…alongside crocodiles, fish, burrowing carmine birds, and much more.
Yes, we’re still in Africa, about 1,700 miles from the Serengeti; and they do start out with a cheetah, which we’ve seen quite a bit of lately; but that speedster isn’t mentioned again once water covers the land, though a leopard and — especially — the lions carry on.
You might have already seen this insanely popular National Geographic video, and if so, you know what treats are in store, for instance, that one leopard scene — do drop in! — and that one lion scene which addresses the question of which is a tougher predator: lion or croc (not to mention the indignant roar at the reptile’s lèse majesté).
Another reason to cover the Okavango on Feline Friday is that paleoartist Mauricio Antón goes there on his Drawing the Big Cats safaris.
And one is scheduled next month.
Unvealing the secrets of leopard locomotion at our "Drawing the Big Cats" safari. There is still time for an impulse booking to join our August 2023 departure! pic.twitter.com/3FcRbqS03B
— Mauricio Anton (@MAntonPaleoart) May 27, 2023
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Yes, studying live animals (and anatomical specimens) is how Antón develops his amazing reconstructions of fossil cats.
Here’s an African sabercat you might not have heard of, but its genus made news this week. (Image: Mauricio Antón via Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 Netherlands).
This isn’t an endorsement of those safaris, by the way, because I know nothing about them, but I would definitely check it out, if I had any disposable income.
Antón is a wonderful artist and an experienced paleontologist, and as you can see here, the Okavango Delta is an amazing place:
https://youtu.be/rKtzj_9vl8Q&rel=0
For the queasy (like me), the only awful predation scene, IMO, is the one with the painted dogs, impala, and croc, but I think the impala was already in shock and out of it by the time of that last tussle between the pack and the reptile.
Some lagniappe:
https://youtu.be/YNNH47eMx1g&rel=0
Reference. It would take a lot of weight off our shoulders today if we could rediscover how to laugh at ourselves as Bogie laughs and ignores his own “tough-guy” image here — adrift on the River as we all are in this wild world, neither dumb like animals nor omniscient like gods, with only a stranger to turn to for companionship and aid.
Featured image: JordiStock/Shutterstock
Flight To Wonder 