Hakuna Matata (KNP 10)

Pumba - Phacochoerus africanus

Oh dear, oh dear, very, very remiss of me, I’ve forgotten one animal almost entirely from my ramblings – so we’re staying in the Park a couple of days longer – and also because Scarlett (dear sweet girl!) has also asked to see some of the landscape shots. Hope you don’t mind…

The “person” I forgot is none other than Pumba. How could I?! Yes, Pumba means I’m talking about warthogs. Feel free to sing along while you read this post…

“Hakuna Matata, it means no worries for the rest of your days, it’s our problem free, philosophy, Hakuna Matata!”

Turn up the volume now...

Warthogs really are the most delightful animals – so much character – and they were among the first we spotted on entering the Park - and then we discovered a mother and child and a whole lot more at the Renosterkoppies (translates as Rhinocerous Hills) waterhole. They’d had a drink, had a wallow and were intent on having a really good scratch. You’ve no idea how tempted I was to hop out of the car and offer to help – it was the look of sheer delirious bliss on their faces that did it.

Itch-itch...

Scratch-scratch...

Hmm-mmm...

Hakuna Matata...

Phacochoerus africanus is known as the naked swine of the savanna – it’s slimmer than other hogs (go figure) and has longer limbs – so yes, that makes it the tall leggy one…though not blonde. Warthogs live in burrows to escape predators and heat and although they can dig quite well they apparently use holes that have been excavated by aardvarks (no, sorry, didn’t see any aardvarks). Perhaps one of the funniest things about warthogs is how, when they all set off running, their little piggy tails go straight up in the air like radio aerials. Remote controlled warthogs, anyone?

Young Pumba...

I need a problem free philosophy...

Thinking of warthogs I recall a story once told to me by a friend about her mother-in-law… Mom-in-law was fond of a tipple or two which made her a wee bit unfocussed. “You never know what I saw last night,” she said to my friend as they sat on the porch of the farmhouse, “warthogs, a whole lot of them, running across the farm road, their little tails straight up in the air – and you know what, they ran across the road, such dear little animals, and straight up the tree.” Hmmm, yes, have another gin and tonic, my dear, why not? Africa does this to one. No worries, you know. Hakuna Matata.

No worries...

And no, sorry, didn’t see any meerkats a la Timon, but did see some banded mongooses.

Not quite Timon - the banded mongoose