By Vusi Nzapheza,
Acacia Reporter
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ROBERT Wooldridge, the game guide,
poses a probing question: how did the warthog come to be known as the praying
pig?
The man with an
encyclopaedic knowledge of the wildlife, Wooldridge enthralled us with
stories about animals.
I was a part of one of Kwa
Maritane game drives and he was our man.
For us the hartebeest,
wildebeest, buffalos, zebras, springbok, impalas and many others came
out to play. But most of us were on the lookout for the Big Five. As so often happens, only
two came out to greet us - the elephant and the rhinoceros. No kangaroos.
We stumbled upon a bunch of
elephants as dusk was beginning to set in. Like us, they took fright. But
our man remained cool.
The rhino seemed busy with
other jungle matters. Our guide Wooldridge took time to outline the
differences between the black and the white rhino, describing why short
poachers go after the rhino’s horn - a symbol of “coming of age”. Many
believe it is an aphrodisiac.
Here in Kwa Maritane there
is no poaching problem. Horns are safely where they should rightly be. The
visitors will take colourful memories and images home, as cameras just kept
clicking away.
Of course you should know
why the warthog is the praying pig - he kneels on his front legs as he digs
for the roots.
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