D.L.A.

In Africa there are many, many varieties of species in the antelope family. There are so many that they often just refer to them as DLA (deer-like animals). The land of the Mara is no exception. There are DLA everywhere!

We didn't go two mintues without seeing one. So, here they are:

THOMPSON GAZELLE

I loved the gazelles the most. They are tiny and fragile looking, but they are fast and beautiful when they run. They almost hop through the savanna. You can tell them by the black racing stripe along their sides.

This gazelle, standing with two crown cranes, is another example of how the animals all mix together in the wild.

GRANT'S GAZELLE

Grant's gazelles are bigger than Thompson gazelle. They have white stomachs that continue around the back to above their tails, and they have no racing stripes.

CAPE BUFFALO

In striking contrast to the dainty, beautiful Gazelles, we saw a large herd of Cape Buffalo. They are not in the antelope family, but in the Bovine Family Their horns must weigh 30 lbs. . This is a face that only a Mommy buffalo could love!

Cape Buffalo are one of the BIG 5 AFRICAN ANIMALS (along with elephants, lions, leopards, and rhino). I don't know just how they chose those five, but that seems to be a position of honor and everybody wants to see the BIG 5.

HARTEBEEST

Take a close look at this animal. Can you can figure out how it got it's name? Their horns make the shape of a HEART.

IMPALA

Impala look very much like deer, except for the male's big, beautiful curved horns. Impala are easy to recongnize from the back. On their back sides they have black striping that looks like the letter "M" for iMpala.

It is the nature of almost all the animals in the Mara, except the solitary leopards, to live in families. The antelopes live in herds with one domanent male. He chases all the other males away as soon as they get a little older than babies and takes all the females and babies with him. The poor bachelors just all hang out together and try to get strong enough to challenge the dominant male. The herds have one male and just a few females or maybe many females.

One day a herd of Impala walked in front of our land-rover. We saw the male with his big antlers and then a whole line of females and babies walking with him. They didn't seem a bit intimidated by our being there and just walked slowly across the road in front of us.

Quite a family!

TOPI

I had never heard of a Topi before we went to the Mara. They are quite large and are known for the bluish markings on their back legs. The guides said they were wearing blue jeans. They also have a very beautiful coat. It's dark brown and very smooth and shiny. There were Topi everywhere!

.

We had a really funny experience with the Topi. We drove up very close to a herd. They were all looking right at us. They stared for a few minutes and then, one by one, they started turning their backs to us. This was the final outcome--The Topi Shun! Then we realized that every time you got up close to a Topi, it would turn away. I think maybe they're like little children who think if they can't see you, then you can't see them. It was hilarious!

The Topi Shun

WATER BUCK

They are very sturdy looking DLA and we only saw a few of them.

WILDEBEAST

This is a big DLA and we only saw one. He was just hanging out with a bunch of Topi.

Did I mention Topi were everywhere?!!

It looks like the Topi is taking a second look to see what's wrong with this strange looking guy.

There were literally thousands of antelope in the Mara. They are the major food source of all the canine and cat family animals.
They are very beautiful and gentle looking and it made me sad that they were the prey of other animals. But as I watched during the week, I realized how beautiful the Lord's plan is. There were so many DLA and without predators they would soon cover the land entirely and probably die of starvation. But the order of nature makes things work just perfectly. We had a devotional each morning and the Flinders reading from the scriptures about the creation of the animals. ( Abraham 4:24-25). At the ended with the statement it said that the animals were obedient to the order of God. It really struck me that as these animals do things in a way the Lord planned and without interference from man, they thrive by obeying the laws of nature and being part of the amazing plan of the Heavenly Father for order in all things.