Kopjes

K opjes (pronounced as kop-eez) are essentially piles of ancient rocks that poke through the more recent soils & surface rocks. They’re formed when softer volcanic rock and ash that comprise the soils of the Serengeti region erode to expose the underlying layer of ancient granite that forced its way upwards from below the earth’s crust during the Precambrian Era, which is at least 540 million years ago.

T he lion’s mane has often been viewed as a shield that protects a male’s head and neck during fights against other males. Also, the size and coloration of the mane serves as a signal to other lions about the male’s fitness, similar to the showiness of the peacock’s tail. A dark mane is apparently a marker the female uses to evaluate the fitness of a male. In short, the darker the lion’s mane, the more powerful he is & more attention he receives from the lionesses.

Elephants are the world’s largest & strongest land animal – with adult males, aslo called bull elephants, standing up to 3m high and weighing up to 6,000kg on average (elephanst weigh around 260kg at birth) . They also can carry up to 9,000kg, the weight of 130 adult humans. Bulls tend to be loners except when they are looking to mate and only reach their full size at 35-40 years - that’s well over half their lifespan as wild elephants can live for up to 60-70 years.