Annitta our Zimbabwean German speaking guide just got back from a Cape to Vic CV21 camping tour and wanted to share the following.. My last tour was a Cape Town to Victoria falls camping tour, I was quite excited to go on this tour because of the fantastic geological locations our Namibia camping tours visit and this tour delivered that and more. For example we stay at Spitskoppe, sitting at 1,728m above see level it was first scaled only in 1946, and its shape has inspired its nickname, The Matterhorn of Africa. Camping here is a must when visiting Namibia as it has something truly special about it which is hard to explain.. You need to see it and stay at its base to understand what i mean!!
On our Botswana leg of the tour we went wild camping in the Okavango delta. After an afternoon of being entertained by a herd of Zebra which was drinking water from what was a picture perfect lagoon in front of our campsite, we had a wonderful campsite dinner and retired to our tents to recharge for the next bright new day.
Waking up to a the deep toned booming sound that we wished would go on forever, it captivated as it resonated through our campsite cutting through the various other birdsongs that were either signaling the start of a new day, or welcoming the heat that came with the morning sun, most songs conveyed the message that the proverbial lion had indeed been asleep that night, I made it through the night, im still here this is still my territory.
The loud booming oomph sound continued, leading the questions who was it? What were they saying so early in the morning? It was the territorial advertisement of the Southern Ground hornbill, A very large conspicuous black bird which can weigh up to 6kg,mostly seen foraging on the ground for reptiles of all sorts and even large enough insects but even more magnificent when they fly. The calls which can be heard up to a distance of more than 3 kilometres allow each group with individuals numbering between 5 and 10, to maintain their territories.
We did not see this territorial advertiser while on our walk in the delta but we saw plenty more other interesting plants animals and birds .A few days later driving through Zambezi national park to the resort town of Victoria falls we saw seven of these magnificent birds just by the side of the road as if they had been preordered and right on queue they spread their magnificent wings exposing white feathers to perch on a dead teak tree for that perfect photo this was one of those wonderful moments where overland travel becomes interesting with a surprise from nature around every corner and the learning experience associated there with.
The Southern Ground hornbill is an endangered bird species mostly due to loss of habitat and also due to the fact that it is a slow breeder, by slow breeder we mean that a couple will produce one offspring every 3 to 4 yrs,the birds which has a long life expectancy of 70 years in captivity first reaches sexual maturity at the age of 7 - 8yrs but that does not necessarily mean that the time it starts breeding ,as first a suitable partner and nest site has to be found, the nest site is usually a cavity in a tree trunk with specific measurements. Although laying two to three eggs cainism exists in this bird species and only one will make it to adulthood.
The ground hornbills size , large voice and lifespan has made it also an important bird in African cultures, it is a symbol of the arrival of the rainy season to some while the tswana believe the bird should never be killed as its partner will haunt you for the rest of yourlife, such taboos against the killing of hornbills have in a way helped in the conservation of the species but such beliefs are unfortunately losing their strength due to modenisation.That being said and done I really can’t wait for the next time I camp wild for it is insightfully entertaining what mother nature always offers.