Addo Elephant National Park

Stillsuit anyone?

The Addo Elephant Park’s flightless dung beetle (Circellium bacchus) has no wings, but uses the sealed wing case as a CO₂ store to exhale less frequently and thus minimize moisture loss during breathing.

This allows the beetle to survive the arid conditions prevalent in that part of the Eastern Cape.

And yes, in Addo dung beetles have right of way.

201101-001-497-CR2_PAWW-DC-ZZ000-P — Give way to dung beetles, Addo Elephant Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Stillsuit is a moisture saving suit from the book Dune (by Frank Herbert).

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Pestilence and Disease

Off all the diseases in the world only two have been eradicated through human effort, smallpox and rinderpest (cattle-plague).

Rinderpest is an infectious viral disease of cattle and some other species of even-toed ungulates, including buffaloes and large antelopes.

201101-001-523-CR2_PAWW-DC-ZZ000 — Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) at rest, Addo Elephant Park, South Africa.

In the 1890s a rinderpest epidemic swept through Africa and destroyed large portions of the wild life and domestic cattle. In South Africa alone 2,500,000 head of cattle was lost due to this disease.

201101-001-521-CR2_PAWW-DC-ZZ000 — Partial Kudu skull, Addo Elephant Park, South Africa.

Photos taken in the Addo Elephant National Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

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