Dung Beetles, Elephant poo and the Milky Way

The best way you can get more out of the Kruger National Park is when you bring more knowledge to it. Many people just want to tick the big 5 off the list but there is so much more to the park than just the lions. 

Pay attention when you’re driving along the roads to see if you can spot dung beetles among the elephant dung. Dung beetles prefer the faeces from herbivore animals such as elephants, buffalo and rhinos because their dung is less digested and therefore full of nutrient-rich fluids. These poo-loving beetles can be seen on the roads, rolling the dung balls away, to either feed on or for the females to lay a single egg inside. 

If you watch closely, you may see a dung beetle climb on top of their ball of dung and do a ‘dance’. This is their navigational ‘dance’. They get on top of the ball in order to see the sky, turn 360 degrees and take a ‘snapshot’ to see if they are heading in the right direction. At night time, the dung beetles use the Milky Way to navigate, the first insect to be shown to do so. The Milky Way is so much easier to see in the Southern Hemisphere than anywhere else so make sure to take advantage of this non-light polluted haven!