Wednesday 19th March. Some happy photos for you of Banky hippo playing with his friend BonBon. Banky is still a baby and suckling milk; he turned a year old last November. BonBon had just finished suckling and she turns three years of age this April.
I went down to see how many hippos were back at the Chlabata pool this morning.
I found 11 of them, so we are still short Dizzy and Kiboko from Robin’s family.
These two young females could be pregnant or if they are not, then they may have moved away to find a new mate. I feel in my bones that at least one of them is pregnant but to date only Relief has returned with a new baby.
It is quite common for young females from the age of between five and seven years to leave the family group and go to one of the other two river systems in the Conservancy. Sometimes they return home and at other times they do not.
I am hoping that this is not the case and that they both will be back here shortly and hopefully accompanied by calves. In the meantime young Banky and BonBon were happily having the hippo jousting game this morning. This involves opening their mouths and pushing at each other in the river. They often leap around like dolphins and it is not uncommon for the smallest to be the one who dominates. Today Banky, who is much younger, continued to chase and play with BonBon for over one hour.