Tag Archives: Africa

Okapi Wildlife Reserve

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Okapi Wildlife Reserve

Watch the spectacular wildlife at Okapi Wildlife Reserve.

  • Okapi Wildlife Reserve is a protected area in Africa’s Democratic Republic of Congo, in the Ituri Rainforest.
  • ‘Okapi Wildlife Reserve’ is named after its primary protected animal, the okapi, with roughly 5000 located in the park, a sixth of the estimated total population.
  • Okapi Wildlife Reserve covers an area of 13,726 square kilometres (5,300 square miles).
  • Over 100 species of mammal are found in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, including, but not limited to, leopards, antelope, elephants, crocodiles, okapis, primates, buffalo; as well as more than 370 bird species.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention declared Okapi Wildlife Reserve a World Heritage Site in 1996.
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 Part of Okapi Wildlife Reserve
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
  • Okapi Wildlife Reserve is the home to three rivers, the Epulu, Ituri and Nepoko Rivers; Mbiya Mountain; as well as numerous deposits of various rocks and minerals including gneiss, mica and granite.
  • The Okapi Conservation Project supports and partners with the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, and helped to establish the reserve in 1992.
  • Okapi Wildlife Reserve is the home of the Epulu Conservation and Research Center, established in 1928, where the Okapi Conservation Project does its work; and the function of the centre is to manage the okapi breeding program, conservation and research, and occasionally send small quantities of okapi to zoos.
  • Approximately 80% of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve can be used for hunting by the thousands of native people living there, for the purpose of providing food to the local communities and villages, as long as traditional techniques are used; but despite this, poaching, deforestation, gold mining and political instability all continue to endanger the reserve.
  • The Epulu Conservation and Research Center and the Okapi Conservation Project in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve suffered a major setback in 2012, when it was directly attacked by a group of rebels and poachers, which resulted in blazed buildings, a number of human fatalities, and death of all fourteen okapi in the breeding program.
Bibliography:
Okapi Wildlife Reserve, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okapi_Wildlife_Reserve
Okapi Wildlife Reserve, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/718
Okapi Faunal Reserve, Democratic Republic of Congo, n.d, The Encyclopaedia of Earth, http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/155015/

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Leaf-tail Gecko

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Leaf-tail Gecko

Hide among the vegetation like leaf-tail geckos.

  • Leaf-tail geckos are a reptile, or specifically, a gecko, native to Africa’s tropical Madagascar.
  • ‘Leaf-tail geckos’ are also known as ‘leaf-tailed geckos,’ and ‘flat-tailed geckos’.
  • There are at least 14 species of leaf-tail geckos and their scientific or genus name is Uroplatus, and they are from the family Gekkonidae, a family of geckos.
  • Leaf-tail geckos can grow to be 10 to 30 centimetres (4 to 12 inches) in length, and weigh 10 to 30 grams (0.35 to 1 ounce) in weight.
  • The skin of leaf-tail geckos can be a combination of green, brown, grey and black; and they usually have coloured patterns that mimic their surroundings, and depending on the species, they will look similar to either leaves or bark that they hide among.
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A Leaf-tail Gecko
Image courtesy of Frank Vassen/Flickr
  • Leaf-tail geckos have digits or toes, some of which have small claws, that can be used to grip onto numerous surfaces; and they have a leaf shaped tail.
  • During the day, leaf-tail geckos camouflage themselves from predators in trees or bushes, and they become active hunters during the night.
  • The diet of leaf-tail geckos primarily consists of insects, as well as worms and spiders, while other reptiles and rodents are sometimes consumed.
  • Female leaf-tail geckos generally lay between two to four eggs at a time; and the reptile has an average life span of two to nine years.
  • Leaf-tail geckos are threatened by illegal hunting for the pet industry, along with habitat loss, and some species are listed as endangered, vulnerable and near threatened.
Bibliography:
Leaf-tailed Gecko, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/leaf-tailed-gecko/
Uroplatus, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uroplatus

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Elephant Shrew

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Elephant Shrew

What do you get when you cross an elephant with a shrew? An elephant shrew!

  • Elephant shrews are mammals of small size, that can be found in Africa’s southern areas in a variety of habitats.
  • An ‘elephant shrew’ is sometimes called a ‘jumping shrew’, and it is also known by the native name ‘sengi’.
  • Elephant shrews are a family with the scientific name Macroscelididae, that is split into four genera and includes 19 species.
  • Elephant shrews have an unusually long nose, said to be like an elephant’s trunk, and they have a body similar to a shrew, although they are not closely related to either mammals.
  • Elephant shrews range from 10 to 30 centimetres (4-12 inches) in length and weigh between 50 to 680 grams (2 to 24 ounces), depending on the species.
Elephant Shrew, Mammal, Black, Brown, Small, Ten Random Facts, Africa
An Elephant Shrew
Image courtesy of Kim/Flickr
  • Elephant shrews dig burrows or live in other naturally formed holes, typically by themselves or in pairs.
  • The diet of elephant shrews typically consists of spiders, insects, earthworms and centipedes, and they catch their food via a lengthy tongue.
  • Elephant shrews typically live for two to five years and are preyed on by lizards, large birds and snakes.
  • The fur of elephant shrews typically ranges from black, grey, brown, tan or white in colour, and the colours vary in different species.
  • Female elephant shrews, on average, give birth to two young at a time, and can breed multiple times a year.
Bibliography:
Elephant Shrew, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/elephant-shrew/
Elephant Shrew, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_shrew
Elephant Shrew, n.d, African Wildlife Foundation, http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/elephant-shrew


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Great Zimbabwe

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Great Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe is much more than a crumbling ruin.

  • Great Zimbabwe is the remains of an old, abandoned city, found in Africa’s Zimbabwe, in an elevated part of the country.
  • The actual city of Great Zimbabwe encompasses an area of approximately 0.8 square kilometres (0.3 square miles), while the protected area, as designated by the World Heritage Convention, covers an area of 7.2 square kilometres (2.8 square miles).
  • Communities had been living on the site of Great Zimbabwe since around 300 AD, although it wasn’t until around 1000 AD that the building of the city first commenced.
  • Great Zimbabwe was a once thriving city made of granite stone, that had at least one wall reaching 11 metres (36 feet) in height, and the city is believed to have been built by the native Bantu people.
  • Great Zimbabwe is believed to have been the central point and home to rulers of the area; and the city was in prominent use from around 1000 to 1450 AD.
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Great Zimbabwe
Image courtesy of Erik Torner/Flickr
  • Many objects of archaeological significance have been found on the site of Great Zimbabwe, including soapstone sculptures and figurines, jewellery, money, weaponry and pottery.
  • Great Zimbabwe was originally a prominent centre of trade, with ivory and gold on offer; and the city is believed to have become vacant when a variety of resources became depleted.
  • Portuguese records have shown knowledge of Great Zimbabwe since the 1500s, although it was not until the late 1860s that Europeans found and took interest in the site, and by 1893, the site was designated as a protected area.
  • Great Zimbabwe was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, as the ‘Great Zimbabwe National Monument’ and it is also known as the ‘capital of the Queen of Sheba’, due to speculation of its origin.
  • Great Zimbabwe sits at 1100 metres (3,609 feet) above sea level, and was, and still is a site of spiritual significance for some people.
Bibliography:
Great Zimbabwe, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe National Monument, 2014, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/364

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Glass Lizard

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Glass Lizard

Glass lizards are not too fragile, although they may fragment!

  • Glass lizards are a group of approximately 15 species of animal, that have the appearance of snake-like reptilians, but are lizards.
  • ‘Glass lizards’ are also known as ‘glass snakes’ and ‘jointed snakes’.
  • Glass lizards have the scientific name Ophisaurus and are from the family Anguidae, a family of numerous Northern Hemisphere lizards.
  • Glass lizards grow to be 0.6 to 1.2 metres (2 to 4 feet) in length, which includes the long tail, and they have a weight of 300 to 600 grams (11 to 21 ounces).
  • The diet of glass lizards mainly consist of small rodents and reptiles, insects, and spiders.
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A Glass Lizard
Image courtesy of vladeb/Flickr
  • Glass lizards have a head that is similar to the anatomy of lizards and they generally have no legs, although small stumps can sometimes be seen in place, in some species.
  • Glass lizards can be found primarily in some Asian countries like India, Indonesia and China, as well as North Africa and the United State’s southeast.
  • Glass lizards can fracture their tails into small, moving pieces, hence their name, and the tail can be regenerated after some time, although it will generally be shorter than the first.
  • Glass lizards come in a variety of colours including green, black, grey, brown, yellow and tan, depending on the species.
  • Glass lizards are typically preyed on by large mammals, birds and snakes, and they have a lifespan of ten to thirty years.
Bibliogrphy:
Glass Lizard, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/glass-lizard/
Glass Lizard, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_lizard

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Cuicul

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Cuicul

Learn about some very well preserved Roman architecture with these Cuicul facts.

  • Cuicul is an ancient city and ruins built by Romans in a mountainous area, located in north Africa’s Algeria.
  • ‘Cuicul’ is the Latin name for the city, which is also known as ‘Djémila’, that can literally be translated to ‘beautiful’ in Arabic.
  • Cuicul was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 due to the site’s historically significant Roman architecture.
  • The Cuicul group of ruins consists of temples, houses, arches, streets, and also a theatre, that were originally built and designed by Romans.
  • Cuicul was built around 96 to 98 AD, and further developments and building occurred in the 3rd century, although, by the end of the 6th century it lay abandoned.

Cuicul, Ruins, Roman, Algeria, Columns, Ancient, Ten Random Facts, Structure, Architecture

Part of Cuicul
Image courtesy of Dan Sloan/Flickr
  • Cuicul was built on a mountain in the northern part of the country, in the Sétif Province, 900 metres (2953 feet) above sea level.
  • Until the 500s, marking the Roman Empire’s fall, Cuicul was used both as a Roman soldier base and a trade centre for the area.
  • The Christian religion was introduced to Cuicul during the 300s, so a chapel, baptistry and houses from the time are able to be seen today.
  • Cuicul is susceptible to damage by natural disasters including earthquakes; raids by humans; and nearby land illegally being used for agricultural purposes.
  • Cuicul is visited annually by approximately 45,000 tourists and students, that seem to have little or no detrimental effect on the area.
Bibliography:
Cuicul (Djémila), 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuicul_(Dj%C3%A9mila)
Djémila, 2014, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/191

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