Animal life in the Bushveld
As the moon lights up the bushveld, the night comes alive with quiet danger and hidden movement. Nature shifts gently from danger to calm as day begins.
Softly Owl flies between the branches of the poplar bush. He is looking for a delicious mouse as a snack. He tries to be as quiet as possible. The moon is shining brightly tonight and he can see very distinctly with his huge eyes.
Mouse sees the shadow of Owl. He nearly dies with fright! He hides underneath the roots of the big old stinkwood tree. He sniffs between the leaves, because he suddenly smells a delicious snack. He scratches with his sharp nails and eventually finds a little piece of cheese which has fallen.
He quickly scatters back to his hole. The cheese is dragged inside and his family feasts on it.
Owl is terribly upset. Tonight he struggles to find something to eat. He knows that the bright moon severely hampers his chances. He goes to sit in the nearest tree and tries to determine where another mouse is hiding.
Tonight the bush is really in a commotion. Wherever he looks, he sees life. The jackal is stalking his prey. Hare luckily sees him and quickly hops to his den behind the antheap.
Aardvark also sniffs-sniffs at every antheap hoping he would get a lovely ant snack. Unfortunately all the antheaps are empty and just full of dead soil.
The poor mouse family scatters around in the veld. There are so many night animals which threaten them. If it’s not the owls then it’s the wild cats. The poor mother mouse must watch her little ones the whole time and help them so that they are not caught.
By daybreak things are starting to become more restful. Now one hears the hippos roaring in the river. They enjoy wrestling and swimming around. Crocodile can’t wait for the sun to rise. He again wants to lie and rest in the lovely warm sun on the riverbank.
The impalas enjoy the morning air and jump around playfully. Some nibble on the grass. Here and there zebras are walking around. They are ruminating on the delicious, sweet grass which they’ve eaten.
Fish-eagle whistles a high note while he is diving through the air to catch the delicious trout in the dam.
While nature’s day life is waking up, the animals which sneak around during the night are sleeping. They lie snugly in their nests or hiding places.
It’s as if life has come to a standstill.