The Elephant and the Hyrax
“The world will never starve for want of wonders, but want of wonder.”
My first wildlife experience in Kenya was not what I expected. Day One in Nairobi, we were enjoying lunch al fresco at a lovely garden restaurant, when I heard insistent chatter coming from a nearby tree. On closer inspection, I spotted a rodent-like grey shape, bigger than a squirrel, smaller than a raccoon, with a set of round dark eyes and twitching nose. Our waiter informed us it was a rock hyrax, also known as a dassie and a cousin of the elephant. Seriously!? An elephant? My initial encounter with an African wild animal―one I had never heard of before―came with a curious pedigree.
The elephant and the hyrax are both descended from a common ancestor, the tethytheria, who died out some 50 million years ago. The teeth, toes and skull of the hyrax and elephant have similar pachyderm-like characteristics. The little hyrax has vampire like incisors. The tusks of an elephant are also elongated teeth―on a much bigger scale!
The elephant and hyrax also share a common toe shape. Animals’ feet are fascinating. On inspection, the feet of the hyrax are nothing like the rodent it resembles at first glance. The hyrax does not have the sharp curved claws of a squirrel or the little hands of a raccoon. It has hoof-like nails that resemble an elephant’s toes. Have a look.
Hyraxes are social and live in large family groups like elephants. They are also herbivores and forage on trees and shoots similar to their mammoth relatives. One of the lodges I’ve stayed at on the Maasai Mara plays host to an active hyrax community. Like the chipmunks at our summer cottage, we had to be mindful to keep our doors closed and screens zipped up or the brazen little elephant cousins would move right in!
Time spent observing animals in their habitat never ceases to fill me with wonder. There are countless opportunities to learn from species that we share space with on this extraordinary blue planet. My love of photography takes me on endless adventures. I hope my stories warm your hearts and fuel a desire to be good stewards in your home territory.
Here’s a clip of the hyrax chattering defensively. It shows the two longer teeth that it has in common with the elephant.
Thank you for reading and supporting conservation efforts by purchasing wildlife-inspired pieces in my store. This week, I am also delighted to share two books by the naturalist Sy Montgomery that I highly recommend: How to Be a Good Creature and the children’s version Becoming a Good Creature. If you purchase either book on Amazon through these links, a portion of your entire shopping cart price goes to benefit this site and help support conversation across the planet.
