As the night grows darker, fruit bats arrive and flit among the tree's branches. Like the bush babies, they are attracted by the sweet nectar of the flowers, and they too push their muzzles into the blossoms and drink. The mothers among them fly through the branches with their young ones clinging to their fur. In the morning, the petals of the fertilized flowers have fallen to the ground, attracting grazing animals like elands and impalas. They move beneath the tree, munching the fallen petals.
Giraffes reach up among the branches for the tender leaves.
The baobab hums with life as long as the rains last. But they end in just a few weeks. Then the baobab drops its leaves and its branches stand bare against the sky. Yet the life of the baobab keeps nourishing the life around it. When all the leaves have fallen, the baobab fruits begin to ripen and swell.