Articles by Val Jiwa
The 3 species of zebra are Grevy zebra, mountain zebra and plains zebra. In 1882, the then Emperor of Abyssinia presented a zebra to the President of France whose name was Jules Grevy. This led to the coining of the word Grevy zebra. Mountain zebras usually take a dust bath daily. They have vertical stripes on the torso and neck as well as horizontal ones on the haunches. Plains zebra is the most widespread equine on earth. While in some parts they live a sedentary lifestyle, in other regions like Serengeti they migrate in response to the availability of water.
Various theories have been put forward as to the function of zebra stripes. According to a school of thought, its equine ancestor was striped, but they lost it during the evolution. Zebra’s black and white stripes remain a mystery to science even today because they seem out of place in the bush. Zoologists have yet to unravel the mysteries behind its signature striped suit. Scientists are not sure why zebras have not blended in with the browns and reds or why they have stripes. There are many theories and counter-theories to this riddle. Let us examine 2 of such theories.
Travel Through The Savannahs Of Kenya To Get To Know The Zebras
The role of zebra stripes has been an interest for 150 years. It has drawn many hypotheses. They include confusion of predators, camouflage, signalling to conspecifics and avoidance of flies. Regarding confusion of predators, these striped animals do not have the sort of pattern that aids in confusion. Regarding camouflage, zebra stripes are not easy for lions and hyenas to resolve at any great distance. Regarding social benefits, patterns of association and rates of grooming are no greater in striped mammals than in unstriped mammals. However, there is a consensus that the its role is to thwart attack from flies.
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Soon after David Sheldrick’s death in 1977, Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick founded Sheldrick trust in memory of her late husband that became the most remarkable elephant orphanage in Kenya. It has become the center for information on elephants. Through the Orphans project, the Sheldrick wildlife trust saves the lives of orphaned elephants. Calves who are orphaned due to brutal ivory trade and habitat loss are brought here from all over Kenya. They receive extremely specialized treatment and personal care from highly dedicated staff. After rehabilitation, they are ultimately released back into the wild where they are reintroduced to wild herds.
The intention of establishing the National Museum of Kenya with its 29 regional museums was to bring museums closer to people. However, unfortunately, the museum visitors in Kenya have been on the decline and have become passive consumers instead of engaging as participants. It is necessary therefore to develop advanced forms of participation in building museums in Kenya to remain relevant by making the users central. The incompatibility between current museum practices and the needs of people begs for research. Having identified this, this research was carried out to explore means by which museums in Kenya can work with stakeholders.
The ostrich is the largest bird in the world with a male ostrich growing around 2 meters tall. An average ostrich weighs around 200lb or 100kg and measures 7-9ft in length. From head to toe. Hence, it is too heavy to fly and remains a flightless bird. But the flightless ostrich has the biggest eye of any animal. It measures 5cm across the face, allowing them to see predators at very long distances. However, the 3 most amusing characteristics of ostriches are that they are the fastest biped, they swallow large stones and they bury their head in the sand.
Kenya supports a rich avifauna. These comprise species from the West African rainforests, the east flank of Africa, the southern tropics, the Horn of Africa, as well as the north-western districts of Kenya. To a large extent, this shows the diversity of the habitat of Kenya, which include semi-arid scrubs, deserts, lowlands, montane forests, large soda lakes, freshwater lakes, a long coastline as well as alpine meadows. Besides, Kenya is located on a major migration route for waterfowl, passerines, and raptors from Europe, Russia as well as the Middle East. The country is at the intersection of these biogeographical areas.