With their small size, big eyes, and playful demeanour, baby animals are always fun to watch!
With impala lambing season at an end, the bush is filled with young, thin-legged antelopes scrambling to keep up their mothers.
Several guides were lucky enough to view a family of bat-eared foxes on the plains with, again, 4 puppies. These pups were seen poking their noses out of the den in response to their mother’s call, or playing outside.
On one occasion, they were even spotted foraging at night with the adults, licking ants off the ground and digging for larvae.
Some of us have also been seeing four black-backed jackal puppies on the road that leads to the plains. They are very relaxed around vehicles, and display curiosity and playfulness.
During one sighting I had a few days ago, we watched them even show aggression towards each other as they were fighting over an impala leg – even though they are siblings, their survival instinct is strong.
Hippo, elephant, rhino and lion babies are also flourishing, and all this youthful energy has been rejuvenating for both Marataba’s animal and human inhabitants.
Words by: Helene Mertens
Photos by: Scott Fraser, Adriaan Mulder and Charlotte Arthun
