In Touch With Nature – Wildebeeste, the Clown of the Veld
Posted: November 26, 2025 Filed under: Africa, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Wildlife | Tags: #InTouchWithNature, #poetry, #RobbieCheadle, #Wildebeest, #wildlife, Nature, South Africa, Wildlife 47 CommentsLast month I wrote about warthogs, one of the Ugly Five animals of Southern Africa. This month I have written about another Ugly Five animal, the wildebeest. I have written a poem using the format and rhyming scheme of another very famous poem. Can you guess which poem it is?
Wildebeest, Clown of the Veld
In the game park we’d just arrived, after a long and difficult drive
Despite being fatigued, my eyes were quick and eager to see
The animals I love, anything and everything from lion to dove
I happened to see a mom and calf, running along wild and free
“Look,” I cried, “a baby wildebeest, running along wild and free”
The calf sighting filled me with glee
***
It was early summer, and the temperatures couldn’t be hotter
When we had this chance encounter with the “clown of the veld”
Also known as gnu, these ones were black not East African blue
Such a funny looking creature, not sophisticated and svelte
Even its erratic and playful behaviour was far from svelte
The joker of the veld
***
A joy to watch, they looked like they’d had a go at the scotch
As the vehicle approached, they pranced, leaping up and down
Kicking their heels into the air, an entertaining dancing pair
Running in circles for no reason, the world was their playground
Suddenly stopping, looking back, over their world and playground
Amusing and fun veld clowns
***
Wildebeest, the name, means wild beast, although on grass they feast
Unlike their blue Eastern relatives, black wildebeest don’t migrate
They have a long, horse-like tail, and the darker ones are always male
These creatures must drink water daily or they’ll quickly dehydrate
As a result you’ll find them near waterways so they don’t dehydrate
During droughts, death their fate
***
Driving further down the road, several more gnu became exposed
Many more adults and calves grazing with zebra in a mixed herd
My camera was quickly snapping, so fast my pictures overlapping
On their backs and heavy forequarters feasted the ox-pecker bird
Wildebeest have a symbiotic relationship with the ox-pecker bird
Although this pairing looks absurd
***
Often a gnu’s life depends, on hanging around with its zebra friends
This relationship heightens their awareness of any potential carnivores
In the bush the cats must also eat, the only escape being quick and fleet
This is the way of life in the wild and animals comply with the bush laws
One creature must die to give another life in terms of the bush laws
Part of experiencing the great outdoors
You can see my Youtube videos of wildebeest here:
About Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.
Roberta has two published novels and a collection of short stories and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).
Roberta is also the author and illustrator of seventeen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of four poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.
Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5
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This segment of “In Touch with Nature” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.
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What a strange looking creature Robbie.
I have no idea what the “famous “poem is.
Thank you for sharing yours and the photographs.
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Hi Maggie, wildebeest are funny looking creatures. The rhyming scheme and format is from The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.
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Hi Robbie.
Ah, okay, thank you.
I enjoyed your poem and the photographs as always.
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Thank you 💚
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Robbie 💚
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A great wildebeest presentation, Robbie!
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Thank you, Dave 💙
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Such an interesting post, Robbie. It’s great to see these animals. Thank you for sharing this with us 🥰
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I’m pleased you like this post, Esther. The poem I used as a baseline is The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe 💛
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[…] Continue reading here: https://writingtoberead.com/2025/11/26/in-touch-with-nature-wildebeeste-the-clown-of-the-veld/ […]
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This is wonderful Robbie 💜💜
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Thank you, Willow 💚
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I have never seen a gnu in real, but in the world of computers and software we know GNU an acronym saying “GNU`s not Unix”. A project for free software started in 1983 with a logo depicting the head of a gnu. 😉 Thanks for sharing this wonderful poem and the great photos of the gnu. Best wishes, Michael
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Hi Michael, these are such funny looking creatures. I didn’t not that about software so we both learned something new. 💓
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That`s so true, Robbie! I always had asked myself what this stilisized software logo really depicts. Thanks and best wishes, Michael
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🧡
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Great post, Robbie. I love your pictures and back stories to go with your poem.
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I’m really pleased you enjoyed this post, Dwight. Wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving.
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Thank you!
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💛
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Wonderful poem and videos, Robbie. I love your verses heralding the wildebeest – Gnu and its connection to the way of life of herds in the bushlands. I don’t know for sure which famous poet is reflected in your poem’s form/rhyme; but I thought of ballads like that of Longfellow. Beautiful share, so much rich insight and information. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Hi Suzette, I’m so pleased you enjoyed this poem about gnus. They are so entertaining to watch. The poem is The Raven by Edgar Allan Poem so you were in the right track.
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You are welcome, Robbie. Oh thank you for the reference. I have not read Poe in a very long time. Thank you for the reminder.
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My pleasure. My favourite Poem poem is The Sleeper
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Most excellent!
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💝💛
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Fun and engaging verse and photos Robbie. Thanks for the intro the clowns of the veld.
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Terrific piece, Robbie. I’m a little jealous of all the wildlife you see that I’ve never seen or only observed in zoos. I didn’t realize wildebeests were that large.
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Hi Pete, I feel the same way about America’s redwoods and Yellowstone National park. I would love to see a bison. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to the Americas because you have a different accounting system so TC won’t ever be assigned America or Canada.
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So the wildebeest and the gnu are the same animal? I’d always thought they were different animals entirely!
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No, they are one and the same. There are two species of wildebeest but they are the same family.
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Robbie, I enjoyed your poems and learning about another of the Ugly Five animals.
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I’m pleased to know this, Jennie
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They aren’t the prettiest of animals, to be sure, but they are interesting. Your poem is interesting. You manage to give a feeling of the animals.
I’m ashamed to say I’ve not read The Raven. I must remedy that.
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They are interesting and playful. I am rather fond of wildebeest. My favourite Poe poem is The Sleeper.
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Wonderful photos! I like the mom and babies. Lots of interesting info in the poem.
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I’m pleased you enjoyed this post, Merril. Happy Thanksgiving
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Thank you, and I did, Robbie!
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🌸
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I don’t find them ugly! Poor wildebeests. Still, an excellent poem, Robbie.
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Poe would be proud! Just as the beats of the veld are proud of YOU!
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Thank you, Annette. I do enjoy writing to rhythms and set styles created by others
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Wonderful stuff. Always impressed that you get to take all these wonderful pictures.
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I am very lucky in that regard, Craig. Living in Southern Africa does have challenges though 💓
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When I was a child there was a popular humorous song ‘I’m a gnu, how do you do…. Of course I had no idea what a gnu actually was or if it was even real. I wonder how we humans decide which animals are ugly? Presumably other creatures have their own perception of beauty.
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Hi Janet, I wonder if the song your thinking of is by Flanders & Swann. If so, I also know it, and it is funny. Humans do have funny ideas about animals. I think wildebeest are very pretty.
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Yes that is the song I was thinking of, I didn’t know if you had heard it, I expect your mother knew it. And of course the G had to be pronounced. They must have loved African wild life as they had the hippopotamus song as well.
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