Learn about Abo Shamani's animals

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Huckleberry

HUCKLEBERRY THE GIRAFFE:


Huckleberry is the youngest of the 5 giraffe on Abo Shamani. Huckleberry's birthday is the 24th of June 2006, so that makes him a year and a half. At 2.8 meters tall, our baby Huckleberry is taller than the tallest human. Huckleberry has a very close relationship with his father and spent most of his first few months with him.

Some interesting facts about giraffes:

  • The Giraffe is the tallest living land animal
  • A Giraffe’s height is up to 5.5 meters (18 feet) while its shoulders are at the height of 2.5 meters
  • Its weight ranges from 600 kg to 1 800 kg (2 500 lb on average)
  • They can reach the speed of 50 km per hour (30 mph)
  • When drinking, giraffes have to spread their legs so the head can reach the water level
  • The Giraffes feed on leaves, fruit etc
  • Their long (50 cm) and flexible tongue can reach almost every leaf
  • Generally the giraffes live up to 20 years long
  • No two giraffes have the same pattern
  • A family group of giraffe is called a “tower”
  • Giraffes sleep only about a half an hour per day, usually in shorter nap form
  • A male giraffe is known as a bull and a female as a cow
  • A giraffe pregnancy lasts approximately 15 months

    • Narnia

    NARNIA THE LION CUB


    Narnia turned one on 26 July and is the youngest of 7 lion cubs. She has 5 half sisters and one half brother. Narnia was the runt of her litter and when she came to live on Abo Shamani she was very week and sick but we took care of her and nursed her back to health. Out of all the Cubs, even though Narnia is the youngest and the smallest, she has the biggest appetite. She also bullies some of the lion cubs that are bigger than her!

    Some interesting facts about lions:

  • Male lions grow larger than females, reaching up to ten feet long (females reach up to nine feet long), plus a two- to three-foot-long tail
  • Lions eat primarily large animals, such as zebra and wildebeest
  • Lions steal kills from hyenas, leopards, and other predators, but may also lose their catches to hyena groups
  • The lions roar can be heard up to 5 miles away
  • A lioness usually gives birth to 1-6 cubs in a litter
  • Lions are mostly nocturnal
  • Male lions stay with a pride only as long as they are strong enough to defend their group from other males
  • A Lion’s success rate in kills while hunting is only about 25%
  • Lions are the second largest members of the cat family
  • A family group of lions is called a “pride”
  • Lions are the only cats that live in large family groups
  • Life span:12-18 years. In captivity, it is more like 20-30 years

    • fikile

    FIKILE THE RHINO:


    Fikile is three and a half years old. She is one of two white rhinos on Abo Shamani. The rhinos are some of the most nosy animals on the ranch. Whenever something new happens on the reserve, the rhinos go to check it out. Both the rhinos spend most of their time around the buffalo herd, they seem to make good companions.

    Some interesting facts about rhinos:

  • There are 5 types (or species) of rhinos: White, Black, Indian, Javan and Sumatran
  • A rhino's mass can be up to 2,000 kilograms
  • The gestation period of a rhino is 18 months, single calves are had at three-year intervals
  • It is widely believed that the white rhino take their name from the Afrikaans word for wide-lipped
  • Because of the nuchal hump the white rhino is one of the few animals unable to swim
  • The white rhino is usually of a calmer temperament then the black rhino
  • In both species of rhino, unlike the horse, eyesight is poor but the senses of hearing and smell are extremely acute
  • When the white rhino is scared or excited it will run with its tail tightly curled over its back
  • The white rhino prefers grassland or open wooded areas and prefers short grass to long
  • A family group of rhino is called a crash
  • All rhinos are vegetarians and white rhinos can eat plants that are toxic to other animals
  • The largest, the white rhino, can grow larger than any other land mammal with the exception of elephants
  • Rhinos have extremely poor eyesight but a keen sense of smell and hearing
  • Rhinos have lived on earth for over 50 million years
  • Lifespan: 40-50years
  • Rhino horns, unlike those of cattle and antelopes, have no bony core. They consist merely of compressed keratin fibers similar to our fingernails. If broken or cut, the horn can grow back within a couple years

    • bongi

    BONGI THE BUFFALO CALF:


    Bongi was born on 27 August 2006 and is part of a herd of 14 buffalo. Bongi spends his days at the water hole and plays with his bothers, sisters and cousins. Bongi is the smallest and naughtiest of all the young buffalo and seems to constantly be in trouble with the dominant male of the heard.

    Some interesting facts about giraffes:

  • A family group of Buffalo is called a herd or obstinacy
  • Weight: Approximately 425-900 kg (935-2000 lb.)
  • Life Span: 15-25 years
  • The horns of the cape buffalo are an excellent indication of age and gender. The females and young males do not have the hard shielding that protects the base of the skull in large adult males.
  • Cape buffaloes are extremely social and live in large, mixed herds of up to 2000 members
  • The Cape buffalo has a fearsome reputation among predators, with its massive build and great,curving horns, the animal puts up a determined fight when attacked.
  • The Cape buffalo primarily grazes, but it will eat the leaves of bushes, it feeds in the evening and chews the cud at night
  • The Cape buffalo needs plenty of water, it makes daily drinking trips in the morning and evening
  • This large, powerful animal has little fear of predators. Hyenas and leopards kill stranded calves. Lions and large crocodiles prey on isolated adults such as elderly males. But the Cape buffalo usually fights back. Single lions often fail to capture them, and buffaloes can toss or gore the cats with their horns. In large herds buffalo are almost immune to danger. They may initially run from a predator, but they quickly turn and form a compact group with the adults turned toward the danger. The herd also comes to the aid of animals in distress. The charging buffalo chases away a lion.
  • Size: Shoulder height: (male & female) 1,4 m; mass (male) 700 - 800kg, (female) 550kg
  • Both sexes have horns
  • A Cape Buffalo can run as fast as 50 kilometers per hour, and is extremely dangerous

    • thembi

    THEMBI THE ZEBRA FOAL:


    Thembi was born just before Christmas on 22 December 2006. Thembi is one of the three remaining zebra from our original herd. Two more families of zebra were bought and Thembi now has lots of friends.

    Some interesting facts about zebras:

  • Just as each person has a unique fingerprint, each zebra has its own stripe pattern
  • Zebra live in herds of five - 15 animals, consisting of several mares and offspring led by a stallion
  • Zebras are herbivores and mostly eat grass
  • Lifespan: 20-30 years
  • Zebras in the wild graze on grasses, as their almost exclusive food source
  • Each species of zebra has its own variation of striping
  • A zebra pregnancy lasts approximately 12-14 months, depending upon species
  • Zebras can run at speeds of up to 35 miles or 56 kilometers per hour
  • Zebras usually live in family groups with a stallion, several mares, and their offspring
  • Zebras weigh about 55 to 88 pounds when they are born
  • Zebras have good night vision
  • Some zebras have brown stripes
  • A family group of zebras is called a “dazzle”

    • pricilla

    PRICILLA THE OSTRICH:


    Pricilla is one of two female ostriches on Abo Shamani. Pricilla was born on the 21st of April 2005 and spends her days with her best friend, Patricia. Pricilla and Patricia like to hang out near the lion enclosure and often drop in on any humans visiting the farm.

    Some interesting facts about ostriches:

  • A family group of ostrich is called a flock
  • Ostriches cannot fly
  • Ostriches skeletons and fossils have been found which date back over 120 million years; ostriches are a true dinosaur
  • Ostriches are not an endangered species; there are at least 2 million worldwide
  • Ostriches are the second fastest animal in the world, and the fastest 2 legged animal
  • Ostriches and can run at 45 miles per hour (70 km per hour) and can maintain this speed for at least 30 minutes
  • Ostriches do not bury their head in the sand
  • Ostriches are so powerful that a single kick at a predator, such as a lion, could be fatal
  • Ostriches have the largest eyes of any land animal; with a diameter of 50mm (only those of whales are larger)
  • Ostriches are omnivorous, but feed primarily on seeds, leaves, roots and flowers of various grasses, shrubs and trees.
  • Locusts and other invertebrates are sometimes eaten
  • Pebbles and sand are regularly swallowed and stored in the gizzard to help break down tough plant material
  • Ostrich do not need to drink as most of their moisture is extracted from succulent plants
  • On hot days ostriches are able to raise their body temperature by four degrees to reduce water loss
  • Males are jet black with white plumage and bright red or blue skin; females are fairly uniform in color, with earthy gray-brown plumage and skin color