I'm going to ramble and just share my notes.
-during WWII Italians were POWs in Kenya. They built the road through the Great Rift Valley to Masai Mara in 1942. There is a beautiful small stone Catholic Church tucked away on this road that was built at that time as well. The contractors on this project were British women because it was felt that women were not corrupt.
-there are trees on the plains called Yellow Fever Acacia. They line the river beds. When italians were caught during the war, they were sent to the river. They soon caught yellow fever from the mosquitoes living there but believed it was because of the trees. Hence, the name.
- the Great Rift Valley was created when tectonic plates separated and the ground fell. These plates continue to move and the valley is growing larger. There are mountains that are growing at the same time. I think the Aberdeeres are one of the ranges growing but I'm not sure.
- one of kenyas largest exports is flowers, roses specifically.
-when Masai people get sick they are taken to the bush and tied up. A goat is killed and the person is smeared in blood and left for overnight. The rope that is used to tie them up is very long so that the next morning when someone comes to check on the sick one they tug at the rope from far away. If there is resistance this is a good sign. The person has strength. So they are left for another twelve hours. If the sick person still gives resistance later that night then they will be brought back to the village. These are the lucky ones that have not been eaten by lions or other animals.
-Wildebeest must migrate with zebras because they have bad sight. One lion can kill 10 wildebeest at a time. It is believed that God made this animal with leftovers of others...
Head from the beast
Neck from the lion
Tail from the horse
Body from the buffalo
Tongue of a giraffe
-jackals are scavengers and are also called midwives. They will pull the baby out of a mother as it is giving birth and disappear with it. I think that it does this with lots of different animals.
-elephants live to 60 years old. Gestation period is two years. Females give birth in a group and any female can nurse any other females baby. Elephants have six sets of teeth. One comes in, then falls out. Second comes in then falls out. Same for third and fourth. When they get to this point they are older and start having a problem controlling their urine and struggle with masturbation. (Can you believe this??? Remember - maybe its just entertainment.) Anyway- the elephant's only predator is man so typically they will die of old age. When this happens the rest of the herd digs a hole and buries the deceased. The herd then mourns for three days before they leave the burial spot.
-giraffes have problems because of their lpng necks. They live to be anywhere between twenty and twenty five years old. They sleep and give birth standing up. If the baby isn't taken by a jackal or die from the long drop, then it should be fine. Giraffes can develop high blood pressure, their spots get darker as they get older and they are one of the only animals that can see color.
- lions are in heat for seven days straight. They copulate every fifteen minutes during this period and this is determined by the female. After the seven days, the pair stays together for three days to enjoy the honeymoon and then they separate. Male goes to the males and female goes to the females. After a month, the female goes someplace quiet to give birth so the male doesn't eat the cubs. When born, the babies have their eyes closed for ten days. After that they can start to go hunt but still remain with mom. Cubs nurse for up to eighteen months and the females will not mate during this time. (That's why the males don't want the cubs around - supposedly.)
- cheetahs are the fastest animal on ground. Accelerates up to 105 km/hr for only 200m.
- serengeti is a masai word that means endless plain.
-ostrich can run 45 km/hr and can rip things apart with its nails. They are dumb birds and believe that if they can't see you then you can't see it. So if it is being chased it will stick its head in the sand. Duh.
I think those are the highlights. If I remember more, I'll update you.
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