This post has nothing to do with genetics, I just wanted a clever play on words to go along with Genet, which is the non-cheetah animal subject of the day. A Genet is most closely related to civets, fossa, and mongooses, although it is a feliform and closely resembles a cat. Most have spotted coats with long, banded tails. Their tails are typically 1-1.5 times the length of their bodies. Their heads are small and pointy, and their ears large. They have semi-retractable claws, which they use for hunting and climbing, but not for fighting.The average weight of an adult genet is only about 4 pounds. Here is a picture, since its worth a thousand descriptive words:
They are very agile creatures, and have the unusual ability to stand bipedally. They are nocturnal, solitary animals, although some pairs and family groups are seen occasionally. Genets prefer to live in areas with dense vegetation, high temperatures and low rainfall. They are generally considered to be omnivorous, although they prefer animal matter. The genet can arch its back and groom itself in much the same way as a domestic cat. It also hisses, purrs, spits and meows, but makes a unique "churring" sound when distressed.
Several species of Genet, including the Common Genet and the Large Spotted Genet, are being kept as pets. They have been compared to kittens or domestic ferrets in temperament, and can eat cat or ferret food. They also can be litter-box trained.
The Small Spotted Genet and the Large Spotted Genet are the species of Genet that live in South Africa.
South African Large-Spotten Genet
Genet Kitten
CHEETAH TIME!!
Because I included genetics in the title, I might as well through in a genetic fact. So I'll talk a little about King Cheetahs. The King Cheetah was once actually thought to be a separate sub-species, but it is no longer considered as such. Rather, a recessive gene must be inherited from both parents for this distinctive coat pattern to be expressed. The De Wildt Cheetah Center was the first center to breed a king cheetah from two normal cheetahs, proving that the King Cheetah is a genetically true cheetah with only a different coat pattern. King Cheetahs are incredibly rare, with only about 10 thought to be living in the wild.
So today's fact is not about terrified and newly orphaned lion princes. It's about the thundering beasts that almost trample him. Also known as the gnu, the wildebeest is actually a member of the antelope family. The word "wildebeest" is Dutch for "wild beast" or "wild cattle" in Afrikaans. The name "gnu" originates from the Khoikhoi name for these animals, which is "gnou". The name Gnu makes me think of a song by Flanders and Swann called "The Gnu Song". You should take a listen. And Indi, you should probably just sing along.
Now I can't say the word Gnu without also saying "I g-nash my teeth at you". Anyways, Gnus belong to the family Bovidae, which includes cattle, goats and other even-toed horned ungulates. There are two species of of Wildebeest- the black wildebeest and the blue wildebeest. The blue wildebeest lives in habitats that include woodland and grassland, while the black wildebeest tends to stick only to open grassland. The blue wildebeest migrates over large distances in the winter, but the black wildebeest does not. The blue wildebeest is the larger of the two species. Its horns protrude to the side then curve downwards before curving up back towards the skull. The black wildebeest's horns curve forward, then downward, and then back upwards at the tips. It's hard to describe; I'll just provide some pictures!
Blue Wildebeest
Black Wildebeest
A full grown wildebeest can be up to 4 ft 10 inches at the shoulder and weigh up to 600 pounds. The live in the plains and open woodlands of Africa. They can live more than 30 years, although the more average lifespan is 20 years. They can run up to 40 mph. Their primary defensive tactic against predators is herding, where young animals are protected by the older larger ones. Predators include the lion, hyena, cheetah, leopard, cheetah, and crocodile. Sebras and wildebeest will group together in open savannah when there is a high chance of being eaten by a hungry kitty. Wildebeest will also respond to the alarm calls of other species, especially the alarm call of the baboon.
When in Kruger National Park, I'm most likely to see the blue wildebeest rather than the black wildebeest.
CHEETAH TIME!
As you may have seen earlier, cheetahs do prey upon wildebeest. Here is a video of a cheetah named Honey hunting one, as seen on BBC's Big Cat Diaries. WARNING: DO NOT WATCH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE WILDEBEEST FOR DINNER!
Note Honey's chirping "contact call" - very distinct! AND THE CUBS!
Yesterday I began the quest to get a cell phone that will work for me when I am in South Africa. If you have read my earlier posts, you know how I feel about cell phones abroad. If not, then I will fill you in: the last time I was abroad, my cell phone did not function. At all. Not fun. So this time I've decided to be extra sure that the cellular device I bring with me will indeed work and work well. This mission required a trip to a Verizon store that was very far from my house, because all the ones that are close to my house are retail stores that ARE NOT owned and operated by Verizon, and therefore ARE NOT very helpful. I know this from experience. Anyways, in a Verizon store far, far away, I discussed my options with a very patient employee. The phone I have currently is falling apart and is not global. Now, I am eligible for an upgrade in May, which is really convenient because I need a new phone for my trip in APRIL. Originally, I wanted an iPhone for an upgrade, but Apple has a lock on the iPhone that will not let anyone make any sort of an exception to the upgrade rule. So no iPhone for the trip. The guy told me he could give me an early upgrade with a Droid phone. Okay, fine, I'll look at Droid phones. There's a catch, however (isn't there always?). Only 3G phones work globally, not 4G. If I upgrade now to a Droid phone that I want to work abroad, it will have to be a 3G. Granted, this will be leaps and bounds above the phone I have currently, but if I'm going to spend that kind of money, I'd like the most current model. It's a bit of a conundrum. I ended up purchasing nothing and coming back home empty-handed. I did some internet snooping and came up with this solution:
There is a mobal global phone that I can buy for $30, that works in South Africa. When I get back in May, I will upgrade to whatever phone catches my fancy.
I'm sorry for the long rant. It wasn't even the fact of the day. I'm going to start a series of facts about the animals I might get to see in Kruger National Park while on safari. Since I began this blog with a slightly bitter cell phone rant, I am going to write this fact about African Wild Dogs, because I like them so much!
The African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) is one of Africa's most endangered species, with the main reason for its decline being human persecution. Its name derives from the Greek word for "wolf" and the Latin word for "painted". It is the largest African candid, and the second largest canid in general (behind the gray wolf, my other favorite canid). Its preferred habitats are scrub savannahs and lightly wooded areas.
Like wolves, wild dogs hunt and live in packs. Females leave their birth pack at 14-30 months of age to join packs that lack mature females. Males, on the other hand, tend to stay in the pack they were born into. These packs are separated into male and female hierarchies. In the female hierarchy, the oldest will have alpha (boss) status over the others, whereas in the male structure the oldest (father) as well as the most dominant brother will be dominant. will. Again like wolves, only the dominant female is usually able to rear pups. Unlike wolves, submission and nonaggression are emphasized heavily, and dominance is established without bloodshed. a When there are puppies about, some adult members of the pack will stay behind to watch them while the rest of the group hunts.
The wild dog is a cursorial hunter, meaning that in pursues its prey in long, open chase. Almost 80% of all wild dog hunts end in a kill, which is really high. The lion, which is viewed as a top predator, only ends about 30% of her hunts with a kill. Members of the pack coordinate their movements using a chirping, squeaky sound. They also use the position of their rather large ears to communicate to one another.
After a kill, the hunters will regurgitate meat for those left behind during the hunt, including the pups and their puppysitters. Wild dogs typically hunt medium-to-large sized ungulates such as the impala, the Thompson's Gazelle, Springbok, kudu, reedbuck, and wildebeest calves. Some of the larger packs are able to take down larger animals such as zebras and warthogs. Interestingly enough, studies indicate that the tactics used to take down the larger animals may be a learned behavior, passed down from generation to generation within specific hunting packs.
Besides communication, their ridiculously large (and by large I mean adorable) ears also keep the wild dog cool by radiating body heat. Its unique coat pattern serves as disruptive coloration the makes the animal look much larger than it really is. The coloring also confuses the prey, making the animal blend in with the shadows that are around when they like to hunt, which is around dawn and dusk.
Look at those ears!
Can you see why that pelt would be confusing?
CHEETAH TIME!
Did you know that Anatolian Shepherds are used as a non-lethal method to protect livestock from cheetah predation? I'll let Cathryn Hilker from the Cincinnati Zoo tell you all about it! Please pay careful attention at around 3:30. It is too cute for words.
Even though a majority of South Africans speak English, many tourist websites warn that you may not be able to understand exactly what they are saying because their lingo is a bit different. So I went and educated myself about some important phrases that would be good to add to my arsenal.
A bagel does not refer to the round breakfast item. In South Africa, a bagel is an overly groomed and materialistic young man. Bakgat (buck-ghut) means well done, cool, awesome.
A bakkie (buck-ee) is a pick-up truck. Biltong refers to dried and salted meat, similar to beef jerky, although it could be made from any red meat (including ostrich and kudu)
A bioscope is not found in a laboratory. A bioscope is actually a cinema or movie theatre. Blooming (blimmin) is used as it is used in Britain, as a variation on "very". I could potentially say: "Wow, that lion is blimmin big!"
A boma (bow-mah) is an open thatched structure used for dinners, entertainment and parties.
A braai (br-eye) is an outdoor BBQ where meat is cooked and served with pap and bredie. Bredie (brear-dee) is a traditional South African mutton stew, first brought to the country by Malay immigrants. It now refers to any stew. Bunny chow is not something fed to rabbits in South Africa. It is delicious and cheap food on the go. It is curry served in a hollowed-out half-loaf of bread. It is not related to America's puppy chow, which refers to the mixture of chex, peanut butter, chocolate and powdered sugar. Brushveld is a terrain of thick scrubby trees and bush in dense thickets with grassy undercover between. China doesn't always refer to the country. It can also mean "good friend" when used in South Africa. Chommie means friend, and derives from the English word "chum". Cooldrink or coldrink refers to soda such as Coca-cola. If you ask for a "soda" in South Africa, apparently you will receive a club soda. Dwaal (dwarl) means a lack of concentration or focus, which is something that happens to me more frequently than I would like. In context, you could say: "Sorry, I didn't hear a word you were saying, was in a dwaal." Fixed up does not always refer to something that was once broken. It can also mean "that's good" or "sorted". For example, the affirmative reply to an invitation could be "Fixed up".
If I was flogged in South Africa, it would not mean I was punished with a whip. It would mean I was sold, which isn't much better.
A fundi (foon-di) is an expert. Hang of means "very" or "big". I had a hang of a problem remembering all of these slang terms. Howzit is a traditional South African greeting that translate roughly as "how are you". Jozi is a nickname for the city of Johannesburg, along with Joburg and Joeys.
If someone says they'll do something "Just now", it does not mean they'll do it immediately. It just means they'll do it sometime in the near future. So yeah, of course I'll do the dishes just now. Kif means cool, neat, great, or wonderful. Koeksister (kook-sister) does not refer to cooked sister. It is a traditional Malay sweet made from twisted yeast dough that is deep fried and dipped in syrup. Sounds like my kind of dessert. Kwaito (kw-eye-toe) is the music of South Africa's urban black youth. It is a mixture of South African disco, hip hop, R&B, ragga, and house music beats. Kwela is another type of music, this time from the 1950s and based on the pennywhistle. Laduma is a very important word. It is a popular cheer for celebrating goals scored at soccer matches, coming from the isiZulu word for "it thunders". Marmite is a dark-colored spread made from vegetable extract and usually used on toast or bread. Moegoe (moo-ghoo) refers to a fool, buffoon, idiot, or simpleton. Muti (mootie) refers to medicine. Mzansi is a popular word for South Africa. Pasop is a good word to know, as it means "beware" or "watch out". Potjiekos (poi-chee-kors) is a traditional Afrikaner food. It is a rich stew cooked in a 3-legged cast-iron pot over a fire. Robots do not mean R2D2 or C3PO. Rather, robots are traffic lights.
A sarmie is a sandwich.
If I scaled a building in South Africa, it would not mean I climbed it. It would mean I stole the entire building, because to scale something is to steal it. A scaly person is not part crocodile; it is someone who is likely to steal from you.
If I spend too much tom in South Africa, my bank account will not be happy. Tom means money.
The likelihood that I'll remember all of these words is very low, but at least hopefully I will be familiar with them and know to watch out when someone shouts "pasop!"
CHEETAH TIME!
This video is really cool, because it records a cheetah setting the world record for speed. What makes it even cooler is that it is a Cincinnati Zoo cheetah. Also, I've met Cathryn Hilker. So watch and be educated!
Here in Cincinnati the weather is being really fickle, so I decided to see if South Africa's climate could offer at least some consistency. I will be going in April, which is the end of the autumn season (South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere, so its seasons stand in opposition to North America's). It seems as if autumn is one of the best times to go to South Africa, which is awesome because I wasn't even thinking about weather when I was deciding when to go. There is very little rainfall across the country as a whole during this season. The days are (supposedly) warm, but not too hot. The maximum average temperature in April is 72 degrees Fahrenheit, while the average minimum temperature is 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Personally, I don't think anyone could ask for better temperatures!
South African vineyard in autumn
Just for kicks and giggles, I looked up the other seasons as well.
Summer lasts from mid-October to mid-February, and is characterized by hot and sunny weather. Quick afternoon thunderstorms are common.
Summer thunderstorm on the high velds of South Africa
The winter takes place from May to July, and is characterized by dry, sunny, crisp days and cold nights.
Snow in the mountains of South Africa
It became very snowy in South Africa's Golden Gate National Park
The Spring takes place from August to mid-October, and is characterized by a rich array of spring time flowers.
CHEETAH TIME!
The best time to see a cheetah in the wild is during the drier months, when the brush isn't as thick as it would be during the wetter months. So it seems as if I am going to Kruger at the right time!
Remember when I said I wanted to do more research on modern day tribal life in South Africa? Well, now I'm doing it. Today I want to talk about the Zulu people. The Zulu are the largest single ethnic group in South Africa, numbering over 8 million people. They live primarily in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, but they are not originally from South Africa at all. Rather, they were part of a Bantu migration down from East Africa thousands of years ago. In my previous history entry, you may recall a Zulu leader named Shaka, who welded the scattered Nguni tribes into the powerful Zulu Kingdom, which was divided by the British in the late 1800s. I'm not sure about you, but I needed some clarification as to what "Bantu" and "Nguni" refer. Bantu refers to more than 60 million people who speak Bantu or a variation of Bantu and who live primarily in the regions that straddle the equator and continue southward into southern Africa. It is believed that in about 1000 BCE, the massive migration South began and lasted until around the 4th century ACE. Nguni is a little bit more confusing to describe. Nguni is a group of people whose ancient history lies in oral history. According to legend, they were a people who migrated from Egypt to Central/East Africa and eventually into South Africa. Nguni peoples are traditionally pastoral and considered part of the greater Bantu ethnic group. Many of these Nguni tribes in South Africa were forcibly united under that Shaka Zulu character I mentioned earlier.
As far as culture goes, the Zulu are known for their work with beads and baskets.
Their attire ranges from traditional tribal clothing for ceremonies to modern westernized clothing for everyday use. Women dress differently depending on whether they are single, engaged, or married. An unmarried woman who is still eligible wears only a short skirt made of grass or beaded cotton strings. An engaged woman will let her traditionally short hair grow longer and will cover her bosom with a decorative cloth which is done out of respect for future in-laws and to show that she is spoken for. A married woman covers her body completely to show other men that she is off-limits.
Interestingly enough, most Zulu people state their religion to be Christian, although many Zulus retain their traditional belief system of ancestor worship in parallel with their Christianity. The traditional Zulu religion involves belief in a creator (Unkulunkulu) who is above and interacting in daily human affairs, but this may have roots in early Christian missionaries who tried to put the idea of a Christian God in Zulu terms. The more strongly held Zulu belief was in ancestor spirits who had the power to intervene in people's lives. This belief continues to be widespread in the modern Zulu population.
Jacon Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is currently the President of South Africa, and is also a member of the Zulu nation. he was born in Nkandia, which is now located in Natal Province.
In the 1994 Disney film The Lion King, the opening chant in "The Circle of Life" is sung in the Zulu language. The phrase "Ingonyama nengw' enamabala/ Nants ingonyama bakithi Baba/Siyonqoba" roughly translates to "A lion and a leopard come into this open place/ Here comes a lion, Father/ We will conquer)
The Cheetah fact for the day is how to say "cheetah" in the Zulu language. It is ingulule.
"Wars of nations are fought to change maps. But wars of poverty are fought to map change."
Muhammad Ali
As much as I just want to write about lions and cheetahs and mountains and 70 degree weather, I feel like I am obligated to research some of the less pleasant aspects of South Africa. I already touched upon the AIDS epidemic, so I'm not going to return to that. Rather, today I think I'll talk about poverty. But to speak plainly, it's hard for me to imagine or even to speak properly of poverty. I am a white, upper middle-class American college student who has hardly left the midwest. I have never wanted for anything, nor have I experienced hunger, or homelessness, or untreated disease. So when I write this entry, I want to make it very clear that I have no idea of what I write. To me, they are just facts, because I cannot even imagine the reality of some of these numbers and figures. When I go to South Africa, I think the reality check will be the biggest culture shock I will experience while I'm there, but one that is necessary. You can't live in a bubble forever.
South Africa has several distinct aspects of poverty(www.ngopulse.org), according to a 2006 report:
1) 47.1% of the population consumed less than the "lower-bound" poverty line, which means that 47.1% of the population did not have enough money for essential food and non-food items.
2) The poverty rates of South Africa's nine provinces differ greatly, as do those of the urban and rural areas. As of 2006, poverty rates ranged from 24.9% in Gauteng to 64.4% in Limpopo. Furthermore, the three provinces with the highest poverty rates (KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, and Limpopo) are relatively populous, so it's not surprising that 60% of poor individuals lived in one of these three provinces.
I know it's low quality, but the red indicates high poverty rates
3) The incidence of poverty in much higher in rural areas despite the fact that rural areas housed much less than 1/2 the population.
4)As a reflection of South Africa's past apartheid policy, the incidence of poverty among black and coloured individuals remained dramatically higher than that among whites.
5) There is a major difference in poverty rate according to gender. Almost twice as many female-headed households lived below the "lower-bound" poverty line when compared to male-headed households.
6) While 2/3 of South Africa's poorest have electricity, less than half have piped water.
7) Education is a major factor in poverty. Poverty affected more than 60% of those who had no schooling and about 60% of those who had not completed primary schooling. On the other hand, poverty levels for those who obtained post-matric degree or a dimplma/degree are under 5%
The good news is that things are not going downhill. According to a 2009 study, 22% of the population lives below the internationally recognized poverty line. This is better than the 2006 number of 44%, but it is still a staggering number. I wanted to compare this to the US's poverty level, and was surprised to find that according to the U.S Census Bureau, American's poverty rate is 15%. The poverty rate is slowly improving, as far as I can understand, with the still-young democracy's financial budgets and plans. Improving the poverty rate remains a major focus of South African policies.
Gini Coefficient of National Income Distribution: The Gini coefficient measures the inequality among values of a frequency distribution (for example levels of income). A Gini coefficient of zero expresses perfect equality where all values are the same (for example, where everyone has an exactly equal income). A Gini coefficient of one (100 on the percentile scale) expresses maximal inequality among values (for example where only one person has all the income). Black indicates that the Gini coefficient is greater than .60, which means that there is great inequality in South Africa's wealth distribution.
CHEETAH TIME!
To lighten the mood a little, I've decided to make today's fact all about why the cheetah has stained cheeks (According to folk legend, at least).
WHY THE CHEETAH'S CHEEKS ARE STAINED (A TRADITIONAL ZULU TALE)
"Kwasuka sukela...."
Long ago a wicked and lazy hunter was sitting under a tree. He was thinking that it was too hot to be bothered with the arduous task of stalking prey through the bushes. Below him in the clearing on the grassy veld there were fat springbok grazing. But this hunter couldn't be bothered, so lazy was he! He gazed at the herd, wishing that he could have the meat without the work, when suddenly he noticed a movement off to the left of the buck. It was a female cheetah seeking food. Keeping downwind of the herd, she moved closer and closer to them. She singled out a springbok who had foolishly wandered away from the rest. Suddenly she gathered her long legs under her and sprang forward. With great speed she came upon the springbok and brought it down. Startled, the rest of the herd raced away as the cheetah quickly killed her prey.
The hunter watched as the cheetah dragged her prize to some shade on the edge of the clearing. There three beautiful cheetah cubs were waiting there for her. The lazy hunter was filled with envy for the cubs and wished that he could have such a good hunter provide for him. Imagine dining on delicious meat every day without having to do the actual hunting! Then he had a wicked idea. He decided that he would steal one of the cheetah cubs and train it to hunt for him. He decided to wait until the mother cheetah went to the waterhole late in the afternoon to make his move. He smiled to himself.
When the sun began to set, the cheetah left her cubs concealed in a bush and set off to the waterhole. Quickly the hunter grabbed his spear and trotted down to the bushes where the cubs were hidden. There he found the three cubs, still to young to be frightened of him or to run away. He first chose one, then decided upon another, and then changed his mind again. Finally he stole them all, thinking to himself that three cheetahs would undoubtedly be better than one.
When their mother returned half-an-hour later and found her babies gone, she was broken-hearted. The poor mother cheetah cried and cried until her tears made dark stains down her cheeks. She wept all night and into the next day. She cried so loudly that she was heard by an old man who came to see what the noise was all about.
Now this old man was wise and knew the ways of the animals. When he discovered what the wicked hunter had done, he became very angry. The lazy hunter was not only a thief, he had broken the traditions of the tribe. Everyone knew that a hunter must use only his own strength and skill. Any other way of hunting was surely a dishonour.
The old man returned to the village and told the elders what has happened. The villagers became angry. They found the lazy hunter and drove him away from the village. The old man took the three cheetah cubs back to their grateful mother. But the long weeping of the mother cheetah stained her face forever. Today the cheetah wears the tearstains on its face as a reminder to the hunters that it is not honourable to hunt in any other way than that which is traditional.
Okay, I've been bad about posting again. And now I'm going to post a long history fact, which probably does not make up for my tardiness. However, it must be done and there is no time like the present. I will throw in a reference to a nerdy TV show that I've recently gotten hooked on, to spice it up a little...So, let us board the Tardis and head for where I left off in part one, which is 1652!
Preparing to board the Tardis
Okay, back in 1652, there are all these Dutch people on the Cape growing fruits and vegetables in order to prevent scurvy in the East India Trading Company's sailors. This area eventually became known as Cape Town, and with time the Dutch spread across the entire southern tip of South Africa. Not much exciting happens in this time period apart from fruit and vegetable farming. So, fast forward to 1815 and South Africa is being transformed into a British Colony following the Napoleonic wars. The Dutch decided to pack up and treck North to get away from the British. While avoiding the British, the Dutch ran headlong into tribes that had moved south from central Africa. Most notably, they encountered the Zulu people, who were not too keen on being shoved to the side by advancing Boers. At the time, the Zulu people were led by Shaka Zulu, who began shifting tribal life away from loosely-organized collections of kingdoms and towards a centralized, militaristic state. Despite Shaka's efforts, the Boers triumphed and formed their own Afrikaner state in the north, including Transvaal (AKA South African Republic) and Orange Free State.
King Shaka Zulu
In 1899, the English they decided they wanted to annex this Boer Afrikaner kingdom in the north, which sparked the the second Anglo-Boer War. As the name suggests, there had been problems before 1899. The first Anglo-Boer war occurred from 1880-1881, and was a rebellion of Boer farmers against British rule in the Transvaal. The Boers won a fairly quick and decisive victory against the British. The Second Boer war, however, was a little rougher for the Boers and British alike. It lasted from 1899-1902, and ended with the British converting the Boer Republics into British Colonies. The British defeated the Transvaal and Orange Free State in both open warfare and gorilla warfare.
Now here comes what really came as a shock to me; the British were one of the first "modern powers" to utilize concentration camps. They would round up and isolate Boer civilian populations, particularly women and children. Many died while in these camps. Ironically, this greatly angered the German Empire (and supplied ideas for later times?).
Boer Child from a British Concentration Camp
In 1910, South Africa became a Union, a coalition between the English and Afrikaner states.
I don't know if you find this as interesting as I did, but I did notice that most of this history focuses on the strife of the foreign settlers in Africa. What about the native peoples of Africa? I intend to answer that question in my next fact, if indeed it can be answered.
CHEETAH TIME!
Cheetahs are famous for their low levels of genetic diversity, meaning that they are all very closely related to one another. They are like one big royal family! Cheetahs are so closely related that skin grafts do not cause immune responses. The cause of this lack of diversity seems to be due a population bottleneck, meaning that the number of breeding animals dropped significantly, perhaps as low as 500 total animals. This bottleneck is usually attributed to the climate change that occurred at the end of the last ice age over 10,000 years ago.
I just finished a really long book about the fictional land of Westeros, and there are two more to go. As much as want to keep charging forward into George R.R. Martin's series, I had a couple of thoughts. My first thought was: "If I finish the series now, what am I going to read on the 24-hour plane ride to South Africa?". So I decided to save the last two books in the series for the plane ride, which will give me about 2000 pages to read, which should hopefully keep me very busy. My next thought was "Well, what am I going to read now?" Then I remembered an AP English book called Cry, the Beloved Country, by a South African author named Alan Paton. I figured, "Hey, I'm going to South Africa. I need a book to read. What a crazy random happenstance!" So I'm reading the aforementioned book, and today's fact is going to be about Alan Paton.
Alan Paton was born in Pietermaritzburg, Natal on January 11, 1903 - a few months after the Boer War ended. His father was a Scottish immigrant and his mother was a third-generation British settler. He majored in physics and mathematics at Natal University College, where he also wrote verse and drama for the student magazine.
In 1934, Paton applied to be and got a job as a supervisor of a black reformatory in Johannesburg called Diepkloof. At that time, Diepkloof housed four hundred boys aged nine to twenty-one. When Paton came to Diepkloof, the boys were unable to use the primitive sanitary systems at night; instead, they were locked in cells of twenty people, with a container of water and a bucket for bodily needs. Despite the fact that there was little in Paton's background to prepare him for the task of running a reformatory, it only took him three years to change Diepkloof into a place where boys could attend and learn a trade. Those who roved themselves trustworthy could take paid employment outside of the reformatory.
When WWII ended, he decided to tour penal institutions in Scandinavia, Britain, Canada, and the United States in order to equip himself better professionally. While visiting Trondheim in Norway, and after visiting the Trondheim Cathedral, Paton wrote what would become the opening to Cry, The Beloved Country. He had scenario for the rest of the novel.
Also at the time, Paton was ruminating on the problems plaguing South Africa; the decay of tribal culture, the poverty of the reserves, and the flight of the people to already overcrowded urban centers. These would all become themes in his novel. He traced the underlying causes of African crime to the disintegration of of tribal life and traditional family bonds under the impact of Western economy and culture. Paton continued to work on his novel, with such thoughts in mind, while continuing to travel and to visit penal institutions. He finished it on Christmas Eve 1947 (published in 1948) in San Francisco, California.
Alan Paton continued to write essays and novels after C,tBC. His themes continued to focus on race and politics in South Africa. In 1953, Paton founded the Liberal Party of South Africa, which fought against apartheid registration introduced by the National Party. He remained president of the SALP until it was dissolved in 1960 because it violated apartheid laws.
As I read the novel, I will update y'all with facts about the novel or what I learned from the novel. Stay tuned.
Cheetah book time! I loved these books when I was younger. Clare Bell is a great feline sci-fi young-adult author (lots of adjectives, sorry!). Her novel Tomorrow's Sphinx is very good. Publisher's weekly offers a description: "As a rare black cheetah, Kichebo's color has always created problems. She was only reluctantly accepted by her kin when she was a cub and later, it was almost impossible for her to hunt without the camouflage of a cheetah's usual coloring. What's more, she is singled out for pursuit by humans in helicopters. Her one benefit is a heightened power of mental communication. While all of her species are telepaths, she can go back in time and enter the mind of Asu-Kheknemt, a favorite cheetah of young pharoah Tutankhamen. Although Kheknemt can sometimes share his thoughts with Tut, he is unable to prevent Tut's assassination. Kichebo uses that knowledge of human beings to protect an infant, the survivor of a car crash, whom she has adopted. Bell slowly weaves her exotic subjects into a tantalizing tapestry."
Bell's series called The Named focuses on primitive, cheetah-like, intelligent cats. The first book, Ratha's Creature, chronicles Ratha's discovery and mastery of fire, and her subsequent banishment from her clan. I am a big fan of this series, and suggest it to any cat-loving, sci-fi toting folks out there.
So if you need a book to read, any of the ones mentioned in this post will serve you well.
Sorry again about the lack of a post yesterday. Today's post is all about South African customs and etiquette. I don't want to be a completely ignorant American tourist when I get there, so I better do my research. Here is what I've found out so far - hopefully it will be enough to save me from any massive cultural blunders I would be inclined to make...
Most websites mention that because South Africa is a "rainbow nation", made up of all sorts of people and cultures, it is hard to generalize the customs of this nation. But it doesn't hurt to read up on any helpful hints.
The meeting & greeting etiquette:
Apparently there are several greeting styles depending upon the ethnic heritage of the person you are meeting. However, when dealing with hopeless foreigners such as myself, most South Africans shake hands while smiling and maintaining eye contact. An important side note is that not all women shake hands - sometimes they prefer to simply nod their head - so it is best to wait for a woman to extend her hand before jumping into the whole handshake thing. When it comes to personal space, people usually stand and speak close to one another. They stand a little less than an arm's length away from each other, which is typical in the U.S. as well.
This one is important for me, because my default at-ease position includes hands in my pocket. Apparently it is bad etiquette to put your hands in your pocket, to cross your arms, or to put your hands on your hips. I wonder if that's true in the U.S. as well...
Pace of Life:
I like this fact: Taking your time is an important part of South African culture. Culturecrossing.net warns that what takes an hour in a time-oriented culture (like the U.S.) may take an entire day in South Africa. While I'm tempted to say that this particular aspect of SA culture will be a welcome change and not freak me out too much, it will probably be more of an adjustment than I anticipate. I am from a city in the north (okay, more midwest-y) part of the U.S., and I am used to juggling work schedules with school work and a busy schedule. I am used to being in a rush and efficiency is often key to my daily schedule. Take me out of this busy lifestyle and place me somewhere where I don't have to be doing something at all hours of the day, and I may fidget to death. Basically, this aspect of SA culture will be a good exercise in being at peace with a slower pace of life that does not have to be completely filled with tasks to accomplish (Thank you, Puritans, for donating your crazy work ethics to the American thought process). Hopefully I'll be able to keep the fidgeting to a minimum.
Table Manners
These are important, because I like to eat. I already eat disgusting amounts, I don't need to add disgusting table manners to it all.
1) Don't cut bread rolls. Instead, break them into small, bite-sized pieces on a side plate. Why? I haven't the foggiest.
2) Don't leave food on your plate when you are done eating. This should not be a problem for me.
3) Cross your knife and fork on your plate to indicate that you are still eating.
4) Place your fork and knife closely together next to your plate to indicate that you are finished eating.
5) Don't yawn without covering your mouth and chew with your mouth closed! That's pretty standard everywhere, I think.
That's it on the P's & Q's for now. Let's move on to the completely unrelated cheetah fact of the day. I came across the term Asiatic Cheetah and didn't know what it meant. So I googled it. An Asiatic Cheetah, also known as the Iranian Cheetah, is rare and critically endangered subspecies of the Cheetah found only in Iran. The latest research estimates that only 70-100 Asiatic Cheetahs remain. African and Asiatic cheetahs are genetically distinct and separated between 32,000 and 67,000 years ago.
Sorry about missing yesterday's post. I was having fun getting shots for Typhoid and Hepatitas A. Yesterday's belated fact is this: vaccines needed for Africa are expensive, and numerous! Last week I received my Tetanus shot. I have yet to receive my Yellow Fever vaccine. I feel like a very large, sore pincushion. On top of these vaccines, I still need to fill my anti-malaria prescription. I feel like my immune system is going to be invincible, and only kryptonite can bring me down! I also feel like my bank account is NOT invincible right now! Woohoo!
Okay, today I borrowed some facts from the CIA, because I really wanted a basic overview of the country. I have all these pockets of knowledge from the last 9 posts, but no real broad, general knowledge. So today I'm going to play secret agent and lay down some CIA facts.
Africa's population, as of July 2011, is 49,004,031. The ethnic groups of South Africa are as follows: 79% of the population is black African, 9.6% is white, 8.9% is colored and 2.5% is Indian/Asian.
The life expectancy for the total population is 49 years. That seems incredibly low to me, considering that the American life expectancy is 78 years of age. This probably has something to do with the fact that the HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate is 17.8%, and the number of people living with HIV/AIDS is 5.6 million. There are 310,000 deaths a year from HIV/AIDS. To help put this in perspective, the estimated number of people who died in the 9/11 attacks was around 2, 819. The total number of U.S. soldiers killed during the entire Vietnam War was around 58,000. The American Civil War, which is considered the deadliest war in American History, resulted in 620,000 casualties over a time period of FOUR YEARS way back in the 1800s when medical care was not so hot. In today's world with today's modern medicine, and in just ONE YEAR, 310,000 people in South Africa die a year just from HIV/AIDS alone. In comparison with the entire world, South Africa is the number one country with people living with HIV/AIDS, and is also ranked the number one country with people dying from HIV/AIDS.
The South African Flag is the only national flag to display six colors as part of its primary design. The sideways "Y" stands for the "convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity". Black, yellow and green are found on the flag of the African National Congress, white, red and blue are the coloris in the flags of the Netherlands and the UK, whose settlers rule South Africa during the colonial era.
The national anthem of South Africa is called "National Anthem of South Africa" (very creative). It was adopted in 1994 and is a combination of "N'Kosi Sikelel' iAfrica (God Bless Africa) and "Die Stem van Suid Afrika (The Call of South Africa), which were respectively the anthems of the non-white and white communities under apartheid. The lyrics contain a mixture of Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English.
Here are the lyrics: Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom In South Africa our land.
Okay, I'm tired of being a secret agent. Cheetah time - let's talk about cheetah society. Female cheetahs are loners. Males, on the other hand, are often (but not always) social and may group together for life. Often they group with their brothers from their litter, but if there is only one male cub in a litter then two or three lone males may form a coalition. A coalition is six times more likely to obtain an animal territory than a lone male. These males are very territorial, choosing territory where several female cheetahs' home ranges overlap. Coalitions will do their very best to maintain territories to find females with whom they can mate.
I like the title quote. It was penned by Christopher Morley. I had no idea who Christopher Morley is/was, but a quick google search revealed that he is an American author. This is all besides the point, however, because what I'm really trying to say is that today the great city of Johannesburg is in the spotlight.
Also known as Jozi, Jo'burg, or eGoli, Johannesburg is the largest city in Africa (by population). As I mentioned in an earlier post, Johannesburg is located in the province of Gauteng, and is the capital of said province. I was very surprised to learn that it is one of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the world. It also claims the title of "World's largest city not situated on a river, lake, or coastline". It is the seat of the Constitutional Court, but is not one of South Africa's three capital cities (which are Cape Town, Pretoria and Bloemfontein). And, perhaps most importantly to me, it is served by the O.R. Tambo international Airport, which is the largest and busiest airport in all of Africa. I will be arriving there on March 31st, 2012.
Johannesburg was officially declared a city in 1928, but it all began 42 years earlier when gold was discovered. After this shiny discovery (any Firefly fans out there?) President Paul Kruger declared the area open for public digging on September 20, 1886. The city grew very quickly, morphing from tent town to wood and iron shacks, to brick buildings. At this time, Johannesburg was a classic mining town, rough and disorganized and populated by white miners from other continents. African tribesmen were recruited to perform the unskilled mine work. The origin of the name is surrounded by controversy (ohhhh drama), because there were quite a few "Johannes" walking around.
The city kept up with Paris and London in terms of new developments - at the end of the 19th century, it boasted of electric lighting, motor cars and telephones. Building developments really began to take place in the 1930s. Hillbrow, the inner city residential neighborhood of Johannesburg, went high-rise in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
In the 1950s and early 1960s, the apartheid government constructed the townships that became known collectively as Soweto. Soweto was created by the increased eviction of Africans, who were originally drawn to the city to work in the gold mines, by city and state authorities. It wasn't until 1948, when the Afrikaner-dominated National Party implemented apartheid, that the pace of forced removals and the creation of townships outside of "white areas" really increased. The Soweto Uprising occured in 1976, when mass protest erupted over the government's policy to enforce education in Afrikaans rather than English. The police opened fire on 10,000 students marching; the first victim was a 12 year old boy. If you can believe it, Soweto was not incorporated into the city of Johannesburg until October 2002.
Soweto
Johannesburg should also ring a bell because it hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup final at Soccer City. Just as a warning, I will probably write an entire blog entry about the World Cup at a later date, because I am a soccer dork. There are a lot of other really cool facts about culture in Johannesburg that I may also discuss at a later date. But I'll finish up today's fact by saying that Johannesburg is considered one of the most modern and prosperous cities in South Africa.
Johannesburg Region Map
Johannesburg
Soccer City
As for cheetahs, today's fact is completely random. Unlike other big cats, who often hunt by night, the cheetah is a diurnal hunter. This means that it hunts either early in the morning or later in the evening when it is still light out but not so hot. They need this early morning/late evening light because cheetahs hunt by vision rather than by scent.
Because yesterday's fact was so fun, I feel like I need to balance it out with something a little more dry - history! Sorry to all you history buffs out there, I just don't have the attention span it takes to really love history. I know it's important, though, and thus I will give it the attention it deserves. But I will have to break it up, because if you're anything like me, you are not going to read an entire history of a country in one sitting. So today is going to be all about early EARLY South African history.
Okay, so two billion (that's 2,000,000,000) years ago, a meteorite 10 km (approximately 6 miles) in diameter hit the earth about 100km Southwest from where Johannesburg stand today. It created a huge impact crater known today as the Vredefort Dome. The impact may have actually increased the earth's oxygen levels to a degree that made the development of multicellular life possible (www.southafrica.info). I wouldn't normally delve back 2 billion years into a country's history, but seeing as I will have the opportunity to see this World Heritage Site in person, I thought it would be good to explore.
Vredefort Dome
Okay, now we're going to fast forward to a time when there were actually humans out and about. Around 25,000 BCE, archeological evidence places the San people in South Africa, making them officially the oldest inhabitants of South Africa. The San (also known as bushmen) were hunter-gatherers who ranged all over the area that is now called South Africa. San clans followed seasonal game migrations between mountain range and coastline, and made their homes in caves, rocky overhangs or temporary shelters. They did not domesticate animals or cultivate crops. Today, San communities still exist and consist of up to about 25 men, women and children. The men have reputations as great trackers, following the 'spoor' (tracks) of an animal across virtually any terrain.
The Khoikhoi are closely related to the San people, but apparently did not come to occupy South Africa until only about 2,000 years ago. They were more pastoral, living in well-watered areas along the southern and western coastal strips. Because of their locations along the coast, they would be the first to encounter European settlers. Today, the Khoekhoe (/Khoikhoi) have effectively disappeared as an identifiable group due to assimilation, extermination and imported diseases.
San Rock Painting
Around 400 ACE, the Bantu and other northern peoples began to push the Khoikhoi and San out of their homelands. These newcomers were farmers and herders, which gave them more food, which gave them more people, which ultimately made them more powerful than the original inhabitants. In addition, these invaders had iron spears and arrowheads, and pushed the San and Khoikhoi into the deserts and undesirable lands.
It wasn't until 1652 that Jan van Riebeeck and 90 other men landed at the Cape of Good Hope, under the directions of the East India Trading Company. Their landing was bad news bears for the native people of South Africa, but I'll save that for the next history fact.
CHEETAH TIME! Get excited, today we're talking about early human-cheetah relations.
The cheetah's association with humans dates back to the Sumerians, all the way back in 3000 BCE. In early Lower Egypt, the cheetah was known as the Mafdet cat-goddess and was revered as a symbol of royalty. Pharaohs actually kept tame cheetahs as close companions, to serve as a symbolic protection to the throne.
The best records of cheetahs as royal pets are from the 14th-16th centuries. The sport of coursing, or hunting for sport with cheetahs, became very popular. Adult wild cheetahs were caught because they already had well-developed hunting skills. It seems that it only took a few weeks to train and tame these cheetahs. The cheetahs wore hoods and were taken near the prey on a leash, a cart, or the back of a horse on a pillow behind the rider. When the hood was removed, the cheetah would chase down the prey in return for a reward of meet from the trainer.
This whole taking-cheetahs-out-of-the-wild-for-fun thing probably didn't help with keeping the species thriving in the wild. Just a guess, though. Yay for humans and the lengths to which they will go to stave off boredom!
The title of this blog will only be funny to those midwesterners familiar with Kroger's. If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't even worry about it. It won't be the first time that you'll have no idea what I'm talking about, I can promise you that much. Long explanation longer, this entry will be all about Kruger National Park! As if working with cheetahs for a month isn't cool enough, I also get to go on a weekend safari in Kruger National Park as part of the program. Kruger is up in the Limpopo province. Here's a map:
Kruger National Park is as big as it looks. Actually, it's a lot bigger than it looks. It is South Africa's largest game preserve, covering 19,485 square kilometers (12,100 square miles / 4814848 acres). It extends 220 miles from north to south and 40 miles from east to west. It is part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which is a peace park that links Kruger with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.
Kruger National Park can trace its origins back to 1898 when Paul Kruger, president of the Transvaal Republic, declared the area a "Government Wildlife Park". In case, like me, you were wondering what the Transvaal Republic is, I'll fill you in: The Transvaal Republic is the informal name used for the South African Republic, which was an independent Boer-ruled country in South Africa during the mid-19th century. The Transvaal Republic IS NOT the same thing as the Republic of South Africa (There is a lot of history going unsaid here, but any more detail will be saved for a later day and a different fact). This Government Wildlife Park was named the Sabi Game Reserve. The park was originally created to control hunting and protect the diminished number of animals in the area.
By 1926, the Sabie Game Reserve, the Shingwedzi Game Reserve and farms were combined to create Kruger National Park. In 1959, Warden Sadenburg decided to fence in the entire reserve in an attempt to curb the spread of disease, facilitate border patrols, and inhibit poachers. The Makuleke area in the northern part of the park was forcibly taken from the Makuleke people by the government in 1969, and was not returned to them until 1996.
The vegetation of Kruger is separated into four main types:
Thorn trees and Red Bush-willow veld
Red Bush-willow
Acacia Tree
Knob thorn and Marula veld
Knob Thorn
Marula
Red bush-willow and Mopane veld
Mopane Forest
Shrub Mopane veld
Shrub Mopane
I'd really like to see some baobabs while I'm there as well, and it seems as if that wish will be fulfilled...this picture was taken in Southern Kruger:
Baobab Tree!
As for animals, the BIG FIVE game animals are found at Kruger. These include the lion, African Elephant, cape buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros. Kruger also hosts more species of mammals than any other African Game Reserve, coming in at 147 different species. What I find to be incredibly exciting is the fact that Kruger hosts packs of the endangered African Wild Dog, which is one of my favorite animals, just because they are so odd-looking. There are thought to only be about 400 of these crazy looking animals left in all of South Africa.
African Wild Dog
Kruger is also home of the viral YouTube Video "Battle at Kruger". If you haven't seen it yet, then check it out.
Okidoke, cheetah time! The Kruger National Park is an important refuge for our spotted feline friends. The cheetahs are very shy, however, and sightings are pretty rare. There are about 100 cheetahs that call Kruger home. They are important because they have demonstrated that cheetahs can adapt well to a densely wooded environment, as opposed to their traditional habitat of large open spaces in the Serengeti. It would be amazing to see a cheetah in the wild...we'll see what happens!
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