Young giraffe in riverbed
A truly amazing encounter with one of the world's most enigmatic ungulates. When I first saw this Pygmy Hippo, it was resting on the ground a few meters off the trail, covered with sweat droplets. After about an hour of waiting, it got up and slowly walked through the forest. It did not appear to mind my presence.
I saw a beaver swimming in this location last year. Didn't realize they were unusual until I saw an article in the Palo Alto Weekly saying they had just been seen for the first time in 160 years at the Palo Alto baylands (in April 2022): https://paloaltoonline.com/news/2022/11/04/the-beaver-is-back-pair-of-the-semiaquatic-rodents-spotted-in-palo-alto