It was early morning in the Kruger National Park when we headed out for our morning safari. The previous two days saw a lot of rain coming down over the area and safaris was not possible. We were keen to get out there and enjoy nature. Wildlife was hard to find after the rains but it didn’t take long before something amazing caught our attention. While driving along slowly, we noticed a dark colour filling the sky in the far distance. As we got closer, the spectacle literally looked like smoke bursting through a chimney. As a nature guide, I was ecstatic to realise it was a termite mound located next to the road bursting with life.
Termites reproduce by establishing new colonies and the vectors for this task are the winged reproductive castes called alates. After good rains, the worker termites open special guarded entrances to allow the fertile alates to exit the mound inn at an event known as the ‘nuptial flight’. This incredible event happens only once a year for each colony.
After explaining this incredible event to my safari guests, I managed to record some footage before heading off again. We realised once again that it is not always only just the big animals in the African wild that will amuse you. The smallest wonders can jump at you at any given time.