Meet the Dassie

 Slightly freaked moment when we saw something run under a rock on our walk across the sandstone rocks from Cape Point to Cape of Good Hope, What ever it was it looked like one hell of an oversized rat like creature…. & Ange hates rats! Then we came face to face with a Dassie and one hell of a cute animal, so tame, so trusting, so chilled out and so unperturbed by our intrusive and curious behaviour!

Even more curiously, the Dassie is doesn’t even come close to coming from a rodent type species. Its closest relative is actually the ELEPHANT! Yep the elephant, due to the structure of its teeth and back-bone. Also known as the Rock Rabbit (don’t be confused!) it is so unique as a species it has a classified order all of its own. Its real name is the Rock Hyrax.

 Photos - Angela Gidden, Dassie, 3rd photo from top is a baby, they can can run and jump just hours after birth.