Interesting or Unusual Behaviour

[Sprocky]

Thanks Dewi and the rest that have posted. Some real good behaviour info coming through here.

A few years ago at the low water bridge at Balule I witnessed something strange. At that time we were still allowed to drink while driving around, but alcohol had nothing to do with what I saw.

I was watching Marabou Stalks fishing in the shallow water. The next thing one of them caught something. It walked out with it and I was ready for the to catch the perfect image of a Marabou feeding...

Well that was not to happen, the Marabou took it's prey to dry land and set it free. :? It had caught a Terrapin, but instead of trying to eat it, it set it free as if it had saved the poor thing from drowning. I couldn't believe this behaviour, maybe one of the bright members could explain why it did this. It even went back to check on the Terrapin.

[Dewi]

Hi Sprocky, great photo

My guess would be that the Marabou caught it by instinct, but then did not know how to open the terrapin up to get at the meat? Movement could have triggered the hunting instinct for the initial reason for catching it, and then again for returning to it after it had let it go?

Some individuals learn how to deal with certain food items, while others of the same species never learn that specific behaviour to exploit these "additional" food sources. (e.g. Lion prides that specialise in hunting elephant, giraffe, buffalo etc).

We will probably never know the exact reason for this type of behaviour and can only best guess as to what is happening.

Great behavioural pic and question though

Does anyone else have any suggestions as to what might be the reason for this?

[Toko]

SA se 2 ‘Loch Ness-monsters’

Ostriches swim!

[Flutterby]

[Mel]

When I was sitting at Urikaruus I heard some funny noises that I couldn't make any sense of.
Then I found the culprit. Never heard that from a crow before.

Video Link

[nan]

it's this one who speaks... made already all those sort of noise/sound last time, in September

[Toko]

Check out this!

[Flutterby]

Amazing!!

[Mel]

Would have loved to be the photographer!

[nan]

oups me too
two nice birds