Madikwe Game Reserve

I have never seen or even heard that giraffes fight but they do so.   While leaning against each other for leverage, they swing their heads and try to hit the neck of their opponent with their horns.  They nearly topple over backwards when they miss their opponent.  In  some of these pictures, once can barely make out two waterbucks fighting in the background.  (There must have been something in the water that day).

These giraffes were going at it for at least 45 minutes and maybe longer.   We left in round 7 and the fight was still on.  The ritual kept repeating itself.  When one giraffe (usually the lighter one) took a swing (usually missing), a few seconds would pass, then the darker giraffe would retaliate (usually connecting against its opponents neck with a loud thump).  The giraffes would usually rest for about 30 seconds before beginning the next foray. 

Other spectators eventually joined us for this fight.

There are about 1200 wild dogs left in the world.  Madikwe has 12 (or 1 percent of the total).  We came across Madikwe's pack of wild dogs after they caught a waterbuck.  The meat of a waterbuck is very oily and apparently not very pleasant.  Not very many of Africa's predators would eat a waterbuck.    Wild dogs and hyena are probably the only two.  A lion or leopard would only eat one if it was extremely hungry.

Two years ago, Madikwe had two packs of wild dogs, but rabies killed off one of the packs.  Many of the wild dogs in Madikwe came from the DeWildt Cheetah Research Center where they are bred.  Wild dogs can be placed back into the wild if they are accepted by an existing pack that can teach them to hunt.

A river runs on the western edge of the game reserve.  There are several hippo that live in and around the river.  They rest in the daytime.   Below, a hippo yawns in the water.  At night they get out of the water and eat and eat and eat.

There are four prides of lions in the game reserve.  We saw two of the prides.  This is one of them.

A warthog shows his disdain for us.

Two wildebeests square off as the sun goes down.

All of the lodges in Madikwe offer nature walks!

... and did I mention that the sunsets are beautiful!

More pictures can be found at Madikwe Page III

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