Chapter Seventeen - Giant Beasts of the Serengeti
Size
IS important. As species evolve, they often get bigger. Being big can give you a major advantage. Just ask any school kid. In nature it can be a major survival trait.
But it is a trait that does not always work.
We've already looked at the elephant. They would be doing pretty well thank you very much, if it weren't for us humans.
But there are other giants out there, and three of them live in the Serengeti.
We tend to forget the buffalo. They look like cattle and hang around grazing, minding their own business.
But this is one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.
These are one of the few animals that will attack safari trucks.
Although, when in herds, they are usually passive.
Their horns are used as weapons against lions, against each other,
and against us. About 200 people are gored and killed by these huge horns every year.
They have been called the "Black Death".
It's the old males that you need to be very careful of. The ones with broken horns, battered ears and swollen eyes. They tend to be on their own.
They tend to be grumpy old men...
But despite their strength, their power and their aggression, they often end up like this...
Another of the giants is the hippo. This is how they usually look when you see them on safari.
They are occasionally out of the water during the day, but they don't like the sun,
because they suffer sunburns.
This is thought to be the most dangerous animal in Africa. After humans and mosquitoes...
They kill about 3,000 people a year. (Mosquitoes kill about half a million.)
They soon get bored with all these statistics.
This is something of a rare sight. Hippos out of water in the shade of a tree.
All this brute force may make them seem unbeatable. But there is one animal that kills more hippos than any other.
Another hippo.
These injuries are as a result of a massive fight between two bull hippos.
And losing.
It has not got long to live...
The final giant is the rhino. Seeing these formidable creatures is becoming more and more difficult. There are very few left and they are heavily protected.
They are so few that each one is named. Say 'hi' to Julie.
We only saw her at a very long distance, and she immediately spotted us and ran off.
She was not happy, with good reason.
Her three month old daughter had recently been taken from her to help restock another area. This, understandably, appears to have driven her mad.
Our sighting was the last time she was seen.
Rhino's are having a tough time....
OK. That's enough sadness for now, only one chapter to go! Yay!
