PAKO Magazine - Issue 6

Jungle Gyms 4 Kids.
- Construction of Jungle Gyms.
- Design of Play Grounds.
- Tree Houses.
- Wendy Houses.
- Repair and Maintenance.
- Free Quotations.
Please Phone :
Heinz: 081 128 3709
Andre: 081 127 3447
impala@iway.na
Bullerjan
a stove like a fairytale - giving warmth a new dimension!
Wildlife
Goo d to K now
Q & A
Ed it or ’ s N o t e
Dear kids, dear parents,
Namibia is known for its birdlife. The Namibia
Bird Club celebrates its 50th anniversary this
year! Happy Birthday!!! And thank you for your
wonderful work!
To date over 630 bird species have been recorded
in Namibia. The Namibia Bird Club organises
regular meetings and outings. Should you be
interested in joining them you can contact them
directly (contact details on page 4 & 5).
In this issue we will also introduce the Foundation
REST (Rare and Endangered Species Trust) to
you. REST began by helping only the plight of
the Cape Griffon vulture (they have started
in September 2000), but after a few years it
became apparent that there were a few species
that needed specific support in Namibia.
You will find our Pako magazines online on our
website: www.namibia-animal-awareness.com.
Your Pako Team!
(in collaboration with Namibia Animal Awareness,
the SPCA and Border Collie Rescue Namibia).
P AKO
P O Bo x 2 7 0 7 9 , Win d h o e k, N a m ib ia T el: 0 8 1 1 2 4 1 1 1 2
Fa x: 0 6 1 2 5 7 4 1 5
E-mai l : p ak o @afr ic a o n l in e .c om .n a
Web s i te: www. n a m ib ia -a n im a l -a w a r e n e ss.c o m
Edit o r : Petr a S c h e u e r m a n n
Copy Edi to r : Hel m u t N ol t in g
M a r k eti n g : C l aud ia S o l a zzi
0 8 1 8 00 8142
D esi g n & Layo ut: J ol e n e N or v a l
081 624 8992
Prin ter : J o h n Me in e r t
P hoto gra ph s p rovided and © Copy r ight ed t o Tanja B a u s e a n d
Harna s Wild life Fou ndat ion
PAKO Do n k ey cr e a t or - D u d l e y V ia l l
Pe t s
Rescue Corner
Act i v i t i es
INDEX
FEATURES
4
Na mib ia B ird Clu b
P re v e n t s P la s t ic P o lu t io n
7
Q u e s t io n s a n d A n s we rs
13
K id s P a w P rin t
14
K it t e n c a re
A s k Dr Mic k e y
16
6
15
T h e Ra re & E n d a n d g e r e d S p e c i e s
Tru s t (RE S T )
ACTIVITIES
8
S p o t t h e d iff e re n c e
9
Ca n y o u h e lp PA K O f in d h i s c a r ?
12
B a b y s it t in g wit h PA K O
B a n a n a S mo o t h ie
18
13
Wo rd Un S c ra mb le
designs
Issue 6
PAKO Magazine
3
Hap py B i r t h da y N a m i b i a B ird C lu b . T he Namib ia B ird
Clu b c e l e b r a t e s i t s
5 0 th
ann iversary in 2 0 1 2 .
W h a t is the N amibia B ird Clu b ? It is
a mem ber ship- ba sed o rganisation
e s t a blished in 1962 to fill a void in
k n o wl edge and inte rest surroundin g th e
b i rd s of N am ibi a. The Namibia B ird Clu b is
i n v o lved in num e rous bird-rela ted a ctiv it ie s
a n d p r ojects. The y a lso arrange b ird ing
o u t i ngs on a r egula r b a sis.
Bi rd s ar e indicato rs of wider bio d ive rsit y :
W h e n bir ds di sap p e a r, it often sig n a ls t h a t
s o m e thi ng is w rong with the e n vironm e n t
w h e r e they used to live. This can imp a c t
h a b it a t s a n d t h e ir c o mp o n e n t s in c lud i n g
ma mma ls , in s e c t s , v e g e t a t io n , a n d
u lt ima t e ly, p e o p le . I f n o a c t io n is t ak e n ,
s o me o f t h e t h re a t e n e d b ird s o f Na m i b i a
c o u ld b e c o me e x t in c t wit h in t h e n e x t
decade!
Did yo u k no w… Namib ia i s
ho st t o:
• S ix t e e n e n d e mic o r n e a r e n d e mic
b ird s p e c ie s e . g . b ird s y o u will f i n d
n o wh e re e ls e t h a n in Na mib ia , t hi s
W h e r e d o yo u start ? Som e of th e b e st bi rd wa t ch i n g i s i n y our ow n
b a c k yar d . There are m a ny bird s t o se e e ve ry d a y . It ' s e a sy t o ge t to
k no w th e bir ds that liv e around y ou .
W h a t do you nee d ? Yo u ’ll n e e d a b ird b o o k
a n d if possi ble a pair o f b inocu lars.
a n d b ird b a t h s ma k e s t h e m e a s ie r to s e e
a n d id e n t if y.
1
Si m ply share yo u r p a ssion for bird s !
An i nter es ted a d u lt, wheth e r a
teacher, parent, g randpare n t o r o ld e r
fr i end can be a gre a t mento r.
3
A b ird wa t c h in g f ie ld g u id e (b o o k ) w i l l
h e lp y o u id e n t if y t h e wild b ird s t h a t
y o u f in d .
2
Star t your adve n ture in yo u r o wn
back yar d! Try h a n g ing a fe w
bi r dfeeders (can b e home -ma d e f ro m
m ilk j ugs o r a n y o ther house h o ld
item s) . Attra cting b ird s with feede rs
4
B ird in g is a wa y t o le a rn wit h y o u r
f rie n d s . F irs t o f a ll, b ird in g is m o r e
f u n in a g ro u p ! B ird in g d o e s n ’t
re q u ire a v a s t k n o wle d g e o f b i r d s o r
b ird id e n t if ic a t io n . Try t o k e e p t r a c k
o f y o u r q u e s t io n s a n d p u t t h e m d o w n .
4
PAKO Magazine Issue 6
• Co n t rib u t e t o re s e a rc h o n s o me
is s u e s
• E d u c a t e lo c a l c h ild re n a n d
c o mmu n it ie s a b o u t b ird s .
• P u b lis h b ird e d u c a t io n a l ma t e ria l s
• L o b b y G o v e rn me n t min is t rie s f o r
b e t t e r p ro t e c t io n o f b ird s .
• E s t a b lis h a s y s t e m t o mo n it o r
s e v e ra l imp o rt a n t s it e s .
• Co n t rib u t e d a t a f o r t h e A t la s o f
S o u t h e rn A f ric a n B ird s , I mp o rt a n t B i r d
A re a s o f S o u t h e rn A f ric a , b ia n n u a l
wa t e r b ird c o u n t s a n d ra p t o r ro a d
counts.
P h o t o g r a p h s a r e c r e d i t e d a n d c o p y r i g h te d t o H a r n a s
Wi l d l i f e F o u n d a t i o n
Ph o t o g r a p h s a r e cr e d i t e d a n d co p yr i g h te d to H a r n a s
Wi l d l i f e Fo u n d a t i o n
The B ird C lu b ’ s Ro le:
i ncl udes the W h ite -ta ile d S hrike th e
e mblem of the clu b . One e n d e mic b ird
s peci es ( D un e Lark) i.e. a species
y ou will find n o where else than in
N am i bia and fifte e n near endemic
s peci es ( White-tailes S hrike ) i.e . b ird s
t hat occur m o stly only in Namibia bu t
w hose r anges extend marg inally in t o
n e i ghbour ing countrie s. S ig n ifica n t
n u m ber s of oth e r g lobally th reate n e d
b ir ds such as L a p p e t-face d Vu ltu res ,
L e sser Fl am ingos and A frican P e n g u in s .
L a t e r you can u se a book / th e in tern e t o r
a s k your teacher and try to fin d answe rs t o
y o u r questions.
Keep a natu re a n d birdin g jo u rnal.
Your jour n als can b e hand-made.
It i s a per sonal pla ce for re cord in g
anything of in tere st. Wheth e r you
tr ack and da te sig h tin g s, outd o o r
e x p e r i ences or s ketch what yo u se e .
5
Yo u r hobby can quickly gro w fro m a n
i n t e re st i n your back yard birds to ta k in g
d a y tr i ps l ooki ng for birds in th e ir natu ra l
h a b i tat. You m a y e ven want to jo in the
N a mi bia Bi r d C lu b on their o u tin g s.
P ro je c t id e a (id e a l f o r s ma ll g ro u p s ) : u s e
y o u r s c h o o l b re a k s t o o b s e rv e b ird s o n
t h e s c h o o l g ro u n d s . Ta k e n o t e s a n d s e e
h o w ma n y d iff e re n t k in d s o f b ird s y o u
c a n id e n t if y. Yo u c a n a ls o a s k a t e ac h e r
t o jo in y o u r g ro u p .
F o r mo re g ro u p s y o u c a n h a v e a
c o mp e t it io n a n d s e e wh o c a n id e n ti f y t h e
mo s t d iff e re n t t y p e s o f b ird s .
A t t h e Na mib ia B ird Clu b y o u c a n c on t a c t :
G u d ru n Mid d e n d o rff / Te l: 0 8 1 2 4 0 3 6 3 5 /
g u d ru n m@iwa y. n a
www. n a mib ia b ird c lu b . o rg
B ird wa t c h in g c a n b e a lo t o f f u n ! I t i s a
f a n t a s t ic h o b b y t h a t t h e wh o le f a mil y w i l l
e n jo y. S p e n d in g a n a f t e rn o o n b ird in g w i l l
b rin g y o u r f a mily t o g e t h e r wh ile e n j o y i n g
t h e f re s h a ir, lo c a l s c e n e ry a n d mo s t o f a l l
… th e b e a u ty o f n a tu r e !
Issue 6
PAKO Magazine
5
By d iscar ding plastic thoughtlessly,
e s p e ci ally fishi ng gear and p a cka g ing,
p e o p le ar e accidenta lly causing the d e a t h s
o f mi l l i ons of m amma ls, b ird s, re p tiles a n d
f i s h ever y year.
Si n c e the developme n t o f p lastic, it
h a s becom e a popula r mate ria l u sed
i n a w i de var i ety o f ways. P lastics ar e
u s e d because the y a re e a sy and cheap
t o make and the y can last a lo n g time .
U n f o r tunately these sa me u sefu l q u a lit ie s
c a n make plastic a huge p o llu tio n pro b le m.
H ow ar e plast ic bags ha rmful to the
e n v i r onm ent ?
O n c e they ar e u sed, mo st bags go into
l a n d fi l l or r ubbi s h tips. E a ch year mo re
a n d mor e bags a re e n d ing u p littering
t h e envi r onm ent. On ce they beco me
l i t t e r, pl asti c bag s fin d th e ir wa y into o u r
w a t e r ways, bushe s, beach e s a n d stre e t s .
An d i f they ar e burn e d , they in fuse th e a ir
w i t h toxi c fum es.
Ab o ut 100 000 animals such as dolp h in s ,
t u rt l es, pengui ns, ca mels, co ws, sheep
a re killed ever y year due to these bags .
M a n y anim al s in g e st pla stic bags,
m i s t aking them fo r food, and there fore
d i e . A nd w or se, th e in g e ste d pla stic ba g
re m ains intact eve n after th e death and
6
d e c o mp o s it io n o f t h e a n ima ls .
Wh a t c a n b e d o n e a b o u t th e u s e o f
p l a s ti c b a g s ?
-
Ca rry re u s a b le c lo t h o r p a p e r b a g s
t o t h e s t o re . P u t y o u r p u rc h a s e s in to t h e s e
b a g s in s t e a d o f t h e u s u a l p la s t ic b ag .
-
Re c y c le t h e p la s t ic t h a t y o u d o h a v e
t o u s e . Co n t a in e rs a n d p a c k a g in g t ha t i s
ma d e f ro m p la s t ic c a n b e re c y c le d .
-
P u rc h a s e le s s p a c k a g in g . B u y f r e s h
v e g g ie s a n d f ru it s t h a t y o u c a n s t o r e
wit h o u t t h e e x t ra wra p p in g .
-
O rg a n iz e a
lo c a l c le a n -u p wit h
y o u r f rie n d s a n d
f a mily. P ic k in g u p
t h e lit t e r a ro u n d
y o u c a n b e a lo t o f
f u n , a n d y o u ma y
in s p ire t h e s a me
t y p e s o f a c t io n s in
o t h e rs .
PAKO Magazine Issue 6
Do flying
fish really fly??
Fl yi ng fish d o n ’t re a lly fly, b u t
t h e y do gl i de thro u g h th e air. Flyin g fis h
h a v e speci al fin s. These are wing-like a n d
t o u g h.
W h e n the fi sh i s in th e air, it ca n ro tat e
t h e s e like pr opelle rs. Flyin g fish ‘fly’ t o g e t
a w a y fr om pr edato rs.
To b ecom e ai r born e , the fish must reac h
t h e s ur face and pick up a lo t o f speed.
F l y i ng fish will s wim to the surface of t h e
wa t e r a t + 2 5 k m/ h . T h e n it will s wim t h e r e ,
g o in g f a s t e r a n d f a s t e r, u n t il it re a c h e s
+ 6 5 k m/ h (a s f a s t a s a c a r! ). Wh e n t h e
f ly in g f is h p ic k s u p e n o u g h s p e e d , i t w i l l
g lid e o u t o f t h e wa t e r a n d a wa y f ro m i t s
p re d a t o r! F ly in g f is h c a n s t a y in t h e a i r f o r
2 0 s e c o n d s a n d c a n t ra v e l a s mu c h 1 0 0 m
– 1 5 0 m. S o me h a v e e v e n b e e n k n o w n t o
la n d o n s h ip d e c k s !
Why do
elephants have
big ears?
B e c a u s e e le p h a n t s a re s o b ig a n d
g e n e ra lly liv e in h o t p la c e s lik e A f ric a o r
I n d ia , t h e y n e e d a lit t le e x t ra h e lp w h e n i t
c o me s t o c o o lin g o ff .
H a v e you ever notice d how big an
e l e p hant’s ear s a re? Th e y’re like g iant
f l a p s! El ephants h a ve b ig e a rs to scare
a w a y pr edator s b y fla p p ing their e a rs, a n d
o f c our se to keep themselves co o l.
E le p h a n t e a rs a re f u ll o f v e in s , t h e
lit t le p a s s a g e wa y s in t h e b o d y t h a t a r e
re s p o n s ib le f o r mo v in g b lo o d a ro u nd . B y
f la p p in g t h e ir e a rs , t h e ma n y v e in s i n t h e i r
e a rs a re c o o le d , a n d s o is t h e b lo o d i n s i d e
t h o s e v e in s ! T h e c o o le d b lo o d t h e n t r a v e l s
a ll a ro u n d t h e e le p h a n t , a n d c a n h el p
lo we r t h e e le p h a n t ’s b o d y t e mp e ra t u r e .
Issue 6
PAKO Magazine
7
Homework Corner
at the Goethe-Centre / Na DS
This is a supervised set-up
where children can come do
their homework after school.
It’s a safe, calm & comfortable
environment and it’s
conveniently located in the city
centre.
Grades:
1-12
Days:
Mon - Thurs
13:00 - 17:30
Fee:
N$ 300 monthly
Other Resources
- Library & Resource
Centre
- Internet facilities
- Café
Learn German - Join us
For more information, please contact us:
1-5 Fidel Castro St, Windhoek | Tel.: 061 22 57 00
german@nads.org.na | www.goethe.de/windhoek
He lp PA K O sp o t the 1 0 d iff e re n c e s in t h e t wo p ic t u re s b e lo w.
Find the answers on page 18
8
PAKO Magazine Issue 6
Help
-
-
-
-
-
PAKO find where he p a rke d his c a r. A ll h e k n o ws is t h e f o llo win g :
H e didn’t p a rk on the g round flo o r a n d n o t o n t h e 6 t h f lo o r.
On hi s left sid e a yellow ca r was p a rk e d .
Above hi m a red car wa s p a rke d .
H e didn’t p a rk next to the wall.
Ther e i s n o 1 a n d no 4 in th e numb e r o f h is p a rk in g s p a c e .
Find the answers on page 18
Issue 6
PAKO Magazine
9
10
PAKO Magazine Issue 6
Issue 6
PAKO Magazine
11
Photogr aph is c redite d and c op yrighted to Tanja Bause
PA K O is babysittin g a g roup o f kid s for t h e n ig h t . He is p la y in g a mu lt ip lic a t io n ga m e
w i t h the ki ds. Each of th e m a re h o ldin g a b o a rd wit h a n u mb e r o n it . T h e y n e e d to h e l p
h i m m ul tipl y tw o numb e rs to get to th e s u m in d ic a t e d in t h e mo o n .
C a n you i denti fy th e two n u mbers in e a c h ro w? ?
To cross-check whether PAKO has taken
the right numbers, take the other two
numbers in each row, multiply them and
write down the number.
Find the answers on page 18
12
PAKO Magazine Issue 6
Kids Paw Print
the SPCA Newsletter
for kids
Hello Kids,
Whether you and your dog are
just getting to know each other or
you are already lifelong friends,
the following tips will help to enrich
your relationship, while keeping
you and your dog healthy and
safe.
Today we will give you a few
safety tips:
• Don’t stare into a dog’s eyes.
• Never touch or play with a dog
while it is eating.
• Never touch a dog when it is
sleeping.
• Don’t ride a bike / skateboard
/ roller blade with your dog on a
leash.
• Don’t exercise when it is very hot
or very cold.
• Don’t let your dog run
loose near traffic.
• Don’t exercise your
DBV
dog right before or
SPCA
after
feeding.
• Don’t tease
dogs behind
fences.
• If you see a loose dog on the
street, tell an adult immediately.
• Don’t run and scream if a loose
dog comes near you.
• Only pet a dog if you have
received permission from the
dog’s owner.
• Don’t bend over a dog you don’t
know!
Be careful if you wrestle or play
tug-of-war games. Dogs may get
too enthusiastic and forget you’re
not a dog. You may consider
alternatives such as fetch, Frisbee,
hide and seek and agility courses
as outlets for your dog’s energy.
Leave fighting dogs alone. Do not
try to break up a dogfight. Most
fights end quickly, but it’s a good
idea to remain quiet and get an
adult who can break up the fight
with a garden hose or lemon
juice in a squirt bottle. Trying to
separate or yelling at fighting dogs
makes them more excited, and
they might turn on you.
Tell your friends what you know.
When friends come to your house,
introduce them to your dog and tell
them about the rules.
Your PAKO team!
A frozen banana is the backbone of a good
smoothie. I never toss out over-ripe bananas. I
just peel them and store them in a bag in
the freezer.
Ingredients:
-
1 frozen banana
-
½ cup yoghurt
-
½ cup fresh orange juice
-
¼ cup blueberries, washed
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend
until smooth. Serves 1.
Total time needed:
30 minutes or less.
http://familyfun.
go.com
Issue 6
PAKO Magazine
13
There a re mi lli on s of hom e le s s pets, so it’s a great idea to adopt yo ur
felin e f ri e n d f rom an an i m al sh elter or a rescue group! Kittens are s o
wo n de rf ul , b ut t hey do n e e d some special care!
1
Milk : d o not give you r
kitten cow’s milk – it c a n
ma ke them sick a n d g iv e
th e m d iarrhoea.
2
Wa ter : keep clean, fresh wa ter ava ila b le
t o y our ki tten at all times. P la ce seve ra l
w a t e r bow l s thr o u g h o u t the h o u se.
3
Do you really need kitte n fo o d ?
U nti l they’re 1 year old , kitte n s
need u p to th ree times th e
ca lories as adult cats. S o
look fo r food formula t e d
esp e cia lly for kittens a n d
feed your kitten the a mo u n t
re c o m m ended by th e fo o d ma n u factur e r.
J u s t be sur e to put th e fo o d so mewh e re
t h e dog can’t get to, as kitty fo o d ca n
u p s e t a dog’s stoma ch.
4
Wa r m th : y o u n g k it t e n s n e e d t o s t a y w a r m ,
b u t t h e ir b o d ie s a re t o o s ma ll t o re ta i n
b o d y h e a t we ll. T h a t is wh y t h e y lik e t o
c u d d le u p t o g e t h e r o r c u rl u p in y o ur l a p
t o s le e p . K it t e n s y o u n g e r t h a n a b o u t 1 0
we e k s n e e d a wa rm p la c e !
5
The
importance of
p l a y : Pl a y t i m e
wit h y o u r
k it t e n is n ’ t
a ll f u n a n d
g a me s . I t a ls o h a s a p u rp o s e . B y g e n t l y
p la y in g wit h y o u r k it t e n d a ily, y o u t e a c h
h e r n o t o n ly t h e p e o p le s k ills s h e ne e d s t o
b e a h a p p y h o u s e h o ld c o mp a n io n , y o u a l s o
h e lp h e r k e e p f it , d e v e lo p p h y s ic a l
c o o rd in a t io n a n d f in d a n o u t le t f o r
in s t in c t iv e b e h a v io u rs lik e c h a s in g
a n d p o u n c in g . I f k it t y lik e s t o
u s e h e r t e e t h o r c la ws , g iv e h e r
s o me t h in g t o b it e o n o r c lin g t o a s
y o u p la y. Do n ’t u s e y o u r h a n d a s
a t o y ! T h is b a d h a b it c a n re s u lt in
in ju ry t o c h ild re n o r u n s u s p e c t in g
guests.
14
PAKO Magazine Issue 6
6
Pe tting: You can h e lp your
k i t t e n becom e a friendly,
w e l l s ocial i zed cat by sp e n d ing p lenty o f
q u a l ity ti m e w i th h im or her. Yo u r kitte n
w i l l l i ke to be stro ked g e n tly! B e sure t o
p e t all over the b o d y, so it gets u sed t o
b e t ouched even on h e r p a ws and tum my.
Sp e ak in a low vo ice – they are afraid o f
l o u d noi ses.
7
H ow t o t ell
w he n your
k i tte n is sick:
t o p r otect them s e lve s fro m p redato rs,
c a t s ar e good at hid ing illness. Ye t the re
a re signs to look fo r that te ll yo u yo u r
k i t t e n m ay be sick: refu sin g fo o d or
w a t e r, panti ng, sle e p ing much mo re t h a n
u s u a l , coughi ng, sn e e zin g , vomiting o r
l o s i ng w eight. Eve n if these symp tom s
a re n ’t pr esent, if you thin k your little
b u d dy i sn’t up to sn u ff, pla y it sa fe: ta lk
t o y our veter inarian. Ne ver give your c a t
s o m e thi ng fr om yo u r own medicin e cab in e t .
So me of the over-th e -co u n ter pro d u cts we
u s e routi nel y can b e deadly to cats.
Dr Mickey Deworming your dog
(or pet) - just how
important is this?
Worms are a regular worry for
any pet owner. Flat worms, tape
worms, hook worms, heart worms,
and round worms are all possible
infections that your pet can be
affected by. Without treatment,
these worms can cause a large
amount of damage to your pet.
Some can even kill your
animal. Even worse, infected
faeces can quickly and
easily transport infection
from animal to human
hosts, especially children.
This is why it is important to
regularly deworm your pet.
Flea control is also necessary to protect your pets
and family from tapeworm.
TAPEWORMS – commonly
found when fleas are
around. There are various
types of tapeworm and
some types need the flea
to continue their life cycle.
If your pet has fleas, there
is a very good chance your
pets have tapeworms.
Don't forget
vaccinations!!
K e e ping kit t y safe : cats o fte n in tera c t
w i t h the wor l d th rough their mouth and
a s c ute as your kitten looks p laying, no t
e v e rything i n you r h o u se is a suitable
t o y. P l ease keep th e fo llo win g items a wa y
f ro m your kitten / cat: strin g , rib b o n , y a rn ,
ru b b er bands, plastic milk ju g rings, p a p e r
c l i p s , pins, dental floss a n d W OOL !!
Issue 6
Humans can catch
worms from the family dog
or cat so it is important to
wash your hands before
eating. Equally important is
to regularly treat your pets
for worms.
PAKO Magazine
15
The Rare & Endangered Species Trust (REST),
founded in September 2000 by a farmer called Maria
Diekmann, with the objective to research and provide
logistical support for Namibia’s endangered species and
to help local communities learn to live with, understand
and benefit from these animals.
REST’s current focus
is Namibia’s most
endangered species
– the Cape griffon
vulture, but we also
have educational
research working plans
for 5 other species: the
African wild dog, pangolin, Damara
dik-dik, dwarf python and spotted rubber frog.
As little as 50 years ago there were at least 2000
Cape vultures in Namibia, but by 2001 these
numbers had dropped to only 12 individual birds.
Cape vultures are the heaviest vulture in Africa and
are only found in southern Africa. Populations have
declined in all the regions that they are found.
Declines are mainly due to poisoning, electrification,
habitat destruction and diet deficiencies, but poison
remains the biggest killer as it
can wipe out 200-500 birds at
only one poisoned carcass.
REST works with experts around
the world on issues ranging from
genetics and disease to flight
and eating patterns. Although
the Cape griffon responds slowly
to help because they only lay
one egg a year and the chick
must reach the age of 7 years
before it can breed, hope is
not lost for this species. REST
reintroduced previously injured
Cape vulture from South Africa in
2006 and 2007,
and by 2010
the population
in Namibia was
believed to be
around 30 birds.
VULTURE
FACTS:
- The Cape
vulture is the
heaviest vulture
in southern Africa
- The lappet-faced vulture has the largest wing span
of any vulture in Africa
- All of the vulture species generally lay one
egg once a year
- A Cape vulture can eat 1.8 kg of meat
about twice a week.
KuSe’s story:
Hello, I am a young lappetfaced vulture living at REST
and being cared for by the
people at their centre. Here is
my story. My name is now KuSe which
means the one who sees or looks. As
a young chick I somehow fell out of
my nest and was found on the ground
by farmers near the town of Nina in
the south of Namibia. I was sent to
the Naan Kuse wildlife centre where I
was fed and cared for by the wonderful
people there. Soon they decided to
send me to a centre near Otjiwarongo
16
PAKO Magazine Issue 6
which specializes in
studying and caring
for wild vultures
– REST. Maria
Diekmann, who runs
the centre, decided
that since I had no
injuries, it would be
best to prepare me
to go back into the
wild. The Otjiwarongo
Municipality donated
a small aviary for me
so that I could live in
the bush away from
humans and at a site
where REST feeds
hundreds of wild vultures once a week. Humans
came to feed and give me fresh water for a few
minutes every day and I did not know it but they
often watched me from a hide so that I could not
see them. I lived there for almost 9 months and
then one day 3 humans came and spent about
2 hours and they put a small cellphone tracking
device on my back and left again. One week later
I was supposed to be released back
into the wild and I would have been the
first lappet-faced vulture in the world
to be wild born, but captive raised and
released with a long-term state of the
art tracking device.
Three days before the big day a
honey badger came to my aviary and
somehow managed to move some very heavy rocks
and thorn bush surrounding my aviary and sneaked
through the fencing. He bit me many times very
hard, he also bit me in both of my feet and I was
bleeding badly. The humans at REST found me
after a few hours and rushed me to the neighbours.
Luckily the people of Africat next door had some
famous vets from South Africa visiting and doing
cheetah work. I was rushed into the operating room
and put into a deep sleep. When I woke up, I found
they had been forced to remove some of the toes
from my feet and I was in a lot of pain. The humans
at REST gave me drugs every day and changed my
bandages to help me. Now I live at the little hospital
at REST because my bandages need to be changed
every two days. I will probably have to spend a few
months there. The people at REST now believe
that I may have to live my whole life in the big aviary
at REST with the other permanently injured birds
because my feet are no longer as strong and I am
very used to humans now. They must still decide. I
know that whatever happens, I will be well cared for!
P O Box 178, Otjiwarongo, Namibia
rest@iway.na
www.restafrica.org
Issue 6
PAKO Magazine
17
Wo rd U nScr am b le is a fun a n d popula r g a me . Un S c ra mb le is s imila r t o o t h e r wo r d
g a m es that ask th e pla yer to find word s in s e v e ra l le t t e rs t h a t h a v e b e e n s c ra mb l e d u p
o n a gam e board . Try to rearrange the le t t e rs t o s p e ll t h e c o rre c t wo rd .
Th e m e: el ephants
1 . n i n l eltegeic2 . ra e s 3 . t s k u s
4 . m yr eom 5 . n a f ra ic 6 . h a t s e n le p
7 . a n vasan8 . mt ma h o m
Ac t i v i t y
Answers
Pa g e
8
C loud
M ountai ns
G r een pal m leaf
Yellow fl ower
Par r ot's yellow fe a thers
Palm Tr ee
D ar k gr een le a ves
Par r ot's eye
Par r ot's beak
Wor ding
Page
9
Lev e l 2 , n u mb e r 3 (2 3 )
Page
12
7 x 5 = 35
10 x 4 = 40
4 x 5 = 20
7 x 2 = 14
9 x 4 = 36
Cross-check Answers: They must
be: 24, 16, 18, 40, 12, 28, 45.
Page
In our next issue fin d out
m or e about th e pelica n s fro m
Mola Mo la.
18
1 . in t e llig e n c e
2 . e a rs
3. tusks
4 . me mo ry
5 . a f ric a n
6 . e le p h a n t s
7. savanna
8 . ma mmo t h
18
PAKO Magazine Issue 6
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