The Kruger National Park is 7,580 sq. miles of mostly grasslands (
So...here are some picture of the animals I saw and random facts I learn.
The South Africa Big Five - Lion, Elephant, Rhinoceros, Leopard, and Buffalo.
- Hunters put these animals in this group because they were the hardest to hunt on foot and the degree of danger involved.
- Sadly I was unable to see a leopard. They are very good a camouflaging themselves and therefore very hard to find.
Buffalo have 12 stomachs.
Elephants communicate over several
kilometers using infrasonic (unable to hear by humans) sounds.
Lions eat only every third or fourth day. They also can sleep up to 20 hours a day.
White Rhinoceros have a square lip for grazing.
Other animals I saw...
Chacma Baboons are omnivores.
Hippopotamus' can’t
swim.
Dwarf Mongooses are the smallest of the African mongoose.
Warthogs have
poor eyesight.
Plains Zebras run side to side when getting away from predators.
Giraffes have 7 neck vertebrae just like humans.
Antelope - horned mammals
Impala Nyala
Waterbuck Blue Wildebeest
Birds
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill (top left)
Lilac-breasted Roller (top right)
Saddle-billed Stork (bottom left)
Hooded Vulture (bottom right)
Grey Heron (top left)
Hello Ms. Waller,
ReplyDeleteJack, Khoa, Miracle, Conner, Ra'Veon, and Gabby are here with me at Eagle Enrichment. We just looked at our blog for South Africa, and we figured out how much a kit kat, loaf of bread, cereal, toothbrush etc.. are in South Africa. It was easy since Zars are based on 10. We also watched two videos of people speaking isiXhosa. Very intriguing.
Conner- Were you scared when you were petting the lion and the tiger?
Jack- What is you favorite animal of the South Africa big five?
Gabby- Did you have a great time meeting your students?
Kahi- What did you eat in South Africa?
Ra'Veon- Where are you staying in Swaziland?
We miss you, but it looks like you are having quite a fun adventure!!
Love,
Mrs. Miles and third grade Eagle Enrichment
Hi Third Grade Eagle Enrichment,
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to hear from you all and I am sorry it has taken me this long to answer your questions, internet in Swaziland is not very good.
Connor - I was not scare when I was petting the lion and tiger. I had an animal trainer with me who made sure that everything went smoothly. They were both very nice, but I did have to be careful because they are wild animals.
Jack - I think my favorite animal of the South Africa big five would be the lion. I like that they are considered the "king of the jungle" and how the male lions have such a majestic look about them.
Gabby - I really did enjoy meeting and working with the students at The Human Dignity Center. It made me feel like I was back a Audubon and made me miss you all.
Kahi - Luckily South Africa is a lot like the United States and I was able to eat many of the same things I would at home. They have MacDonald's, KFC, and many hamburger restaurants.
Ra'Veon - I stayed in the mountain of Ekufikeni, Swaziland at the El Shaddai Children's Home.
Thank you all so much for the questions! I am working on a blog about Swaziland right now and hope to post it very soon.
Love,
Ms. Waller