Pig headed stupidity

Well Graham, once again please accept my most sincere apologies, etc. etc.

I feel that I should respond to each of your last three posts - in deference to our avid readership and fan-base, of course.

Firstly, I think it would be quite acceptable to add your Siberian Chipmunks to your list. After all they are a feral and self-supporting population. Also it allows you to get into the lead 13-12.

Secondly, I, like you, have had the pleasure of turning cock-a-hoop in a gondola (as you most eloquently describe it) at the sight of Chamois. In my case I was ascending the Schilthorn and celebrated the sighting in style by sipping champagne with G et al. in a revolving restaurant. Sadly, my photographs were not as sharp or frame-filling as yours so I will refrain from posting them. Oh, I think that makes the score 13-13...

Thirdly, I do indeed have a picture of the boar Bush Pig that 'encountered' us in South Africa.

Nice, huh? I thought this picture was totally black until I did a little bit of judicious twiddling in iPhoto and revealed this menacing beast guarding his herd.

This photo was taken shortly before he started running in circles - a warning behaviour presumably intended to give us the opportunity to back off. Seeing this sort of antagonistic display, only fools would move closer on foot in the dark African bush, repeatedly misfiring flash-guns in the direction of the angry boar. In this heightened behavioural state any small additional factor could tip the boar over the edge into full-on attack. It wouldn't need to be anything like a Verreaux's Eagle Owl swooping by to attempt to take one of his piglets...

... but that would do the trick. As you know, when agitated, a Bush Pig can run very fast. Luckily, and unexpectedly, so can we...

Well, with that lesson safely under our belts we didn't do anything silly for the rest of the trip.

Come here piggy wiggys.

Pigs might fly

Hi Geoff,

I understand you're suffering from the burden of knowing that at any moment I'm poised to overtake you in the mammal count stakes - a lead you've kept since the early days of Mammalogia. Worse still, you must be wallowing in the heavy psychological doldrums that come with the knowledge that your all-time mammal count record - a magnificent 10 species - is soon to be broken. By a non-birder, nay an un-birder, to boot. I share your pain.

But there's hope on the placental horizon. I thought for our next joust we could share some old African memories. And where better to start that our old friend the bush pig, Potamochoerus larvatus. Now, I'm not sure either of us got a snap of the mad beast that charged us that dark and eventful evening. Sensing we were part of the Verreaux's owl mob, the old male's protective instincts - not to mention his rather large tusks - were heart warming if a little too close to our fast-retreating buttocks for comfort. But if you have even the fuzziest, darkest image of the mythical beast, I think it only fit that you post it pride of place on Mammalogia. And while we're on the subject of pigs flying - let's face it, that old bush whacker flew at us like a guided missile - I include a snap of a randy young warthog, Phacochoerus africanus, chasing a rather attractive warty female.

Graham 12, Geoff 12

Hope all's well.

Graham