Friends of the Zoo

The giraffe was formerly known as the “camelopard” which was the Latin name for the animal which looked like a camel but had marks on it similar to a leopard. This became in Afrikaans the “kameelperd” from the Netherlands “kameelpaard”. The giraffe was also in earlier times identified as a “ wild horse”.

The giraffe is known for its long legs and neck, which has the same number of vertebrae as a human, however with the difference being that each vertebrae is 28cm long. The neck alone can weigh more than 270 kg. A paw or foot can be as large as a soup plate with a radius of 20 to 30 cm. The very long black or blueblack tongue can be up to 50cm long (imagine this is half a meter). Its skin is yellowish white with light brown blocklike markings that darken with age. On the head are two small horns and on the neck short mane hair. The giraffe’s lungs can hold 55 liter air and the heart, which weighs 12kg, beats on average 66 times per minute. Like fingerprints, the giraffe’s marking is unique and each giraffe has its very own identity.

One specie akasia tree is named for the giraffe as some of its seeds only germinate after they have gone through its digestive system.

The name buffalo comes via Portuguese or Italian from the Latin word “bufalus”, derived from the Greek “ baoubalos” which means “gasel”.

This huge oxlike animal has large grey horns with a single basis that stretches over the forehead. This is found on both male and female. The ears sit under the horns lower than the eyes. Young animals have a light reddish brown colour that will darken with age to a grayish black colour. A buffalo herd, in dry seasons can travel up to 27km per day from their grazing ground to a water source. An adult animal can drink between 60 and 80 liters water per day. Buffalo are dayliving animals but will graze till after dark. Their smell senses are very good, but see and hear with difficulty. The buffalo is a very aggressive animal and will attack a lion should it attempt an attack on the herd. Even hunters’ lives are sometimes in danger when a buffalo is wounded.

The first zoo outside of Africa that exhibited an African buffalo was the Londen zoo in 1839.

The cheetah was named for its hunting habits and for the fact that it looked like a leopard. In Afrikaans it is also known as a “vlaktetier” (plain or steppe tiger) or “jagtier” (hunting tiger).

This slender animal that looks similar to a greyhound can, with one movement cover 7 to 8 meters with a speed of up to 112 km/h. An adult cheetah has a yellow or light brown skin that is covered with solid round markings, although there are no marking on the white belly or on the throat. Cheetahs have a characteristic “tear mark” from the eyes to the mouth corners, the purpose of this tearmark is to dampen the effect of the very bright and harsh African sun’s rays. The nostrils are big so that huge amounts of air can be breathed in to fill the large lungs during hunting. They are also the only one of the cat family that cannot withdraw its claws and so enables them to have firm ground contact when chasing their prey. There are approximately 9 000 to 12 000 cheetahs left in nature. The most of them (2 500) are in Namibia. Cheetahs are regularly seen standing on a termite heap or a tree trunk, look about them. The reason for this is that the cheetah relies more on his sight than on any other of his senses when he is hunting.

Cheetahs, well known to us all are the Free State Rugby team known as the Free State Cheetahs.

The scientific name loxodonta is compiled from the Greek words loxo (curved) and donta (tooth), thus "curved tooth". It refers to the appearance of the large tusks which are found in the mouth. The elepant's massive tusks, which are actually his two incisors, are one of his most noticeable features. The hide is grey-brown in colour, but often takes on the colour of the ground in the region, because the elephant has "dust baths". The hide is nearly hairless except for the hair on the tip of its tail. His trunk is both his nose and hands at the same time with which he breaks branches and puts food in his mouth. The African elephant's ears are the largest of any animal reaching a diameter of up to 1,25 m. His hearing is very good, especially sounds of low frequency, but he relies more on his sense of smell to learn more about his surroundings.

South Africa's elephant population has grown from approximately 120 elephants which were found in four areas - Addo, Tembe, Kruger National Park and Knysna - to more than 10 000 in 40 different places all over the country.

Lions look like big house cats and have features of the ordinary house cat, but the lion is the only member of the cat family where the male and the female can be distinguished by the difference in their appearance. The male’s most known feature is his mane which changes from light to dark blond to sometimes black. Cubs have brown spots on their skins up to the age of about three months. The lion is the largest carnivore in Africa and the second largest catlike animal in the world after the Siberian tiger. The lion is well known in mythology . In Egypt you get the sphinks as a lioness with a female head and breast. The most famout person described as a lion is Christ who was called “The Lion from the tribe of Juda” .

A beautiful jackal appearing widespread throughout the whole of Southern Africa. Their characteristic cry is well known and they communicate with each other by using an extended series of sounds. They are mainly nocturnal animals and move around in pairs or alone. They are very cunning and fast and wait in the background when the lions are feeding, pouncing every now and then on the carcass to steal a bite to eat. During the day they sleep under a bush. The young are born in old pangolin holes after a gestation period of 60 days.

Komodo Dragons, with a weight of approximately 70kg, and sometimes double if they are in a zoo, the Komodo Dragon is the heaviest "lizard". They have long bodies, well developed legs and a forked tongue like a snake. Komodos' can smell rotten meat from as far as 5km.away. They are also cannibals which is why the little ones spend most of their time in trees. Komodos' have a lifespan of about 40 years when not in captivity.



		GIRAFFE Giraffa camelopardis The giraffe was formerly known as the “camelopard” which was the Latin name for the animal which looked like a camel but had marks on it similar to a leopard. This became in Afrikaans the “kameelperd” from the Netherlands “kameelpaard”. The giraffe was also in earlier times identified as a “ wild horse”. The giraffe is known for its long legs and neck, which has the same number of vertebrae as a human, however with the difference being that each vertebrae is 28cm long. The neck alone can weigh more than 270 kg. A paw or foot can be as large as a soup plate with a radius of 20 to 30 cm. The very long black or blueblack tongue can be up to 50cm long (imagine this is half a meter). Its skin is yellowish white with light brown blocklike markings that darken with age. On the head are two small horns and on the neck short mane hair. The giraffe’s lungs can hold 55 liter air and the heart, which weighs 12kg, beats on average 66 times per minute. Like fingerprints, the giraffe’s marking is unique and each giraffe has its very own identity. One specie akasia tree is named for the giraffe as some of its seeds only germinate after they have gone through its digestive system. BUFFALO Syncerus caffer The name buffalo comes via Portuguese or Italian from the Latin word “bufalus”, derived from the Greek “ baoubalos” which means “gasel”. This huge oxlike animal has large grey horns with a single basis that stretches over the forehead. This is found on both male and female. The ears sit under the horns lower than the eyes. Young animals have a light reddish brown colour that will darken with age to a grayish black colour. A buffalo herd, in dry seasons can travel up to 27km per day from their grazing ground to a water source. An adult animal can drink between 60 and 80 liters water per day. Buffalo are dayliving animals but will graze till after dark. Their smell senses are very good, but see and hear with difficulty. The buffalo is a very aggressive animal and will attack a lion should it attempt an attack on the herd. Even hunters’ lives are sometimes in danger when a buffalo is wounded. The first zoo outside of Africa that exhibited an African buffalo was the Londen zoo in 1839. CHEETAH Acinonyx jubatus The cheetah was named for its hunting habits and for the fact that it looked like a leopard. In Afrikaans it is also known as a “vlaktetier” (plain or steppe tiger) or “jagtier” (hunting tiger). This slender animal that looks similar to a greyhound can, with one movement cover 7 to 8 meters with a speed of up to 112 km/h. An adult cheetah has a yellow or light brown skin that is covered with solid round markings, although there are no marking on the white belly or on the throat. Cheetahs have a characteristic “tear mark” from the eyes to the mouth corners, the purpose of this tearmark is to dampen the effect of the very bright and harsh African sun’s rays. The nostrils are big so that huge amounts of air can be breathed in to fill the large lungs during hunting. They are also the only one of the cat family that cannot withdraw its claws and so enables them to have firm ground contact when chasing their prey. There are approximately 9 000 to 12 000 cheetahs left in nature. The most of them (2 500) are in Namibia. Cheetahs are regularly seen standing on a termite heap or a tree trunk, look about them. The reason for this is that the cheetah relies more on his sight than on any other of his senses when he is hunting. Cheetahs, well known to us all are the Free State Rugby team known as the Free State Cheetahs. ELEPHANT Loxodonta africana The scientific name loxodonta is compiled from the Greek words loxo (curved) and donta (tooth), thus "curved tooth". It refers to the appearance of the large tusks which are found in the mouth. The elepant's massive tusks, which are actually his two incisors, are one of his most noticeable features. The hide is grey-brown in colour, but often takes on the colour of the ground in the region, because the elephant has "dust baths". The hide is nearly hairless except for the hair on the tip of its tail. His trunk is both his nose and hands at the same time with which he breaks branches and puts food in his mouth. The African elephant's ears are the largest of any animal reaching a diameter of up to 1,25 m. His hearing is very good, especially sounds of low frequency, but he relies more on his sense of smell to learn more about his surroundings. South Africa's elephant population has grown from approximately 120 elephants which were found in four areas - Addo, Tembe, Kruger National Park and Knysna - to more than 10 000 in 40 different places all over the country. Lion Panthera leo Lions look like big house cats and have features of the ordinary house cat, but the lion is the only member of the cat family where the male and the female can be distinguished by the difference in their appearance. The male’s most known feature is his mane which changes from light to dark blond to sometimes black. Cubs have brown spots on their skins up to the age of about three months. The lion is the largest carnivore in Africa and the second largest catlike animal in the world after the Siberian tiger. The lion is well known in mythology . In Egypt you get the sphinks as a lioness with a female head and breast. The most famout person described as a lion is Christ who was called “The Lion from the tribe of Juda” . Black-backed jackal (Rooijakkals) PHOTO COURTESY OF ELZETTE DU PLESSIS A beautiful jackal appearing widespread throughout the whole of Southern Africa. Their characteristic cry is well known and they communicate with each other by using an extended series of sounds. They are mainly nocturnal animals and move around in pairs or alone. They are very cunning and fast and wait in the background when the lions are feeding, pouncing every now and then on the carcass to steal a bite to eat. During the day they sleep under a bush. The young are born in old pangolin holes after a gestation period of 60 days. Komodo Dragons PHOTO COURTESY OF ELZETTE DU PLESSIS Komodo Dragons, with a weight of approximately 70kg, and sometimes double if they are in a zoo, the Komodo Dragon is the heaviest "lizard". They have long bodies, well developed legs and a forked tongue like a snake. Komodos' can smell rotten meat from as far as 5km.away. They are also cannibals which is why the little ones spend most of their time in trees. Komodos' have a lifespan of about 40 years when not in captivity.