national geo kids 10.2013

WIN!WIN!
Issue 110 October 2013 R28,00 (VAT incl.)
Issue 110 October 2013 R28,00 (VAT incl.)
9 771811 723006
1 0 1 1 0
TOY HAMPERS
WORTH R25 000
TOY HAMPERS
WORTH R25 000
Khumba
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5

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BIG
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ISSUE
ISSUE
LIONS: MUMS & CUBS, ELEPHANT RESCUE,
SAVE THE RHINO, BUFFALO FACTS, LEOPARD POSTER
LIONS: MUMS & CUBS, ELEPHANT RESCUE,
SAVE THE RHINO, BUFFALO FACTS, LEOPARD POSTER
LIONS: MUMS & CUBS, ELEPHANT RESCUE,
SAVE THE RHINO, BUFFALO FACTS,
LEOPARD POSTER
BIG
ISSUE

NE
W
m
ovie
NE
W
m
ovie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
SPACE
ROBOTS
The Lorax

SILLY PET
TRICKS!
FREAKY
TORNADO

AND MORE!
2
HAPPY
FEET
2
HAPPY FEET

GAMES, JOKES
,


CLOUDED
LEOPARD

RESCUE

SPACE
ROBOTS
The Lorax
SILLY PET
TRICKS!
FREAKY
TORNADO
AND MORE!
2
HAPPY
FEET
2
HAPPY FEET

GAMES
, JOKES
,


CLOUDED
LEOPARD
RESCUE

SPACE
ROBOTS
The Lorax
SILLY PET
TRICKS!
FREAKY
TORNADO
AND MORE!
2
HAPPY
FEET
2
HAPPY FEET

GAMES, JOKES,


CLOUDED
LEOPARD
RESCUE

SPACE
ROBOTS
The Lorax
SILLY PET
TRICKS!
FREAKY
TORNADO
AND MORE!
2
HAPPY
FEET
2
HAPPY FEET

GAMES, JOKES,


CLOUDED
LEOPARD
RESCUE

Cool Things
About The World
30
30
30
30
Cool Things
About The World

Cool Things
About The World

Cool Things
About The World
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
movie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
movie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie

NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
movie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW

movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
BEHIND THE
SCENES OF
WRECK-IT
RALPH
BEHIND THE
SCENES OF
WRECK-IT
RALPH
BEHIND THE
SCENES OF
WRECK-IT
RALPH
BEHIND THE
SCENES OF
WRECK-IT
RALPH

HI, KiDS
Reading NG KIDS you get to know a lot about animals. I

can hear some of you saying ‘yeees’, but, wait, what I’m
leading up to saying is that working on NG KIDS we also
get to learn a lot. Monique said that she has huge respect
for vultures after reading the story in last month’s issue.
Shounees was really tickled pink to read about the mole
that keeps twitching to stay alive. Lisel was
really impressed by the way the lionesses work
together for the good of their family pride. I
was amazed to learn that a single species of
beetle lives on a mountain-top and nowhere
else. Mountaineers must watch where they
step. This month we focus on the Big Five:
cheer at the story in which an elephant
and her cub are rescued from a muddy
waterhole, smile at the story of cubs and
their mums, be positive that a range of
different strategies are being used in the
fight against rhino poachers, learn
buffalo facts and finally enjoy a truly
awesome leopard poster.
Dare to Explore!
LUCKY SUBSCRIBER LUCKY SUBSCRIBER LUCKY SUBSCRIBER LUCKY SUBSCRIBER LUCKY SUBS LUCKY SUBS LUCKY SUBS
October’s subscribers of the month are Sarlie Nel, 7, from the Northern Cape
and Benjamin Andrag, 10, from Cape Town. They’ve each won* a cool pair of
sunglasses from the Little Greens range.
* Terms and conditions on page 49
WRITE TO US!
Send us your letters, pictures and
comments. Let us know when it is your
birthday. We want to hear from you!

• Write to us at: The Editor, NG KIDS,
PO Box 1802, Cape Town 8000.
• Send an e-mail to or
SMS* a letter to “NGK Letters” at 33970.
* SMSs cost R1,50. Free SMSs do not
apply. See www.ngkids.co.za for terms
and conditions.
LETTER OF THE MONTH
IT’S AFRICAN
PENGUIN
AWARENESS
DAY ON
12 OCTOBER.
HELLO, FIONA
I LOVE READING NG KIDS. IT’S MY FAVOURITE
MAGAZINE AND I’M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR
IT IN THE SHOPS. NG KIDS ENCOURAGED
ME TO START WATCHING NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC ON TV AND NOW I’M
ADDICTED TO IT. THIS MAGAZINE HAS BEEN
SO USEFUL IN MY SCHOOL PROJECTS AND
IT EVEN INSPIRED ME TO GO AND SHADOW
A WORKER AT THE JOHANNESBURG
ZOO. THE ONE THING I WOULD REALLY
APPRECIATE IS IF YOU COULD ADD A PAGE
ON CUTE TREATS FOR YOUR PET. BUT
ANYWAY, THIS IS THE BEST MAG EVER.
ERIN RUSHFORTH, 13, JOHANNESBURG
THANKS, ERIN.
WE’LL PUT SOME TREAT RECIPES IN THE

NOVEMBER ISSUE WHICH WILL BE OUR
SPECIAL PET ISSUE.
FIONA
Young eyes are precious
and need special care, but
kids also want to look cool.
Little Greens has stylish
shades for kids up to ten
years. Made from a tough,
cotton-based acetate,
the range offers cute,
comfortable style
from about R699 per pair.
See our full catalogue at
www.greeneyewear.com.
ERIN
Pet Friends Forever
6
10
18 22
Dare To Explore
Elephant
Rescue
Family
Pride
Save the
Rhinos
Poster: Leopard
25
24

Bet You Didn’t Know: Buffalo Facts
30 Cool Things About The World
36
41
Funny Fill-in
REGULARSREGULARSREGULARSREGULARS
Big FiveBig FiveBig FiveBig Five
WINWINWINWIN
Art Zone
46
50
Just Joking
Find the otter! We hid ten
otters in the magazine.
Here’s one of them
but can you
spot all ten?
iNSIDE
16
29
48
Competition
Win ten toy hampers.
Fun Factory
Win movie hampers.
Cover PhotograPh: © Darrell gulin / getty images/ gallo images
Cover insets: © 2013 triggerfish animation CC. all rights reserveD (KhumBa™); © Pete oXforD / minDen PiCtures (PanDa)
Page 3: James garaghty (fiona); all other images suPPlieD
Page 4: © anDy rouse / nature PiCture liBrary (elePhant resCue); © Chris harvey / arDea (family PriDe);
renÉe De Wet (save the rhino); istoCKPhoto (otter, Pet frienDs forever); Jon ross PhotograPhy (Dare to eXPlore);

the Bigger PiCture / agefotostoCK (leoParD Poster); fiona thomson (Buffalo); © Pete oXforD / minDen PiCtures (PanDa); Dan siPPle (funny fill-in)
ON THE COVERON THE COVERON THE COVERON THE COVER
ADVERTORIAL

We know how much you love your pets.
Now you can send us photos, drawings
and letters especially for this page!
You can also send questions about your
pet to our NG KIDS vet.
INPRA (IRIsh setteR ); IstOCKPhOtO (dOg ILLUstRAtION); ALL OtheR IMAges sUPPLIed
SWEET BREEDS
3

Facts about
Irish Setters
They have a long silky, reddish
coat.
They don’t make good guard dogs as
they are not very assertive.
They are very friendly and get on well
with other dogs but might have a
problem with cats or small children, as
they are very lively.
1
2
3

INPRA (IRIsh setteR ); IstOCKPhOtO (dOg ILLUstRAtION); ALL OtheR IMAges sUPPLIed
Send us your pet-related letters, questions, pictures, drawings and jokes!
• E-mailto•AskaparenttopostyourpetonourFacebookpageatwww.facebook.com/NationalGeographicKidsSA

• SendalettertoTheEditor,POBox1802,CapeTown8000
We would love to meet your pets!
Ifyouhave
questionsabout
yourpets(furry,
featheredor
scaled),askour
localNGKIDSvet,
ProfessorPaws.
A:Usuallyit’sjustdampfurthatsmells
abit“doggy”.Ifbathtimeisnothis
favouritething,hemayalsosmellbad.
Thiswilldisappearafterawhile.Ifit’s
reallybadvisitthevetasyourpooch
couldhaveaskininfection.
Q:Whydodogssmellfunny
aftertheyhavebeenbathed?
Celebrate World
Animal Day on 4 October
Dear Fiona
MynameisMeganBothma.
Iam12yearsoldandlivein
Perth,Australia.
Onmyseventhbirthday,
whenwestilllivedinSouth
Africa,Igotadogcalled
Minaandinmyopinionsheis
thecutestdogintheworld
(althoughotherpetowners
mightdisagree!).Sheisa

five-year-oldMaltese,a
littlebundleofjoyandIlove
hersomuch.Inthesummer
of2011,whenwemovedto
Perth,Iunfortunatelyhad
togiveheraway.
Luckilyformemyaunt
offeredtotakeherandsheis
beingverywellcaredfor.
IgottoseeherthisJune
holidaysonourvisittoSouth
Africa-whatanawesome
happening.WhileinSouth
AfricaIgottheJulyissueof
NationalGeographicKids
andsawthePFFpage.I
thoughtI’dsendthisin
toyou.
Minawasbornon11June
2008andIgotheronmy
birthdayon8August2008
(8,8,8–luckyorwhat?)
Kind Regards
Megan
Mina
It’s about all
animals,
big or
small
, feathered

or
furry.
Make a
donation
to an animal
charity.
Celebrate
our relationship
with
animals. Donate a few tins
of cat food
to the Society for the
Protection of
Animals.
Think of the role that
animals play in our
lives. Plant a shrub that will
attract butterflies to your garden.
Contact: National Council of SPCA
Post: PO Box 1320, Alberton 1450
Tel: 011-907-3590
E-mail:
Web: www.nspca.co.za or
www.animalsmatter.org
draftfcb (ginny, monty); three ring ranch, inc. (zoe with tootsie);
bill adams (zoe profile); dr. alice auersperg (figaro, all)
DRIVE CAR
DOGS
8
OCTOBER 2013

Auckland, New Zealand
Ginny, Monty and Porter don’t hang their heads out of the
window during a car ride – these rescue dogs are too busy
driving. After two months of learning how to operate a vehicle,
each pooch was able to steer a car around a racetrack.
“We wanted to prove how smart rescue dogs are,” animal
behaviourist Mark Vette says. He used voice commands and
treats to teach the pups how to turn a steering wheel and move
a lever to change gears. Then the trio practised their new skills
in custom-made karts.
Soon the dogs were ready to hit the road in a real modified
car. Their ride only accelerated up to 12 kilometres per hour and
trainers could stop the car using a remote control. The dogs took
turns getting strapped into a comfortable safety harness in the
driver’s seat. Following the commands of caretakers just outside
the vehicle, each pooch put the car in “drive,” slowly turned the
wheel to steer around the course and pulled another lever to
brake. Wonder if they’ll be flying aeroplanes next?
ooh, is
that a
parking
spot?
GINNY AT THE WHEEL
MONTY PRACTISES
HIS STEERING SKILLS.
GOLDEN ZEBRA
1
2
3
NatioNal GeoGraphic KiDS

9
COCKATOO MAKES TOOLS
Vienna, Austria
Figaro the Goffin’s cockatoo is raking in the snacks. When the bird spots
food just out of reach from his cage, he builds a tiny wooden tool to
sweep the tasty prize his way.
The bird first revealed his talent when a pebble he was playing with
rolled out of his cage. His leg wasn’t long enough to reach the stone. So
he flew away and returned with a twig, slipping it through the fence to
drag the pebble towards him.
Scientists at the University of Vienna, where Figaro lives, were
excited. The bird had used a tool, which cockatoos don’t usually do.
Wondering if he would do it again, they placed a nut exactly where the
pebble had been. This time Figaro used his beak to carve and pull a small
strip of wood from a beam in his cage. He dragged the nut towards him
with his new “rake.”
Although many animals use rocks or sticks as tools, few create them
as Figaro did. “Now he can make a tool in five minutes,” says researcher
Alice Auersperg, who studies Figaro. “It proves that he has very good
problem-solving skills.” Who knew geniuses came with feathers?
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Every zebra has a unique stripe pattern, but Zoe’s markings are even
more special. The animal has white and gold stripes.
She has a rare condition called amelanosis (ah-mel-an-
OH-sis). Her
body doesn’t make enough melanin, the substance in an animal’s skin
and hair cells that produce colour.
So her coat has golden tones rather than black. “Only 25 other
‘golden zebras’ are known to exist in the world,” says Ann Goody,
who runs the Three Ring Ranch wildlife refuge where Zoe lives.

Life can be difficult in the wild for animals with amelanosis
because predators can easily spot them. But Zoe is
protected at her refuge and her condition hasn’t
caused other problems. The zebra spends the day
chomping grass and playing with her sister, Tootsie.
“To us, Zoe is an astonishing animal,” Ann says. “But to
her family she’s just a great older sis.”
i’m
cuckoo
for cashew
nuts.
go
for the
gold!
BY ELISABETH DEFFNER
TOOTSIE AND ZOE
“You must have confidence. If you don’t believe, no one
else will. Confidence will always
keep you going.”
The NG KIDS series
“Dare to Explore” helps
celebrate the 125th
anniversary of the
National Geographic
Society, which was
founded in 1888. Grab
a parent and go to
nationalgeographic
.com/125 for more
information. Coming next

month: Photographer
Joel Sartore snaps
pictures of amazing
wildlife.
BY C.M. TOMLIN
DARE

to
EXPLORE

DARE
to
EXPLORE

DARE
to
EXPLORE

DARE
to
EXPLORE

DARE
to
EXPLORE
Pilot Barrington Irving set a record by
becoming the
youngest person and first
African American to
fly solo around the

world.
He talks about staying
confident at
5 000 metres.
“
I
was flying from Saudi Arabia to Egypt when a wall of
sand suddenly rose up in front of the plane. As I flew
into the sandstorm, grains began seeping into the
cockpit through vents. I could hear the sand scraping the
outside of the aircraft. All I could do, was hope that none of
it got into the engine turbochargers, which would have been
disastrous. Luckily I made it through the storm unharmed.
“My trip around the world took 97 days and included
145 hours of flying. Sometimes I flew more than 12 hours
before making a stop. There were times when I had to crawl
from the plane on my elbows after landing because I lost my
leg strength during the long flight.
“It’s lonely in the air by yourself and it can be scary.
You hear thunder louder than you’ve ever heard it before.
Wind shakes the plane all over the place and at night it can
become so dark that you don’t know up from down. But
being a pilot is totally worth it. You have the opportunity to
explore the world from amazing heights. You just have to
trust yourself and your equipment. There are many things to
discover, but you have to get out there.”
IN THE
COCKPIT
THE PILOT
REFUELS

HIS PLANE.
Edmund J. Coppa / SplaSh nEwS / nEwSCom (irving profilE); Jon roSS
photography (fuElling); robErt mayEr / mCt / nEwSCom (CoCkpit)
STUDY: Algebra,
chemistry, biology and geography
PLAY: Flight Simulator or
X-Plane – with these computer
sims you can fly virtually.
READ: Anything you can get your
hands on, including magazines such
as Popular Mechanics to keep
up with technology.
WANT TO BE A
PILOT?
10
OCTOBER 2013
E Y L S F S J R R R Z H W F I
S W X L H R R F U X R J E J V
C A B S A V E W S M V J M R O
A P L A N E T V P Z S F B A O
P A W Q R A L I E N S B B E D
E S S P A C E D X R U X X C R
W C B L U E M T N K M G E R L
J V A G H R E S C U E W A E L
A H M W F Y S J H E Y Y R A O
D B B R A V E E R V S J T T S
Y Y M I S S I O N N D E H U R
K G Q Y W I H T Q A R Q C R H
H W I V A H J W M V H O K E A
O P X U P G C D G Z J U Q S S

Z A U X H N D M J N E N W N J
RESCUE
BRAVE
MISSION
HERO
CREATURES
ALIENS
SAVE
ESCAPE
BLUE
PLANET
EARTH
ADVERTORIAL
12
OCTOBER 2013
Check out these
Check out these
outrageous facts.
outrageous facts.
BY MICHELLE HARRIS AND JULIE BEER
julide dengel / ngs staff (lyrebird, ladybugs, interrobang); © Cammeraydave / dreamstime (sun), © marilyn gould / dreamstime (sunglasses), image digitally
Composed; © ashway / alamy (frogs); © mitsuaki iwago / minden piCtures (maCaque holding snowball), © sergii kolesnyk / dreamstime (other snowballs),
image digitally Composed; © sean pavone / dreamstime (todaiji); earth sCienCes and image analysis laboratory, nasa johnson spaCe Center (Crater)
Check out the
book National
Geographic
Kids Weird But
True 4 and
the Weird But
True app.

MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
A meteor
crater in
South Africa
is wider
than
Ireland.
A meteor
crater in
South Africa
is wider
than
Ireland.
A meteor
crater in

South Africa
is wider
than
Ireland.
A meteor
crater in
South Africa
is wider
than
Ireland.
A meteor
crater in
South Africa
is wider
than
Ireland.
A meteor
crater in
South Africa
is wider
than
Ireland.
JAPANESE
MACAQUES
SOMETIMES
PLAY WITH
SNOWBALLS.
JAPANESE
MACAQUES
SOMETIMES

PLAY WITH
SNOWBALLS.
JAPANESE
MACAQUES
SOMETIMES
PLAY WITH
SNOWBALLS.
JAPANESE
MACAQUES
SOMETIMES
PLAY WITH
SNOWBALLS.
JAPANESE
MACAQUES
SOMETIMES
PLAY WITH
SNOWBALLS.
JAPANESE
MACAQUES
SOMETIMES
PLAY WITH
SNOWBALLS.
Children in ANCIENT ROME
played a game similar to
LEAPFROG.
Children in ANCIENT ROME
played a game similar to
LEAPFROG.
The American town
of Yuma is the

sunniest place
on Earth.
The American town
of Yuma is the
sunniest place
on Earth.
The American town
of Yuma is the
sunniest place
on Earth.
The American town
of Yuma is the
sunniest place
on Earth.
The American town
of Yuma is the
sunniest place
on Earth.
The American town
of Yuma is the
sunniest place
on Earth.
An
interrobang
combines
a question
mark with an
exclamation
mark.
The AusTrAliAn

lyrebird cAn mimic
cAr AlArms.
ready to
make a
snow
monkey!
IT TOOK ABOUT
2,6 MILLION
PEOPLE
TO BUILD
JAPAN’S
TODAIJI TEMPLE
IN THE 8th
CENTURY a.d.

14
OCTOBER 2013
F. ROETS (COLOPHON BEETLE); RIAAN VAN DER WALT (TWEE RIVER
REDFIN); ATHERTON DE VILLIERS (GEOMETRIC TORTOISE); JENNIFER JARVIS
(VAN ZYL’S GOLDEN MOLE); ANDRE COETZER (BRENTON BLUE BUTTERFLY)
The little FIVE
The Western Cape
is a treasure trove
of biodiversity,
with one of the six
Plant Kingdoms of
the world. Within
this very precious
habitat there are
many small animals

– some of them so
scarce that you will
be very lucky if you
ever see one.
CapeNature is proud
to introduce the
“Little Five” – not as
famous as the
Big Five, but just
as special…
Can you
see me?
OUR POOL
IS COOL.
COLOPHON BEETLE
The Colophon stag beetle lives high in the mountains of the Western
Cape. There are 17 species but they don’t mix – each stays on its
own mountain range. They are so rare that only climbers who spend
a lot of time in the mountains may be lucky enough to see them.
TWEE RIVER REDFIN
These beautiful little freshwater
fish appear in the deep rocky
pools of the eastern Cederberg,
part of the Olifants River system
and nowhere else. In an attempt
to boost the population, Twee
River redfin have been placed in
farm dams in the catchment area
by CapeNature and fish scientists
of the South African Institute for

Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB).
Habitat loss and degradation is the main threat to all of
these very special animals. Everything has to be in perfect
balance for these precious creatures to thrive, so farming,
mining or any other human activity could have a very
negative impact on their survival.
Invasive alien species can take over the
habitat of the “Little Five” or threaten their
existence. The intruders could compete for
the same food, water and other resources or
even prey on them.
Major threats to
our
Little Five:
>>
NatioNal GeoGraphic KiDS
15
almost
there!
GEOMETRIC TORTOISE

The geometric tortoise’s shell
has a beautiful bright yellow
starred pattern on a black
background. This tortoise
only appears in the low-lying
renosterveld shrublands.
They have to be ten years old
before they can reproduce.
Usually they lay between one

and five eggs in spring to
early summer.
BRENTON BLUE BUTTERFLY
The only known colony of Brenton blue butterflies is in
Brenton-on-Sea, near Knysna in the Western Cape. The
wonder of butterfly metamorphosis is widely known, but what
makes this little butterfly interesting is that it depends on a
certain kind of ant to complete its life cycle.
VAN ZYL’S
GOLDEN MOLE
This critically endangered
mole keeps moving all the
time. The movement keeps
its temperature normal. If the
mole stays still for too long,
its temperature falls quickly.
Sleeping would have been
be dangerous if its muscles
didn’t keep twitching during
its nap time.
LOVELY
KEEP
MOVING!
For more information on the biodiversity of the Western Cape
visit www.capenature.co.za or like us on Facebook.
CapeNature | 021-483-0000 | www.capenature.co.za |
ADVERTORIAL
R e s c u e
ELEPHANT
D

esperate for relief from the
sweltering sun, a herd of
elephants visits one of its
favourite hangouts for
cooling off – the Kapani Lagoon
in Zambia. The lagoon is normally a shallow
lake but has dried up and only a few muddy
puddles remain. A baby elephant playfully
dehydrate and die in the heat – if lions and
hyenas don’t find them first.
HELP ON THE WAY
An employee at a nearby safari lodge
hears the cries of the animals and
sees the dangerous situation. The
staff of Norman Carr Safaris,
which runs the lodge, realises
they can’t rescue the giant
creatures on their own. They
alert the national wildlife
department and Rachel McRobb,
head of the South Luangwa
Conservation Society, a charity
organisation that helps wildlife.
“There is a strong argument for
leaving nature to take its course –
and we usually do,” Rachel says. “But
elephants are being slaughtered all
over Africa. If we can help a few of
them, we must.”
FRIGHTENED CALF

The hastily assembled rescue team
pours water over the exhausted
elephants to keep them from
overheating. Then they manage to slip a
rope under one of the baby’s legs. In a
tug-of-war against the mud, about ten
people pull and strain, gradually dragging
the calf to freedom.
Just when they think the calf is safe, it runs
back into the mud because it doesn’t want
to leave its mother. The rescuers grip the
rope and tug the calf out again. But then
the same thing happens: it crawls
back to its mum. With their third
attempt they haul the youngster
further from the mud and make
sure it stays out. “We chased it
off,” Rachel says. The calf heads
towards the waiting herd.
SAVING MuM
Now the team ropes the mother’s legs
and tries to pull her to safety. The adult
elephant doesn’t budge. The wildlife
authority brings in a tractor and ties the
rope to it. As the driver takes off, the
elephant wraps her trunk around the rope
and pulls. But instead of pulling herself out,
she draws the tractor towards the mud. After
a few more tries the wheels finally grip and
the mother is dragged to the edge of the

mud. With all the rescuers cheering her on,
the exhausted animal gathers the strength
to stand. Finally free after three hours, the
mother runs to rejoin her baby and the
excited herd.
“Elephants have a special bond and care
for one another much the way humans do,”
Rachel says. “When you help them like this, it
feels like helping friends you care about.”
Trapped in mud, African elephants get
help from
caring humans.
BY SCOTT ELDER
norman carr safaris (three small pictures);
© andy rouse / nature picture library (big picture)
rolls around in the sticky mud to chill out.
But when it stands up, one of its feet sinks
deep into the mud and gets stuck. The calf
twists and turns frantically to free itself,
but its squirming only traps it more.
The terrified baby squeals to its mother.
She ignores the danger and tries to yank
out her calf with her strong trunk. The
deep, thick mud traps the heavy mother as
well, swallowing her legs like cement. Then
the rest of the herd pushes and pulls the
trapped pair with their trunks, trumpeting
shouts of encouragement. But the mother
and calf are too badly stuck. Without more
help, the two elephants will slowly

STUCK IN MUD
HELP ARRIVES.
FREE AT LAST
16
octoBER 2013
African
elephants are
the heaviest land
animals. An adult
female can weigh
up to 4,5 tons.
BABY
MOTHER
R e s c u e
Let’s
make
a deal: no
more mud
baths.
Family Pride
Lions were
widespread
throughout Africa,
Asia and Europe, but
only an estimated
32 000 to 35 000
still survive in
the wild – almost
all in Africa.
© andy rouse / nature picture library (big picture); © chris harvey / ardea

(lions drinking); © mitsuaki iwago / minden pictures / national geographic
stock (cubs playing); © nhpa / superstock (mother licking cub)
18
BY KAREN DE SEVE
ucked under bushes in Africa, two lion cubs
stretch as they wake from their nap. Even
though they are just five weeks old, they are
alone while their mother hunts for food. She
has been gone for a full day and the curious
cubs poke their heads through the tall grass curtain
that camouflages their fuzzy, tawny bodies. Nothing
scary so far. One cub tiptoes ahead until her brother
tackles her from behind. They tumble but suddenly
freeze. Something is watching them. Two pairs of dark
eyes peer through the grass as
spotted hyenas close in,
hoping for a meal.
Roooaar! The
mother lion
charges the
hyenas, her
teeth bared,
ready to
defend her
helpless
cubs. She has returned in the nick of time
and the predators back away.
This is one of many threats these cubs
will face as they grow up. They have
learnt the first lesson: don’t wander

around alone. Until they can fend for
themselves, they’ll rely on their
mother and their extended family
for protection. Will it be enough?
As part of a big family, the
two cubs enjoy some benefits
of group living that are
unique to lions.

Lion cubs grow up strong with help from
mums, aunts and big sisters.
Family Pride

19
20
This pride is a nursery with many
cubs that are two to three months
old. Now and then the two cubs sneak
a milk snack from an aunt.
“In a lion pride all the
females have cubs at the
same time,” says Dereck
Joubert, a long-time lion
filmmaker and co-founder
of the Big Cats Initiative
with his wife, Beverly. “They
can look after all the cubs
together. The females are more
playful with cubs around. Part of
that play is teaching the cubs to be

better at stalking and running. That
also forms family bonds.”

Family First
With the hyenas on the run, the
lioness lies down to rest. Her cubs
bury their faces in her belly to nurse.
They’ve had only mother’s milk since
birth. In a couple of weeks they’ll
start to eat meat, but first they
must meet the pride, or family group.
After napping through the heat
of the day, the cubs are roused by
their mother. She often moves them
to a new hiding place, but today she
roars across the plain and follows the
reply to the woods near a river. They
meet a young male lion who snarls
at the approaching cubs, prompting
the mother lion to tackle him. She
growls her clear message: “Leave my
kids alone.” The male is the cubs’
two-year-old cousin. For now
he keeps his distance.
A pack of six young cats
romps towards them. This
time the mother stands
aside as the cousins greet
each other for the first
time. Two older cub cousins

and five aunts watch from the
shade of a nearby tree. They are
familiar with the newcomers because
their mum has been wearing their
scent when she has returned to the
pride for group hunts.
One hurdle remains. A shaggy mane
surrounding a massive male lion’s
head appears from behind the rock.
The mother lion nervously waits to
see if the pride ruler will recognise
her cubs as his offspring. If not, he
will kill them on the spot. He pads
over to the little cats and sniffs their
heads. They
bat his
nose

Lions are the
only big cats
that live and sleep
in close-knit
groups.
In some parts of Africa people
are moving into lion terri-
tory, making it hard for the
animals to find food. That’s
when the big cats might kill
cows or other livestock held in
bomas, or pens enclosed by big

branches. Weak bomas keep
the cows in, but don’t always
keep lions out. “It’s like a
supermarket,” says Anne Kent
Taylor, a lion conservationist.
“Lions just help themselves.”
The owner will often kill a lion
in revenge.
Anne and others work with
local herders to build strong
wire bomas for their livestock.
This also keeps the lions safe
from angry herders. If the
lions can’t capture livestock,
they will move away to look
for wild prey. That gives these
majestic creatures one more
chance for survival.
HUNTING IS A GROUP
EFFORT, ESPECIALLY
WHEN PREY IS AS BIG
AS THESE BUFFALO.
YOUNG LIONS
PRACTISE
HUNTING SKILLS
AS THEY PLAY.
Good Fences Make
Safe Lions
Good Fences Make
Safe Lions

Good Fences Make
Safe Lions
© zssd / minden pictures / national geographic stock (cubs chasing); © beverly joubert / national geographic stock (adults hunting);
© anup shah / nature picture library (male lion and cub); © peter blackwell / nature picture library (good fences lioness)
N
21
with tiny paws. He bats back,
knocking them down and growling.
Will he attack? But finally he decides
the cubs are his and plops down his
body of just over 180 kilograms to
rest. The cubs pounce on him in
celebration of toppling the giant.
He snaps his jaws and a cub yelps.
Second lesson: don’t mess with Dad.
Pride Power
It has been a week since these lions
ate. Hunting is an organised group
activity involving the lionesses and
older cubs. A single cat could catch
a warthog or a buffalo calf, but it
takes several lions to overpower
something like a one-ton buffalo
bull. The young cubs watch from a
distance, trying to stay quiet and not
give away the ambush.
“There is an immense amount of
bonding when they are ready to go on
a hunt,” Beverly says. “They rub heads
and greet one another. That creates a

very strong family structure.”
There is also strength in numbers.
The females fan out and disappear in
the amber grass, surrounding a small
group of buffalo that has broken
Male lions
live 10 to 12
years. Females
can live up to
16 years.
young. They fight him off, which gives
the twins’ mother a chance to escape
with her cubs. “When a new male
comes, the females with younger cubs
will try to disappear for a while,”
Dereck says. “The females usually
can’t protect young cubs against a
new male.”
Again on the move, the twins stay
close to their mother. She and two
of her sisters have split from the
pride to save their young. Even a
small group has a better chance
of survival than a lone lion with
cubs.
Third lesson: watch and learn.
That way, the cubs just might stay
out of trouble.
“Survival as a cub is difficult,”
says Matt Becker, a lion researcher

who runs the Zambian Carnivore
Programme in Africa. “Cubs often
disappear after we had seen them
being born. Sometimes there isn’t
enough food and the cubs starve to
death. Other animals may also kill
them.” These cubs will quickly learn
it is an “eat-or-be-eaten” world.
from a huge herd. A lioness sprints
towards a bull. The other lions jump
on the bull, digging in their teeth and
jaws as they pull it to the ground.
Once it is down, the whole pride
runs over to claim some meat. The
large male chases away the females
and eats his fill. When he moves away,
the rest of the pride fights over the
leftovers. The two cubs gnaw
small pieces with their new
teeth, growling to scare
away hungry mouths.
Focused on food, the
pride doesn’t notice a
new male lion approaching.
He wants to take over this
pride and territory. He moves
swiftly and first challenges
the pride leader, who is older and
weaker. After a fierce fight the
injured old ruler limps away. He is

abandoning the pride. The new male
moves to his next victims: the cubs.
He wants his own offspring, so these
cubs must go.
But he runs into a wall of fierce
mothers intent on saving their
A MALE LION ACCEPTS
HIS OWN CUB AS IT
APPROACHES TO PLAY.
YOU CAN HELP! Lions, tigers, leopards and other big cats need
protection. Learn more about National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiative online:
kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/big-cats/ or ngbigcats.org.

THE CHALLENGES
More than 60 percent of all rhino poaching
in South Africa happens in the Kruger
National Park. One of the main challenges
is the park’s size – almost 20000 square
kilometres. It’s bigger than the whole
Gauteng province! Deploying enough
rangers to cover such a huge area is
difficult, especially because they need the
skills and tools to work in a place that has
become very dangerous. Another big
challenge is the border. In Mozambique,
conservation laws are less strict and it is
easier for criminals to export rhino horn
through the harbour and airport. The good
news is that more people are teaming up to
win the war on rhino poaching.

THE UNSUNG HEROES
Residents of the towns and villages
closest to the Kruger National Park can alert
the authorities to suspicious people and
activities. Organisations like Pride ’n Purpose
are educating communities about rhinos and
helping to relieve poverty so that people are
not drawn into crime to survive. “The people
of Damfries, Newton and Athol love the
rhinos and get angry about poaching,” says
David Khoza, founder of Pride ’n Purpose.
THE BIG GUNS
Our government is tackling poaching
from many angles. It is working with the
Mozambican government to set up stricter
controls and to enable our rangers to follow
poachers across the border. There are also
plans to set up a National Rhino Fund. The
government has given the Kruger National
Park R75 million to train and employ more
rangers too. Fundisile Mketeni from the
Department of Environmental Affairs
has said he knows this is an emotional
solutions in the war on poaching. Besides
the “eyes in the sky” like military drones,
spotter planes and helicopters, new ways
of tracking are in the pipeline. Beyond
Wireless, a Johannesburg company that
creates remote monitoring systems, is
testing one that will be combined with

horn infusions. It works like an invisible
barcode that can be scanned from a greater
distance than a microchip. This would allow
rangers to keep track of treated rhinos, but
will also help officials when those horns pass
certain checkpoints. “We are also testing
a new system that will tell anti-poaching
teams exactly where guns
are being fired inside
a game reserve the
moment it happens,”
says Ian Lester, CEO of
Beyond Wireless.
THE VERDICT
The war on
poaching is bigger
than we realise. The
demand for ivory
and lion bone is
increasing, also
putting those animals
in danger. This is a fight
to protect all our wildlife,
not just one species. It may seem to
be taking a long time but everyone is
aiming for lasting solutions, rather
than quick fixes that can easily be
undone again, conservationist Braam
Malherbe says. There is no such thing as
a single solution to end rhino poaching;

there will have to be a raft of tools that
form a successful strategy. It is crucial
that everyone in the fight becomes
informed and remains committed
to creating a better future for
the species.
issue and that South Africans are angry.
But he encouraged people to help with
solving the problem. “We are in this
thing together,” he said.
THE GREEN ARMY
SAN Parks is putting a lot of time,
effort and money into training
rangers. This includes tracker dogs
that are taught to find injured animals,
poachers, firearms and bullets. “We are
confident that the net is slowly closing
in on the poachers,” says major general
Johan Jooste, the Kruger National
Park’s head of Special Operations. He
adds that they are working closely with
the anti-poaching units of the police
and defence force. By the end of July
they had already put 67 suspected
poachers behind bars.
THE COLOUR CREW
Rhino Rescue Project has developed a
treatment that makes horns worthless
to poachers. They inject a pesticide into
the horn that protects animals from

parasites like ticks. It will make people
who use the horn ill. A permanent dye
(similar to the kind used to mark stolen
money) is added to the mix. This stains
the horn on the inside, making it easy
to spot (especially at airport check-
points) and useless as a decoration. The
treatment is invisible from the outside,
but signs around the reserves tell poachers
that they are wasting their time. In the
past three years they have treated 200
rhinos and so far not a single one of them
has been poached !
THE HIGH-TECH PIONEERS
Technology might offer the most exciting
Experts
worry that the
number
of
killed rhino


may be even
higher than in
2012
.
NG KIDS

sent reporter
Renée de Wet into the field to find

out what is
being done about it.
Leave our rhinos
22
OCTOBER 2013
RENÉE DE WET (ALL IMAGES)
Leave our rhinos

Alone
Leave our rhinos
YOU’LL BE
OKAY.
SAFE!
NatioNal GeoGraphic KiDS
23
Leave our rhinos
Alone
A speciAl dYe is
infused into the
rhino horn thAt
will mAke it
worth nothing
to poAchers.
photo credit goes here
1
2
3
4
5

5
cool
facts

about buffalo
FIONA THOMSON (BUFFALO)
24
OCTOBER 2013
5
The African
buffalo
has never
been
domesticated
– unlike its
Asian
counterpart, the
water buffalo.
The Cape buffalo
is the
largest
subspecies of
African
buffalo
and weighs up to

900 kilograms.
Cape
buffalo have
been known to

kill lions.

Cape buffalo

live in
large herds
with up to
a thousand
animals.
Their
tongues are

smooth.
© 2013 NatioNal GeoGraphic Society • NatioNal GeoGraphic, NatioNal GeoGraphic KidS aNd yellow Border aNd KidS yellow Border deSiGNS are trademarKS of NatioNal GeoGraphic Society
• all riGhtS reServed • photo: the BiGGer picture/aGefotoStocK (leopard)