Sun Destinations videographer Dave Jackson has been hard at work capturing rare Kruger wildlife videos, specifically those depicting amusing animal behaviour. We all know how the “cute” factor in the animal kingdom pulls at our heart-strings! Dave has produced a variety captivating clips, all filmed within the Sabi Sand Private Reserve and the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. We’ve highlighted our top 5 videos that will make you want to grab your camera, get on a plane and head out safari. Which is your favourite video?
Top 5 adorable Kruger wildlife videos
1. Giggling hyenas steal leopard kill
When you’re in the wild and you hear a wailing call, a howling scream or a crackle of laughter from an animal; it’s probably a hyena. In this video we see a clan of hyena giggling nervously as they steal a leopard’s kill. They sound like teenagers in fits of laughter! The reason they make this high-pitched laughter is because they are in a state of distress. The laughter is often heard at a kill site and produced when they are faced with conflict while arriving and leaving a potentially harmful situation. Here, the clan very cleverly snatched a kill from a leopard – now that’s cause for fits of “giggles” !
2. Dwarf mongooses wrestling
The dwarf mongoose is a very cute, gregarious creature. They live in communities and move around in groups of 10 – 15 individuals. They strengthen their bond with one another by wrestling playfully; which is what we see in this video. They take refuge in termitaries and aren’t nearly as shy as other mongoose. Dave had to sit quietly for some time until they eventually came up to play.
3. Clumsy baby elephant mock charges vehicle
An elephant calf cannot control its trunk and often mock charges vehicles to show its displeasure. This behaviour, when exhibited by an adult elephant is nothing short of terrifying; but watching an elephant calf doing this is adorable. Their trunk swings wildly, they trumpet madly and stumble forth, folding their ears back and charging with their heads down. Here we have a calf trying to protect himself against perceived danger – the game vehicle.
4. Curious hyena cubs
Did you know that the hyena is more closely related to a cat than a dog? This is why young hyenas are called cubs and not pups. Adult females, when they give birth, raise their cubs in one den site where they remain until they are old enough to explore. Hyena live in groups called clans and the other adult clan members visit the cubs and mother almost daily. A den is the social centre of a hyena clan. Here Dave has stumbled upon a den with the cubs exploring with curiosity.
5. Giraffe with a bent neck
This is one of those rare moments where we witness how a giraffe adapts to life in the wild with its very obvious deformity. Has this ever been seen before? Not that we know of ! Look at how this giraffe modifies its natural behaviour to compensate for its deformity. Although this video is not in our “adorable” category, it is nothing short of remarkable.
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