An uneven battle: Top 3 weird animal behaviors in Africa

One of the most incredible experiences from animal lovers is taken photographs of some weird animal behaviors. There are chimps using rituals with trees, or creatures with strange features. Beyond these curiosities, the dark side of nature has a lot to offer.

Watching wild African animals in their natural environment is stunning in and of itself. Looking at them interact in some weird behaviors makes your safari one in a million: from the mysterious fight and unexplained beach attacks to chimps stoning a tree, here are the top 3 weird animal behaviors in Africa

Unexplained clusters of Whale

When a research ship sailed along the coast of South Africa, it encountered something never seen before with humpback whales. When these mammals gather together, they rarely have more than four whales.

An uneven battle: Top 3 weird animal behaviors in Africa
©ListVerse – Unexplained clusters of humpback whales

The weird animal behaviors, in this case, the water concocts with 200 whales in an area the size of a football field. The timing was also wrong. Humpback whales visit South Africa in winter to hunt plankton and shrimp. But this festival has now arrived in spring.

Nor was it a one-off deal. The first gathering took place in 2011, then 2014 and 2015. The animals were feasting, suggesting that a bloom of prey had attracted them. Their migration patterns may be changing, or it is normal behavior.

If the latter is true, the gatherings probably disappeared after hunters killed 90% of the species (their population is now stable). It is difficult to say which theory explains the tight clusters.

Chimpanzees stoning particular trees

There are weird animal behavior and scene going on in West Africa. Chimpanzees climb a tree, scream, then throw a rock. Sometimes two. Then they move away. Nobody explained why they do this, except that it’s probably not for fun.

Chimpanzees like spontaneous play and rock-throwing have a distinct ritualistic feel to it. Only certain species of trees are bombarded, and of these, individual trees are stoned so hard that rocks accumulate around the base. Researchers have wondered if the qualities of the wood make the chimps feel happy.

Perhaps it produced the right sounds for bush telegrams? Some kind of musical instrument? There’s only a way to find out. A team moved into the forest, found hail on the trees, and the placed recorder on. Then, they went and threw rocks. The software combed through the blows and found that the communication theory was on to something.

The sounds must be weak and constant to travel a reasonable distance. Of course, the trees were humming deeply. The frequencies were magnified by the broad base and pulled by the wood. But a single jet (or two) is hardly a message worth sending.

The chimpanzees’ deep hooting in advance also does the same thing first. However, why sending a pebble note at all? That is a good question. Right now, the two-step ritual still a mystery.

Honey badger fights antelope

Honey badgers are famously fearless, but it was always surprising to see a take on an oryx in South African. A type of antelope horned ten times the size of a honey badger.

Dick Theron, a tourist, was on a visit to Etosha National Park in South Africa when he spotted the unbalanced battle unfolding and captured incredible images. Dick explained to the Daily Mail that the badger approached the antelope at a waterhole and started the fight.

Honey badger fights antelope
©Dirk Theron/Caters News – Honey badger fights antelope

“He continued to charge at the oryx. Then the oryx would hook the badger between its horns and throw it five or six meters into the air,” Theron said. The honey badger “just got up, shook, and then charged at the oryx again!”

Honey badger fights antelope
©Dirk Theron/Caters News

We’ll never know why this ratel fought he was sure to lose, but the weird animal behavior is not clear, this fierce hunter lived up to his formidable reputation.

Show More

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button