NATURE & WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS
TOP LEFT Preening is one of the most important ways in which a bird keeps its feathers in good condition. (Pilanesberg National Park) TOP RIGHT Both male and female giraffes have prominent horn-like structures on their heads called ossicones. The ossicones are a reliable guide to the sex or age of a giraffe. The ossicones of females and young are thin and display tufts of hair on top, whereas those of adult males end in knobs and tend to be bald on top. (Be Human – Middelwater Farm)
LEFT Young meerkats start to accompany their group on foraging excursions at a young age, facing many uncertainties in the big new world far from their den, and they frequently look for comfort from other clan members. (Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park)
62 | June - August 2022 • rovesa.co.za
