Here at Londolozi our theme for the month is to fall in love with your true nature. This however, is a lot harder said than done. While we don’t know where you are in your own love story, we’ve decided to look to nature for some tactics and hopefully you can draw some inspiration

Get yourself a bad boy….

The red-crested korhaan is the dare devil bird that will soar into the sky and then plummet towards the ground at fast speeds and only at the last minute will he rise up and land. It appears as if he is going to crash into the ground but then impressively does not. The story goes the closer he falls to the ground before opening out his wings the more attractive he is to the female. We believe that girls can’t resist a bad boy – so next time you think of taking up that offer on bungee jumping, the high risk may be worth the reward…

Effort counts

Take for example the male long-tailed paradise whydah. In the breeding season, this tenacious little bird grows a long cumbersome tail. Although the whydah’s appearance is no doubt very impressive to females, the weight of this breeding plumage can certainly be a struggle. Here we see a little bird that is showing that he is ready to put in the effort needed to win her over, even if it means (in the case of people) picking up that extra suitcase.

long-tailed paradise whydah. Warwick Tarboton: http://www.warwicktarboton.co.za/birdpgs/862PaWhy.html

Ladies this one is for you

When a female leopard is interested, she is not shy about it. The female will give strong signals to the male and even be the one to initiate mating. While we are not condoning promiscuity, female leopards show us that you can sometimes be bold when it comes to making the first move.

A female leopard proceeding to make her intentions very clear. Photograph by: Andrea Campbell

The Nanga female struts her stuff in attempt to get Gowrie Male’s attention. Photograph by: Andrea Campbell

Risk is one thing but sheer strength is another

During April impalas begin their rutting season, where males go head to head in heated battle to win the mating rights of females. Their behaviour shows that sometimes it pays to have the physical strength to fight for the partner you love. It might be time to use that gym membership!

An impala lets out the unlikely call of a male in rut. Photograph by: Rich Laburn

Then there is just plain showing off

If fighting or dancing isn’t really your thing, you can always take lead from the nyala. The males know how to put on a show and will display their impressive coats by proudly standing up to other males in what is known as a lateral display. It may help taking those few extra minutes to comb through your hair so that you look your best when it comes to wooing your love interest.

A classic example of a lateral display

Note the raised hair of the mane and the raised tail

Don’t hide in the corner

There is an incredible phenomenon in nature where certain butterfly species congregate at a prominent place, usually somewhere with high elevation. This behvaiour is known as ‘hill-topping’ and they do this in order to lure in a mate. The male that has the ‘top’ position is usually the most noticed. The advice here is to not hide away – make sure your presence is felt, and remember that subtlety can go a long way.

An African Monarch butterfly chooses the vantage point of a grass stem to gain a bit of height. Photograph by: Kate Albert

An age old African proverb goes: “If you are ugly you must either learn to dance or make love.”

Nothing has mastered this better than the ostrich. With flamboyant feathers and luscious legs, the male begins an elaborate dance that would even put Michael Jackson to shame. We’ve taken a closer look at the ostrich and decided that some serious hip shaking, with sensual swaying and even a bit of break dancing is the key formula to win her over. Because after all… ‘Hips don’t lie!’

A romantic setting!

The ultimate code of seduction

Olfactory communication is essential in the animal kingdom. Lions use scent marking to negotiate territory, advertise their presence and most importantly detect if a female is in oestrous. In our human context smell is equally important and plays quite a role in attracting a partner. It is worth investing in smelling good! How about a new cologne or perfume?

A male lion performs the classic flehmen’s grimace to discern whether a female is ready to mate. Photograph by: James Tyrell

‘It’s not you, it’s me…’

Rejection is harsh no matter how you put it. But there’s no need to feel sorry for oneself. We are going to help you put things into perspective. In a study done on lesser-masked weavers, of the 418 nests a male built in his lifetime, only 17 were actually used. Females will meticulously inspect the nest and if it is not up to scratch, they will rip it to pieces and the male must begin the process again. The lesson? There is always someone worse off than you.

A southern-masked weaver hangs in hope from his nest as prospective partners fly by to inspect

‘Till death do us part

There’s nothing more heart warming than a pair of animals, or people for that matter, that stay together for life. The alpha pair of dwarf mongoose businesses mate for life and only in death would they take up a new partner. This Valentine’s day why not look at these tiny mammals for love inspiration; whether it is expressing your true feelings or taking the next step in your relationship.

A pair of dwarf mongoose sit together on top of a disused termite mound

A moment to stop and care for one another is crucial in any relationship

Nature has come up with some incredible ways to allow different species to find one another. We know that some of these methods are rather extreme and some should not be taken too seriously. At the end of the day just being you is simply enough, but it doesn’t mean we can’t have a good laugh along the way.

Written by: Kate Collins & Andrea Campbell