chile pen
okay copy that thanks taya I think
Torres in search of a leopard apparently
they had leopard tracks around yeah
not sure where it’s gone but but I think
will will never look around and just see
if we have any luck Oh any Sun maybe you
never know
Rottweiler interesting question you
asked if all the predator species were
the same weight and size which one would
be the more dominant my guests would be
I’m torn
actually I’m told between two I’ll tell
you why
now I think leopard I think a leopard
would be sin so what do you think wild
dogs
not a chance buddy not a chance oh so
we’ve got a mess of debates now right
violet do you’ve I think lipid
power-to-weight ratio that cat is
amazing that cat is really amazing I’ve
seen a pride of lions attack a male
leopard and it stood its ground and
managed to fight them up fend them off
and keep them at bay
now think if that leopard was the same
size as a hundred and forty or 160
kilogram lion when a male leopard is
only about 80 kilograms I rest my case
wild dog slender Faust’s runners
long-distance runners but I don’t think
they powerful enough to deal with the
leopard um first edge are lipid it sends
a I don’t know I don’t know I my my
guess I’d would be interesting what Tory
thinks you can Oscar just now
just having a look scanning these trees
carefully here we often hear the owls in
his areas along the drainage lines
alright well it sounds like tar is also
scanning trees at the moment let’s go
and see if she’s had any luck with Al’s
and ask her what she thinks about your
question right violet that’s a really
interesting question rot viola well I
got another knee eyelets who are right I
think we’re gonna leave those now cuz we
did see them nicely in the light so it
was just scanning for any sign of the
nocturnal creatures now then he look
maybe an owl seems we have Craig on
board but so yeah I’m pondering that
question actually because if all the
cats are the same size and they would
have the same capabilities so the cats
would kind of be one if you like apart
from the cheetah the cheetah would still
not be that strong sorry boys
compared to leopard or lion but it
depends are we just talking about
African animals are we talking about the
animals worldwide because then throwing
bears in the mix I think bears might
just be slightly more dominant if a
grizzly was the same size
maybe as the cats I think possibly they
might win strength-wise
depends on what size we’re talking about
I mean and also what what we are what
what yeah what sort of size we’re
talking about it’s the size of Lions or
whether it’s the size of leopards
because the African wild dog I think was
sends those and the African wild dog
actually has this one of the strongest
bites to body ratio so even though hyena
has a stronger bite it is a large animal
we’ve got the elephant herd just coming
out to our right I’m just going to
switch the spotlight off because
elephants don’t like the spotlight
you’re gonna walk in front of his lady
oh no what do you think Craig what would
you go for
yeah if we’re not throwing bears into
the mix yeah I think I’d go with the
cats
Wow look at that shocking pink sky the
silhouette of the elephants
there’s a little family group moving off
to join the rest of the herd I heard a
big branch breaking somewhere up ahead
another day is drawing to a close
obviously for some but the day is just
beginning for others so fingers crossed
we still have some drive time left so
I’m still hopeful still hopeful
Diana welcome on board and we’re
certainly gonna try our best to try and
show you some nocturnal animals asking
what type of nocturnal animals we have
out here oh we have a whole range but
they are very very secretive I think
just because there’s a little elephant
in there we’re going to avoid him he
didn’t want us to shine the light on him
it’s funny they really don’t like
spotlights being shone on them at all so
we have the genes– and the genex are
literally about the same size as a small
domestic cat so you’re looking at this
sort of body length very very cute very
long ringtail so if you know a ringtail
lemur looks like just imagine a ringtail
on the end of a domestic cat and that’s
pretty much what Genet looks like then
you have a civet also black and white
looks it’s about the same size if not
slightly larger than a raccoon and so
you’re looking about yeah sort of body
size without the tails about that sort
of height relatives of the slender
Mongoose that we were trying to see
earlier and the dwarf Mongoose that’s
the white tail Mongoose we have seen
them a few times here so they also body
size about that sort of length about
that sort of height servals which are
spotted cats from the dashboard they
stand maybe about that sort of height
very large ears for trying to detect
rodents in the long grass they’ll also
come out during the day as well we also
have caracal around so a lovely red cat
or Roy cat in Afrikaans because of the
rusty red color
aardvarks would be amazing to show you
they actually look a bit like a kangaroo
crossed with I suppose a pig with an
elongated nose and elongated ears but
they’ve got a very big muscular tail and
actually a colleague of mine saw an
aardvark
being harassed by a couple of jackal
actually which are another a nocturnal
animal a little bit larger than a fox
and the jackal were irritating it so
much
I think nipping at its tail and the
aardvark I should turn around and
punched one they’ve got pretty big
forearms and muscles so they might not
move very fast although I have seen the
mood they actually those one that ran
around the vehicle twice and he actually
bounced a bit like a kangaroo which was
quite amazing I did realize they move
like that so we’re going to carry on
looking for some of those nocturnal
creatures that I’ve just mentioned and I
think Jamie has quite a spectacular show
to show you go and be shut door I’m
trying to keep things a little bit more
silent in this general direction but I
have spectacularly failed however what
we have to show you out here is the
approaching weather conditions now this
is the crossing that the whole beasts
were at and just have a look at the
intensity of this particular storm look
at the Lightning rolling in in fact oh
goodness
it is really truly ominous looking out
here and if you have a look at the wind
you can see the clouds of dust blowing
it’s almost as though there is a
crossing happening but it’s just the
wind blowing the dust backwards and
forwards and then if you if we could it
actually might be quite nice to switch
to dusty crossing which looks even more
ominous
I mean dusty looks really truly
terrifying look at
I can’t dramatic the sky looks and when
I look outside it’s actually quite weird
look outside and I see a lightning flash
out of the window and then I can see a
sort of corresponding with the crossings
lighting up live all the beasts have
scattered they’ve decided that this
really is not the weather for a crossing
just not the day for it and one can
hardly blame them I would want to have
two crossing that where the either it is
really quite scary let’s go back to me
North you can see it’s pouring with rain
James of course is out there somewhere
possibly a bit windswept and maybe a
little bit too damp hopefully he’s found
somewhere to bunker down somewhere safe
and secure because it really is a
serious storm on its way and even though
I mean this is not the rainy season in
Kenya or at least in the Maasai Mara but
that doesn’t mean it doesn’t rain it
rains all year round there it is
bucketing down then if you have a look
at main south actually up to the
mountain towards where we are it doesn’t
look that bad at all look at that
but it’s blowing in our direction so on
the other crossings you were looking to
the south if you look at the if you
compare the way that the water was
flowing this way you’re looking to the
north and in the direction of where I’m
sitting up at the top of the mountain
mmm very ominous and I think it’s safe
to say that there are not going to be
any crossings anytime soon and in fact
it’s starting to get a little bit too
dark for these cameras so for now the
team in the Mara migration control which
consists of me will be saying a farewell
to all and we’ll send you back to the
hopefully dry biron in South Africa I am
indeed dry Jamie thank you very very
much and thanks James he was on earlier
our team in the Mara and we’ve got a
little scrub here look at those ears
twitching listening very very carefully
they very alert
Tampa Kenya scops owls calling in the
distance always nasty see those little
scrub his nocturnal creatures that we do
see from time to time I haven’t been
able to find another owl
I’ve been looking but no sign no sign
just hear the scops owls Scott’s Owls
calling in the distance up there maybe
we bump into one up there and it’s been
a wonderful day an elephant afternoon
definitely loads of elephant for both
Tyra and myself and that is always
wonderful no cats today that but maybe
tomorrow you never know maybe tomorrow
we have a pride of lions and some
leopards who knows who knows what the
morning holds for us on our Sunrise
Safari
having a look we still got a minute or
so left really hope you’ve enjoyed our
Sunday sunset Safari with all of us and
I hope you are all having a great
weekend or the end to the weekend I hope
you had a great weekend it’s now
finished back to work tomorrow morning
is going to be my last to drive for this
stunt so I will be saying goodbye
tomorrow morning for a while and then
I’ll be back again at some point but
thank you again to everyone Tyra and
Craig thank you on the other vehicle and
of course the Prince of Kenya sin zone
thanks Enzo I keep mocking sensor
because he returned from Kenya looking
like a Kenyan I think he bought all the
all their whole outfit and wards and it
weighs it around camp and of course a
big thank you to all of you the viewers
for the questions comments hope you
enjoyed it and Ellis and Chantal in the
final control the voices in my head as I
like to call them we will see you all
tomorrow for our sunrise Safari good
nights goodbye have a wonderful day a
wonderful evening bye everyone
you
have sapphire skies golden African Sun
the siesta is over
this is safari live
[Music]
standing by
oh good afternoon everybody and a warm
welcome from Juma Game Reserve here in
South Africa with safari live my name is
taro joining me on camera is Craig and
we also have byron out on the other
vehicle along with Senzo and back in
front of control we do have Alice and
Chantelle and we also have a special
guest appearance all the way from Mara
James and he’s going to be looking for
Lions for you this afternoon so exciting
it is absolutely wonderful to be out
this afternoon as I say it is beautiful
temperatures here 25 degrees 77
Fahrenheit is lovely but I think it’s
definitely time that the animals need to
stop siesta ring now and let’s get
heading out there and seeing what we can
find in the African bush today if you’d
like to join us please do this is a live
Safari so we have no idea what’s going
to happen it all in for unfolds in front
right in front of us and if you would
like to join in ask any questions answer
any of ours
then it’s hashtag Safari live on Twitter
or the feed on Facebook and YouTube as
well so there’s plenty of ways to get in
touch so please do it’s always great to
hear from you and let’s see what we can
find
now we have actually taken a look around
the painter den just behind me here to
see if we’ve got any movement so we came
by yesterday and there was actually the
female with the curb out but it looks
like they’re not showing their faces
today I was really hoping there might be
out just enjoying the sunshine
having a nice snooze before they head
out later on this afternoon to go and
find food but I’m not giving up hope
completely we are going to take a little
drive around the termite mound on their
way out just in case the sleeping may be
round the back or they might even be
just on the ground in some of the shade
so I’ve been keeping my fingers crossed
for us that we can maybe see a hyena
and then we’re going to head out down
towards the dams and the the drainage
line see if we can scratch around for
any sign of cats this afternoon but I
think we’re gonna head to Byron
apparently he’s found something quite
unusual this time of day so enjoy that
we have indeed and look it’s moving
everyone a beautiful scops owl now this
is such a wonderful surprise the
smallest owl in the region or in this
area or actually in Africa I believe the
scopes are very very tiny little owl
similar in size to the pole spotted owl
but a little bit smaller and it’s very
well camouflaged but it’s so nice to see
these little owls during the day it was
calling earlier but we cheated a little
bit because we saw we actually saw this
owl earlier in between Drive and he
hasn’t moved so I thought I’d come and
have a look and see if he’s still
sitting any is indeed fortunately for us
and I thought it would be wonderful to
show you the owl rows you say a day I’ll
see what they do is they perch
themselves on trees and they sit and
rest and then get active at night but
they do occasionally call during the day
as I said we did hear him calling in
that town we found him this cops owl and
also the pole spotted owl will also do
that at times this is one of my favorite
little owls I do really really enjoy was
enjoy seeing these owls petty you’re a
new viewer good off the new penny
wonderful of you to join us and and you
said what an amazing old it is and it is
tiny everyone that owl is very small
it’s only about 17 centimeters tall
about the size of my hand not very big
at all maybe a little bit bigger
but but very very small owl the smallest
owl that we have in the area see house
just turn its head is obviously resting
and dozing off a little bit and later
will probably go off and look for snazzy
you can see the little talons of this
owl – you know you can’t see them
holding on to that branch there we go
that’s nice look at those you can see
those little little talons of the owl
and so well camouflage doesn’t have
blend in perfectly with that bark of the
dead tree now this little bird when it
flies around at night will try catch
insects maybe even during the day –
insects and little rodents perhaps and
maybe frogs and geckos of frogs in some
obviously there’s no frogs out at the
moment but you can see how well
camouflaged it is look at that wonderful
wonderful wonderful very nice view of it
it’s actually very close to one of the
houses so what a great start my name is
Baron and on camera with me this
afternoon it’s Enzo and it’s great to
have all of you with us now as I said
we’re very close to you actually right
in the in the next to the White House
but as I said it’s been sitting here for
for most of the day
and it didn’t move so I thought we have
to show you
to show you that even when we not on
Drive we still having a lookout for
interesting birds and interesting little
creatures to show you always listening
to the bush and hopefully we find
something that we can show you now this
morning I was not very lucky I didn’t
find much at all so I’m hoping my luck
changes I’m going to head towards some
of the dams it’s quite a warm afternoon
it was cool and chilly this morning but
it’s warmed up beautifully very very
nice
temperature currently there’s a
beautiful Apple leaf tree maybe do a few
trees I know taro is doing some trees
earlier today but this this is a
beautiful Apple leaf get the name Apple
leaf from well apparently if you crunch
the the leaves or bend the leaves in
half it sounds almost like biting into
an apple I do think you need bit of an
imagination for it but that’s apparently
where the name Apple leaf comes from the
crunchiness of those leaves and they are
green throughout the year some cultures
refer to it as the rain tree and the
reason for that is the locals would
often sit under these trees for shade
and they would feel little droplets of
water dropping down on them and they
called it the rain tree but what it was
is the spittle bugs we gets little
spittle bags that draw moisture out of
the leaves and what happens is these
spittle bugs then the moisture passes
through of the liquid passes through the
spittle bags very very quickly and they
then secreted and it drops down little
droplets of secretion or water really
that’s basically what it’s made up of
and these little droplets in felt like
rain and the locals would refer to it as
the rain tree but it’s from the spittle
bugs that sit on the apple leaf
oh well it sounds like Tara’s in luck
already she’s got a high net the den
let’s go have a look hopefully we’re
gonna have a lucky streak and hopefully
starting with the hyena so we’ve come to
the back of where we were so we’re
literally on the opposite side to where
we were of the hyena den and sharp eye
Craig actually spotted and Timur the
little cub which is just in the thick
bush and definitely the height helped
there was no way I could see I was
literally trying to see where
it was just somewhere in the bush there
she she is popping her head up every so
often but I don’t want to get too close
and disturb her
but then we do have mother who I can see
why we couldn’t see it from the other
side because she’s very flat and there’s
actually a little Ridge of the termite
mound just in front of her that would
have hidden her because trying to work
out how we weren’t able to see it from
there but that’s obviously why so
definitely worth checking around the
back of the hyena den and you can see
the honey then this side is in shadow
and it’s quite possible that the honey
dome was actually in shadow where the
female was lying but I’ll see her as the
Sun has crept over the sky the female is
now exposed so obviously she’s enjoying
the Rays sunbathing it’s not too hot for
at the moment as a nice lack of breeze
coming through and you can see the
golden fur I think she’s actually not
too older and a high you know because
they do tend to get lighter with age and
they do tend to get shorter fur with age
as well so I think she’s probably middle
age
but as I said I haven’t really had a
good look at her yet so I’m just taking
from what I’m seeing at the moment now
for these guys
nocturnal nocturnal activity is the norm
but like I was saying I do like to sleep
and enjoy the Sun as well and Lisa Lisa
thinking it was a snake to begin with Oh
not a good place to learn buddy frankly
given a long call and actually flying
straight over to where the hyenas are a
rethought that would actually wake them
up wonder what actually disturbed yeah
hello good morning lady highness just
looking up now over a shorter to see
what was all the commotion no not worth
my bother wonder what did disturb the
Franklin
not parently nothing too much seen as
the Franklin’s decide have a bit of a
certain it does bathe that’s the first
time she’s lifted up her head since
we’ve actually been here so I wonder if
she was in a very deep sleep oh it is
absolutely delightful demócrata
tomorrow soaking in the Sun tomorrow
also wishes she could be doing that and
it is it’s one of the best things in the
world soaking in the African race I did
wonder if she was going to get up and
reposition herself
and there goes the little want to go and
join her oh we might be lucky she might
go and suckle shall we go around to the
front it looks like they’ve gone around
to the front of the den we might be in
luck look like the curb was hungry
so we’re gonna reposition ourselves see
if we can get a better view slightly
more open around the front as well
they are aren’t they snazzy hyenas are
super pretty and unfortunately I think
Highness get a bit of a bad press and a
lot of people don’t like cleaners but
you know what a lot of documentaries and
I think the Lion King added to it as
well
that yes hyenas are scavengers and they
will steal kills but hyenas are actually
a very good predator in their own right
and lions will often steal kills from
hyenas and quite often what’s been
missed is the how users are actually
trying to get their kill back off the
Lions they are absolutely beautiful
especially when they’re younger they can
look at a little bit and moth-eaten when
they’re a bit older less them so we came
in on that bit so yes if we’d have come
in on the other side we would have seen
her there there she is there’s little
one hello but yeah I think we’re gonna
just keep pulling around oh she’s gonna
go there okay just in case she
disappears now it is quite difficult to
determine male and female hyena so
especially at such a young age
generally speaking females are a bit
more boisterous than males females have
a lot of testosterone in their body
which actually helps them to out-compete
the males because of that their
genitalia actually looks like that of a
male which is very unusual obviously in
the mammal world oh yeah nice resting
spot you can see that’s one of the
favourites that’s actually where we saw
them yesterday a nice little pillow and
a very nice shadow
I miss the name dee-dee-dee-dee-dee
gasps Oh
geeky geeky Beth a great name geeky Beth
so nocturnal love sleeping and loving
the Sun geeky Beth thinks that she’s a
hyena as well I wonder if he could hear
the whistle of the bird that was just
calling any sharp eared people if you
could hear it
hashtag Safari alive what bird was just
calling I’ll try and point it out again
if it does call again so yes I believe
the the bold nature of this curb and
incidentally you can call a haina the
offspring a pup or a cub it’s one of
those funny ones that you can use either
either because originally heiner’s were
in the dog order or sub order and they
got changed over there into the cat sub
order in the whole taxonomic grouping so
I think that’s why you can actually call
them pups or cubs but suppose
technically now they’re in the cat order
sub order it would be better to call
them Cubs but yeah Z saying such a cute
cub it really is but as I say I think
possibly the personality of this is one
and may’ve made people believe that it’s
a female and that could possibly be it
will also depend on the rank of the
mother so if the mothers are very high
ranking female then her offspring are
more likely to be a lot more boisterous
with other Cubs because they are higher
ranking even males will be quite
boisterous towards the other Cubs but
yeah as I say if you can get two cubs
together and and you can see if one’s
more boisterous and the other
and that’s a possibility that’s a female
but it’s very very difficult to sex a
hyena
hi Raphael and good afternoon to you
Raphael wanting to know how old the curb
actually is so it’s nice and fluffy and
it’s actually it does have its spots so
they’re actually born black and they’re
usually quite small little black
creatures like this they’re so cute and
they start gaining their spots when
they’re about four months old so this
one’s got quite a lot of spots as you
can see and it started to go a bit
lighter around the neck so I would say
it’s probably around the 6 7 8 month old
area so still very much reliant on mums
milk the only really get weaned or start
getting weaned after a year can be up to
18 months so it’s quite a long time that
they will actually suck suckle milk from
the mother very rarely will hyenas bring
anything back me twice to the den so
this little one will actually stay
around the den it won’t join mum until
it’s over a year old out on the
scavenging missions so it’s going to be
keeping nice and safe close to those
holes so this is an old termite mound
originally aardvark would most likely
have made those holes because they are
the excavators of the bush they’ve got
huge claws and they can build these
holes they can actually dig something
like a metre in ten minutes they are
just absolutely amazing animals and they
can dig six meters down to make
themselves a bedchamber and then they
dig holes into termite mounds to get at
the termites
so once the termites have been
extinguished from that mound then other
animals can actually take over those
holes and that’s why you get the hyenas
using the termite mounds and the holes
so they’re going to be having quite a
nice cool area in that hole but also the
the Cubs will actually make a little
area sort of scrape it away so only they
can fit in there so if there are any
predators around they can actually
retreat back into
the right at the back of that hole and
hopefully keep nice and safe from
predators while mum is away
so did we have anybody coming back with
the whistle orange in the door sorry I
think I preempted your question there
about hyenas making the holes themselves
so not really they’ve actually they
don’t have very long claws really they
are claws like dogs and that’s one
reasons why they got placed in the dog
suborder because they do look like a dog
especially with the claws a lot of the
members of the cat order are able to
retract their claws especially the true
cats or at least have nice sharp claws
but not the hyena but it’s all to do
with differences in the skull between
the dogs and the cats I wonder if that
Franklin’s making its way around and
that’s possibly what the little hyena is
hearing
man soup there is a chin spot that is
calling but that wasn’t the bird so I’m
wondering if it was just something a
little bit too far but chin spot batiste
says three blind mice chin swap batis so
do listen out for that one as well but
this one was more like a whistle like a
see if I could actually do it yeah that
was rubbish so it was actually a grey
hornbill sounding like an Admiral’s
whistle so I think we’re going to head
to byron i think he’s actually found
something good luck enjoy and I think
it’s a mammal this time yeah it is
indeed Tyra I’m a beautiful big male
giraffe he is now moving away from us
[Laughter]
actually down in a drainage line and we
look we’re looking up at him but he’s
now moving off to through the thicket
well thank goodness you got a brief view
of the giraffe with us so we found
something we have found a mammal so far
it’s a bit better than this morning I
better start fortunately is not
interested in hanging around now how am
I gonna get out of this drainage line
I’m gonna try reverser quickly
we’ll just get back out
since I let me know when I hit something
gentlemen you asked is it a cat day and
you asked who is roaming the
neighborhood that we should look out for
well this morning we had tracks of the a
mating pair of leopards they were around
yesterday morning we didn’t get to see
them though because we weren’t up and
the amira show was on but then yesterday
afternoon no one could find them and
last night we heard them right outside
camp they were very close to camp their
walk walked and drank at at the Gary dam
that will for your teller damn we found
tracks of them this morning but we
couldn’t find to find them they crossed
into arethusa and fortunately no lions
were found this morning so we don’t know
I gentlemen I’m going to try and see
maybe we find some leopard tracks a
little bit later that would be great but
for the moment for as we know there were
no cats on Juma this morning but it does
change and they do move around and
especially during the day in winter the
cats do move around a lot more than
usual so maybe we’re lucky and lions or
leopards arrived sometime during the day
so see and keep a lookout for fresh
tracks
where’s Ella you asked if most animals
have a routine that they follow no not
necessarily I don’t I don’t think so at
all I think the animals will go and
drink when they are thirsty not
necessarily at specific times of the day
I think predators will hunt when they
are hungry not necessarily at specific
times of the day I don’t think there’s a
routine at all not at all
if it was it would probably be a lot
easier to find these animals but it’s
not so no I don’t think it is a routine
I think the only certainty idea is that
at the moment our drives are from 3:00
in the afternoon to 6:00 in the
afternoon and the mornings from 6:00 in
the morning to 9:00 in the morning
that’s the only certainty
all right well I’m gonna scan his
drainage lines a little but maybe we
find a herd of elephant moving through
the area that would be great let’s head
back to Tyra with those hi Annette the
den it is so true Byron the only
certainty is the drive going out because
it is live we have absolutely no idea
what is going to happen now we were
hoping to find the hyena snoozing some
days you can come here and there’s no
movement and some days you can hit it
lucky like we have done now
so there’s mum so you can see she is
fairly lighting color but she still has
quite a bit of fur on her and say
sometimes they almost look bald once
they’re very old
hi orange in the door another question
from you which is great to hear
asking how big the honey packs can get
now it depends on the area that you work
in and this is one of the things that I
absolutely love about Safari live is
that we have a lot of different guides
who have guided all over the different
reserves and across the country in
different countries as well because what
can be true for one animal in one area
can be completely different for the same
animal in a different area because
there’s different things that are
actually influencing them so whether
it’s the weather the seasons the
vegetation so the different animals that
might be there some individuals can
obviously be different and have
different characteristics so there’s a
lot of things that can change from one
area to a neck so that’s really
important you know sort of answering
these type of questions and that’s why
it’s really good to hear other people’s
stories and experiences because the
books that are out there were written
usually by one or two people and that’s
so that’s their experience as I say it’s
not necessarily taken into consideration
what happens elsewhere so a lot of us
have obviously guided here in the sands
and then serviced about she guided in
smaller reserves larger reserves and
that is going to have that impact so
here in the sabi sands we don’t tend to
see the clans that big we I think the
largest clan number that I know of here
in the sands and maybe Byron could
actually correct me because I know he’s
done some some time here in the sands in
the southern side so they could even be
slightly different there but certainly
around this area
I’ve not seen more than sort of ten
adults or so maybe 15 in the clan
something like that in the Mara I
believe they do actually have much
larger clans I think they could get up
to 60
but again the Mara does actually have
the numbers of animals to support the
clan size now here there’s there is a
lot of animals but not to the extent of
the Mara
so the clans sighs it’s not going to be
able to support that that sort of size
so that’s why it’s going to be quite
small still so if you’re interesting to
hear how many Barons actually seen so
wonder if we can bounce that over to him
as well but as I say here I remember
there being a floppy ear some viewers
might actually remember her and she we
believe she was actually the matriarch
the high-ranking female but I’m not sure
what’s going on with the clan members
now I believe this is like a mid-ranking
female so I’m sure the guys would have
seen the interactions and that’s how you
can tell where they are in the rank is
the interactions with other hyenas if
they’re submissive or if they’re the
dominant ones if other hyenas come up to
them and sniff them if they are the
dominant that as I say the others come
up to sniff if they’re submissive they
go to the higher ranking to smell them
so I think Byron has maybe got something
in his sights I’m hoping for you I was
trying to have a look everywhere now I’m
often you get these little bird parties
where a bird party is basically a number
of little birds fly in in a group and
they’ll go and look for food and and and
moved together now southern blacks it is
a is a great indication of a bird party
they’ll always be in with with a number
of other birds now this is a beautiful
beautiful knob for net that the birds
are actually flying in at the moment
there’s a lot of birds around here and
let’s see what that is on the left ear
since that is the southern black shut it
two of them you know black and white in
the wings but their number
of birds and with all these flowers
around at the moment a lot of buddies
looking for food in there but look at
that beautiful yellow flowers and as I
was saying it’s hard to see all the
birds around there but we saw black
editorial bar throated appleís Taylor
hello Taylor Taylor’s watching and she’s
on leave and Taylor said she’s missing
all the animals already on Taylor so Am
I because I haven’t been able to find
anything well this morning there we go
what if we go jumping around there it
looks like a long build crumpet no not
that one that I don’t want it that is
the bath right Syd hapless everyone that
little one that is jumping and moving
around there to see if we can see it and
we just need some lights on the front
you’ll see very yellow and a black bar
very clear black bar across the chest
there we go come on out into the open
for us and you could just see the yellow
look this way come on hold and since
it’s very difficult to keep up with
these little birds and keep jumping
around come on one more we just need to
jump out into the open hiding behind the
branches a little bit there there it is
there it is narita
let’s just see if it you can get another
view of it
actually just trying to have a look you
know what that might have been might
have been the yellow yellow breasted
Palace just jumping around it Rita
you’re asking what they they feed on so
mainly insects little insects sometimes
fruit or nectar I just wish you can see
it again it’s jumping around but as you
saw it so difficult to get a good view
of them while they’re jumping around and
these thick trees they tiny tiny little
birds one of these let me show you a
photo quickly so you know what we’re
looking for
it’s nice to see these little birds so
we bought right to the playlist where
appleís is quite common in this area
you know so it was definitely not the
bar throated you can see clearly so this
is very light in coloration but with
that black prominent bar as I said I
think it might be the yellow hang on a
second I’ll just find it for you yellow
bracelet that’s it yellow bracelet
appleís or payless depending on how you
want you said and that’s what we saw you
could see it better the yellow jumping
around and then they’re very prominent
black bar down the front so yellow
bracelet up a palace or Palace it’s a
nice little one to see
some you asked how many kinds of birds
live in Africa now I’m not too sure of
the total number in Africa I know
southern Africa however southern Africa
is just over 900 species I think it’s I
think it’s 924 or something like that a
la 968 968 species recorded in southern
Africa that’s what it is 968 that’s
quite a quite a number of bird species
alright looks like these birds have
moved off and I think I’m going to do
the same but interesting to see when you
are out when you are out on safari if
you drive you around and you see a
number of little birds around and
especially that little southern black
touch that black and white one it’s easy
to then see that it is a bird party
perhaps so chances of seeing a lot of
different bird species together Oh some
Impala running across the road in front
of us
and it’s nice to to stop and have a look
around and see how many different bird
species you can see
yes now Tyra was chatting about the
hyena clans and I don’t know what the
largest is in this area I haven’t seen
enough Hina around here I don’t know the
largest clan I’ve seen probably in about
been I think 10 or 12 Hina but speak of
the high knowledge it back to Terra
found out how those hi not doing at the
den awesome thanks Byron
so yeah around the 1012 mark the biggest
one that he’s seen here for the clan
size so yeah that seems to be maybe
around the sun’s then as I say is is
dependent on so many different things so
it would actually be interesting to hear
James’s views when he joins us as well
deer watcher hello again welcome on
board this afternoon asking if there are
other any hi are there I try that one
again if there any other hyenas so these
are the spotted hyenas so called because
obviously the spots on the coat but
there are brown hyenas which are about a
similar size actually then they have
long brown fur and they are a lot more
solitary and they also have a very
different call to the spotted hyena so
the Lion King was very spot on when they
had the giggles of the hyenas when they
get excited they do have a very
high-pitched giggle and you can also
hear them contact calling which is what
I was hearing a couple of nights ago
outside my room and they’re they do have
a little nosey around camp as well I did
have a female coming to camp knocking
over the bin waking us up so I had to go
out and chase her off but you tend to
have the spotted hyenas sort of hunting
together as a pack sometimes sometimes
they go off and forage by themselves
it’s more than norm here in the sabi
sands as I say they are a very good
hunter in their own right but the brown
Hina tends to be more solitary there’s
not been a whole lot of research done on
the barren ohina but I think there has
been some more come through fairly in
the fairly recent years so I think they
can still den together but they will
still go off and forage alone I’ve been
lucky enough to have a few brand heinous
sightings and there was one actually on
the old reserve used to work at and we
stopped for drinks and there was a bunch
of ville de biessed in the distance and
to sort of separating themselves and it
was just it was just becoming dusk and I
suddenly realized hold on a minute
that’s not to build a base they’re a
little bit too small and the back is
sloping even more so than that of the V
lobbyists and out she’s realized it was
too brown hyenas walking so they must
have been mating which would have been
really amazing to see but unfortunately
they’re very secretive
they’re probably even more secretive
than the leopard actually so if you get
to see a brown hyena
unless you’re in the very special places
like the Kalahari and I think Taylor was
saying that she’s seen quite a number of
brown hyenas and I believe Taylor’s
actually on board this afternoon
missing the animals already hi Taylor
and I know the Brown hyena is something
that she really wanted to see here in
the sands we’ve had one sighting a long
time ago by Peter Pretorius some of you
might remember joining him for that
drive and they actually have quite a
strong pungent smell and that’s one of
the smells for some reason I can pick up
on very easily so I’m forever keeping a
smell out for you guys there’s also the
striped hyena which is a little bit
smaller than the spotted and the brown
nice silvery colour with black stripes
they tend to be found
further north of the cut in there Oh
Archie the whole continent so more
centralized
they’re also quite a beautiful hyena
hi David asking if clan takeovers are
common amongst hyenas I’m kind of taking
it as if a female try and take over
another clan I’m kind of taking it as
that but not really
you tend again the clan members are
going to be related so it’s going to be
the mother and the offspring the aunts
the daughters that sort of thing the
males will tend to be pushed out they
tend to be a little bit more solitary
once they leave the clan after about two
years of age although the high-ranking
female Cubs sorry the Cubs from the
high-ranking female can tend to stay for
a little bit longer maybe until they’re
about three and it’s possible that gives
them the edge when they’re trying to
approach other clans they actually are a
little bit bolder because unfortunately
male hyenas have a bit of a hard time
because the females have so much
testosterone in their body they’re
actually a lot larger than the males
generally so they have quite a lot of
aggression as well so a male has to
approach female very cautiously so if he
gets on the wrong side of her believe me
those jaws are extremely powerful
I think they’ve actually measured it
like 1,500 psi or pounds per square inch
so they’re actually one of the strongest
bites of the mammal Kingdom they really
are quite astonishingly strong so if
they get on the wrong side of the female
they hold no punches they will tell that
male she is definitely not interested so
they almost have to go through this
ritual of sort of bowing to her and then
creeping forward then bowing again so it
can be quite intimidating so if the
males have actually built up their
courage and especially as a say if they
from a high-ranking female they’ve built
up that courage they tend to be a little
bit bolder and it’s more likely they get
the matings as well because they do have
that edge but in terms of clan takeover
if if that VI right ranking female dies
and it’s going to be the next high
ranking female that takes over really
and again that’s that’s generally
already established because of the ranks
and all the rituals of coming up and
showing dominance and some submissive
behavior a lovely Lurie
welcome on board this afternoon lovely
lori wanting to know if males actually
make coalitions or group of males so
obviously with the Lions and the
Cheetahs hopefully you’ve heard that
term before the coalition and that’s
just the brothers basically banding
together it’s generally related males in
terms of Hina’s I don’t I’ve not really
heard of males doing that I’m just I’m
wondering if maybe two hunts I wonder if
that happens in the Mara say with the
larger clan sizes there but I’m just
really remembering that males do here
might have to do a little bit of digging
just to remind myself about that but at
this stage I’m saying I’m pretty sure
they don’t again because there’s a lot
of competition between individuals but
I’m willing to be corrected on that one
if anybody wants to check out for us
just to remind me then please do so
hashtag safari live but I’m pretty sure
they don’t
so I think we we’ve got another question
coming through our new viewer lion
welcome on board this afternoon I hope
you enjoy your first live Safari and
Lyme wanting to know are hyenas
dangerous to humans well they can be and
this again anything in the bush has the
ability to be dangerous to humans if you
lose the respect for the bush and
Heinen’s
are no exception if you turn your back
on a Hina at night a Hina can actually
do some damage and there’s been the odd
story where people have left their doors
open to their rooms at night and the
hyenas have actually come in and taken
them off the bed and dragged them away
and killed them so you do have to treat
these animals with respect but again as
I say I chase one out the camp the other
day or the other night I was still close
to my room so I wasn’t making any silly
moves but I had to tell her you know
what this is my territory
get out and again as that respect there
she knew she was in the wrong and she
ran out of that to their siesta because
I said before say it’s yester is over so
we’re going to carry on our search for
other animals and see what Byron has got
for you while we do that
oh nothing just yet is a bird soaring
above us let’s see if we can try to get
on camera and see what it is
oh no it’s but it is a bit far for us in
the sense of the screen
ID I think it’s even too far for the
camera maybe what do you think’s in
there looks like a martial Eagle I think
it’s a martial Eagle everybody I caught
a glimpse of white underneath and fish
that is far it’s disappeared into the
sky well but I did think it was a
martial eagle soaring above us I just
caught a glimpse of white dead brown
eyed maybe I’m just trying to convince
myself but I do think it was a martial
Eagle but just too far unfortunately I’m
going to head down towards Chitra damn
hopefully we have some activity there of
animals coming down to drink or animals
in the area some elephant anything
because for the moment haven’t seen too
much
and this let’s try her let’s see yeah
there we go
and I can’t be there’s a better layer
flying and a vulture which I’m any
focusing on first since let’s have a
look that is a vulture look like a white
back Fulcher amazing to see them soaring
above us like that in some vultures
there was a better layer above us too
but they’re flying credibly high today
I’m assuming the thermals are giving
them a hand I’m soaring above us like
that it’s actually nice to see birds of
prey flying around but it’s just
unfortunately they’re so far it’s very
difficult to get them on camera
James not at all I have not seen any
buds on any of the trees
the only thing showing signs of life
really is the is the acacia nitrate
since the knob for the knob thorns are
any tree that is showing signs of life
with those beautiful yellow flowers at
the moment the rest of the trees I
haven’t seen any new buds or anything
just yet I I think we need to wait in a
few more weeks before we start seeing
anything
chatty chatty make you so it’s hard to
believe that those were actually flowers
on the knob phone of course they will
make what else would they be
hey word I am the beautiful yellow
flowers that you see on the on those
knob phones this time of year and every
now and then you can pick up that sweet
smell of those flowers very very sweet
smell I love flowers I must be honest
that’s one thing that becomes difficult
in summer is identifying all the little
flowers around it’s not easy you often
forget I need to go back and refresh and
try and remember all the names again of
the different flowers
now we had some birds flying above us it
sounds like Torres another bird that
she’d like to show you
yeah she said literally just as they’re
gonna link to it’s gonna fly and it did
but I’m just gonna pull back so I can
still see him but because I are there we
go stay come on this is your five
seconds of fame yes you ain’t talking to
you okay so just so yeah just up you’ve
got him in the shots just a bit higher
up yeah there you go
there we go so this was the bird who was
whistling like an admiral and a little
bit earlier the grey hornbill that shock
of yellow on the bill other than that
completely gray now a technical term for
the hornbills they’re split off into two
groups we’ve got the head up whistlers
and the head down Cluckers believe me
that is actually a technical term
amazing isn’t it so the head up
whistlers are the gray hornbills because
when they whistle they put the head back
and then they whistle and as you might
expect the head down clickers which
include the southern red build and the
southern yellow-billed hornbills put
heads down and they cluck it really is
true so next time you hear the horn
bills they kind of go back go back go
back go back go back go back go back and
they doing this with the wings in the
down like this it was really cool to
watch I’ll see if I can find it for you
but yes nice to see the gray hornbills
so apparently someone has spotted some
Buffalo at the pan just over the way
here so we’re gonna see if we can catch
up with them because I know you guys
haven’t seen Buffalo for a wee while so
it’d be nice to catch up with the old
boys I’m sure it will be a small herd of
but Duggar boys or even just one Duggar
boy so we’ll see if anybody is still
with them there any station with the
yachty at Gallagher waterhole
sorry pan
through there there’s a jackal thought I
saw movement just disappear through the
bush me just see if I can see him again
side strike jackal how about that I
don’t know if you’re gonna be able to
see it I think he might just disappeared
into the thick bush some literally just
something caught my attention there the
corner of my eye
that’s after me saying I’ve only seen
jackal once and Bobby but I’m afraid I
think he has just disappeared through
the bush maybe you’ll come out to the
woods the watering hole maybe
Oh lacquer oh you’re in for a treat
whoo well done Byron I’m gonna wait for
him to show you what he’s got look at
this yes our plan has worked out an
elephant and he’s actually been swimming
since he’s completely wet he’s been
splashing around in the water down here
at chudd to a dam how this is wonderful
really wonderful I’m hoping he goes back
into the water whatever look this is
always a very very pleasant surprise if
we do get elephant down at the dam for
some reason they really enjoy they
really enjoy coming down to swim and
splash around in the water it’s just a
lone bull I don’t see any others around
it’s not unusual to find a bull by
himself sometimes you find the Bulls in
small groups two three four of them
moving around especially the younger
bulls watch it guys yes yes look at that
is completely on his side this is my
favorite every one I promise you I can
watch this for hours and he seems to be
having a lot of fun
how beautiful and those white tasks are
in contrast to the body now the body is
very dark gray because he is so wet ah
yes
Wow look at that we’ve got a breaching
elephant everyone that’s what’s going on
here a breaching elephant
seek truth you say a dunking elephant
look how mad are that elephants enjoying
that water is wonderful as I said look
at the contrast those beautiful tusks
against that dark skin the light is
perfect now what words would you use and
you don’t really have to use words and
sightings like this it’s just nasty sit
and appreciate and and watch I mean this
is special this is one of my favorite
things to see out in the bush ruin his
elephants play and splash around in the
water
Kim could afternoon to you you’re a new
viewer apparently and you say it’s
almost like this elephant is performing
just for us it almost looks that way
doesn’t it it just looks like he’s
having so much fun being on Linden go as
a new target but of food on the bank and
then comes back into the water
Komi you asked if elephants ever get
water in the years I don’t know I’m
possibly I’ve never seen an elephant to
get out of the water then jump on the
side on one layer or two legs did you
hit the water out there is this I don’t
know probably not probably not I doubt
it let’s have a look this fish eagle
just took off from the dam I wonder look
there it goes
a beautiful african fish eagle well done
since early
I was probably going to some trees to
the back we may get another view of him
later I see where you landed carry on
watching our elephant for a while though
I think amazing now in other parts of
southern Africa especially up in
Botswana and Zambia the the elephants
need to cross big rivers deep rivers so
they’re very used to swimming and they
do enjoy it and often see I’ve seen
elephants herds of elephants move
through or cross a river just their
trunks sticking out to the water
no entire herd even the youngsters
it’s quite a breeze coming off of this
dam at the moment cool cool breeze has
he had enough is he going to move off
chatty chatty Meg he said that was just
too cute yeah it was indeed Meg I hope
you enjoyed that he’s definitely
behaving quite well in quite a
boisterous manner this elephant wonder
if he isn’t in a bit of mast obviously
we can’t see now because he’s completely
wet so we can’t see if he’s sweating
from his possibly in must I’m not sure
as I said we can’t tell now because he’s
completely wait elephants way go in
there walk downhill tracing
right now I think we’re going to leave
this elephant and his wonderful Swagger
and it’s hit across to somebody who also
has bit of a swagger my friend James in
the Mara good morning everybody
no that’s a ridiculous thing to say good
afternoon hello welcome to the sunday
Sun sets for ephraim at the masai mara
my name is James Henry Fergus is on
camera grubby hand that has been a dusty
day dusty day it has we’re in amongst
the wildebeest here where I as I’ve
aspired of course some might say more
alive than Byron and a hashtag Safari
live is how you get hold of us now you
may notice from the flapping of my hat
that there’s quite a lot of wind at the
moment and that’s because over there
there’s a large storm there it is I
think it’s moving up the escarpment so I
think we’ll be alright we are getting
the odd spattering of rain but what we
have around us of course is a huge
number of wildebeest in the tree over
there we’ve got some vultures and down
in the valley where there is no signal
there are some lions and those lions are
not far from here and they seem to be
heading up in this way we can’t really
go any further down from where we are
now so what I would attempt to do is
show you where they are from here well
that won’t be hard because they’re two
vehicles there but I’m going to pick up
my binoculars and let’s look down there
together
and we’ll see if we can’t I saw one of
them get up and move towards this area
here and they keep making sort of gentle
movements in this direction
Breezie you want to know how many will
the best I think there are here
approximately I would hesitate to guess
but I’d say hmm four or five thousand
maybe it’s no I don’t know I think it
would be very interesting to put me into
this area get an answer out of me and
then do the same with the print and the
same with Scott and the same with Jamie
and see that without us knowing what
each other had said and then get some
kind of an indication because I think
you’ll find that it would be very
different for every one of us I don’t
know I would say about a few thousand
years now that shop that you have there
is what we call a slightly compressed
shot in that the lion is is not quite as
close to the world of business she looks
there and we use that technique
sometimes when we were on Bush Walker
and then you come to us and suddenly it
looks like we’re standing underneath an
elephant or some sort of trick of the
trade if you like and so although I have
almost no doubt that there’s lions who
don’t look very fat or thinking about
hunting these wildebeests are not sure
obviously when they’re going to do that
we’ve seen Brent in this area a few
times with lions watching them on the
hunt and they have been startlingly
impatient about it
some might say to the point of
incompetence so he was running into the
middle of them and seeing what they
could find and seeing if they couldn’t
catch one that tripped over its own feet
and we’ve yet to see these chaps be
successful but we might be lucky here I
think it’s definitely gonna be worth us
sitting here and waiting to find out –
these lions are going to come up here
and hunt one of these wildebeest so in
case you’re wondering now I’m just going
to tell you our plan out here in the
Mara for the duration of the time that
the the lobbyists and Thompson’s
gazelles of course and zebra are here is
going to be to try and find them
and the predators that are hunting them
and see if we can’t well first of all
make some sort of prediction about
what’s going to happen and then watch
the Hunts failed or otherwise most of
them will inevitably be failures and of
course many of us myself included don’t
mind the failed hunts they’re good fun
to watch and so was quite nice to enjoy
day without death but some of them will
be inevitably successful and so while
you
hi everybody it sounds like you’ve had
some wonderful views from the Mara with
a herd of wildebeest and some lions
sitting behind them that sounds like
something might happen there something
exciting so I’m sure James is going to
keep us updated on what’s happening
there the wonders of technology hay from
the Mara up in Kenya back down here to
South Africa in the blink of an eye
absolutely fantastic so we are we have
two niala bulls and one of them
displaying oh that is one of the best
things to see look at that I’m saying
one of them’s displaying can you see the
male at the back he’s got that
Silvermane erect he’s being very
deliberate at where he’s placing his
feet and the other male is not even but
I hope that’s why there is another male
there’s a third male it’s gonna say this
younger male in front is kind of saying
no you’re the winner but there is the
rival so they are slowly dancing around
each other they’re sizing each other up
trying to work out who is going to be
the winner they’re going to do
everything they can to avoid a direct
confrontation because if they get
injured during that confrontation I’m
going to move a bit further along the
war because we’re gonna lose them behind
the bush there
the dance of dominance very much so I
think we might be better this should be
a nice view there’s actually a fourth
male there that is amazing
oh maybe we were better back there I
thought we were gonna see them through
there definitely coined a phrase their
dance of dominance I am wondering if he
has decided that maybe he’s not going to
be the winner how stopped his dance oh
there we go he’s starting again so
animals go through these rituals because
as I say if they actually have a direct
fight those horns could potentially
spear the rival male and if there is the
loser that does get injured that could
actually impact on their ability to run
away from predators it could actually
reduce their ability to find food if
it’s if they’re really badly injured so
they go through this ritual to work out
who is likely to win who is the largest
who is the strongest by showing off
everything they have so by standing with
their fur erect it makes them larger and
you can see them arching the back as
well hi Zoey
and welcome on board this afternoon and
so he wanted to know is it mating season
or do they do this throughout the year
so generally speaking in the Oilers and
there’s the other male coming interview
again so generally speaking the spar
hall now slow and the niala don’t have a
very strict mating season although when
the young are born they will often drop
when it’s sorry I think I swallowed a
bug excuse me it’s very about that so
yes they will often drop their young
during the rainy season when
plenty of food but there might be a
female that’s actually a nice truss not
too far from here
and that’s triggered these males to come
together and fight for her fight for the
right to mate with her but I think the
male behind I think he’s the winner
because the other the male that’s in
front of the shot he seems to have
remained stationary for a little while
the hairs gone down on his back so I
think he’s kind of realized that perhaps
he is not the best male oh and it sounds
like that solitary male elephant has
found a few friends so I’m gonna see if
they do carry on there’s actually
another that there’s a fifth male niala
around here so I’m wondering if there is
a female around that’s caused them to
all get there here he’s just here on the
right here but nowhere near as
magnificent with the horns as the other
two males who were displaying just now
that I think that bull has found some
friends so I think it’s worth definitely
checking them out well then it is indeed
now I think the bull moved off but look
at this wonderful hood I think we’re
about 22 elephant that have just arrived
to drink I’m not sure if they’re going
to feel comfortable enough to go in get
in and swim oh there we go
already one or two of them wading in but
I’m assuming I’m hoping the whole herd
comes and spreads out they all seem to
be keen for a drink
I think this big female the right in the
front and the left-hand side I think
that is the matriarch she is one of the
largest elephant sorry I bigger partner
not that one just to the the right so he
says they just behind her that one name
yes
I think that is the matriarch she is the
largest female that I can see in the
group also she led the herd down to the
water she walked in front and she kind
of surveyed the area to make sure it was
safe just listen to the silence I’m
gonna keep quiet for a second listen to
them sipping and slurping up the water
in their drank sucking up the water and
drinking
splashing the water and isn’t that
wonderful
see again in situations like this
society exactly elephants just playing
in the water
how it positioned that so when I saw the
hood coming down and I actually moved
away from we were on the damn wall saw
them coming and moved away because I
could see they were female that the
large female was smelling I don’t want
to make her nervous she can obviously
see something’s blocking away look at
that isn’t that amazing little youngster
staying very close to the hood that is
cute as I was saying looked like that
heard listen to communication going on
between the
or elephant coming I can see in the
background and and she then eventually
led the whole herd across the dam wall
and came out to drink on this side and
drinking that side before so I assumed
they would come here and and also I
positioned a little bit further away the
wind is in our favorites playing it’s
not blowing directly to them and often
if our scent is blown directly to them
they do get a bit nervous so we actually
the perfect spot right now
wonderful
you see others large females are very
protective over their youngster stays
close to them stays in between the herd
a lot of the time they’ll stop and
they’ll just basically listen and see if
they can smell us they want to make sure
we not a threat or we aren’t a danger
for the younger elephant and while the
hood is drinking
there are looks like to swimming at the
moment just behind the hood isn’t this a
magnificent scene though
and we just set here patiently and
waited for them and I’ve said this
before give give the animals their space
and often they’ll relax and then either
you can move a bit closer all they’ll
move closer to you so again that mutual
respect and especially having respect
for the animals not making them fuel in
any way that they are in danger I mean
look at those elephants swimming back
there now
now it’s interesting if we just have a
look these little elephants off to the
left here now look at that little one
now it takes an elephant – young
elephant about two years before they
really know how to use their trunks you
can see often what they’ll do is the
young ones off or watch the females and
these this is a learning curve for the
nails still be suckling completely from
the mother they’ll be drinking milk but
they will start learning to drink water
and it’s interesting to see how they’re
trying to use their trunks to put the
water in their mouths and they will
learn that from watching the adults
all right let’s quickly head across to
taro with the slender Mongoose and we’ll
wait and see what these elephants get up
to welcome back everybody so we were
just going to turn around because we can
hear some elephants actually behind Gary
dam wall we saw a slender Mongoose
making its way over to the two mounds
that are on your screen now and it
actually popped its head up from behind
the back mound so I was hoping maybe we
might catch a glimpse of it but I think
he’s playing hide and seek but it’s a
set it’s a mongoose that’s quite
solitary so we see the dwarf mongooses
quite a lot but we don’t get really get
chance to see the slender because
they’re just so quick and they’re quite
shy as well so they tend to stick to the
undergrowth but they are a mongoose that
are diurnal they they’re active during
the day they’ll also prey on the dwarf
mongoose so the operator of the dwarf
mongoose and unfortunately i think he is
a bit camera shy sadly i Rick and
welcome on board asking if the Mongoose
are part of the same family as ferrets
now I’m really gonna have to dig deep
for this I remembered it just like that
years and years and years ago but I do
I’m pretty sure the ferrets are actually
part of the mustelids which are part of
the dog order but I’m gonna have to
double check that one for you because
that’s like sure I haven’t used that bit
of information from about seven eight
years ago so I will double check that
one for you and I shall do that while
you head across back to Byron and we’ll
see if this little guy pops out
otherwise we’ll head on down see if we
can find the elephants just at the back
of the dam as well
it looks like more of these elephant is
decided to swim and play even some of
the younger ones all getting involved in
having a bit of fun in the water
absolute favorite I must be honest
citing now I counted 22 initially but
but five more have joined
see these ones a little bit nervous they
were further behind the herd and this
thing just excited they can see everyone
else’s swimming they might decide to go
and get in the water to just catch up to
the herd a little bit
it’s incredible they were making a lot
of noise and as soon as they got out the
water it is quiet
can hear some of the water thick knees
calling that high-pitched whistle that
we just heard a lot of birds around
starlings three-banded clovers Egyptian
geese that fish eagle that we saw
earlier that moved off I think it just
perched herself in in another tree and
still some more elephant – joining
another one or two wonderful hurt
Jana there’s no set number of how many
elephants will be in a herd it can range
from three elephant up to a hundred and
fifty or 300 elephant in some areas it
all depends the most elephant I’ve seen
in the sabi sands probably between 80 80
and 100 elephant in one group one heard
occasionally what can happen to is that
group of that herd will split possibly
two different herds three four different
herds that have mates up in an area and
they split up again so it can vary and
it can change the most elephant I’ve
seen I think is in Botswana in one heard
about a hundred and fifty elephant
together but wasn’t that perfect timing
to get down to the dam and see this
interaction
Tina you asked though you said the so
much room why did they bunch up so close
together well the thing is Tina I would
I would say and I mean this is my theory
I don’t know but elephant herds there’s
a very close-knit family unit and they
rely a lot on each other for safety and
when they do come down to swim or drink
rather the the elephants are so cautious
even though they are big and powerful
and these herds probably don’t have any
predators out here but they are still
very cautious and they look after the
young they look after each other and
because they’re also so social the
swimming behavior that we witnessed is
very social behavior it’s a bit of fun
and it’s nice to see that herd moving
around together and I think that’s why
they stay close together is just for
safety will better fund establishing
those bonds between the herd
there’s the last one so as I was saying
our timing is perfect
just see them moving through and
swimming that was just fantastic
absolutely fantastic I hope you enjoyed
that as much as I did
let’s head it back to let’s head her
back let’s head back to Tyra and see if
she’s still got those in Yala and if
there are still doing their wonderful
dancing display hello everybody we do
still have them niala they are still
down there so we’ve been back some
forwards across the damn wall a couple
of times because we have heard the
elephants in the background there so
we’re just trying to work out the best
part it’s about try and see them and I
think they’re actually heading towards
the western side of the drainage line
but it looks like there’s a couple of
very big balls there so there is the
niala another go at trying to display
their cue see he was really arching his
back and even the tail joins in as well
and gets curled around and he’s
definitely much larger than the male on
the left who he’s just forced back but
interestingly enough or the female niala
were on the northern side of the dam
right off in the distance there I think
there’s some in part that’s joined them
as well there’s our Impala so they’re
niala where I think they’ve had him more
to the right there’s actually a couple
of dead trees a bit further right
somewhere around there yeah there we go
yep so just seeing if there was another
vehicle that wanted to cross the wall I
have just seen the elephants just moving
that way so I think we’re going to drive
around and just see if we can catch up
with them so
hi Antelope that’s why just miss the
question antelope asking about antelope
right it confused me then welcome on
board wanting to know if antelope other
antelope species use dance as a way of
intimidating other males and it’s not
really spring to mind like the dance
that the niala do but they certainly
will size each other up and sort of side
by side a lot of animals actually do
that even the cats so if this male
Impala is actually showing he was
throwing his head back and actually
grunting then so he might just do it
again so there’s a couple more males
here today just showing his dominance so
they don’t tend to dance but they do
tend to rule and just strut their stuff
as I say just walking side by side helps
them to see which one is taller they go
to see them to see him actually throwing
his head back the elephants are coming
up behind us so I’m going to just try
and turn the vehicle around just so
we’re facing them so they can see what
they get up to
and he doesn’t like a big bull
just trying to work out where he’s
likely to want to go because we don’t
want to be in the way of this bull see
where it is he’s gonna come out just in
front of us there there we go look at
that I’m wondering if he might just be
going down to drink
hello mister
good afternoon to you
and the second one’s going to be coming
up behind shortly
so there’s a second one that’s just
coming through the bush where the first
one came from now he’s not immersed I’m
not smelling anything quoted welcome on
board asking if the bull we’ve just seen
is the bull from Byron said picking his
time and I think there’s a little little
herd with him as well but Byron but 15
minutes 10 or 15 minutes maybe just to
get down there it’s not too far but it
is far enough that there’s no way that
elephant could have got here from there
in that time so pretty sure he is a
different bull you can hear them just
starting to come out the bush here so
with that bull
taking that pathway there I want to make
sure that we keep that clear it’s likely
that the other elephants are going to
want to come through there and obviously
we don’t want to get in their way so you
can just about see and the head poking
through and I seem to remember this was
always a spot that elephants liked they
always like to stop here for a dust bath
so apparently it’s really good dust
there and the dust her she just helps to
dislodge any parasites that might be on
the body helps to keep the skin in good
condition and obviously during the
summer they will actually put mud all
over their bodies as well and when the
mud hardens then that’ll have fall off
and they’ll actually scratch against the
tree to encourage it to fall off and
that can also pull out ticks and any
parasites that court amongst all the
wrinkles in their skin now these look
young boys so maybe they’re his
entourage as we was saying earlier on
today the young bulls tend to start
breaking away from the female herds when
they’re about 16 18 years old and then
they go and find older Bulls to hang
around with and they learn how
to be Bulls they learn how to spar and
fight as well the same thing spawn
fighting but they also learn what to do
and the etiquette of being male
elephants basically so it looks like
they are learning from the big male who
postures now I think that big male was
possibly in his late 30s maybe early 40s
maybe slightly later maybe mid 40s now
that’s quite a young a young bull that’s
trailing behind
so there might be some females in here
as well it looks like they might go down
to drink so I think it’s worth is going
onto the wall again they’ve taken a
slightly different route so the big male
carried on walking towards the lodge but
these are just going down to the water’s
edge here so it might be that we get see
them drinking
hi-yah COO oops
yeah COO wondering how far elephants
walk during the day so I just misjudged
there’s a little bit of a dip in the
road there and just misjudge that one so
we were going for a little wee slide
there but yaki wanting to know how far
elephants walk in a day and again it
depends on the time of year this time of
year they will walk much further looking
for food and water yeah there we go
then during the summer the summer they
tend to do small closed loops a figure
of eights actually when they in an area
looking for food and they get wider and
wider as they go further into summer
into winter sorry oh that’s nice
unfortunately the wrong way around but
there’s some Impala sparring just to the
left of the elephants and the elephants
are drinking as well how about that now
elephants are quite particular about the
water that they drink they don’t like
having any mirdle grits or anything like
that mixed in so you notice they’ll
actually skim the surface of the water
with the trunk and get the water that’s
on top you can see they’re not putting
their trunk right in the water
sure those Impala Rams are also really
going for it to the back there and the
other big bulls on his way back to join
these three boys look at that
so exquisite X I think that the name was
wanting to know how much water an
elephant can hold in its trunk it will
depend on the size of the elephant of
course but some of the big adults could
hold up to 14 liters in the trunk now I
wonder if we’re going to see a bit of a
standoff now these elephants we
definitely saw them all together in the
drainage line but there seems to be a
bit of a interesting thing going on here
now which looks like they’re wanting to
greet each other their trunks are
actually being held as if they were
going to put them in each other’s mouths
there we go there’s the younger bull
putting his trunk in the older bulls
mouth so maybe they didn’t quite greet
there we go in the drainage line
apparently that’s the best part
to drink from again look at him he’s
just got the tip of his trunk in the
water filtering off a slightly cleaner
water on the surface now they could
drink up to 100 liters in one go
shantelle synchronized drinking oh and
we’ve got another young bull coming in
yeah definitely synchronized drinking so
there’s a you a little bit of a myth
that elephants can use their trunk like
a straw and drink it straight through
cuz obviously that is their nose so they
have to hold it in the trunk and squirt
into the mouth on average a day a big
bull elephant could take in maybe 200
litres 300 litres of water if then if
there’s something wrong then they will
drink obviously a lot more and if
they’re drinking up to 400 or 600 liters
that means there is something not quite
right with them there we go there’s the
greeting is he allowed to put the trunk
in the mouth heard a bit of a trumpet so
there’s some more elephants to our right
in the drainage line now I did hear
someone found some leopard tracks
actually a spaghetti dinner he got moved
out by the bull elephant so babies
decided you know what I’m gonna show my
power to the Impala instead but don’t
know if you kind of saw that I was just
having a look for the elephants see if
there’s any more movement from his
behind that they have found yeah just
keep on watching that ball he’s not
happy with the niala
and the impala females so there’s a
jnanam male just coming into shot there
and they Impala females heading a little
bit further around the waterhole I think
that’s a good idea girls oh great I
think it does sound like everyone saw
the little little ball oh there we go oh
that was towards oh we got going on
there
what’s their little one oh it’s the
niala ball on the damn wall now he’s
gonna be interesting when he’s a big
bull if he’s throwing his weight around
now oh here comes the rest of the her I
was gonna say he’s a little bit young to
be on his own here comes the rest of the
herd that’s where he’s family off
so many species all at once
definitely Katherine it is getting a bit
cooler animals to tend to come down to
the water horse to drink late afternoon
especially in the summer they’re all
coming down to drink now so I’m gonna
stay on the walks I’m hoping they’re
gonna take the same route as the other
elephants it’s been quite boisterous I’m
just hoping that it’s they don’t think
it’s me that’s upsetting that little boy
so I’m just gonna keep my eye out on
them like I say I heard them talking
about leopard tracks coming up from
Spaghetti Junction and Spaghetti
Junction is the next Junction down from
here so they may be finding and they
said that the lack of tracks went north
so I thought maybe hearing the
trumpeting there’s a little one oh
there’s lots of little ones here we go
amazing
Oh mum was nudging the little boy he was
causing all the commotion there nudging
him down towards the water hole again so
perhaps the trumpeting was actually more
to communicate with the little boy see
where he’s gone maybe rather than them
being scared by a leopard but I’ll keep
my eyes peeled
perhaps the leopards are making the way
up here that would be nice
so a few people a bit concerned about
the Lapwing so the Lapwing is rather
just making a lot of noise they do tend
to get a little bit upset but it is out
the way so you don’t need to worry about
that okay so we might get a bit of a
greeting going on here the Bulls
actually greeting the female and
checking to see if she’s in Easter aside
oh if you saw there was that the trunk
just going between the legs again and
apparently she she looks like she might
be in E stress she’s the side of her the
glands by her eye is actually weeping so
that can be a sign that they’re in East
hrus or it could be a sign they’re a bit
distressed so they might have bumped
into the left foot a bit further down
because it doesn’t look like he’s
responding to her being in E stress like
yeah you can see the Lapwing just to the
right of the ball so it’s in between the
ball and the cow there it is now they
shouldn’t have eggs this time of year
there we go there’s the greeting between
the ball and the females sorry oh no
tell lie that say you know the young
bull so that was the Bulls I think that
were with him earlier so possibly
wanting to try a little bit of sparring
there
Gerber Walla interesting question there
is there any explanation as to why the
tails get raised horizontally and it’s
funny actually there are a number of
animals that do it rhinos giraffes when
they are scared when they are excited or
becoming aggressive if that tail gets
raised and I’m I’m actually not sure
exactly why what causes that and it
could be so it is a very much and
there’s no way it can be misunderstood
that it is actually a sign to say
something is wrong because they say
sometimes these animals use their body
language to actually communicate
elephant eyesight is not very good so
that for an elephant I would say
possibly not and especially with them
with the Rhino as well I have to do a
bit of digging see if anyone’s actually
done any research on that as to why the
tail gets raised and say we all know it
does but why it gets raised that is an
interesting one this is absolutely
fantastic
I rush nee rush Neos making the
observation that she’s often seen the
elephants running towards a dam as if
there’s not enough water around for them
and I think it’s the excitement but flow
do the same as well I think it is that
excitement possibly wanting to get there
before everyone else muddies the water
because I say they can be quite
particular about their water this time
of year there isn’t a lot of water
around but these elephants also know
where to go digging for it again the
Spaghetti Junction I mentioned they do
have the the sandy areas where you can
find weather elephants have actually
been digging and sometimes you can
actually catch them drinking there and
they’ll take that they’ll wait their
turn
so they’ll dig they’ll wait for the
water to fill up the hole and drink and
I’ll see that water is going to be
filtered by the sand so it’s going to be
nice and clean and they will actually
wait their turn
oh right oh right oh so there is
actually a black blacksmith Lapwing nest
they do still have a nest or they did
apparently one of them what other
zoomies actually saw one of the
elephants actually stand on the nest I
wasn’t sure where the nest might be so
now I’m understanding why people are
getting a bit concerned of what you’re
getting concerned for the bird to say oh
no the birds going to keep well out of
the way but they were trying to keep the
elephants from trampling their nest but
unfortunately this time it didn’t work
because a I’ve actually seen lapwings
die falling because they weren’t really
doing that I thought they were just
being fussy about the elephants coming
down because they do tend to get quite
vocal and but when they’re trying to
protect nests I have seen them
dive-bombing
the animals trying to keep them away
from the nest which I didn’t see this
time but unfortunately as I say possibly
because they haven’t done it they’ve
actually lost their nests sadly
oh it could be that this Lapwing pair
and not as experience maybe they just
put the nest in a slightly too much of
an open area and so be interesting find
out someone has a screen shot and maybe
put an arrow on it to show me where that
nest might have been because
unfortunately for the lapwings they they
don’t make a song and dance about where
the nest is purely because obviously
they don’t want to show where their eggs
are an eggs are extremely well
camouflaged as well oh we’ve got the
niala look the elephants and thoughts
liking the build-a-bear sauvignon i
think we need to maybe move they’re not
happy about this build abyss coming in
got a base to decide you know what
elephants it’s art in the drainage line
because they are being extremely
protective assuming it is build a beast
but did you see this female right up
front making sure the babies are behind
her
absolutely fantastic
so I think we’re going to see what
Byron’s caught up with and we’re going
to just reposition ourselves and see if
we get another view for you wow we found
some zebra and the zebra is posing
beautifully for us
that’s a beautiful beautiful shot had
golden light and the zebra enjoying the
termite hunt getting a bit of a view
from up there just listening to one of
the other guides I’m giving an update
they trying to look follow up on leopard
tracks or trying to check a leopard
they’ve got some deeper tracks um I
don’t think it’s on Juma and I think a
different sets of tracks around at the
moment I am but he just said to the
other guard he said and is he’s been
looking around looks like a tracks head
north but no joy yet so that obviously
means he just hasn’t found it yet
there’s another zebra stick Ian’s head
out just to the right of the termite
mound well it was it’s now put its head
down
so it looks like we’ve both had a lot of
luck with elephant this afternoon Tyra’s
also had a wonderful sighting of the
elephant near the dam and and sounds
like they covered in mud at the moment
let’s head back there and see what
they’re up to
oh well we were going to move on to see
if and get a better view but then they
started rolling in the mud and it’s just
so wonderful to see that so we have one
of the females really giving yourself a
good mud bath and as I say even in the
wintertime it can actually help remove
ticks and other parasites during the
summer it helps keep them cool you’re
helping that one down there it’s like
absolute awesome play for the little
ones they really seem to enjoy having a
mud bath some of the smaller elephants
you can see right in the middle of the
herd oh and it looks like the old bull
might try to be rolling in mud I’m not
sure if he’s really gonna do well there
but first I’ve seen this before
it’s almost like he’s actually crouching
solely feeling less intimidated by him
look at that absolutely fantastic
Luke the Duke I think I totally agree
with you elephants are so much better
than humans but it really is amazing how
much we share with them it really is and
the more we learn about elephants the
more we realize we didn’t know say I’ve
never actually seen this type of
behavior with an old bull and a young a
bull before this is absolutely lovely
now you’d see that tail swishing that’s
very common for the elephants to kind of
keep tabs on where the other elephants
are especially with the females with the
babies you’ll often see them just
smacking very lightly their baby just to
make sure they know exactly where that
baby is
there he goes a bit of sparring going on
now yeah I think he probably is around
his 30s mid 30s that bull doesn’t have
very deep indentations in his skull
the length the Tufts are controlled by
the genes but you can generally get a
gist of how old they are as well through
the Tufts you can kind but as I say you
can’t just go off of that because it is
determined by genes so some elephants
are able to grow much larger Tufts and
others certainly looking at the
indentation in the head the height of
the animal now I’m wondering if these
ladies are actually patiently waiting
for us to move I think maybe they’re
wanting to walk up onto the damn wall so
I’m wondering if it’s worth is moving
back and letting them come up here
because there’s one lady just looking at
us of this say you’re going to move
anytime soon so I’m gonna see
if that’s what she wants us to do
ah and I think we’ve got something just
to finish off that sighting for you so I
think we’re going to cross over to byron
and have a lovely sunset
there’s a zebra enjoying the sunset a
beautiful golden light on it at the
moment still upon their on the termite
mound
very very beautiful sight
ana ban this is known as the Birchall’s
zebra it’s not a sub species of zebra
it’s just a species of zebra so I think
it echoes echoes but but chilly if I’m
not mistaken the Bertels zebra or the
plains zebra also known as the plains
zebra so this is echoes but chilly and
let me double check my no I beg your
pardon so this and this i’m completely
mistaken it seems to have changed echos
quaja is the is the scientific name for
the plains zebra which is the zebra or
the perch I mean used to be called the
virtual zebra and now it’s a khuswaha
the plains zebra I’m a sexually
double-check because this book of mine
is a little old it’s from when I started
training a little older may have to
invest in a new memo book perhaps have
discovered new mammals since then now we
only have three species down in southern
Africa we’ve got the plains zebra and
then we’ve got two other species known
as the Cape mountain zebra found kind of
this southern central part of South
Africa in the kuru and that is the cape
mountain zebra down well obviously down
in the cape and you might be able to see
let me show you quickly this is the Cape
Mountain zebra and that one see the
stripes don’t go all the way down the
belly they stop and very white belly
those stripes are lot closer together
and then and then the other one is the
Hartman’s mountain zebra so this is the
plains zebra which we see see how those
stripes go all the way down right around
the belly straps much wider parts and
the prominent brown shadow in between
the black and white stripes
and then the the other one over here is
the Hartman’s mountain zebra and that
one is found up in northwestern South
Africa so right up almost in the wall
actually in the Kalahari and then up
into Namibia
that’s the Hartman’s mountain zebra
looks very similar to the Cape mountain
zebra so those are the three species we
get down here all right well I think
since I shall we ride off into the
sunset let’s carry on and see what else
we can find you can just call me John
Wayne from now on everyone and my horse
Wendy and we will be on our way into the
sunset
[Laughter]
alright it sounds like Torres found
itself in a interesting situation
elephant are blocking her way let’s go
have a look yep yep they do so we’re
gonna try and check out what’s going on
along twin dams Road so the elephants
did decide to go off this way but
there’s a couple of young bulls who are
busy sparring just on the road they’re
just up ahead of us while the rest of
them disappear through into the open
area the other young balls are oh
splashing around oh sorry
making their way into the water there
just while they rest the heard of making
the way off into the open area so that
is just lovely
with the youngster still looking on
amazing
I want to be an elephant now and play in
the water it’s just a little bit too
cold for me as a human but that looks
like a lot of them no we’ve got the
little youngster gonna go have a go at
the blacksmith laughing again he is
gonna be a handful here my little one
you’re getting left behind hi Jana Jana
asking if I’ve ever been charged by an
elephant I have there was a female that
she was halfway between a warning charge
and a full-on charge but there’s enough
vegetation between us and her that
slowed it down and it was actually more
displacement behaviour than anything so
I think the Lions we think were in the
area and I think they’d been upset by
them there were a little bit more on
high-alert than what they would normally
would do so I stopped quite a distance
from them a good 18 meters or so and
maybe more and
it just got to breaking point and she
decided she was going to displace it
behavior towards to me and she came for
us but she is a say she had to go around
the bushes a little bit so she didn’t
have a full charge so by the time she
got to where she had slowed down quite
considerably and I just thought
something said to me in my head don’t
shout so I just said hey lady what’s
this
and it almost broke her concentration
and she stopped about four meters from
her something like that but sometimes
whatever you do it’s not going to stop
them and you just have to get out of
there and it’s trying to know when
that’s going to be because sometimes if
you actually move that triggers them to
follow and that sort of changes the
behavior to actually follow through so
it’s trying to read that behavior of
when they are just warning you or
whether you know where the best thing to
do is to actually get out of there if it
is a full-on charge but obviously we try
and avoid getting into that situation in
the first place but the more you go into
the bush the higher the possibility of
actually having an instant like that
because I say every day is different and
you do what you can to limit it and
sometimes you find yourself in that
situation these boys are having an
absolute party I was going to say jaw
but there suddenly realized people
aren’t going to really understand that
but that’s what we call a party down
here in South Africa
hi Jason Jason asking why elephants spa
and they actually learning how to place
their terse where to place a terse
learning what their capabilities are
they’re building up the muscles so when
the day comes that they really have to
do this for real and they’re fighting
over a female because they’re not
territorial it will be over a female
then they know what to do so this is all
very important for haver for them like I
was saying earlier you can’t really go
off to just Tufts alone some elephants
will grow longer to us than others and
you can see these two boys they do
actually have different sized Tufts but
they look roughly about the same age
maybe a year or two difference but not
much but the ball that’s now in view he
looks like he’s got slightly longer
tosylate ball behind him
yeah it’s picking his toes now those
feet are very sensitive so he might have
stood on something that you didn’t quite
like yeah quite quite a big size
difference actually the touching is just
about see the Tufts of the other mouth
showing through there now say size-wise
is not much in it first size of the
elephant but yeah those toasts are
probably about three times longer but
they probably both around early twenties
or so so yeah the bull on the right
maybe early twenties ball on the left
maybe about mid mid twenties by léa
léa wanting to know how do you age an
elephant I say it’s not an exact science
is a bit of guesswork you kind of have
to look at everything so the indentation
on the head as I say the length of the
turf buzzards are shown you know there
is a big difference between the ages
looking at the height of the elephant as
well so these two have got some growing
to do that you try and put everything
together whether they still with the
herd or not whether they’ve broken away
from the herd drink break time out there
doesn’t look very nice water
oh and lovely so I think we’re going to
I think these guys are just enjoying
being the stars of the show at the
moment
[Applause]
so while these two take a timeout I
think we’re gonna cross over to byron
and see a beautiful orange sky with him
I have a look at that magnificent sky
that we have sunset with a silhouetted
yellow bold horn ball isn’t that
beautiful
well off it goes but that is just really
really very pretty
isn’t it beautiful last little sensit
tough day in Africa
well our afternoon has definitely
definitely been much better than our
morning we when I say we I struggled
this morning I was unable to find very
much I found some water that was about
it but this afternoon it’s been great
we’ve seen too rough we’ve seen elephant
but the owl the owl was the highlight
for me the little scopes are very
beautiful we started the show with that
so that was a nice little start now
there’s a vulture sitting in a tree off
to my right it looks like a white back
vulture let’s have a look now yeah they
are actually a few vultures around here
they are formed there’s that one and
then there were another three sitting on
a tree behind us but I don’t think it’s
because of a caucus now occasionally
vultures I mean well they do raced at
times and they do perch in trees I think
if there was a potential killer on I
think we probably would have seen more
and we would have seen tracks of
predators in the area and we haven’t
seen anything I’ve been looking around
so I think maybe these vultures are just
resting at times might find one or two
vultures fly down and perch in a tree
and rest and then one or two may see
them and then just kinda investigates
and just see if there is food but they
do rest and perch up in trees and
especially bare trees like that that
looks like a Marilla from him I think it
is yeah and and they’re likely not too
many branches or leaves around so it’s
easier for these large birds to land in
and and roost in for the nut so they
will probably end up spending the night
Chenin tomorrow as the day warms up
catch the thermals and start flying
around looking for food
doubting myself a little bit now I’ll
tell you why hold on hold on a second
it’s let me show you something no we’re
just gonna move away from this vulture a
little bit there goes another vulture
that just took off from that tree that’s
not really what I’m worried about this
give me a second
now I’ve spotted another bird of prey
now this makes me curious let’s see if
we can get it from here first I don’t
want it to fly away
straight ahead Center you’ve probably
spotted it already there we go do you
see that that is a better layer eagle
you see it sitting in there now why I
say I’m curious is because the batter
Liam is actually a scavenger battle ear
and tawny Eagles are both scavengers and
they often will go and get to a caucus
or a kill before the vultures do and the
reason for that is these Eagles fly a
bit lower than the vultures and then
there are site is also very good and
they will try and get in and scavenge
off a kill before the big voltar’s
arrive you can see it again
since I just had a little moment take
[Laughter]
what is my favorite bird of prey and
that is a martial Eagle martial Eagle is
my absolute favorite now this as I was
saying with these will the sign of this
I’m Betty Lee Eagle around I don’t know
I think because now there are a lot of
vultures around so that would make me
think because there is a bit of a bit of
prey that’s a scavenger a little better
layer eagle and then of course these
vultures are round dotted around here I
wonder if there wasn’t anything that
that maybe died of natural causes I
can’t smell anything I haven’t seen
tracks of anything
no sign of lions around so I don’t know
I don’t know however this little area
that were in I think these battle yeah I
think I’ve got a nest nearby I know even
James usually see them around yeah there
was a juvenile Betsy lay around for a
long time in this area so I wonder if
they don’t have a nest near but that
would make sense and then the few
vultures dotted around possibly just
resting for the night if there was a
carcass we may see them fly down and and
sit on the ground possibly if there
aren’t any predators around I don’t hear
anything don’t smell anything I don’t
think there’s a carcass here but it’s
always good to have a look
you know snazzy use a stiff different
scavenger Birds wood fighter to kill
definitely snazzy definitely now the
best examples I can give on usually what
happens is the birds to arrive first at
a carcass the birds of will scavengers
it’s let’s say the vultures for example
you’d have the hooded vulture they often
get their first because they are the
smallest of the vultures that we get our
chap
so now arrive first then often the white
back vultures will arrive and if it’s a
big carcass you may get you want to get
the Sun set their sins it do you want to
Salou it with the vulture okay hold on a
second we might have a beautiful
silhouettes of a vulture on a dead tree
with the sunset well this could be very
good sin so we might be a little too
light hold on what about that sins is
that okay I think that’s lovely look at
that yeah you know vehicle positioning
sensor saying snazzy the the hooded
vultures and the white bag vultures
often get get to caucuses first but but
the leopard face vultures when they
arrive these other vultures quickly make
space for them those are the largest
vultures they can get quite aggressive
they really big really powerful and I’ve
seen these other vultures move out the
way very quickly so yes they will
definitely fight to the carcass and
chase one another away and then of
course the big marabou storks they may
taste a vulture
two away or they’ll feed on one side and
let the vultures feed on another side
lovely silhouettes of a vulture
our lorem where you say the cameramen
are such artistes they are indeed but
this is a lovely view
can we brighten it a little bit let’s
just see that’s beautiful that’s
beautiful now as well and there’s our
sunset our afternoon sunset
now this would be a perfect time to stop
and stretch our legs and have some
sundowners with guests and just listen
to the bush a little bit and maybe
something alarm calls and alerts us to
where there might be a predator moving
around sounds like some arrow Mach
babblers calling not far from me
well that’s very beautiful hey isn’t
that lovely
I still think the the best silhouette
I’ve ever had on Safari live was with
some of you might remember it was I
think it was last year if I’m not
mistaken I think it was last year but it
was of a brown snake eagle perched in a
tree similar to this and just beautiful
clouds and sunset the colors were
magnificent but that shape of a brown
snake eagles silhouette was really
amazing and then I must I must be honest
I think that’s one of the best
silhouettes of ever had
well I think shall we continue let’s go
see oh we still got a little bit of
light if we don’t get some tracks or
find something moving around
now apparently a lot of you are
wondering because I mentioned that holds
such a big flower fan and what my
favorite flowers also favorite flowers
easy in the bush – flowers
the leopard orchid and cilia Afrikaner
beautiful beautiful leopard orchid that
we get our check yellow and brown
flowers and the other one is the Impala
Lily scientific name not remembered I
left I looked it up I forgot the
scientific name of the Impala Lily but
the beautiful white and pink flowers
very bright very vibrant and usually in
winter that’s where all the oil they
flower in winter so everything else is
being barren and get these wonderful
Impala lilies flowering at the moment
well hang on a second everyone look what
we have your wait let me just look for a
gap quickly
[Music]
since I could find a gap nap maybe three
there hold on hold on trying to find a
gap I’d like to show you all something
quickie is that I can Center beautiful
sunset off to our left that’s standing
really really wonderful and then off to
our right I see a bad moon rising let’s
have a look up there quickly just above
the trees and a beautiful moon look at
that almost full moon not quite yet
I think another day or two it’s judging
by the time and that and yeah another I
mean it looks full it looks full but
it’s not full yet isn’t that beautiful
when I used to guide permanently Justin
you say this is too beautiful this is
wonderful this is really really
wonderful but and we’re not used to God
full time when we had a beautiful full
full moon rise sorry since I was just
pointing something out to me he says it
looks like there’s a footprint on the
moon if you look the top left hand side
of the moon what would you say since our
three toes and a back pad so a honey
badger missing two toes hey hey three
toed honey badger
that’s what since I says walked on the
moon because of the back pad it looks
like there’s a the different sections to
the back pad I agree with you but I’m
not sure how it lost its two toes but I
get to a G saying sensor I think so so
if any of you were wondering yep a honey
badger has walked on the moon
yeah since I maybe we’ve been arch a
little too long so as I was saying when
I got head permanently we myself and one
or two other guys as soon as we got a
beautiful full moon rise we would kind
of recite the words – I see a bad moon
rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival I
don’t know if anybody really enjoyed it
but I thought it was quite funny so I
would say Richard confirmed
do you see a bad moon rising you would
say a firm I see a bad moon rising and
someone else would say well don’t go
round tonight it’s bound to take your
life there’s a bad moon on the rise
James is gonna kill me for singing I can
just I can see the the the angry texts
coming through already from James
asking me what the hell am i doing
okay well it sounds like Terra has
managed to fight off and fend off some
gremlins but she’s got some birds in the
road I’m assuming they’re Franklin’s
let’s go and have a look and see we’ve
actually gotten Attell spur file there
with some babies there was actually
about four chicks that ran from the road
so there’s one just actually there’s two
just a little top left of your screen
and then there’s another one with the
adult there how sweet are they then tell
spell file you can see there’s bright
orange bill and legs really standing out
in the bush there but it takes both
parents to raise the young so even
though the young are capable of finding
food for themselves once they hatch out
the parents still need to be around to
defend them and there they go
disappearing into the bush oh that was
so sweet though
very very cool so we’ve just checked
along the river bed the mill Watty
see if there is any sign of those
leopard tracks or indeed the cats that
made them unfortunately there it looks
like the elephants have actually pushed
over a tree so unfortunately we couldn’t
get that far we’ve got two probably
about opposite as now
so we’re gonna carry on heading back
towards Gary dam and just see if we’ve
got any long cause as we go
something that might tell us that a
leopard is there I’ve I’m convinced that
leopard is going to be heading towards
Gary Dam I don’t know why possibly
because all the animals are around there
but I’m hoping my feeling is right –
keep your fingers crossed that would be
absolutely amazing to see the leopard
they really are building themselves up
for me I think I’ll be very upset if I
don’t get a chance to see them before I
leave as you know they are one of my
greatest loves and absolutely
fascinating animal I think there it is
is it there is it there is it there oh
it’s a bush book just disappearing Oh
thought that was just so poetic then oh
I’m on tenterhooks eyes are peeled not
that it is just a bush book but it would
really be nice to see them definitely
holding firms everybody thank you so
much I know you guys have had two
leopards the other day Tandy and
hosannah
I knew he forgot his name then that’s a
new name for me I think we were some
really fantastic interaction there and
we think that there was actually a
mating pair seen heading east
from sorry heading west from voya teller
Lodge into the block somewhere between
Aubrey’s and Sandy patch yesterday
morning it was possibly it was possibly
Tandy or shadow I’m not entirely sure
who we think possibly Tandy may be seen
with Tembo which would make sense with
maybe why Hosanna was around maybe he
was picking up on her being in East hrus
but while we carry on seeing if we can
find any sign of the leopard I think
we’re going to cross live to Jamie in
the Mara with some of the animals
crossing enjoy that be spectacular and
welcome to the disembodied voice part of
this afternoon’s a sunset Safari where I
narrate over one of our river cams here
in the Maasai Mara and in this case the
main North River camera as you can see a
gathering of wildebeest has started on
the banks it seems as though it’s
crossing time once again just a quick
introduction because otherwise I’m going
to continue well I’m going to continue
to be a disembodied voice my name is
Jaime and this afternoon I will be
controlling the camera so if it’s you
know 70 veers off wildly off to the left
off to the right that is entirely my
fault
what we’re watching at the moment is
pretty standard crossing behavior the
Valda beasts know they have to cross the
river I also know that within the river
there are crocodiles and in this case a
grumpy hippo that is strutting along
through and trying to show off just how
big he is the hippo don’t like the bull
the Beast particularly either and so as
a result the wildebeest gather together
on the banks looking somewhat terrified
and eventually one of them will be brave
enough to take the plunge which one is
it going to be in this case all little
internal skirmish there one of these
herds gather together lots of males lots
of females and as a result the males
to spend a lot of time fighting off
rivals watch this hippo disappear it’s
astounding
Laurita you would like to know if the
wildebeest signal to each other if there
is danger around yes by running away
that is essentially the way that they
signal to each other at least at the
river crossings when you’re looking at a
situation where there is a lion for
example and the Volta beasts have
spotted it what they’ll often do is a
sort of a hmm sound I don’t know how
accurate that was but it’s disclosed
what was that
do you want to see a head pop up over
the left there’s that line there so I
imagine that did anyone else see the
head on the left I saw a bird but I
thought I saw a head pop out of the bank
I did see lines on the river cameras
earlier but not at this crossing but one
not too far away
it’s just keep an eye on that I can’t
quite work out if I imagine that maybe I
did maybe I didn’t
I’m not a hundred percent sure and
unfortunately we’re on the northern end
of Maine north which means that we only
have a long distance view of the
gathering wildebeest let’s see if I can
spot anything I can work out if I if I’m
going completely now is that it I’m
desperately trying to see I think I’m
going to stay at this position I think
that’s exactly what I’m going to do I’m
going to stay and watch these wildebeest
oh yeah I narrated icon train found in a
race at the crossing or if I was just
looking I think I was just looking
because the crossing was already halfway
through and I was so distracted by the
wildebeest climbing up onto the opposite
ends of the bank that when I returned
the camera to where they’d originated
from they had completely missed the lion
kill right out in the open and I got
some serious death stares from people
who were in here with me for missing
that one up so I think I’ll stick there
for now we were talking about warning
each other of danger I don’t know
whether any of you have ever watched
that YouTube animation of the Valda
beast gathering on the crossing and the
the one is trying to convince the other
one with our speech but with just little
speech bubbles that the log that they’re
looking at is in fact a crocodile but I
cannot help but see that every time I
witness one of these crossings that’s
what’s going through my head the entire
time log crocodile log crocodile oh now
apparently tough how funny is that tar
is on the same page and I’m so sad that
I’m missing her while she’s a tumor I
would have loved to see her again and I
hope she’s having a fantastic time I did
see the mouse running away from the lion
running into them no mouse running into
the lion and terrifying the lion
sighting which is absolutely hilarious
seems as though she’s been having some
good luck my barony ptarth was hoping
that I’d seen that animation have it’s
hilarious and I had to laugh when I saw
that somebody had put it on brains
Facebook I think it’s the sound effect
oh is it yellow-billed stork that just
crossed in front at the bottom left of
your screen I’m reluctant to follow it
though in case I miss the line popping
out there’s something in the Valda
beasts body language there are they
looking where are you looking who’s
going to be brave enough his mum and
ethyl one you know what I find quite
heartbreaking is when you end up on the
opposite side of a river crossing and
the proof separated youngsters and
mothers racing up and down calling
contact calling to each other constantly
be sad pull things although I did what
does a reunion which was relatively
joyous mother running from I mean it was
move it
just like something out of a movie or a
film with the female running flat out
from one side and the baby running flat
out from the other side and then coming
together with great relief and then the
baby immediately having a chance to
suckle maybe it was water that I saw
splashing maybe there’s a hippo there
hiding on that maybe it’s a hippo
breathing out because I just saw a
little spray there whoops sorry
I hope you’re not prone to motion
sickness there’s a slight lag on his
camera a Mercedes here’s the confusing
thing about the crossings I think it
might have been a hippo that I saw
here’s the confusing things about the
crossings so Mercedes question is about
when do they next cross back or do they
stay there for good sometimes you get
crossings going in the opposite
direction so during the migration it all
becomes a little bit confusing there’s
rain on one side of the reserve in this
rain on the other side of the reserve
and grass is a little bit greener for a
little bit longer so the I think it is
hamper the wildebeest and zebra do move
backwards and forwards so there’s no
saying one wildebeest one individual
might go across the river and not cross
it again until in another five months
time when it’s time to migrate back in
the same direction that they’ve come
from oh it might move backwards and
forwards several times over the river
it’s impossible to say for certain but
they do often cross backwards which
seems so pointless doesn’t it running
that going to some gorge it more often
than necessary see the wildebeest
looking for the crocodiles ricci the
herd he doesn’t really have a head sir
et was wondering if the head of the herd
will Forge across the river first
risking life and limb for the rest of
the group it doesn’t really work like
that remember this is made up of this
herd is not one unit of wildebeest
at several different units and clustered
together and so it either happens to be
the bravest wildebeest that jumps in or
it happens to be the one that’s been
pushed so hard from behind by the other
wildebeest that it’s kind of had to
either jump in or falling oh there’s a
little bit of all the beasts action at
the back and one male that’s looking the
wrong direction off to chase the rival
so no it’s not the head of a herd well I
think it could be something interesting
to see what the head of the herd would
have to say okay we’re going to sit
patiently and wait to see whether or not
these bullies decide to take the plunge
while they bumble about on the side of
the river let’s go all the way back to
South Africa where Baron is doing some
bundling of his own I am indeed I’m
searching the trees for owls I’m
searching for leopard I’m searching for
everything really nothing just yet
hold on a second sir can you someone
calling me on the radio might be torrid
go ahead I’m about to come out on twin
dams right I’m just south of Chile pen
okay copy that thanks taya I think
Torres in search of a leopard apparently
they had leopard tracks around yeah
not sure where it’s gone but but I think
will will never look around and just see
if we have any luck Oh any Sun maybe you
never know
Rottweiler interesting question you
asked if all the predator species were
the same weight and size which one would
be the more dominant my guests would be
I’m torn
actually I’m told between two I’ll tell
you why
now I think leopard I think a leopard
would be sin so what do you think wild
dogs
not a chance buddy not a chance oh so
we’ve got a mess of debates now right
violet do you’ve I think lipid
power-to-weight ratio that cat is
amazing that cat is really amazing I’ve
seen a pride of lions attack a male
leopard and it stood its ground and
managed to fight them up fend them off
and keep them at bay
now think if that leopard was the same
size as a hundred and forty or 160
kilogram lion when a male leopard is
only about 80 kilograms I rest my case
wild dog slender Faust’s runners
long-distance runners but I don’t think
they powerful enough to deal with the
leopard um first edge are lipid it sends
a I don’t know I don’t know I my my
guess I’d would be interesting what Tory
thinks you can Oscar just now
just having a look scanning these trees
carefully here we often hear the owls in
his areas along the drainage lines
alright well it sounds like tar is also
scanning trees at the moment let’s go
and see if she’s had any luck with Al’s
and ask her what she thinks about your
question right violet that’s a really
interesting question rot viola well I
got another knee eyelets who are right I
think we’re gonna leave those now cuz we
did see them nicely in the light so it
was just scanning for any sign of the
nocturnal creatures now then he look
maybe an owl seems we have Craig on
board but so yeah I’m pondering that
question actually because if all the
cats are the same size and they would
have the same capabilities so the cats
would kind of be one if you like apart
from the cheetah the cheetah would still
not be that strong sorry boys
compared to leopard or lion but it
depends are we just talking about
African animals are we talking about the
animals worldwide because then throwing
bears in the mix I think bears might
just be slightly more dominant if a
grizzly was the same size
maybe as the cats I think possibly they
might win strength-wise
depends on what size we’re talking about
I mean and also what what we are what
what yeah what sort of size we’re
talking about it’s the size of Lions or
whether it’s the size of leopards
because the African wild dog I think was
sends those and the African wild dog
actually has this one of the strongest
bites to body ratio so even though hyena
has a stronger bite it is a large animal
we’ve got the elephant herd just coming
out to our right I’m just going to
switch the spotlight off because
elephants don’t like the spotlight
you’re gonna walk in front of his lady
oh no what do you think Craig what would
you go for
yeah if we’re not throwing bears into
the mix yeah I think I’d go with the
cats
Wow look at that shocking pink sky the
silhouette of the elephants
there’s a little family group moving off
to join the rest of the herd I heard a
big branch breaking somewhere up ahead
another day is drawing to a close
obviously for some but the day is just
beginning for others so fingers crossed
we still have some drive time left so
I’m still hopeful still hopeful
Diana welcome on board and we’re
certainly gonna try our best to try and
show you some nocturnal animals asking
what type of nocturnal animals we have
out here oh we have a whole range but
they are very very secretive I think
just because there’s a little elephant
in there we’re going to avoid him he
didn’t want us to shine the light on him
it’s funny they really don’t like
spotlights being shone on them at all so
we have the genes– and the genex are
literally about the same size as a small
domestic cat so you’re looking at this
sort of body length very very cute very
long ringtail so if you know a ringtail
lemur looks like just imagine a ringtail
on the end of a domestic cat and that’s
pretty much what Genet looks like then
you have a civet also black and white
looks it’s about the same size if not
slightly larger than a raccoon and so
you’re looking about yeah sort of body
size without the tails about that sort
of height relatives of the slender
Mongoose that we were trying to see
earlier and the dwarf Mongoose that’s
the white tail Mongoose we have seen
them a few times here so they also body
size about that sort of length about
that sort of height servals which are
spotted cats from the dashboard they
stand maybe about that sort of height
very large ears for trying to detect
rodents in the long grass they’ll also
come out during the day as well we also
have caracal around so a lovely red cat
or Roy cat in Afrikaans because of the
rusty red color
aardvarks would be amazing to show you
they actually look a bit like a kangaroo
crossed with I suppose a pig with an
elongated nose and elongated ears but
they’ve got a very big muscular tail and
actually a colleague of mine saw an
aardvark
being harassed by a couple of jackal
actually which are another a nocturnal
animal a little bit larger than a fox
and the jackal were irritating it so
much
I think nipping at its tail and the
aardvark I should turn around and
punched one they’ve got pretty big
forearms and muscles so they might not
move very fast although I have seen the
mood they actually those one that ran
around the vehicle twice and he actually
bounced a bit like a kangaroo which was
quite amazing I did realize they move
like that so we’re going to carry on
looking for some of those nocturnal
creatures that I’ve just mentioned and I
think Jamie has quite a spectacular show
to show you go and be shut door I’m
trying to keep things a little bit more
silent in this general direction but I
have spectacularly failed however what
we have to show you out here is the
approaching weather conditions now this
is the crossing that the whole beasts
were at and just have a look at the
intensity of this particular storm look
at the Lightning rolling in in fact oh
goodness
it is really truly ominous looking out
here and if you have a look at the wind
you can see the clouds of dust blowing
it’s almost as though there is a
crossing happening but it’s just the
wind blowing the dust backwards and
forwards and then if you if we could it
actually might be quite nice to switch
to dusty crossing which looks even more
ominous
I mean dusty looks really truly
terrifying look at
I can’t dramatic the sky looks and when
I look outside it’s actually quite weird
look outside and I see a lightning flash
out of the window and then I can see a
sort of corresponding with the crossings
lighting up live all the beasts have
scattered they’ve decided that this
really is not the weather for a crossing
just not the day for it and one can
hardly blame them I would want to have
two crossing that where the either it is
really quite scary let’s go back to me
North you can see it’s pouring with rain
James of course is out there somewhere
possibly a bit windswept and maybe a
little bit too damp hopefully he’s found
somewhere to bunker down somewhere safe
and secure because it really is a
serious storm on its way and even though
I mean this is not the rainy season in
Kenya or at least in the Maasai Mara but
that doesn’t mean it doesn’t rain it
rains all year round there it is
bucketing down then if you have a look
at main south actually up to the
mountain towards where we are it doesn’t
look that bad at all look at that
but it’s blowing in our direction so on
the other crossings you were looking to
the south if you look at the if you
compare the way that the water was
flowing this way you’re looking to the
north and in the direction of where I’m
sitting up at the top of the mountain
mmm very ominous and I think it’s safe
to say that there are not going to be
any crossings anytime soon and in fact
it’s starting to get a little bit too
dark for these cameras so for now the
team in the Mara migration control which
consists of me will be saying a farewell
to all and we’ll send you back to the
hopefully dry biron in South Africa I am
indeed dry Jamie thank you very very
much and thanks James he was on earlier
our team in the Mara and we’ve got a
little scrub here look at those ears
twitching listening very very carefully
they very alert
Tampa Kenya scops owls calling in the
distance always nasty see those little
scrub his nocturnal creatures that we do
see from time to time I haven’t been
able to find another owl
I’ve been looking but no sign no sign
just hear the scops owls Scott’s Owls
calling in the distance up there maybe
we bump into one up there and it’s been
a wonderful day an elephant afternoon
definitely loads of elephant for both
Tyra and myself and that is always
wonderful no cats today that but maybe
tomorrow you never know maybe tomorrow
we have a pride of lions and some
leopards who knows who knows what the
morning holds for us on our Sunrise
Safari
having a look we still got a minute or
so left really hope you’ve enjoyed our
Sunday sunset Safari with all of us and
I hope you are all having a great
weekend or the end to the weekend I hope
you had a great weekend it’s now
finished back to work tomorrow morning
is going to be my last to drive for this
stunt so I will be saying goodbye
tomorrow morning for a while and then
I’ll be back again at some point but
thank you again to everyone Tyra and
Craig thank you on the other vehicle and
of course the Prince of Kenya sin zone
thanks Enzo I keep mocking sensor
because he returned from Kenya looking
like a Kenyan I think he bought all the
all their whole outfit and wards and it
weighs it around camp and of course a
big thank you to all of you the viewers
for the questions comments hope you
enjoyed it and Ellis and Chantal in the
final control the voices in my head as I
like to call them we will see you all
tomorrow for our sunrise Safari good
nights goodbye have a wonderful day a
wonderful evening bye everyone
you
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