For the identification of insects and other fauna and flora of South Africa.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Kruger National Park - The other side - Part 3

Another typical rainy day with small hills in the distance. The grass is now only starting to shoot out because of the late rains.
When I was still working there as a guide, we used to call this the "toilet roll tree". LOL!! It is a Weeping Wattle and its leaves are so soft, you can use it for toilet paper if you do not have any but PLEASE do not confuse it with the Sweet Thorn which looks VERY similar but has tiny thorns on. That would be OUCH if used!! LOL!!

Elephants like a varied diet and will often strip the bark off trees. Some trees survive this treatment and others not.
Because of the drought, the animals are in very poor condition right now with many of their coats mangy. I think the rain came just in time to stop many of them dying of hunger. Male Impala's have a brown spot between their horns and near the bottom of their back legs which looks like tufts of brown hair but is in actual fact a gland which they use in marking their territory.
This young kudu looks at me to see if I am a threat.
With all the new leaves shooting out, the animals are having a feast!!
This burnt out old tree stump looks quite dead but when viewing it from the other side, there is new growth on it....just goes to show, the fit WILL survive!!
PS. Can you believe it, three posts and not a bug in sight!! LOL!!)

1 comment:

Benji said...

Wow I must say this is such a beautiful blog!