The Dung Beetle: One of Africa's Most Extraordinary Animals

When people think about the wildlife they want to see on an African safari, the dung beetle is rarely at the top of the list. Lions, yes. Leopards, absolutely. Elephants, always. But the dung beetle? And yet, ask any experienced safari guide what animal they never tire of watching, and a surprising number of them will mention this small, extraordinary insect without hesitation. There is a reason for that.

Do not underestimate it

The dung beetle is one of the most remarkable animals on earth. It is also one of the strongest, relative to its body size. A dung beetle can move a ball of dung more than 1000 times its own body weight. To put that into context, it is the equivalent of a human being pushing roughly 80 tonnes. The fact that it does this while rolling the ball backwards, using its hind legs, makes it all the more astonishing to watch.

What it actually does

Dung beetles, as the name suggests, feed on dung. In the African bush, where large mammals are producing enormous quantities of it every day, dung beetles are among the first to arrive at a fresh pile. They shape portions of it into balls, which they then roll away and bury. The buried dung serves as food for themselves and as a nursery for their eggs. The larvae hatch underground and feed on the dung ball before emerging as adults.

There are different types of dung beetles with different strategies. Some roll balls away from the pile and bury them elsewhere. Others tunnel directly beneath the dung pile. Some simply live inside it. All of them are playing a critical role in the ecosystem around them.

Why the bush cannot function without it

The dung beetle is one of nature's most important recyclers. In a single day, dung beetles in the Kruger region can process tonnes of animal waste, burying it in the soil where it breaks down and releases nutrients back into the ground. Without dung beetles, the bush would be a very different and considerably less healthy place. They aerate the soil, improve its fertility, disperse seeds that have passed through animal digestive systems, and reduce the breeding habitat for parasitic flies. Scientists estimate that dung beetles save the cattle industry in the United States alone billions of dollars a year in pest control and soil maintenance. Their value in a wild ecosystem like Kruger is incalculable.

They navigate by the stars

This is the fact that tends to stop people in their tracks. Research has confirmed that dung beetles use the Milky Way to navigate. When rolling their balls away from a dung pile, they climb on top of the ball, orientate themselves using the night sky, and then roll in a straight line away from the pile. On nights when the Milky Way is obscured, their paths become erratic. They are the only non-human animal known to navigate using the galaxy.

During the day they use the sun, and on overcast days they use polarised light. The navigation systems packed into an insect the size of your thumbnail are genuinely extraordinary.

What to look for on your safari

On any game drive in the Greater Kruger region, you will almost certainly encounter dung beetles. Fresh elephant dung in particular attracts them quickly and in large numbers. Ask your ranger to stop for a moment and watch what unfolds. The competition between beetles for the best portions of the pile, the frantic rolling, the occasional collision and skirmish between rivals, is genuinely entertaining. It is also a reminder that in the African bush, the drama is not always happening on the scale of a lion hunt. Sometimes it is playing out in the dust at your feet.

The big picture

One of the things that makes a safari with Savanna Stalkers different is that our guides do not just show you the headline acts. They help you understand the whole ecosystem, the way every creature, from the largest elephant to the smallest beetle, plays a part in keeping the bush alive. The dung beetle is a perfect example of that. Unglamorous on the surface, extraordinary underneath. Rather like Africa itself.

Get in touch with our team to start planning your safari. Also read our Ultimate Guide to a Luxury Photographic Safari in South Africa, discover our guide to birdwatching in South Africa, and find out what to expect on your first luxury safari.