For Apollo, the theme of this month was chasing. He has developed a passion for pursuing squirrels and birds, especially the guinea fowl whose numbers have blossomed thanks to this year’s extended rainy season. He has found that charging into their midst creates quite a stir, which delights the young rhino, and he makes it a daily occurrence. He also loves to playfully chase around the five orphaned lesser kudu we are also raising at Kaluku, as well as Oka the oryx, who has grown into a very majestic creature, but her saber-like horns don’t daunt Apollo, and she too is roped into chasing games!
Tsavo is hot and dry right now, so with the exception of his chasing games, Apollo’s days are dominated by leisurely mud baths followed by dusting, before a long siesta under the shade of the baobab tree. He sleeps for up to two hours, while his Keepers also enjoy a well-deserved break and eat their lunch. When he is ready to move on to the next activity, Apollo lets out his characteristic snorts, and then leads his little band to a new browsing area.
Apollo must have a built-in clock, because he begins wandering in the direction of the stockades at exactly 16:30 every afternoon. Without any coaxing, he makes a beeline for his stable and settles down for the evening. We have removed the middle partition, doubling the size of his stable to accommodate our growing boy. One thing he has not yet outgrown is his mattress: He still insists on hoisting it over his back, before turning in for the night!
