Chad

Zakouma National Park

Chad is 3 times the size of Califonia with a population of only 15 million.

At almost 1,200 square miles, Zakouma N.P.

is larger that the state of Rhode Island.

Of the 2,000  surviving in the wild,

it is estimated that 60% of these live in Zakouma National Park in Chad.

A first for us was seeing the “swarms” of the Red-billed Quelea,

the most numerous bird species on the planet.

The swarm flies down to the water surface for drinks.

An Elephant Never Forgets

The elephant population in Zakouma N.P. in Chad stopped breeding for an entire generation. Between 2002 and 2010, poachers killed 95% of the parks elephants. Almost 4000 eles were slaughtered for their ivory. Poachers, mostly from Sudan, on horseback with automatic weapons would often take out multiple family units at the same time. Camel trains would carry the blood tusks back across the border.

The ele population was estimated 4500 in the 90’s, from poaching that was down to 400.

As the cloud of birds flies over you, it sounds like a  a strong loud wind.

Zakouma National Park was  orginally formed in 1963

to protect the last 50 Kordofan giraffes in Chad.

A critically endangered sub-species of giraffe, the Kordofan had been brought to near extinction from poaching and habitat loss.

With conservation efforts that number is up to 2000.

The Kordofan is  a bit smaller than the other species, and have lighter coloring and patterns on the legs.

Poaching the elephants with the largest tusks,  would over time  genetically favor eles with smaller tusks.

A group of pelicans is sometimes called a squadron, or a colony or a pod or a scoop.

It can contain thousands of individuals.

The different species of pelicans live on every continent except Antarctica.

The pelican is among world’s heaviest flying bird species.

There are over 500 species of birds in Chad

The Great White Pelican

There's one pelican here who displays his pouch, as the rest spread their wings to help shade the hot desert sun.

The Great White Pelican has a huge gular pouch that can stretch to hold some 3 gallons of water.

As the pelican pushes its bill underwater, the large pouch fills with water and fish. As the bird lifts its head, the pouch contracts, forcing out the water but retaining the fish which are swallowed whole. The red hook at the tip of the pelican's upper mandible/bill, helps grab onto slippery or wiggly fish.

Young pelicans feed by sticking their bills into their parents' throats to retrieve food

The African Spurred Tortoise

Found in arid areas of Chad, the southern Sahara Desert, the Sahel. They will dig burrows several feet deep to escape the desert temperatures 0f 110 to 120F. The tortoise can go weeks without food or water.

As the largest species of mainland tortoise, it can weigh well over 100 pounds, be 30 inches across, and have a life span of 70 to 80 years.

Spur Winged Goose

Marabou Stork

Fishing and catching

Carmine Bee-eater

They nest in large colonies in cliffs, usually near river banks, where they use their bills to dig long horizontal tunnels, often eight feet or more in length.

The West African Desert Crocodile

They reside in burrows or caves in aestivation (a hibernation-like state) during the dry season coming out only when it rains, and gathering at gueltas, small pools, where the water has collected.

An oviparous animal, the crocodile is one that produces eggs, which they may lay on or bury in the sand. The life span is 50-100 years.

Crocs eat a wide range of different animals, Large ungulates like zebra, wildebeest, antelope and medium-size birds, fish, to the small lizards. Crocs spend the bulk of their time in water but they are equally capable to hunt on land.

Here a croc enjoys a catfish.

The male lion has developed a shorter, lighter mane then lions in other areas, an adaption for the hot desert sun.

Lioness with a  buffalo kill

The Zakouma Lioness

Little Green Bee-eater

Yellow -billed Stork

Fishing, using his wing to minimize glare

Spoon-billed Stork

Knob-billed Duck

Hoopoe

Tawny Eagles

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill

Red-throated Bee-eater

Secretary Bird

Pied Kingfisher

Eagle Owl

Great White Egret

Although due to the prior trauma, amost all of the elephant population in Zakouma travels as a single group, bachelors do break away and form small groups.

This bull has become comfortable coming into camp to a waterhole.

This old bull enjoys the waterhole, but if someone is nearby to run the hose he will come over for a fresh drink and shower.

He appears to have bullet holes in both ears, a testament to the slaughter of 4000 elephants and their near extinction in Zakouma

It's quite an experience to water an elephant.

Cheryl has pretty good aim.

The elephant's trunk is anatomically like our nostrils.

The nasal septum reaches up to his throat.

An elephant doesn't drink with his trunk. He siphons his trunk full,  2.5 gallons, and then uses it as a hose to pour the water into his mouth.

He might drink 50 gallons in a day.

An elephant's trunk contains over 40,000 muscles and he can lift over 700 pounds. He is the only animal that can snorkel.

The trunk serves as a nose, hand, signaling device, tool for gathering food,  and digging. Spraying water on himself and then dusting helps control insects.

His sense of smell is up to four times as sensitive as a bloodhound's. It is said an elephant can smell water several miles away.

What’s it take to get a drink.

The giraffe has a 20 pound heart to push blood all the way up its neck to keep the brain supplied. Giraffes have one of the highest blood pressures of any mammal, 280/180 mmHg

In their neck they have a complex pressure regulation system of vessels and valves called the “rete mirabile” that prevents blood from rushing into or from the brain on bending over to drink or raising back up. Prevents either a stroke putting head down or syncope raising back up.

Giraffes have a very tight, thick skin over their lower legs which maintains high pressure very similar to a pilot’s g-suit.

2019