In addition to the Big 5 and the Little 5, you also get the Ugly 5. But just like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I think “ugly” is as well. These five animals may not be the prettiest out there, but some of them are on my list of favourite animals.
Blue Wildebeest
There were large herds in the Satara area. These herd included lots of youngsters. I think they are fluffy and cute!
Marabou Storks
OK, so maybe these guys can be classified as ugly. But despite their looks, I find these large birds fascinating.
Warthog
I saw very, very few of these animals during this trip, but I think this was due to the tall grass. I saw my first warthogs at the Twisappel waterhole on the way to Mopani. I saw a few more near Letaba – I don’t know what can be cuter than piglets – they are certainly not ugly!
Vultures
I love these birds. They are fascinating to watch when they are at a carcass. I had distant sightings of Lappet-faced and White-headed vultures. I saw a few White-backed Vultures.
I saw a few land in a tree and had the best views of the white backs.
Hyenas
Hyenas are some of my favourite animals. I just love them, and seeing hyenas is always one of the highlights of any trip. I briefly saw a hyena when I was at my birding spot on the Sweni road. I saw hyenas again while at Letaba. Two hyenas were jogging along the road early on my birthday.
Next up: V is for …..