Into Africa Blog @www.intoafricablog.com - Blog

Safari Trivia: Why do Lions Have Manes

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:46:05 GMT

The mane of the male lion has several purposes, it can protect and intimidate by projecting power and status. During fights the mane protects against the blows of the challenger against the neck or the head. A nice, heavy, well-licked mane of the distinguished male also serves as "honey" for the ladies! The gentlemen doesn't have to say much, his mane says it all.

Swahili Proverbs: Words of Wisdom

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:34:04 GMT

Udongo upate ulimaji. Strike the Iron while it is hot.

Samaki akioza mmoja huoza wote. If only one fish is rotten, all become rotten.

Mpiga ngumi ukuta huumiza mkonowe. He who hits a wall, hurts his own hand.

Maneno mazuri humtoa nyoka pangoni. Good words make even a snake to come out of its pit.

Nazi mbovu harabu ya nzima. A coconut cannot challenge a stone.

The Legends of the Baobab

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 21:15:45 GMT

In Africa numerous legends surround the Baobab tree. Some address discontent:

At the beginning of time, the tree attempted to lord over lesser plants and so offended God, who uprooted it and planted it again upside down to stop its gloating arrogance.

Similar versions hold:
The baobab was among the first trees to appear on earth. Then the slender, graceful palm tree grew. When the Baobab saw the palm tree, it cried out to be taller. Then the beautiful flame tree appeared with its red flowers and the baobab became jealous for its beautiful, flowering blossoms. When the baobab saw the magnificent fig tree it argued for fruit as well. The gods became angry with the tree and pulled it up by its roots then re-planted it upside down to keep it quiet.
Or
One day the wind died away leaving the water smooth as a mirror, and saw itself. The reflected image shocked it to its root hairs. Its own flowers where simple without color, its leaves were tiny, its trunk was grossly fat, with the bark resembling the wrinkled hide of an old elephant.

In a strongly worded appeal to the creator, the baobab complained about the bad deal it’d been given. Relishing the fact that some organisms were purposefully less than perfect, the creator demanded to know whether the baobab found the hippopotamus beautiful, or the hyena’s cry pleasant-and then retired in a huff behind the clouds. But back on earth the barrel-chested whiner neither stopped peering at its reflection nor raising its voice in protest. Finally, an exasperated god returned from the sky, seized the Baobab by the trunk, yanked it from the ground, turned it over, and replanted it upside down. And from that day since, the baobab has been unable to see its reflection or make complaint; for thousands of years it has stood in
silence.

Superstitions surrounding the tree include that the one who plucks a flower from a baobab will be eaten by a lion.
Soaking in the water of the seeds, however, will protect from a crocodile attack. Thus we made sure we only pick the flowers from the ground!

Why is the Baobab called the tree of life?

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 21:09:58 GMT

There are various theories of how long a Baobab lives, nevertheless, it lives over the span of centuries. “Carbon-dating experiments in the Zambezi Valley have calculated that trees with a trunk diameter of five meters were over 1000 years of age, and similar experiments elsewhere have dated trees at over 3000 years. Girth measurements themselves are not reliable estimates of age, because conditions and climate affect growth.”[1]

The home of the Baobab tree -also called the tree of life in Africa- is the savannah. Thus, you will encounter the tree largely in Africa and India. The Baobab is humongous with massive trunks that can span a circumference of around 25 meters. For nine months of the year its leafless branches reach high up into the sky. The leafless branches look like roots; therefore, it is also may be called the upside down tree.

It takes some 20 years before the tree flowers for the first time. The flowers open at sunset evincing a strong musky odor which attracts bats and insects. Immediately upon their visit and pollination the flower drops to the ground. Thus, the life of the flower is very short lived sometimes it only takes hours.

The name tree of life has its roots not only in longevity but that a single Baobab can be home to bush babies, squirrels, rodents, lizards, snakes and tree frogs, as well as spiders, scorpions and insects. All which may live out their entire life in a single tree. Holes in the trunk provide ideal nesting sites for birds such as rollers, hornbills, or parrots. Larger cavities are frequently occupied by families of Barn Owls or Ground Hornbills and sometime human hermits. Eagles, vultures and storks frequently build their large stick nests on the outer branches, as are the colonial nests of Red-billed Buffalo-weavers.

Moreover the trees cork-like bark is fire resistant and is used for cloth and rope. The leaves are used for condiments and medicines. The fruit, called "monkey bread", is rich in vitamin C and is eaten. Baskets full of shopped, white, square, Baobab fruit morsels are found in many African markets as a staple food. In addition, the tree is capable of storing hundreds of liters of water, which is tapped in dry periods.
[1]
http://www.wildwatch.com/living_library/plants-1/baobab-trees

Hydrocarbons in Africa

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 03:35:44 GMT

Hydrocarbon Deposits

•             Africa holds about 10% of the world's proven oil reserves [i]

•             The continent is likely to attract $50 billion in investment in the oil sector alone by the end of the decade.[ii]

•             Libya is Africa's biggest oil producer, with an estimated 41.5 proven barrels of oil and vast unexplored areas.[iii]

Angola, the fastest-growing African oil producer, has seen growth averaging 17% annually over the past few years. Crude oil exports are expected to jump 44% to $56bn in 2008.[iv]

The oil exporting countries of Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Chad, Sudan, Nigeria, Congo Republic and Gabon enjoyed an average GDP growth of 7,4% from 1996-2005.[v]

Oil reserves in West Africa alone have been estimated at 110 billion barrels, which, if proven, would be on a par with Iraq and more than Kuwait.[vi]

Libya's 41.5 billion barrels of oil reserves and Nigeria's 36 billion barrels are both twice the size of China's proven reserves and just under twice the size of US reserves.[vii]

[i] [ii] [iii] [iv] [v][vi] [vii] Ibid. (Africa Good News)

The Question is: Will it truly be good news for Africa?

Swahili Proverbs: Wisdom in words

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 02:28:36 GMT

Leo ni leo, asemae kesho mwongo! To day is today, he who says tomorrow is a liar.

Punda na afe, lakini mzigo ufike. Let the donkey die, but the load should reach it's destination.

Mzowea vya kunyonga, vya kuchina haviwezi. He who is not used to strangle, can not slaughter.

Haraka haraka haina Baraka. Haste is waste -or- haste is not a blessing.

Dua la kuku, halimpati mwewe. The curse from the hen, does not afflict the hawk.

Kidole kimoja hakivunji chawa - One finger cannot kill a louse.

Safari Trivia: Fun Facts about Animals

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 23:18:41 GMT

A bull elephant can consume around 300 kg of food a day and expel up to 155kg of dung a daily.

The Leopard Tortoise is the only tortoise which is known to swim. Turtles swim, Tortoises are land creatures.

The length of a giraffe's tongue is about 45cm and can strip whole tree branches from its leaves.

Ditigrade is the term for animals that walk on their digits and not on the whole foot.

Scatology is the method scientists/trackers use to follow animals via their various tracks (paw prints and such) and scat (animal poop.)

Hippos can not swim in the traditional sense, nor can they breathe under water and can only stay for about five minutes -depending on age/size- under water on a single breath.

Swahili Proverbs: The first five

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 01:26:25 GMT

Asiye na kitu, kiibwa cha mwitu! He who has nothing is like a wild dog!

Meno ya mbwa hayaumani. Member of the same creed, may not harm each other or Member of the same pack may not harm each other.

Bora ujikwae dole, kuliko kujikwa ulimi! To stumble over a stone is better than a slip of the tongue.

Aliyemuoa mama ndie baba. Bow to the rising sun.

Fadhila ya punda, mateke. A donkey's thanks is kicks.

Add to our budding collection of Swahili Proverbs and add yours in the comment section below!

In Memory of Bi Kidude

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:02:27 GMT

This is in a tribute to Bi Kidude the Zanzibari queen of Taarab musik who died well above the age of 90 on 17 April 2013. (c. 1910's - 17 April 2013) May her spirit continue to influence a generation of Swahili artists.

Africa Smart: 10 Facts you Need to Know about Democracy in Africa

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 01:27:18 GMT

1.) Africa is home to a multitude of budding democracies.

2.) In 2013 Ghana is being hailed as making significant advances in democratic practices.

3). Some Forty-two percent of Senegal's Parliamentarians are women.

4.) The longest standing democracy in Africa is Botswana - a bastion of political stability and good governance in Africa.

5.) Multi-party elections are widely regarded as the benchmark for appraising the democratic credentials of African governments. In 1989, three African countries were labeled electoral democracies. By 2011, the number had risen to 181and 15 countries held presidential, legislative and/or local government elections during the year. Twenty-three countries have polls scheduled for 2012.2 Popular participation in elections is usually enthusiastic. In South Africa, voter turnout has exceeded 76% in all parliamentary contests since 1994.[i]

6.) Among other countries in Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal and South Africa free and fair multiparty elections are being held. In these countries varying degrees the political rights and civil liberties of individual citizens are fully respected by the government.[ii]

7.) Coups and "strongmen" holding on to power traditionally, hamper democratic development in many African countries.

8.) From a high of 24 coups in the 1960s, right after independence there were 14 in the 1990s and just five in 2000-08.[iii]

9.) Senegal is the only African country which did not have a coup since independence.

10.) Nascent African democracies greatest challenges include corruption and transparency.

Africa's rocky road to democracy, a report including INTERACTIVE MAP created by professor John Mukum Mbaku, on CNN provides an excellent overview of democratic development on the African continent.

[i] Africa Research Institute, Briefing Note, Diehards and Democracy Elites, inequality and institutions in African elections at: http://africaresearchinstitute.org/files/briefing-notes/docs/Diehards-and-democracy-Elites-inequality-and-institutions-in-African-elections-T2LNQSZGSO.pdf as accessed on 05 December 2012.
[ii] Africa The Good News as accessed on 25 August 2012 at News http://www.africagoodnews.com/africa/facts.html
[iii] Ibid. Africa Good News