Kruger Park enthusiast Andre Podbielski shares some of his favourite photographs from recent visits to the bush together with some fascinating facts for each species. Featured here are the civet, spotted hyena, giraffe and the martial eagle.

Civets will regularly scavenge and have been known to eat the stomach contents of dead herbivores for the grass.

Due to the high calcium content of the bones that a spotted hyena eats its faeces are white on drying.

To protect the giraffe’s brain from sudden changes in blood pressure when it lowers its head to drink, it has valves to stop the back-flow of blood and elastic-walled vessels that dilate and constrict to manage flow. NASA has done research on the blood vessels in giraffe legs to get inspiration for human space suits.

The eyesight of the martial eagle is incredible, they can see prey up to 6 km away.

Get involved

Vote for which facts you find most fascinating by visiting the species page for one of the feature mammals – civet, spotted hyena, giraffe and the martial eagle.