Thursday, May 10, 2018

Flora and Fauna of Xagana Estuary

During he night we heard some animal sounds but mostly we were kapt awake by a large creature bumping and shaking our cottage. We found out late it was Fred the hippo!


Very early we boated out to an island for a nature walk. So many trees and plants serve humans and animals like the Marula tree or the Sausage tree. The sausages are pounded, boiled, dried and ground into powder that is good for healing wounds and cancers of humans and feeds the baboons and Impalas and other animals. The Marula tree is food for elephants and man; Jasmin creeper is edible and makes a good rope; the large Devil’s thorn is edible, makes soap and is good for he kidney; and blue bush roots made good toothbrushes.

We saw hippos, Malachite kingfisher, little bee eater, Scribe kingfisher, warthogs, Lechwe, a monitor lizard, and brown head eagle.


Following lunch and naps, Lanny, Jack and Paul went fishing and Cathy and I took a boat ride out to Jeri Jeri Lagoon where we were awed and amazed by all he hippos living there! Stanley counted 73 hippos while Cathy and I took pictures and ooh and aah over them. One hippo even showed off by leaping out of the water several times!

A night drive showed us a spotted Genet, a hippo feeding, a marsh owl and a hare. The big surprise after the drive was a magical setting of luminaries and lanterns lighting a woodland setting where we had dinner, entertainment and an enjoyable campfire with story telling by the guests. Truely an enchanted evening!

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