Goliath Heron

We where aproaching one of our river crossings, when we spotted a Goliath Heron. He had just caught a fairly large Tilapia, which is a common fish in the sand river. The fish was still alive and jumping around on the sand. Than the Heron used his beak like a spear, and speared the fish right behind the gills. When it was dead he took it, put it back into the water, to wash the sand of, and than he started swallowing it hole. He swallowed it head first, in order to bend the large spikes, that this fish has, backwards to avoid injury. We where surprised by the size of the fish and by the way the heron washed it of after consuming it.

Posted: Kirkman's Kamp by Markus Schroeder, Date: 7 April 2008