Welcome to Thursday Doors, a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing your link in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time).
Last week I posted part 1 of our mini road trip to the Pilanesberg National Park. You can read about it here: https://robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com/2022/02/24/roberta-writes-thursday-doors-game-park-and-colleens-poetry-challenge-bold-lover/
You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2022/03/03/south-end-churches/
This week, I’m sharing some pictures of the lodge, which really was very nice.
We saw some wonderful animals, including this warthog.
Last week I mentioned that the single young elephant bull got a fright when the vehicle started. This is the story in 99-syllables.
Elephant scare
The bull elephant stands
Passive aggressive
Perceiving no threat from the six vehicles
The people drawn like flies
To view real nature
***
He continues to feed
Desecrating trees
Trying to satisfy his ceaseless hunger
One eye on the people
One eye on the leaves
***
The engine turns over
It’s time to move on
No regard for the animal – he takes fright
Rears and trumpets his shock
Driver reacts fast
In case you’ve forgotten, this is how close the elephant was – the vehicle roof support can be seen to the side of the picture. These vehicles are open.
One of my favourite sightings was seeing a dung beetle rolling a ball of dung across the road. You can watch my short video here:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JMB6t4Bv2aU
I am finishing this week’s post with an amusing song about a Warthog by Flanders and Swann:
PS, a few readers expressed surprise at the dehorning of rhinos that featured in my poem, Vacancies, this week.
I found this article about a rhino crying tears after being brutally attached and injured by a poacher. It makes me cry real tears too: https://hindustannewshub.com/world-news/these-pictures-of-crying-rhinoceros-can-make-anyone-emotional-cruel-hunters-took-away-by-cutting-off-their-horns
roberta-writes.com 
This is.a wonderful composite post, Robbie. What a perfect way to start my morning.Great doors, lovely and exciting poetry and a video that I almost can’t stop watching (I dragged my iPad over to show my wife). I hope you have a wonderful weekend,
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Thank you, Dan. Isn’t the dung beetle amazing? I love that video.
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It is!
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Thanks for sharing all thus with us Robbie. The world is full of wonders. (K)
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It is, Kerfe. The miracles of nature are numerous.
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It was tough to read the article about the injured and crying rhinoceros, but ignoring the atrocity doesn’t make it go away. It’s made me decide to find a rhino protection charity so I can make a donation.
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Hi Priscilla, I also found it tough to read. Heartbreaking. We also contribute to wildlife sanctuaries. Thank you for considering a donation. Every cent helps 🤗
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I love elephants. They’re usually quite calm I think?
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Elephants can be very dangerous, Stevie. Single males, especially in musk, will attack a vehicle and trample it.
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Ooh-er. I stand corrected…
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Thanks for sharing the trip with us. If I can’t go myself, at least I can view it through your lens. That rhino story is the saddest thing ever.
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Hi Craig, I it is so sad. I cried. I feel privileged to have seen so many rhinos during my tours and we always contribute to environmental causes like this one.
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Beautiful and heartbreaking elements to your very compelling post, Robbie.
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Hi Dave, yes, I shared about the rhinos because people asked and I feel everyone should have the opportunity to know about these tragedies. The dung beetle was amazing to watch.
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Always fascinating Robbie! Remember, the closer you get to nature, the closer nature gets to you!
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Oh yes, we were taught to be careful by our dad, John. He knows a lot about animals and the bush. I knew the elephant was upset when I saw he ears flapping.
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Reblogged this on Ed;s Site..
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Thank you, Ed
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People are just awful, Robbie (I couldn’t bear to read the article about the rhino, so I’m glad you summarized).
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I must be honest, Jacqui, it was very upsetting, but I feel people need to know.
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I was surprised to hear a Rhino wasn’t killed to get it’s horn. Normally they just shoot it and cut it off. The horn is sold to Chinese buyers. Such a cruel practice just so Chinese males can get an erection!
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HI Wayne, sorry, I somehow missed your comment. They injure the animal very badly and leave it to bleed to death which is worse really. At least sometimes the animal can be saved. Rhino horn is made or keratin so they might as well eat their own hair. It has no magical medical properties at all. So very sad that some people are so ignorant.
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The lodge looks wonderful! Poor elephant… That little bug was most industrious. The picture of the warthog was most dignified and the tune??? What a roar!! Maybe I’m a warthog, underneath. 😉
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HI Annette, you are much prettier than a warthog, but she did like to dress up and have some fun.
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that looks like a wonderful lodge. and you were quite close to that elephant. and every time I hear the word warthog, I think Hakuna Matata from The Lion King. Fun video of the dung beetle!
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Thanks, Jim. The elephant rearing up was a little disconcerting. But all was well.
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The photographs of the rhino were so hard to look at. How can anyone be so cruel to an animal?
Thank you for including the photograph of the warthog and the warthog song. We don’t have such critters around here.
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HI Liz, I know, it is beyond comprehension that anyone can be so cruel but people are cruel to each other too. I’m so pleased you enjoyed the warthog, I love them.
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Do they tend to be aggressive or gentle creatures? I know nothing about them!
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Warthogs are not aggressive unless threatened, then they will attack. This warthog couple had about 8 or 10 piglets and they were adorable. I couldn’t get a decent picture though. They are like male toddlers, they never stop.
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Isn’t that funny–like male toddlers! Thanks for the additional information, Robbie. 😀
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When I saw the pic of the warthog, I immediately thought of Pumba from The Lion King, lol. Oldest son’s favorite movie when he was a little guy – I could probably recite it.
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HI Teri, we were all having a good laugh about Pumba. He was the dad to 8 piglets but I didn’t manage to get a picture of them.
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Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your amazing adventure, Robbie! ❤ xo
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HI Bette, I am so pleased you enjoyed this post.
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Great post, Robbie! Flanders & Swann and Ian Wallace bring back some lovely old memories of listening to ‘the wireless’ as it was called in my distant childhood. I couldn’t bring myself to watch the rhino though. I know I’d cry too.
Have a lovely weekend!
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Hi Chris, I love Flanders & Swann and took my family to see Hats Off and Hats Off again starring Jonathan Roxmouth at the Pieter Toerien theatre. My boys loved it, especially the song about the English weather. The rhino situation is heartbreaking.
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We saw Shirley Valentine at the Theatre on the Bay recently. I see it’s returning to Joburg in June-July. Worth catching.
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Oh, that is good to know. I was irritated we missed it, but its busy season now so we are both working a lot.
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I love your 99 word story and all the great pictures and insights into your trip.
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HI Denise, I am very pleased you enjoyed our little adventure.
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It must have been tough to leave such a beautiful place! I couldn’t watch the rhino video, it would break my heart.
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HI Jacquie, it is a very tough thing to see, but my heart breaks for the rhinos and I think the more people that know about these atrocities the better. There are a lot of really good people who will risk their own lives to save these animals.
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What a fabulous post, Robbie. I love your poem, and although that elephant was frightening, I love those animals. I got teary-eyed reading the rhino article and viewing the beyond sad photos. I almost couldn’t. For humans to be so cruel, it’s just unfathomable, and it makes me angry. We also make donations…it’s the least one can do, I guess. Also, I never thought to be entertained by a dung beetle, but I was, and it brought a smile. I don’t know that I’ll ever have the chance to go on adventures such as these that you share, so thank you for taking us along. 💞
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HI Lauren, I am very pleased you liked the dung beetle. I thought it was amazing. Single male elephants can be dangerous and people need to be wary. That is reasonable, they are wild animals in their natural environment. As for the rhinos, that article made me cry. We saw four lots of rhino and it is baby season now. Those pictures completely killed me.
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Robbie, this post is really a “Door to Adventure!” Thanks for sharing this wonderful fun with us. Hugs on the wing.
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HI TEagan, thank for visiting. I am delighted you enjoyed this post.
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I love this door idea! This is a lovely post. Doors are a liminal passage to another world.
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I enjoyed your photos and your video. I’ve seen programs of poachers… not nice people.
All animals need respect. It is too bad that some humans have none for other animals or other humans either.
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HI Jules, sadly you are quite right about some humans having no respect for anything except money. I’m glad you enjoyed this post.
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Always a great post. Doors to outside shower! if you ever go to India -Kerala in particular all the hotels have outside showers. I was shocked but then It was okay, because it isn’t completely outside. But, you get so unwanted visitors but it is okay.
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I didn’t use it, Bella, I am not a fan of unwanted visitors and I would feel to exposed.
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Yeah I know. We had no choice as there was no other option in the hotel. But, it wasn’t as exposed as you might image. Lol
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I probably will never see these magnificent animals in the wild, so thanks do much for sharing your experience
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My pleasure, Bernadette.
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Wonderful photos, Robbie. And your poem brings the experience to life. I enjoyed that!
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This looks like it was quite an adventure, Robbie. 🙂
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It was, we had a good time.
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