Some 136 caterpillars made the single line and wriggled top-to-toe
across the road, linked by a thin silk thread which set their path.
And their safety-in-numbers approach had the desired effect as the
slow-moving convoy was easily seen by motorists, who were held up for 20
minutes as it made its way across.
The spectacle was captured on camera by British tourist Jamie Rooney,
who was visiting the famous Kruger National Park in South Africa.
Jamie, from High Wycombe, Bucks, was in a Jeep full of tourists when
their driver slammed the brakes just inches from the crawling
caterpillars. He said, 'It was an incredible sight. We were out driving
in Kruger National Park for a safari, when all of a sudden the driver
shouted out and slammed on his brakes.'
'He managed to stop just in time in front of this amazing trail of
caterpillars, which was stretching across the road.'
'Conservation is a massive deal in South Africa and the idea is that if
there is any living creature in the road you have to wait patiently
until it is safely across.'
'We got out to get a closer look and counted 136 caterpillars in convoy,
all moving together across the track.'
'They were following a very, very thin silk thread on the ground and it
took them about 20 minutes to get across the road safely.'
'Our guide had never seen it before, but he'd heard about it and
explained they were migrating into the bush where they would disperse.'
'It's like the mass migration of bigger animals like wildebeest, but on
a different scale and pace.'
'When they arrive in the bush, they turn into chrysalis and then
butterflies.'
'It's a rare sight. It was an absolute joy to watch and a great
experience to be able to get down close and see it first hand.'
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