Kopjes are very small hills totally made up
of ancient rock which protrude from the underground below the layer of
volcanic ashes which formed the soil of Serengeti ecosystem.
Standing majestically around plains of savannah with vegetation
dominated by bushes and grass these are beautiful metamorphic rocks
consisting of very hard granite materials capable of resisting effects
of rise and fall of weather, rain and harsh full tropical winds for
millions of years ago.
The Kopjes have strange shape of round and round
boulder which may stand above the endless and almost flat land called
plains in height which may go up from few feet to hundred meters above
the ground. Miraculously on top of some of these wonderful natural
structures there are strange plants which have strong roots capable of
penetrating into the rocks to extract nutritious materials enabling some
tall trees with a very wide green canopy to stand on top of the Kopjes.
The unusual structures attract many animals within the Serengeti
ecosystem such as elephants, leopards, lions and cheetah to come to
relax under the shade of trees available around and on top of the
Kopjes. Some mammals don't only relax or graze but reside on the Kopjes,
these are small size antelope called klipspringer or Oreotragus
Oreotragus by scientists around the World.
Klipspringers have been able to lead a reasonably life on top and
around the Kopjes because of their high ability of sustainance for a
very long time without drinking fresh water from streams, rivers, or
lakes where predators trap other herbivorous who can't control their
thirsty throats.
Vegetation on the Kopjes is dominated by wild figs the deciduous tree
and bushes which together provide to klipspringers and rock hyrax
delicious fruits and leaves rich in water and other nutritious materials
derived by their long powerful roots which are able to penetrate deep
into the ground.
During annual migration when Zebra, Wildebeest and most of impala
migrate from southern to the northern part of Serengeti ecosystem the
number of small herbivorous mammal who are main prey for cheetah
decrease to the lowest level forcing predators like cheetah to hunt into
everywhere including on top of the Kopjes. Sometime a group of hungry
cheetahs may climb on top of Kopjes to have a good look of the area but
at this point klipspringer will use their brown colour as camouflage
within the rocks.
Cheetahs hunt prey by sighting them from 10 to 30 meters then embark on a very short but fast speed of up to 70 miles per hour
which practically is possible only on open flat grassland and totally
impossible on top or around the Kopjes where the klipspringer dwells.
If a hunger stricken cheetah decides to wonder into Kopjes to hunt
for a klipspringer in Serengeti ecosystem it will mostly lose its time
and precious energy because the small antelope is the master of this
area.
Klipspringers are very smart social antelopes who form breeding pair
which browse and graze together on and around the kopjes where they feed
on two separate intervals which allow a female to eat while the male is
watching around for a possible predator. In the middle of Serengeti
while on top of Kopjes klipspringers lead a romantic life where couples
help and love one another with warmth.
When one of them identifies danger it will erect hairs on its back
signaling an approaching danger to its fellow klipspringer who may be
busy grazing on the ground. It's very easy for a klipspringer to
identify any incoming danger due to high ability of their revolving ears
to peak very small sound even from slight movement of predators on dry
vegetation on the ground.
They have sharp eyes located on the either sides of the head which
work in conjunction with a powerful noses equipped with special sniffing
ability capable of peaking and recognising a smell of their main
enemies like leopard, lion and cheetah from a very reasonable distant.
At this point klipspringer is able to do two things to serve its life
from the jaws of hunters, which may be camouflage or running away
depending on the level of the danger, position from a predator and a
possible escape opening.
To mislead their enemy the klipspringer may decide to show or
advertise to a predator like cheetah who is approaching them by jumping
into the air with their legs straight and stiffen to hit the ground for a
big sound which shows strength and agility to discourage the aggressor.
The jumping is done simultaneously whereby all members go up into their
displaying their white back to the predator to tell them 'see what we
are capable of doing, so don't waste your time and energy with us you
will end up with empty stomach'.
This is what is called pronging or stotting and it is spectacularly
displayed with fast and slow motion by a group of klipspringer in the
middle of Savannah escaping from a danger, a physically fit antelope is
capable of jumping up to 2.5 meters into the air confuse predator who
may be targeting them. Klipspringers have strong legs which enable them
to stand firmly on tips of their hooves of their four legs placed in a
very tiny pointed surface equal to small coin without losing balance.
If a pair decides to run a female will be the first to make a move at
a top speed of 65 mile per hour followed by her husband to the top of
Kopjes where it's not easy for a cheetah to follow and catch them.
Even during a harsh dry season when the deciduous tree and bush lose
their leaves to ovoid lose of water klipspringer don't move away from
the Kopjes to wander into river banks because they drink water trapped
into holes and cracks.
All this makes it almost impossible for cheetahs to depend on
klipspringers as they do to Thomson's gazelle who grazes on open
grassland. Across Serengeti National Park, Moru are most famous kopjes
but Mwiba are the prettiest and ancient one while in Nabi area you find
the most common Kopjes.
Serengeti National Park is regarded as one of most beautiful park in
the world not only because of its name which means endless plains in
Maasai language which expresses its ecology but also because of its
inhabitants who are vegetation, herbivorous and carnivorous competing
for life or death. We need to preserve this park for the present and
future generation as it has been declared by UNES CO as a World Heritage
Site.
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