Much Addo about Beetles

It was a day out to Addo Elephant Park, about an hour away from Port Elizabeth. This was very, very exciting because I was led to believe that not only was I very likely to see elephants, but chances were I might see rhino, buck and - most excitingly of all - a dung beetle.

Arriving at the entrance, we were presented with this sign:

This was a good start. I saw dung beetles once before in Kenya, and it may have been the high point of the holiday. I don't know why I like them so much. I just do. Anyway, Addo was famed for its flightless dung beetle. Though I will admit that I have never - to my knowledge - seen a flying dung beetle. I wonder about them. If they fly with the ball of dung tucked under their wing. Perhaps I digress.

So, a convoy of two cars (TheBloke (TM), his mum and myself in one car, TheBloke (TM)'s sisters and nephew in the car behind), we set off into the depths of Addo. Yes, we saw elephants. We saw great big lovely tortoises. I even spotted a jackal. Being sick. And an ostrich urinating. Here are some photos.

But no dung beetle. Not a dung beetle was in sight. Kudu, plenty. Bok, of course. Zebra, millions of the gits. No dung beetles.

Until finally, finally, just as we were about to give up hope, a dung beetle slowly ambled in front of the car. We stopped, took photos, and drove carefully round the dung beetle.

TheBloke(TM)'s sisters followed in the car behind. We waved at them to show them the dung beetle, this miracle of poo-nature. They waved back. We waved again, and pointed at the road.

They waved back again.

Then they drove - seemingly in slow motion - directly over the dung beetle. Squished. Dead. It was an ex-beetle.

(Luckily we did see about 300 more once we left the park, so I don't think they were an endangered species after all. But still. One down.)

The dung beetle's task seems pretty thankless - rolling a big ball of elephant poo with dung beetle eggs in to safety. The poo is about three times the size of the dung beetle's body. And there's a large chance of getting run over or eaten. Basically it's - wait for it - a shit job. (I'm so funny.)

Still, I have days in the office where I wonder which of us has the raw deal.

At least the dung beetle never gets asked to "socialise" documents.