This beetle would move the ball of dung a very short way only to have it roll back down the grade but the beetle would hold on as the ball and it rolled back down to where it had just been. This was repeated over and over until the beetle somehow got to a point that is could then start the whole process over again. It took about 3 to 4 mintues to travel 20cm in this manner reapeating the same path a dozen or more times.