Our guide easily picked up a prehistoric dung beetle before setting it free to scurry over droppings left by elephants.

BBC: Safari by water in southern Africa

But for the time being, Dr Dacke is concentrating on the dung beetle.

BBC: Dung beetles guided by Milky Way

Getting a good bearing is important because unless the insect rolls a direct course, it risks turning back towards the dung pile where another beetle will almost certainly try to steal its prized ball.

BBC: Dung beetles guided by Milky Way