Saturday 16 April 2011

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


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