The music of the Savanna

In the heart of the Serengeti, where golden grasslands stretch to the horizon, there stands a tree unlike any other. It’s called the whistling thorn acacia. People say it sings and when the wind moves through its branches, it truly does.

This tree has a special friendship with tiny ants known as cocktail ants. It grows round, hollow swellings called galls at the base of its thorns. These galls become homes for the ants. Not only shelter, but the tree also provides food to the ants which is mainly extrafloral nectar secreted by its glands located on the underside of the leaves, particularly along the midrib or leaf margins. This sugary liquid provides vital energy to the ants. In return for shelter, the ants fiercely protect the tree. Whenever a hungry animal tries to eat its leaves, the ants rush out and sting, driving them away.

But this clever design has another surprise. Over time, tiny holes form in the galls. When the strong dry-season winds blow through the tree in June, the air whistles through these holes. The sound floats across the savanna soft, high, and haunting. It’s as if the tree is playing a song, shaped by the land and carried by the wind.

As the dry season settles in, water becomes scarce, and the sun grows hotter. Yet the whistling thorn continues to sing. Some say it’s the spirit of the savanna speaking through the tree, reminding animals to stay strong through the hard times.

Giraffes often stop by to feed on the tree’s small leaves. They’re careful, though—one bite too many and the ants will come out. Still, the giraffes gently chew, while the tree’s music plays around them. Elephants walk past. Birds perch in its branches. Even lions rest beneath its shade, listening in silence.

To the animals of the here this is more than just a tree. It’s a part of their world, living and breathing, humming a song that connects them all.

And now, as the winds sweep across the land once more, the whistling thorn sings its melody, drifting through the plains, telling the story of a tree, some ants, and the music of the wild.