Sunday Morning Hiding at the Waterhole

We spent this morning in a hide right next to a waterhole. It’s a permanent structure with seven seats looking out open windows at ground level. To get to the hide we walked down a narrow hallway from the parking lot, fences made of sticks on either side so the animals can’t see us approaching. We were the only two people, plus a guide who gave us high powered binoculars and who explained things, though mostly we were quietly watching. 

Throughout the morning various animals arrived for a drink. It was slow in the beginning, just a few birds. There was a mixed flock of waxwings and finches, small birds with a variety of beautiful colors and a few larger, black birds with white markings. Then a large flock of guinea fowl invaded, dark grey bodies covered in little dots, chicken-like with beautiful blue heads that remind me of peacocks. The guinea fowl are ubiquitous, running along the ground, always in large groups. 

Then some deer wandered in, a group of springboks accompanied by a couple of impalas. These small deer sometimes hang out together for protection from predators: the more there are, the better the chances that someone else will become dinner. Two young males were butting heads, practicing for when they have to fight for females.

A few zebras came walking in, then a few more, five or six in all. One was a frisky colt, full of energy, galloping in little circles. They drank their fill and headed off a short distance where they rolled in the dust. We’ve seen several animals rolling in dust to get rid of lice and ticks.

A male kudu with four females showed up for a drink. These are large deer, dark brown with 4 or 5 vertical beige stripes and a small hump on their back. A pair of oryx came, medium size with very long, straight, sharp horns. They kneeled their front legs to drink. The male was sniffing around the female’s backside and bellowed, wanting to mate. They wandered off behind a bush and we forgot about them because…

A huge male elephant came up to drink, sucking up gallons of water into his trunk and pouring it down his throat. We could hear the splash of water into his stomach, it sounded just like pouring a bucket of water into a metal barrel. He also stuck his trunk deeper to get muddy water which he splashed over himself. He then wandered over to the pipe that feeds the man-made waterhole and started sucking up the fresh water flowing into the pond. He appeared to have been on the losing end of one or more bad fights, his left tusk was broken off and his right was completely gone. It also looked like his right eye was missing; elephants have small eyes with big eyelashes so it was hard to tell, but there was no shiny eyeball to be seen, even with binoculars.

Once he was done with the waterhole, he used his trunk to throw dust all over his wet body. Meanwhile, two smaller male elephants came and went through the same ritual, including taking a turn sucking water from the inflow pipe. After dusting they all left together. 

When a male elephant fights another for dominance of a herd, he has to leave. Also when a young, teenage elephant shows interest in the females, he is driven out of the herd to prevent incest. Often these solitary males form bachelor herds, and this is likely what we saw at the waterhole.

While the elephants were bathing, several warthogs showed up. These guys are just like pigs, stirring up the shallow pond and wallowing in the resulting mud. 

Then it was time to leave. An interesting, fun and comfortable (it was quite cool sitting below ground level in the concrete hide) way to spend a morning in Namibia.