Terrapin scare

Ever heard of a buffalo running from a terrapin?  Well, we've seen it first hand.  We were watching the buffalo enjoying the cool water at Serengeti Pan, when a terrapin slowly swam up to the buffalo and disappeared under the buffalo's belly.  The next moment, the buffalo sprang up and rushed out of the water with a flash.  The terrapin must have pulled off a tick from a soft spot underneath the buffalo's rump, causing him a huge fright.

Photo by Danny Laredo, Israel

It is always great to see a large herd of about 400 buffaloes coming to drink.  For the majority of the time, the herd will move mostly in single files, but as soon as they smell or see water they all charge forward towards the water.  It almost looks like chaos.  A big cloud of dust hangs low and over the water and as soon as the dust settles, thats when you see the big black wall of buffaloes drinking water.  A truly amazing sight.

Muddy Shorthorn

We've all seen a rhino being covered with mud but to actually see an animal of this magnitue rolling around in a mud wallow in order to cover his entire body with mud is quite something.  Shorthorn had the most fun rolling and rolling in the mud until his entire body, including his eyes were covered with mud.  After a long while, he got up very slowly and lazily to find a tree to rub the mud from his face and eyes and went about his business marking his territory.