Is There Love in the Bush or is it Just Survival of the Fittest?
Published On: Feb, 2022
It’s the month of love!
Did you know this? All around the world February is known as the month of love as Valentine’s Day is celebrated on 14 February every year. However, I’m one of those that says every day can be used to show and spread love.
Let’s go on a safari to Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve to find out how love actually works in the bush.
Nature can be brutal as you know. Death seems to always be lurking around, even on a safari. It could either be from predation or males fighting for dominance. But can love be witnessed on a safari? Yes, it can. And it is very interesting to experience.
Love on the African plains is not always soft and fluffy as we know it. Animals are quite different from us humans. “Why are males sometimes more attractive than females?” On safari, I am frequently asked this question. The answer is simple, he needs to get the female’s attention.
In a system where males have to compete with each other, they have no choice but to grow prettier feathers, do more elaborate courtship dances and engage in fights that could lead to death. All this just to get a female.
Is all this effort worth it?
An absolute and definite YES again! We all know the phrase, “survival of the fittest.” This is a very important concept in nature as this only allows for the best genes to reproduce. The male that is the fittest, most domineering and best equipped to adapt to his environment will breed and survive. The reason for this is that reproduction success is dependent on the male. The subordinate males will not mate and eventually die out. This allows for the species to survive and the best and strongest genes are passed on.
I find the different types of mating systems very interesting. These are:
- Monogamy: mono meaning one and gomos meaning marriage. This is when the sexes choose one dedicated partner and they form a pair-bond. They remain together for reproduction and raising of young. An example is the African wild dog and some birds eg. the fish eagle.
- Polygyny means many women. A system when one male exclusively has many females. An example is the impala, waterbuck, and hippo.
- Polyandry means many men. Here a single female is the dominant sex and has many male mates. This system is most common in birds.
- Polygynandry is a mating pattern where both males and females have multiple mating partners. An example is the Chacma Baboon, Lion, Cheetah…
Antelopes
Let’s take a look at impalas, which we normally see on a safari in Hluhluwe. Their social structure is the harem system. This means one male to a herd of 15 – 20 ewes. The impala rams fight to test strength and to win the harem for the mating season. Fights can get serious and may even lead to death. The victor will defend his territory and his females until the end of the mating season. Which is from April to the end of May. When mating season is over the ram will return to the bachelor herd. Impala calves are born 7 months later. November marks the start of the birthing season. Read more about the birthing season in my November blog.
Predators
A lion pride is led by a dominant male. His duty is to protect the pride and mate with the females. For these reasons, he has to be larger and fitter than the other defeated males.
When it comes to lion loving it’s all about speed and stamina. The breeding pair can mate repeatedly for approximately four days. They will mate every 20 minutes for only a minute. This repetition is due to the low fertility in lions and only a small percentage of mating results in conception.
When you spend a few nights in the Hluhluwe National Park you have a greater chance of seeing the mighty lion.
Birds
In most birds, the male is colourfully more attractive than the female. Colour is used in competition with males over mates and territory. The bright beautiful colours show that the male is in good condition and prepared to fight. The females are a little boring with their colours as this is to help them blend in better into their environment while raising young.
So the answer is YES, there is love in the game of survival of the fittest as males become soft, protective, and very attentive to their females. And the mating rituals can be beautiful and elaborate to watch. What more can a woman ask for!
Take a safari to Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve and you may be lucky enough to experience some wild bush love. As an experienced guide, I will provide more in-depth information about each animal and their behaviour while on safari.
Even love in the bush can be fierce and sometimes leads to death. Like the female praying mantis that kills and eats the male after mating. But this is an exception.
This is wild Africa!
