Posts

Showing posts with the label protection

Animal Stories - The Pregnant Giraffe

Image
Looking out across Lake Manyara , I see heads of graceful tall giraffes moving toward a shallow stream of water.   They stop occasionally and seem to be as interested in me as I am in them.   And then they continue on their journey.         A pregnant female is studying the water.   She wants a drink but the water seems so far below her.   She stands beside the stream and then turns to it spreading her front  legs and lowering her head. She is not yet close enough.   She can just reach the grass on the other side.   She parts her front legs, bends them more and turns.     She drinks and drinks.   Water splashes as she raises her head.   She is wary and wants to see who is near.   This giraffe is out in the open and exposed.   I sense her fear and caution.   This land is dangerous for a solitary animal.   Another giraffe comes to the same area and instead of getting a drink as I expect, she stands beside the mother-to-be and stretches her long neck across the exposed back g

The Dancing Baby Elephant - Animal Stories from Tanzania

Image
I love animal stories!  There were so many animals interacting with each other as we toured Tanzania that I started collecting stories in my journal.      I just knew you would want to read about    The Dancing Baby Elephant.     Early one morning, the road was clear and dry with no ruts.  The dew was fresh on the green leaves of the acacia trees; a few birds sang as we drove though this quiet pristine area.   Later that afternoon we passed through this same area after a hard rain.  Now there were ruts and mud lakes.  Travel was slow and that was a good thing as we happened upon a herd of elephants.  They were intent upon stripping the acacia trees of their bark as well as pulling up the trees with their trunks.  There were now broken trees, trees bent over with no leaves, and trees uprooted.  It was difficult to find the road so we stopped and watched.  The elephants were intent upon their task and paid us no attention at all. All at once we spotted a baby elephant too young to