So this is how Im going to track my time through South Africa. Blog form. Unfortunately, every ounce of internet I use costs me money so I do not know how tricked out or in depth Im going to go but I'll try.

I am currently in Cape Town, South Africa and I will be here for about 5 months. I will be taking class at UCT while taking on some kind of service learning project at a site CIEE has a relationship with. I live with all the kids in my program (there are 18) on one property with two houses right below UCT's campus.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Safari Notes Courtesy of Scout

Safari: It was very green when we went because of recent rain. The natural watering holes disappear in the summer
1)      Ostrich
2)      Egyptian geese
3)      Kudu (you can eat it!)
4)      Angulite tortise (crossing the road in Addo)
5)      Dung beetle
6)      Elephants—because of inbreeding in Addo, the males have small to no tusks. They recently brought in males for Kruger to help remedy the problem. Walter M. was the elephant from Kruger we saw. He has the biggest tusks. Elephants eat cactus. Only 7 females in the park have tusks. Elephants sleep standing up.
7)      Stanley’s bastard—the heaviest flying bird. I thas to take off and land in the wind
8)      Zebra
9)      Yellow orb spiders
10)  Red heartabeast—2nd fastest animal in South Africa. Black speed stripes on legs and bikini tan on bum.
11)   Imparla—black M on bum. Also live in Great Britain. Young males get kicked out as they get older and form a bachelor heard
12)   Candelabra lily
13)   Blue wildabeast—make very large holes because they are aggressive territory markers that use gland in face and hooves. The dominant male is always the largest in the herd. Also the black wildabeast. Communicate by sound of swishing tails. 26-27 million used to migrate between port Elizabeht and New London
14)  Warthogs—males have 4 warts and females 2. Are the chocolate for lions and jackels
15)  Burchell’s zebra—have a shadow stripe between the white and black
16)  Helmeted guinea fouls—are eaten by lynx so sleep the night in the trees. Mate for life
17)  Blue Monkeys
18)   Yellow Mongoose. Like rickyticky Tavi!
19)  Hippos. They have lots of spots that secrete a pink liquid that is like sunblock. Hippos kill more people each year than any other mammal. Its teeth are about 30 cm long and they can run up to 40 kn/hr. More than 90% of their diet is grass. Sometimes they will force lions to share their meat
20)  White rhinos—eat grass whereas black rhinos eat leaves. The section between their ears and eyes is longer because they need to reach to the ground more often. They cannot see well. Only 8 meters in front of them and its blurry. Last year 333 rhinos were killed for their horn. The skin is 4 cm thick. Named Bonnie and Clyde
21)  Spring bock—jump with all 4 legs and up to 4 meters high. Their main predator is the cheetah which hunts by tripping its prey
22)  Nyala—red and white vertical stripes. Males are dark gray
23)  Blaze bucks
24)  Termite farm
25)  Lions—the cubs were 6 months and the males 2 and ½ years old. Lions are sprinters. Hyenas and wild dogs are marathon runners!
26)  Giraffes—eat bones to get calcium. Have the same number of neck vertabrae as we do. Rely a lot on eyesight. White ears help them to see each other at night. Are pregnant for 14 ½ months. Sleep for 20 mins a day. Ruminate

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