Crocodile… the Nile Crocodile..

Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)

Never buy one as a pet… it will bite you, guaranteed… it’s the second largest living reptile in the world, after the saltwater crocodile (don’t buy one of these also, you can’t take it out for a walk on the beach, it’ll take to the sea and you’ll lose it)

The male crocodile measure from 3.5 to 5 m (11 ft. 6 in to 16 ft. 5 in) long, but the old, mature ones can grow to 5.5 m (18 ft. 1 in) or more. Mature females measure 2.4 to 3.8 m (7 ft. 10 in to 12 ft. 6 in). Now that could be a bit big to carry around on your shoulder…

The nostrils, eyes, and ears are situated on the top of the head, so the rest of the body can remain concealed underwater. This is not good news for those that swim in rivers like I did years ago, or for that matter for their prey. They can lie still in an ambush position for hours, days, weeks and, I wanted to say months, but that might be stretching it a little far, till their prey has entered the kill zone.

A short sharp swish of the tail and it will lock its jaws on its prey with an extremely powerful bite, unique amongst animals with sharp conical teeth that pierce into flesh allowing for a grip that is impossible to loosen. Applying high levels of force for extended periods of time, a great way to aid it drown you or its prey.

Don’t be fooled by that grin and smiley face, he wants you to have a false sense of security… then he can eat you… the lazy so and so…

This must be considered the laziest predator alive, what with swimming all day or sunning yourself on the banks and then lying around in the water waiting for your prey to get near enough to you to catch it….

Nile crocodiles are sociability orientated creatures. They’ll share tanning spots and large food, such as schools of fish and big carcasses. There is however a strict hierarchy, that is determined by size. Large, old males are at the top and have first claim to food and best basking spots. Crocodiles know their place in the hierarchical order and rarely step out of line, as this could results in a very bloody and sometimes even fatal battle.

As an eye opens to see if I’m close enough to eat… no my friend I’m on full zoom…

Nile crocodiles lay eggs to reproduce, (wonder if one could pickle them) which are guarded by the female. The hatchlings are protected for a period of time, but hunt by themselves. The Nile crocodile is one of the most dangerous species of crocodile and is responsible for hundreds of deaths of humans every year.

So damn ugly that in a way he’s beautiful…

Africa’s Big Five.. or are They?

Africa’s big five refers to supposedly the five biggest killers of mankind… well on this I don’t agree. Maybe in the days of the pioneers and those of the big hunters, but not today…

The first… Elephant…..

Meeting up with one of these outside of a National Park is highly unlikely, and within the Parks if you are not stupid, your chances of not having your car turned over is up to you… be stupid and think of these gentle giants as pets … and you will quickly discover that they aren’t…  African elephants, especially older bulls and young males, can be aggressive, and death is normally by being trampled…. 6 ton is kind’a heavy…. In places where poaching is rife and/or the elephants’ habitats are threatened, elephants are more aggressive, and rightly so…

The second… Lion..

 

Lions live throughout sub-Saharan Africa (except for forests and deserts) in protected areas. Lions can be extremely dangerous and the famous man-eating lions of Tsavo were not just a myth. A 2005 study showed that lion attacks on man were on the rise in Tanzania and Mozambique. Sick male lions are mostly responsible for the hundreds of human deaths that occur each year because of these attacks. So when visiting a park, stay in your car… these are not cats that you can cuddle…

Thirdly my favourite, the Buffalo… scared of nothing….

They have reputedly killed more Big Game Hunters than any other specie… they are thought to kill nearly 200 people each year… standing around like herds of cattle, they can be hugely underestimated… a big bull will seem to be looking right through you… but give him the chance and he’s going to gore you if he feels the least threatened…. 700 kg of strong muscle will make an ugly mess of you when he’s finished tossing you around like a rag doll… Most Lion will not even contemplate taking them on, and their ferocity when protecting their young, has proven the demise of many lion…

Then fourthly the Leopard..

This cat has had a bad wrap for many years… yes he has killed humans, but not in great numbers.. the chances are he will avoid you, but again don’t treat this cat as a domestic.. he is a ferocious killer and when cornered will not back down.. his bite is far worst than his bark, which is nothing more than a type of cough… So if you decide to go poaching at night and hear a slight cough, say your prayers, he’s seen you, has warned you, and now the silent killer is going to kill you….. luckily this seldom happens….

The fifth, the rhino

You would far rather see the other end of this monster than this end…. but beware he can turn on a whistle, or a dime… and that huge body can go far faster than even Usian Bolt.. He might just point to the sky showing the direction he’s about to travel, after that horn has entered his rear orifice…. The black Rhino is far more aggressive than the white, and will attack rather than run, so find a tree and start to climb long before he decides to come and find you… he will detect you by sound and smell (actually half blind) and when he does he isn’t going to warn you…

But here is where the others come in…

The crocodile, the Nile crocodile..

Crocodiles kill hundreds of people each year in Africa. It can be found in almost every major river throughout the continent as well as many lakes. Most fatalities occur while people are washing or collecting food near river banks and lake shores. Fisherman are also prone to attack as they slide their boats in and out of the water. Crocodiles attack by dragging their prey under water and drowning them. Some crocodiles will also then roll their bodies repeatedly to weaken their prey, and this happens more times than we would like to think… so be aware when walking around near possible infested water…

The Hippo (hippopotamus)

The hippo is responsible for more human fatalities in Africa than any other large animal. Male hippos actively defend their territories which run along the banks of rivers and lakes. Females have also been known to get extremely aggressive if they sense anyone coming in between them and their babies, who stay in the water while she feeds on the shore. Hippos can run at speeds of over 20 miles an hour and they have enormous jaws which host up to 20 inch canines. They can basically cut you in half… so beware these are not to be taken lightly… Yet not considered one of the big five…

And now for the biggest killer of all, yet not one that tourists come to Africa to film.. The Mosquito..

The mosquito is responsible for killing more Africans than any other through the spread of malaria and other diseases. Malaria kills over a million Africans every year, most of these are children under the age of five. Malaria is only spread by the female Anopheles mosquito. They are most active around dawn and dusk. There are in fact around 3,500 species of mosquito flying around and their average life-span is about two weeks. So … you can’t shoot them … they’re too small, so take the necessary precautions or suffer the disease like I did…