Exploring Nature: Pel’s Fishing O
wl
You’ll never guess what creature our guide named as the most rare and desirable on a trip to Kruger National Park in Africa.
I was all excited about the “Big Five” of African animals — lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and Cape buffalo. These are the animals most people on safari long to see.
And on day one of our trip, the very first animal we came upon was a giant elephant, and on the back of that elephant was a tiny bird, an oxpecker, we were told. What a sight. Our guide said the little bird was tolerated by the elephant because it ate insects such as ticks, which were bothersome to the elephant.
Later on the trip, our Land Rover vehicle came upon four lions lying under a tree. Two were fast asleep and the others looked at us drowsily and with zero interest. Our guide said the lions thought we were part of the vehicle and that we were safe so long as we did not get out of it. The average lion, he told us, will spend about 20 hours a day sleeping; then it will hunt for food at night.
Eventually on the trip, we had seen every one of the Big Five except for the leopard. Our guide pointed out tracks along the trail and informed us the leopard was in the vicinity and that while we did not see it, there was a good chance it was seeing us. Not a reassuring thought.
Then I saw what looked to be a large bee hive in a tall tree further down the path. Our guide also spotted it and informed us it was a real rarity — one of Africa’s top attractions in his opinion: A Pel’s fishing owl.
This bird is about 25-inches long, weighs just over five pounds and has a very round head.
Our guide noted the owl was probably the rarest creature we would see on our trip. He was delighted to encounter it.
And so it came to be that a trip which featured good looks at lions, elephants, Cape buffalos and rhinos, was positively punctuated with the sighting of an owl that eats frogs and fish: Pel’s fishing owl.
I had never heard of such a bird.
But if you ever find yourself along the Limpopo River in Africa, keep an eye out for this elusive creature.
If you’re like me, you will never forget it.
