Not many people can say they have seen a secretary bird and jackal in a stand-off. This was the moment a secretary bird harasses a jackal, whilst both try to intimidate the other – but who is the actual aggressor?
This amazing sighting was tinged near the Kij Kij waterhole in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Steve and Bee tell LatestSightings.com about this unforgettable moment:
“We were driving back towards Twee Rivieren Rest camp. The car in front of us had stopped and we could see gemsbok (oryx antelope) and wildebeest lying down. As we drove closer we could see the jackal and the secretary bird standing facing each other. We stopped the car and I immediately started taking pictures.”
“The jackal seemed to be attacking the bird at first. Lunging with its mouth open, not managing to land any bites though! It then became clear that the secretary bird was in fact the aggressor. The jackal was just defending itself.”
“It wouldn’t let the jackal move in any direction, blocking every attempt the jackal made to move away. Circling around the jackal and jumping over it and kicking out at its back.”