 |
| From this site: “Zebras as very social animals and live in large groups called ‘harems.’ Plains and mountain zebras live in harems that are made up of one stallion and up to six mares, and they’re young, while Grevy’s zebras come together as groups for short periods of time.” The type of zebras in the South African savanna is Burchell’s Zebra [Equus burchelli]. |
“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”
 |
| Moms and babies…what a sight to see! |
It’s been an unusual weekend. With few wildlife visitors stopping by due to the holidaymakers and the noisy construction next door, which occurred all day Saturday and Sunday, beginning again with hammering at 6:17 this morning, our days and nights were quite different than usual.
The work continued each day until darkness fell that impacted our enjoyment of setting up for wildlife visits in the early evening. No one came to call.
 |
| Zebras can be pushy when it comes to getting their share of pellets and vegetables both with their harem mates and with us. |
At a few points over these past days, the pounding was so annoying we went inside, shut the door, and watched a few episodes of shows on my computer. This is very unusual for us. We rarely watch anything other than the Minnesota Vikings game during daylight hours.
There are rules in Marloth Park as to which hours and days of the week construction can be in process. Obviously, the neighbors had little regard for these rules. But, who are we to report them. We’re only renters.
 |
| This zebra started climbing up the veranda steps to let us know he was hungry. |
We can only imagine the frustration tourists who’d come for a long weekend would feel if they’d come for a four or five-day stay and they had to put up with the noise and lack of wildlife visiting. People come to Marloth Park for the wildlife and a sense of peace.
Unfortunately, some homeowners and holiday renters aren’t respectful of the laws, spoiling it for everyone else. Actually, we’re thrilled to be leaving in three days to head back to Livingstone, Zambia, and Chobe National Park in Botswana for a week.
 |
| It’s not unusual to see altercations among the zebras when they’re competing for food. |
Hopefully, by the time we return on August 23rd, the construction will be completed, and the noisy and disrespectful holidaymakers will be gone. In the past several weeks, we’ve seen no less than a half dozen children driving 4×4’s and SUVs in the park, some as young as eight or nine years old, either sitting on the parent’s lap or some type of booster seat.
It’s no wonder 12 or 13 animals were killed on the roads over these past few school holiday months. Some people come here, not all, with little regard for laws and safety, many speeding on the roads with the potential to kill both animals and humans innocently walking or biking to their destinations.
 |
| The symmetry of their stripes is different on each zebra, such as in a fingerprint. From this site: “Body stripes are less numerous and broader than the Cape Mountain Zebra, whereas body stripes extend around the belly. Leg striping is less prominent. Measures 1.3 to 1.4 meters (51-55 inches) at the shoulder and weighs 300-320 kg (661-704 pounds). They have rounded ears approximately 160-170 mm (6.3-6.7 inches) long. The front portion of the mane forms a black tuft between the ears. Diet: Predominantly a grazer, feeding in areas with short grass. Zebra has a strong, sensitive upper lip with which it gathers herbage by collecting the grass between the lip and the lower incisors before plucking the harvest.” |
A few weeks ago, we saw a lit cigarette being tossed from a moving vehicle. We were aghast! Marloth Park is all bush and this time of year extremely dry. The entire municipality could ignite in minutes from one single careless act.
Plus, the invasive alien plants, of which there are many, brought in by homeowners desiring a “fancy” garden tend to burn higher and more intensely than the indigenous plants. This isn’t very comforting.
 |
| The type of giraffes found in South Africa from this site: “Giraffe camelopardarlis giraffe – South African giraffe found in South Africa, southern Botswana, southern Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.” |
As all of our readers know, it is not our intention to be “negative” in our posts. Still, we’re hoping both locals and visitors will stumble upon this post and realize how serious some of these infractions are to the safety and well-being of everyone in this magical place.
We apologize to our worldwide readers, far removed from this area, to be reading this bit of negativity. But, we do not doubt that there are similarly thoughtless people who upset the balance of peace and harmony in some of your neighborhoods, towns, and villages.
 |
| From this site: “Receptive cows are continuously courted by adult bulls. They have a gestation period of 457 days. Whereafter a single calf is born. At birth, a calf weighs about 100 kg (220 pounds), and they are weaned between six to eight months, but only about 52 percent of the calves ever reach maturity since the young are preyed upon by lions hyenas, and leopards. Sexual maturity is reached after four or five years. The reproductive receptiveness of cows is checked upon by adult bulls moving from group to group.” The calves are more likely to reach maturity for giraffes in Marloth Park since there are fewer predators in the park than in Kruger National Park. |
I’m planning to pack today for our upcoming trip. It always gives me peace of mind to be packed a few days earlier than necessary. We’ve found it’s harder to pack for short trips while living in a holiday home than it is for us to leave a location permanently. In those cases, we pack everything we own.
For short trips, it’s a pick-and-choose process that takes more time and effort. The last time we made this trip, I brought along 50% more than I needed. This time, I’ll cut back considerably, lightening the load.
 |
| Ms. Kudu and a friend visited us a few weeks ago. Only one kudu came to call over the past many days. |
Plus, we’ll be taking a “trip within a trip” when we stay overnight at the Chobe Safari Lodge midway through the week. During this one-night, two-day period, we’ll mostly be wearing our ‘bugs away” clothing, making those decisions a little easier.
Today, we’ll embark on our usual drive in Marloth Park since getting into Kruger is still almost impossible with the tourist crowds. We’ll wait to visit Kruger after we return from Zambia.
Have a spectacular day!
Photo from one year ago today, August 13, 2017:
 |
| View from the chaise lounges of the pool, the Jacuzzi to the left and beyond it, the cold plunge pool at the house in Atenas, Costa Rica. For more photos, please click here. |