Dassies

Dassies 1

Haiku 149

An odd looking beast

Like a rabbit, but not quite

Tiny little toes

.

I do like Dassies, also known as Rock Rabbits, or Hyrax. You’ll find them on the top of Table Mountain and in various other places around South Africa. Their natural habitat is at high altitude in rocky terrain, where they can hide from predators in crevices.

Dassies 2

When we have stayed at various Nature Reserves around South Africa, I have always been amused to see them sitting in the bushes! It was as odd as seeing a rabbit up a tree. They have large soft pads on the soles of their feet, which help them grip rocks, or branches. They would also appear on our stoep at breakfast time, to share in the morning biscuits!

However, they are related to elephants, not rabbits; their closest relative being the African elephant.

Dassies 3

We found these ones at the World of Birds wildlife sanctuary in Hout Bay, Cape Town. I don’t remember seeing them here before, so it was a pleasant surprise. They had just been fed fresh leaves too.

They are unique and fun little animals. Here is a short clip of Dassies calling, and here of urban Dassies.