 |
| A mom warthog and possible aunt showed up last night, shortly before dark, with the tiniest baby warthog we’ve seen since our arrival. |
“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”
 |
| Any comments on this bird’s species? I can’t seem to find the answer online. |
It’s a good thing we aren’t here for only a one or two week holiday. The noise, dust, and disturbances resulting from the construction next door would have ruined an entire time away for most tourists.
Four years ago, the homes we rented were well secluded from other properties, and although sound travels through the bush, we rarely heard a thing. Now in this area, there are a few houses we can see from the veranda, which in essence wouldn’t bother us a bit.
 |
| We didn’t recall seeing a warthog this tiny since this post in Kenya in 2013 when a mom placed her babies in a hole to protect them from lions in place for the kill. |
The benefits of a lot of wildlife stopping by to see us certainly outweighs the annoyances of the daily noise and commotion, which should be over with a few weeks. But now, it appears the neighbor or the other side of us just had a pile of materials delivered, and soon, they’ll startup also.
With all the workers around all day, less wildlife stops by. But the workday usually ends by 3:00 or 4:00 pm, and once again, magic happens, and visitors grace us with their presence within an hour or two.
 |
| It was surprising to us to see how adept the baby was at eating pellets. It may have been less than a few weeks old. |
Last night was no exception. Now that we’ve adopted “happy hour” into our lives several evenings a week, where I have a maximum of two wine spritzers (no sugar added), and Tom has a few beers while dining outdoors every night, this routine has become quite enjoyable.
We close our laptops and put away our phones; no media, no distractions, just the pure pleasure of watching nature unfold before our eyes while engaging in the playful idle chatter that has become so “us” over the years.
 |
| The baby would wander off a bit from time to time, but a single grunt from mom and he came running back to her. |
With the activity before us, we’re constantly busy. Now that we’ve got birdseed, apples, and a veggie scrap container, we’re often rushing outdoors to indoors to cut up another apple or carrot and refill the red plastic cup with birdseed or the yellow plastic container with pellets.
We keep the birdseed in the chest freezer, which has proven to be quite a handy addition to our daily lives. We keep the birdseed in the freezer to avoid getting more insects inside the house. The fruit and veggies are kept refrigerated to ensure freshness and safety for the animals and to keep the ants away.
 |
| The kudus weren’t standing together, so we couldn’t get a photo of all 11. |
Last night was a classic example of the perfect evening. Not only did we see the tiniest baby warthog we’ve ever seen, but we had the rousing interaction between guinea fowls and francolins reacting to one another while clamoring for the seeds we tossed onto the ground. It was a laugh-fest for us and seemingly fun for them.
Then came a “forkl” of kudu (yep, that’s their collective noun) for a total of 11 females, including a few youngsters. We’d seen this forkl in the past, and they seemed happy to see us, nibbling on cut-up apples and carrots fed from my hand, and handfuls of pellets tossed to the ground.
There’s one particular female kudu who’s come to know me, and she gently nudges my hand for more, looking directly into my eyes. Often, people underestimate the power of communication between wildlife and humans. Sure, some are dangerous, and one must steer clear.
 |
| It was almost dark, but this kudu approached me for a handout. |
For example, I’d never feed a male kudu from my hand. His huge antlers could inadvertently cause great harm. We always keep a safe distance. Also, we don’t hand-feed warthogs. Their razor-sharp tusks are deadly, and they aren’t particularly gentle like female kudu and bushbucks.
Not long ago, we posted a video of a warthog tossing a mongoose into the air, which can be seen here if you missed it. This split-second action appears about halfway through the short video.
We’re learning so much. Our hearts are filled with respect and admiration for the gifts Mother Nature, God, or whichever belief you may possess (or not) bestowed upon us lucky humanoids. It’s undoubtedly our responsibility to honor and revere all species on this earth, both human and animal.
 |
| Most of the time, mom and baby stayed close to one another. |
As much as we have definitive opinions on conservation, we won’t get into the “politics” of this sensitive subject. Unquestionably, most of our readers can readily imagine where we stand on this topic based on our passion for wildlife.
But, here, we choose to avoid highly charged politically motivated topics. At the same time, we maintain the integrity of living life on the move, primarily referring to our motto as shown on our homepage, which reads: “Wafting Through Our Worldwide Travels with Ease, Joy and Simplicity.”
 |
| “Mom, I need a drink after all those dry pellets.” |
As a result, we choose to ignore the noise and commotion of the construction the best way we can during this off-season in Marloth Park when homeowners have work done on their holiday rentals. We’ll strive to maintain the positivity we find adds so much quality to our lives.
May your day consist of ease, joy, and simplicity.
Photo from one year ago today, March 27, 2017:
 |
| Bob, our kindly landlord, and a new friend had insisted on driving us to see some of the sights in the area, including the beautiful historic St. Patrick’s Estate. For more photos, please click here. |