Lion Park, some facts
Well, we eventually reached the Lion Park at about 11:00am and had another briefing there. Found quite a few interesting facts about the animals we have there that I shall endeavour to share in a few minutes. It looks as if we will mainly get to the mall on our off-days so it could be a whole week till I get in touch again at this rate. So far, we haven't had the chance to SEE much wildlife yet... but I did see a gorgeous cheetah cub in an enclosure (he is exercised daily by his trainer) and we were followed around the grounds by the female giraffe, as promised! I got to pat her and sure enough, she did put her head through the kitchen window. This was really neat. We were warned that she can kick but is generally very sociable.
We were also warned that most of the volunteers cry when they leave as they are so heart-broken having to leave the adorable cubs behind. We won't be allowed to handle any that is beyond 6 months as they can be "quite a handful", so it should be 'cuddly things only'.
We have our whole group complete now and the only person I find a bit too loud is ... Australian. We have just been on our first shopping trip to buy food for the whole week but I have refused to split the bill with everybody and decided to get my own shopping load. The Dutch lady and Australian girl seemed to like their drinks a bit too much for my liking and were planning to really stock up on wine and beers, plus most eat meat and I couldn't justify subsiding meat and booze for 7, no thanks... I just didn't think it was fair, sorry to be a bore !
We have been told that there have been a few break-ins lately (probably in-jobs) so we have been advised to keep our cameras on us at all times and not keep any valuable in our tents. There is a safe for passport and credit cards, etc. but that's all.
Righteeo... Here are a few questions that guests could ask us and what the answers are. Most I didn't know so I assume you won't either... enjoy!
Q1: why do lions have black markings on the back of their ears and at the end of their tails?
A1: So that the females, when they hunt in a pack, can find each other more easily (otherwise their coat blends in so well with the grass that there is no 'landmark' for them to work out how they should position themselves for the best results during an ambush. The black tail is also for mothers to tell their cubs where she is and attract their attentions better by wagging it. Saying that, female lions operate a nursery scheme and are perfectly happy raising cubs from other females as & when need be - even have them suckle too if needed (say when their mother has gone on the hunt).
Q2: What senses do lions use to recognise people?
A2: sound, sight, smell (we were told they will sniff us a lot the first time and then will store this info in their memory bank and when we next greet them they'll be like 'oh yeah, I know you').
Q3: Do white lions still occur in the wild?
A3: Not, only in captivity as it's important for them to keep the recessive gene. Once they start breeding with 'normal' lions they lose their colour. There was a recent reintroduction of a pride at Kruger National Park recently but the cubs have since all died (only 1 in 4 survives in the wild).
Q4: What is a "split" lion?
A4: A brown lion that carries a white recessive gene.
Q5: Explain what the whisker pattern in lions is synonymous to in humans?
A5: they are like finger prints and are unique to each animal. Whiskers are also great sensor glands and they will let the lion know when their prey is really 'dead' and not just "pretending". Then they will know it's ok to 'let go'.
Q6: Why do lions have a gap on the side of their nose?
A6: So that they can still breathe when they suffocate a prey. It also helps them breathe better whilst they are eating if they have their face right on the carcasse.
Q7: what is the purpose of the white stripes underneath the lion's eyes?
A7: To reflect moonlight back into the eye for better night vision (for the cheetahs, who hunt by day, the reverse is true, they have black 'eye liner' under their eyes to minimise the blindening effect of the sun).
Q8: what is unique about a cheetah's claws?
A8: they do not retract. This feature is one of the reasons why they can run faster as they dig into the earth better as they gather speed (but can only reach their absolute maximum over 400 meters).
Q9: Do black leopards have rosettes and why do they have a black coat?
A9: Black leopards can be found in Africa and Asia and yes, they do have rosettes (not spots, unlike the saying 'a leopard will not change its spots'), the black colour is caused by a recessive melanistic gene.
Q10: what is unusual about female hyenas' sexual organs?
A10: they ressemble a penis. The only way you can tell which gender a hyena is is that the male's phallus is pointed whereas the female's is rounded.
Q11: what is the colour of a newborn spotted hyena?
A11: totally black (they are some that are a few days old right now at the Lion Park and more that are due to be born 'any day').
Q12: Are hyenas more closely related to cats or dogs?
A12: Cats (closest genetic relative is actually.... the mongoose which is classified as a cat too !!!).
Q13: What is the biting pressure per square inch for the following:
A13: lions - 1 ton, spotted hyena: 3 tons, brown hyena: 5 tons (i.e. you'd better mind your fingers... they will be crushed to the point of no return!).
Voila, this is what I've found so far... I bet you'd never looked at a lion's head that closely to see all the wonderful tricks of nature, hey?... so now you're going to have to find a picture and study them better ! :)
And lastly, for fun.... I found the following sayings in a South African tourist book that had me laughing out loud... I'll add more later, if time allows:
"Nothing is faster than the speed of light. To prove this to yourself, try opening the refrigerator door before the light comes on"
"When a body is immersed in water... the phone rings: Archimedes's Other Law"
"The reason that every major university maintains a department of mathematics is 'cos it's cheaper than institutionalising all those people"
"The safe way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket"
"Did you ever walk into a room and forget why you walked in? I think that's how dogs spend their lives"
"Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out of it alive anyway'"
"It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis"
"If we could only just get everybody to close their eyes and visualize world peace for an hour, imagine how serene and quiet it would be... until the looting started".
"If you resolve to give up smoking, drinking and loving, you don't actually live longer... it just *seems* longer"
"Why take life SO seriously? It isn't permanent!"
"The reason there are so few female politicians is that it is too much trouble to apply make-up on two faces"
"It takes a big man to admit when he's wrong, and an even bigger one to keep his mouth shut when he's right"
"An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought"
Voila ! I'd better get ready for my pick up... Hope this finds you well.
Don't forget to send me emails !!! Even if I don't always have time to answer them properly, I always enjoy reading them....
Bisous, Sylvie xxx
Well, we eventually reached the Lion Park at about 11:00am and had another briefing there. Found quite a few interesting facts about the animals we have there that I shall endeavour to share in a few minutes. It looks as if we will mainly get to the mall on our off-days so it could be a whole week till I get in touch again at this rate. So far, we haven't had the chance to SEE much wildlife yet... but I did see a gorgeous cheetah cub in an enclosure (he is exercised daily by his trainer) and we were followed around the grounds by the female giraffe, as promised! I got to pat her and sure enough, she did put her head through the kitchen window. This was really neat. We were warned that she can kick but is generally very sociable.
We were also warned that most of the volunteers cry when they leave as they are so heart-broken having to leave the adorable cubs behind. We won't be allowed to handle any that is beyond 6 months as they can be "quite a handful", so it should be 'cuddly things only'.
We have our whole group complete now and the only person I find a bit too loud is ... Australian. We have just been on our first shopping trip to buy food for the whole week but I have refused to split the bill with everybody and decided to get my own shopping load. The Dutch lady and Australian girl seemed to like their drinks a bit too much for my liking and were planning to really stock up on wine and beers, plus most eat meat and I couldn't justify subsiding meat and booze for 7, no thanks... I just didn't think it was fair, sorry to be a bore !
We have been told that there have been a few break-ins lately (probably in-jobs) so we have been advised to keep our cameras on us at all times and not keep any valuable in our tents. There is a safe for passport and credit cards, etc. but that's all.
Righteeo... Here are a few questions that guests could ask us and what the answers are. Most I didn't know so I assume you won't either... enjoy!
Q1: why do lions have black markings on the back of their ears and at the end of their tails?
A1: So that the females, when they hunt in a pack, can find each other more easily (otherwise their coat blends in so well with the grass that there is no 'landmark' for them to work out how they should position themselves for the best results during an ambush. The black tail is also for mothers to tell their cubs where she is and attract their attentions better by wagging it. Saying that, female lions operate a nursery scheme and are perfectly happy raising cubs from other females as & when need be - even have them suckle too if needed (say when their mother has gone on the hunt).
Q2: What senses do lions use to recognise people?
A2: sound, sight, smell (we were told they will sniff us a lot the first time and then will store this info in their memory bank and when we next greet them they'll be like 'oh yeah, I know you').
Q3: Do white lions still occur in the wild?
A3: Not, only in captivity as it's important for them to keep the recessive gene. Once they start breeding with 'normal' lions they lose their colour. There was a recent reintroduction of a pride at Kruger National Park recently but the cubs have since all died (only 1 in 4 survives in the wild).
Q4: What is a "split" lion?
A4: A brown lion that carries a white recessive gene.
Q5: Explain what the whisker pattern in lions is synonymous to in humans?
A5: they are like finger prints and are unique to each animal. Whiskers are also great sensor glands and they will let the lion know when their prey is really 'dead' and not just "pretending". Then they will know it's ok to 'let go'.
Q6: Why do lions have a gap on the side of their nose?
A6: So that they can still breathe when they suffocate a prey. It also helps them breathe better whilst they are eating if they have their face right on the carcasse.
Q7: what is the purpose of the white stripes underneath the lion's eyes?
A7: To reflect moonlight back into the eye for better night vision (for the cheetahs, who hunt by day, the reverse is true, they have black 'eye liner' under their eyes to minimise the blindening effect of the sun).
Q8: what is unique about a cheetah's claws?
A8: they do not retract. This feature is one of the reasons why they can run faster as they dig into the earth better as they gather speed (but can only reach their absolute maximum over 400 meters).
Q9: Do black leopards have rosettes and why do they have a black coat?
A9: Black leopards can be found in Africa and Asia and yes, they do have rosettes (not spots, unlike the saying 'a leopard will not change its spots'), the black colour is caused by a recessive melanistic gene.
Q10: what is unusual about female hyenas' sexual organs?
A10: they ressemble a penis. The only way you can tell which gender a hyena is is that the male's phallus is pointed whereas the female's is rounded.
Q11: what is the colour of a newborn spotted hyena?
A11: totally black (they are some that are a few days old right now at the Lion Park and more that are due to be born 'any day').
Q12: Are hyenas more closely related to cats or dogs?
A12: Cats (closest genetic relative is actually.... the mongoose which is classified as a cat too !!!).
Q13: What is the biting pressure per square inch for the following:
A13: lions - 1 ton, spotted hyena: 3 tons, brown hyena: 5 tons (i.e. you'd better mind your fingers... they will be crushed to the point of no return!).
Voila, this is what I've found so far... I bet you'd never looked at a lion's head that closely to see all the wonderful tricks of nature, hey?... so now you're going to have to find a picture and study them better ! :)
And lastly, for fun.... I found the following sayings in a South African tourist book that had me laughing out loud... I'll add more later, if time allows:
"Nothing is faster than the speed of light. To prove this to yourself, try opening the refrigerator door before the light comes on"
"When a body is immersed in water... the phone rings: Archimedes's Other Law"
"The reason that every major university maintains a department of mathematics is 'cos it's cheaper than institutionalising all those people"
"The safe way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket"
"Did you ever walk into a room and forget why you walked in? I think that's how dogs spend their lives"
"Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out of it alive anyway'"
"It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis"
"If we could only just get everybody to close their eyes and visualize world peace for an hour, imagine how serene and quiet it would be... until the looting started".
"If you resolve to give up smoking, drinking and loving, you don't actually live longer... it just *seems* longer"
"Why take life SO seriously? It isn't permanent!"
"The reason there are so few female politicians is that it is too much trouble to apply make-up on two faces"
"It takes a big man to admit when he's wrong, and an even bigger one to keep his mouth shut when he's right"
"An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought"
Voila ! I'd better get ready for my pick up... Hope this finds you well.
Don't forget to send me emails !!! Even if I don't always have time to answer them properly, I always enjoy reading them....
Bisous, Sylvie xxx
posted by Sylvie at 1:26 PM
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