The Earth Story

Wildlife-rich, dirt road drive through Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park (so named in the 1950s to commemorate a visit by the Queen)

A wildlife filled trip through Tanzania’s Serengeti Plain

Original caption:

Namibia

A whole bunch of hippos

Exploring the “Colors of Africa” through shots of the multi-colored wildlife (and ok, one shot of some people snuck in).

Excellent, wildlife-filled tour of Kruger National park, South Africa

A herd of hippos, Maasai Mara Reserve, Kenya, Africa, with a tiny fight between a couple of them.

Yawn

The Okavango Delta – the jewel of the Kalahari

The Okavango Delta lies in the north of Botswana nestled in the basin of the Kalahari Desert. In the middle of a tectonic through the Okavango River forms a huge swampy inland delta produced by seasonal flooding. There is a less than 2 meters variation in height across the area which leads to the formation of the characteristic myriad waterways of the delta.

Each year approximately 11 cubic kilometers (that’s 11,000,000,000,000 litres) of rainwater from the Angola highlands travel all the way to Botswana where it spreads over 15 000 square kilometers. Due to the high temperatures in the Delta all the water ultimately evaporates or transpires and does not flow into any sea (only 2 percent end up in a nearby lake). The flood peaks during the dry season between June and August and attracts huge numbers of animals creating one of Africa’s greatest concentrations of wildlife.

More correctly termed the Okavango Delta is actually an alluvial fan comprising areas that are permanently, seasonally or occasionally flooded. It consists of a number of main channels, smaller tributaries, lagoons, floodplains and islands. About 70 % of the islands start of as termite mounds and often have white patches with high salt content in the centre. The main island in the centre of the delta is called Chief’s Island and was formed by a fault line which uplifted the area which is a popular spot for wildlife.

Not only termites but also hippos pushing their way along the waterways shape and change the delta. They open up new channels and at the same time others are closed by new vegetation growth. Sedimentation, faults and slopes influence the Delta as well. With so many factors shaping the Okavango Delta it is not at all surprising that the flow of water is variable and unpredictable.

The delta is a highly protected area and one of the best places to see a large concentration of animals on both a permanent and seasonal basis. In addition to the 122 species of mammals the Okavango Delta supports over 400 species of birds and 71 species of fish which makes it one of the most sought after wilderness destinations.

Xandi

Image Credits: http://bit.ly/2earGRw http://bit.ly/2emY4zE http://bit.ly/2eVILQr http://bit.ly/2ec4yEA Sources: http://www.okavangodelta.com/ http://www.botswanatourism.co.bw/destination/okavango-delta http://sevennaturalwonders.org/okavango-delta/ http://www.orc.ub.bw/

Meet baby hippo

Thirsty

Thirsty Thirsty Hippo

Hippo vs. Watermelon seems to be an accurate description of this one.

Say  hi to Devi, a happy hippopotamus from the San Diego Zoo.

Hippos in the river Thames?

This picture shows a wooden sculpture of a hippo floating on the Thames. It was installed by the artist Florentijin Hofman who is known for his large-scale sculptures such as the famous “Rubber Duck”. The hippo swam through London in September 2014 but it was not the first hippo to freely roam the country.

About 125 000 years ago these animals were a common sight in Great Britain. Fossil evidence furthermore suggests monkeys, elephants, hyenas, lions and rhinos were living alongside the hippopotamuses.

Just below what is now Trafalgar Square the remains of a hippo were discovered. At the time the banks of the Thames extended further into what is now London and the warmer climate offered the perfect living conditions for all sorts of exotic animals.

Xandi

Image Credit: http://bit.ly/1PCKYpP Sources: http://bit.ly/1RwQZGR http://bit.ly/1XZSDov