THE PANGOLIN

A solitary animal, pangolins are nocturnal and remain in their burrows during the day. All pangolins are able to roll themselves into a ball to defend themselves, and it takes considerable force to unroll their protective horny, overlapping scales.

Although pangolins gather up surface ants and termites, termite nests provide larger and more concentrated sources of food. They will generally walk a few miles each night, but tend to use the same burrow for many months.

THE WARTHOG

Neither graceful nor beautiful, warthogs are nonetheless remarkable animals. They are the only pigs able to live in areas without water for several months of the year. The name "warthog" is due to the fact that two large pairs of warts occur below the eyes and between the eyes and the tusks.

When water is available, warthogs drink regularly and enjoy wallowing in muddy places. As part of their grooming they also take sand baths, rub against trees and termite mounds and let tick birds pick insects off their bodies.

Warthogs live in family groups of a female and her young. They sleep and rest in holes usually dug by other animals, preferably pangolins.

THE LION

Most cat species live a fundamentally solitary existence, but the lion is an exception. It has developed a social system based on teamwork and a division of labor within the pride. Females do 85 to 90 percent of the pride's hunting, while the males patrol the territory and protect the pride. They usually spend 16 to 20 hours a day sleeping and resting, devoting the remaining hours to hunting, courting or protecting their territory.

At maturity, young males leave the units of their birth and spend several years as nomads before they become strong enough to take over a pride of their own.

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS

The hippopotamus, whose hide alone can weigh half a ton, is the third-largest living land mammal, after elephants and white rhinos.

It spends most of the day under water, to protect itself from sunlight and heat. After sunset it leaves the water to look for food. A typical hippo-herd consists of 5-20 members lead by an old male, and each and every one respects the solid hierarchy established within the group. Young males often have to fight hard in order to get respect and a higher position in the group.

The large hippo is an aggressive animal; old scars and fresh, deep wounds are signs of daily fights that are accompanied by much bellowing, neighing and snorting. Hippos have developed some ritualized postures the huge open-mouthed "yawn" that reveals formidable teeth is one of the most aggressive. With the long, razor-sharp incisors and tusk-like canines, the hippo is well-armed and dangerous.

THE CROCODILE

The Crocodile is one of the largest reptiles on earth, reaching lengths of twenty feet, although sixteen feet is more typical. Fish comprise 70% of an adults diet, but it will also eat everything from wildebeest to zebra to people. Crocodiles find fish easier prey and will sometimes cooperate by forming a line across a flowing steam, thus forcing fish to pass within striking distance of at least one hungry mouth.

Females deposit from 10 to over 60 hard-shelled eggs into a nest which is either a hole dug into the ground, or into a mound of vegetation formed by the female. Most females remain near their nest during incubation and may protect it from predators. Upon hatching, vocalizations made by the hatchlings induce the female to assist the hatchlings to emerge, and in some cases to carry the tiny babies to the water in her mouth. Hatchlings remain together near the mother for several months, deriving protection from her.

THE BUSH PIG

Gregarious but secretive: bush pig families numbering 6 - 8 avoid human and predatory interest by sheltering in dense, almost inaccessible undergrowth. Soon after dusk, they leave their hides, traveling along well-worth paths through the bush in search of food. Their diet consists of roots, fruit and vegetables, as well as a variety of insects, eggs, reptiles and carrion.

Bush pigs wallow in mud which keeps them cool, as well as protecting their skin from insect bites. The difference between a bush pig and a warthog? Bush pigs run with their tails down, opposite to the warthog’s aerial!