BY All CORBETT ILLUSTRATIONS BY HEATHER DITTMAR
I
I
-
' Mob", A'L--.--c£.S~
. MOUNTAIN BY All CORBETT ILLUSTRATIONS BY HEATHER DITTMAR
THE GREAT DAY
Monty, the Cape Grey Mongoose, and his best friend Bushy the Grey Squirrel, whose ancesto came from America, had been chosen to represent Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in the Annual Dassie Derby at the top of Table Mountain. Competitors from other natural and historical sites of the Cape - Cape Point in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, Rondevlei Bird Sanctuary - and even Nkosi from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, were invited to compete in the race, and it was the highlight of the year. The mates' excitement was clear to see from very early in the morning on the big day. It wa's an honour to be chosen as a representative. Monty bounced out from under a rock. He
J)
wa~
I
so excited he just couldn't keep still a minute longer. 'Come on, come on, Bushy. Where are you?' he muttered to himself, scanning the horizon. 'Boo!' came a cheeky voice from behind him. Monty nearly jumped out of his skin. 'Are you ready;
;:
"
young mongoose?' called Bushy, gaily thumping Monty on the back. 'But of course - a champion in the making is always raring to go!' Monty retorted, as he waved goodbye to his mother. 'I'll be back with my medal, wait and see, Mum,' he yelled. Grabbing his things, Monty scuttled after Bushy up the path towards Skeleton Gorge. 'Hey, Bush, not, so fast. I don't want to tire myself out before 2
MONTY ON TABLE MOUNTAIN
路-the big race,' panted Monty, battling to keep up with the furry squirrel. Bushy stopped to look back his friend .. . 'Ah, I can see this race will be a walkover for me this afternoon,' he called in glee. Monty picked up a piece of dried bark and hurled it at Bushy, hitting him on the tail. 'Ouch!' cried Bushy playfully, and the two mates were off again, scurrying up the mountain. 'Take a right here,' motioned Bushy, zooming around the corner and disappearing behind the undergrowth. Traditionally, competitors first had to climb Cape Town's famous landmark, Table Mountain. They were to take no short cuts, accept no help, and they most certainly could not go up to the top in the cable car! And, in order to qualify for the famous race, they had to be at the first lookout point close to the restaurants by the sound of the Noon-Day Gun. About halfway up Skeleton Gorge, as they entered the indigenous forest area, the climb started to become a little tougher and the two animals slowed their pace. Impangele 'the Guineafowl poked her head out from behind a clump of restios. 'Okay, guys, who's going to be the great winner today?' In unison, Monty and .~,,.~
....
Bushy replied, 'Me, of course!' Although the two
of them were great friends, they were fiercely competitive. Impangele thought to herself, 'Hmm - it's going to be tough to be the loser in this contest.' Aloud, she said, 'Well, good luck, chaps. I heard on the animal grapevine that the other competitors are making great progress, so best you get a move along! I'll be watching the race from Disa Point, and I promise to keep an eye on you two to make sure that you play fair and square.' THE GREAT DAY
3
INTO THE STREAM
It was peaceful and shady undeUhe canopy of trees. Monty looked up at the huge trees that towered above him. He stopped to scratch his back on the bark of an old Wild-peach tree. Monty decided to taste the fruit, but it had a tough, warty covering and he spat it out in disgust. 'Only good for birds,' he muttered, as he enviously eyed the Cape White-eyes and Red-winged Starlings as they feasted on the peaches. Moving on, Monty and Bushy soon came to a running stream. It didn't have much water in it, as it was summertime. All the same, Monty would have to get his toes wet and sandy when he crossed it, and he hated that. The water was golden-brown but clear. 'Stop, Bush. Why is the water this colour? Is it dirty?'
4
'No, no, Monty - it is full of tannin from the fynbos plants and minerals from the soil,' replied Bushy knowledgably. A branch balanced precariously over the water, and Bushy thought it might be a good idea to hold onto it as they crossed the river, in case they lost their footing on the dangerously slippery rocks that were covered with lichen and moss. Bushy went first. He nimbly jumped from rock to rock and in no time he was on the other side. 'Easy, Monty, I can see stream-crossing in the Dassie Derby will be a cinch for me,' he called cockily. Not so easy for Monty, though. He tentatively stepped onto the rocks, and immediately began teetering this way and that. 'Oh! Oops! Oh NO!' he shouted as his foot slipped, and he landed with a great 'plop' in the water. Luckily, Oscar the Cape Clawless Otter was at hand and, with a deft flip of his paw, catapulted Monty onto dry land, but not before Cross patch the Crab had given him a sharp nip on his bottom for disturbing the peace. 'Ouch!' shrieked an embarrassed Monty. Bushy thought it was hilarious. They stopped for a drink and a snack, and were soon on their way again. 'Cheers!' shouted the Otter. 'See you at Skeleton Point. I am the marshal there.' Lots of supporters had turned up to watch the annual event, and all the animals along the way were very friendly and encouraging, even though there were lots of side bets going on as to whom they thought would win.
5
INTO THE SWING WITH GRASSHOPPER GROUCH
When Monty and Bushy came to a steep section of the mountain scattered with big boulders, they weren't too sure which way to go. They looked around for someone to direct them, and Monty noticed a beautiful grasshopper perched on the flower of a delicate Erica bush. She appeared to be staring at her reflection in ~L..- the pond below.
'Hey, Bush. I'm sure that this young grasshopper can help,' said Monty. He called to the grasshopper, 'Hello, excuse me, but could you help us? We've lost our way. Won't you please jump ahead for a bit and tell us which is the safest way to go?' Monty's plea was met
Il.~./}~~~:t:~.s;.~
with silence. The grasshopper continued
staring at the pond, ignoring him completely. 'Hmm. Perhaps she's hard of hearing,' muttered Bushy.
Craning his neck so that he could get closer to the grasshopper, Bushy shouted loudly, 'Help!' Finally, the grasshopper responded. Without looking up, she said, 'Please don't disturb me, I am far too busy.' Monty and Bushy looked at each other in amazement. They couldn't believe their ears. 'What are you busy doing? Oh, never mind .' 'Come on, Bush, we have a race to get to.' Monty spoke loudly, and his voice echoed across the rocks. But they stopped in their tracks when the grasshopper spoke again. 'I am checking out my stunning back legs, so strong for jumping, so musical. They are of a particularly amazing colour, don't you think? Have you noticed the vibrant red and black stripes? 'No animal would dare to eat such a brightly coloured insect, as I am very poisonous,' she said, as she preened her legs and stared adoringly at her reflection, quite unable to tear herself away. Monty and Bushy rolled their eyes up to the sky in disgust, and saw Ndala, the old owl, flyover. It was just as well that they received no help from her, as it was against the rules. They could have been disqualified! As they made their way around the boulders, Monty spotted some thick, gnarled stems that looked just like rope. They hung tantalisingly low, and quick as a flash, Monty leapt up and grabbed onto a monkey rope, and swung back and forth in delight. Bushy, not to be outdone, grabbed another rope and, with whoops of joy, the two swung higher and higher. High up on the ropes, they could easily see beyond the rocks. 'Monty, I think I can see where we need to go. When I say drop, let go of the rope,' yelled Bushy. At the height of the next swing, Bushy screeched, 'Drop!' and the two friends landed on top of each other in the middle of a mushroom patch. Laughing, they dusted themselves off, and continued on their way to the top of the mountain.
INTO THE SWING WITH GRASSHOPPER GROUCH
7
THE FAMOUS RACE 'Wow! I feel as though I'm on top of the world,' gasped Monty, as they stood at the top of Table Mountain. 'Well, not quite, but you are a thousand metres above the ground! Well done, you made it just in time!' commented Ndala, the Spotted Et gle-Owl, as the Noon-Day Gun boomed the midday signal. Clapping and joyous shouting heralded their arrival, and the two were soon surrounded by all the local animals that had come to watch the race. Ndala addressed the assembled crowd. 'Welcome to the Annual Dassie Derby!' he hooted. 'We welcome Bushy Squirrel and Monty Mongoose, our Kirstenbosch competitors. Also, our youngest challenger, Chacma, the baboon, all the way from Cape"Point, and Spike Porcupine from Rondevlei. Sadly, our Waterfront friend, Nkosi, could not make it, so we are down to four competitors. 'Now,' continued Ndala, 'the rules of the race are as follows. Four dassies have been carefully chosen to act as the competitors' steeds. Monty, you will ride Humba Mangee.' The crowd screamed their approval, as Humba Mangee was well known for his sure-footed mountain-climbing abilities. 'Bushy, you will ride Humba Qualshile. Chacma and Spike, your dassies will be Doodle Duck and Moogle Moose, respectively.' Again, all spectators shouted their delight, as these dassies were acclaimed for their speed and cunning. It was going to be a great race. 'Boo! Boo!' came a nasty shout from behind a rock. 'None of that, Slyball!' Ndala sternly told off the little dassie. 'You were not chosen with good reason.' 'Huh, we'll see about that!' the dassie stormed off, green with jealousy, and quite determined to ruin the race. 'Now, as I was saying,' continued Ndala, calmly. 'You must mount your dassie and follow the route marked out. At designated points, you will find a marshal. And you will find a clue that will help you to answer the question posed at each checkpoint. The first animal to finish the race and know all the answers to the questions will b~ our Annual Dassie Derby champion.
8
MONTY ON TABLE MOUNTAIN
'Do you all understand the rules?' Monty, Bushy, Chacma and Spike nodded nervously. Monty's heart was in his throat, he wanted to win so badly. Bushy's tail was twitching; he yearned for the admiration of all the indigenous animals. 'Right. Mount your dassies,' commanded Ndala, 'and may the best animal win.' Monty and Bushy carefully climbed onto their dassies, shifting their bottoms this way and that to get comfortable. Holding tightly onto the scruff of the dassies' necks, each urged their steed into the starting position. With back paws kicking up the dust, the dassies readied themselves for the race of their lives. 'Competitors, are you ready?' screeched Ndala. Nods affirmed his call. 'Dassies, are you ready?' A scratch of paws confirmed they were raring to go. The beautiful, long-tailed male Cape Sugarbird whistled for the race to begin.
DISA POINT
Bushy and his dassie surged ahead towards the first checkpoint. Scampering around bushes, across paths, they soon came to their first obstacle - a huge rocky outcrop. Monty caught up quickly, gaining the lead. Humba Mangee was great on rocks, and the little suction pads on the dassie's paws were working overtime. However, they reached the first marshal at the same time. Monty and Bushy screeched to a halt and leapt off their trusty steeds. Impangele stood alongside a beautiful, flowering Red Disa, also known as the Pride of Table Mountain. An exquisite butterfly hovered nearby. It was huge, with a wingspan of about 80 millimetres, and reminded Monty and Bushy of a small bird. The butterfly's wings were brown, adorned with blue eye-spots, and it fluttered majestically around their heads. This was their first clue. They had to find out the name of the butterfly. Luckily for them, Monty was wearing a jaunty red hat, and the butterfly, attracted to the red of his hat, as it is to the red of the Disa, settled delicately right on the brim. The butterfly whispered softly into the mountain air - 'Mountain Pride is my name, I am of Table Mountain fame.' With that, Monty and Bushy jumped back onto their dassies and raced flat out, to the next checkpoint. Again Bushy took the lead, and was soon out of sight. Monty urged his dassie to go
10
MONTY ON TABLE MOUNTAIN
faster, promising him delectable tidbits at the end of the race if they won. As they swept out of view of the first checkpoint, Chacma and Spike brought up the rear. The little baboon bounced this way and that, trying desperately to stay on Doodle Duck's back, and Spike's dassie was complaining bitterly about all the poking and pricking he had to endure from Spike's spines. Impangele, the marshal, had to intervene, and encourage Moogle Moose to carry on with the race. Meantime, Bushy was desperately trying to get a good distance ahead of Monty. Next thing, Slyball hopped out in front of Bushy from behind a rock. 'Hey, Bushy, I can help you win,' he whispered. 'There's a short cut this way. Come on, I'll show you.' Bushy stopped Humba Qualshile in his tracks. 'Quick!' wheedled Slyball. 'Which way do you want to go? We are wasting precious time.' Bushy deliberated just for a few seconds. The temptation to get way ahead of Monty was great. But ... he shook his head. 'No!' he said. 'Go away, Slyball. I don't want to cheat - I want to win fair and square.' Slyball muttered and moaned and slunk off to a new rock to wrack his pea-sized brain for another plan. By this time, Monty had overtaken Bushy, and was just about at the next checkpoint. However, unbeknown to anyone, the little baboon had heard the secret whisper. Chacma waited until Bushy and Monty were out of sight, and then begged Slyball to show him the short cut.
DISA POINT
11
The water was flowing quite fast, and Monty noticed that there were tadpoles all around the frog. 'How come those tadpoles don't flow down the stream?'. asked Monty, fascinated. 'Look carefully - they have large suckers that they use to cling to the rocks,' replied the frog. 'Now if you'll excuse me, I don't like talking for too long.' 'Hold on a minute,' exclaimed Monty, suddenly remembering why he was down near the stream. 'I have to know who you are.' The little frog looked sadly at Monty. 'Don't you know? I am the famous Table Mountain Ghost Frog - I am not found anywhere else in the whole wide world.' And with that, he hopped off in disappointment at Monty's ignorance. Monty quickly retraced his steps, and soon he and his dassie were on their way again. Monty felt he was making excellent progress; he had found two of the clues and was still ahead of Bushy. He was feeling rather proud of himself and began to think that he may well have chance of winning the race. Caught up in his daydream, Monty lost concentration for a moment. His dassie had been doing so well, confidently negotiating the boulders they had come across so far, but then ... oh no, the dassie slipped, and the two tumbled down rock after rock. The spectators groaned in dismay as they watched helplessly. Monty was holding on for dear life, crying out in pain as a different part of his body hit each rock as he fell. As they came to a halt, he heard a dreadful sound. 'Heh, heh,' came a wicked laugh. Slyball appeared, shaking with laughter. 'Sure-footed are you?' he sneered at the dassie. 'I should have been chosen to run this race, not you!' With that, Slyball nimbly hopped off the rock and disappeared. His plan had worked, or so he thought. In fact, Humba Mange-e was furious with himself that he hadn't noticed the slimy rock that Slyball had hidden among the other rocks to make him slip. Slowly, he and Monty eased themselves up and tested for broken bones. Impuku the Striped Field Mouse was on first-aid duty, and rushed towards them with a freshly picked medicinal bulb to rub on their cuts and grazes. Monty looked up to see Bushy streaking ahead and groaned. He had been doing so well. 'Come on - we haven't lost yet. We can catch them.' With that, the intrepid pair was off again, bruised and battered, but still very determineo. 14
MONlY ON TA-BLE MOUNTAIN "- -
THE HUGE DILEMMA
Bushy, of course, reached the next marshal ahead of Monty. He was beginning to think that perhaps the race was his. His supporters shouted in delight as they watched him scream to a halt in front of Slow-Coach the Angulate Tortoise. 'Leap off your dassie and you will find, a name in history that helped mankind.' With a flying leap, Bushy landed on the historical landmark, found the name he was looking for, and was off, muttering 'Maclear's Beacon' under his breath so that he didn't forget the answer. Monty was very close behind, and the atmosphere was electric with anticipation. There hadn't been such a nail-bitingly close finish for years. Who was going to win?
THE FINAL STRETCH
'Oh no!' screeched Monty, as he saw Bushy's tail flying round the corner in front of them . 'It looks as though Bushy has got his dassie to go again - faster Humba, faster.' Feelers flying, legs flailing, 5tripey the grasshopper held on for dear life - this was almost more scary than the fire. Faster and faster they rode, gaining on Bushy at every step. 'Are we going to make it?' cried Monty, hoping for a miracle. A cloud of dust erupted on the mountain as the two dassies cleared the top in a final, valiant burst of speed. Bushy and Humba Qualshile made it across the finishing line ahead of Monty by a mere paw's length, and promptly fell into a heap. Marshals rushed to their aid, wrapped warm leaves around the competitors and gave them refreshing cups of honey-bush tea.
All the animals shouted their congratulations to the new derby champion . Monty tried to conceal his disappointment. 50 near yet so far. He helped the grasshopper off the dassie's back and laid her gently on a beautiful Erica. 'Oh, Monty, how can I ever thank you, especially as I am so ~\ ugly now - all black and gritty from the fire. You saved my life,' gasped 5tripey. 'How am I ever going to face the other insects? No one will want to know me.'
1(1
'Don't be so foolish,' exclaimed Monty. 'Nobody cares what you look like from the outside. We just want you to be safe and sound and alive.' With that, Monty turned to find Bushy. 'Well, Bushy, my friend, well done. You chaps won a great race.' He thumped Bushy on the back and gently pulled his tail to conceal his own unhappiness. Bushy noticed a little tear in the corner of Monty's eye. 'Well done to you too, Monty ... it was so close,' he said kindly. Paw in paw, the two made their way to the clearing where all the animals awaited the prize-g ivi ng.
THE FINAL STRETCH
'Oh no!' screeched Monty, as he saw Bushy's tail flying round the corn~r in front of them. 'It looks as though Bushy has got his dassie to go again - faster Humba, faster.' Feelers flying, legs flailing, 5tripey the grasshopper held on for dear life - this was almost more scary than the fire. Faster and faster they rode, gaining on Bushy at every step. 'Are we going to make it?' cried Monty, hoping for a miracle. A cloud of dust erupted on the mountain as the two dassies cleared the top in a final, valiant burst of speed. Bushy and Humba Qualshile made it across the finishing line ahead of Monty by a mere paw's length, and promptly fell into a heap. Marshals rushed to their aid, wrapped warm leaves around the competitors and gave them refreshing cups of honey-bush tea.
All the animals shouted their congratulations to the new derby champion. Monty tried to conceal his disappointment. 50 near yet so far. He helped the grasshopper off the dassie's back and laid her gently on a beautiful Erica. 'Oh, Monty, how can I ever thank you, especially as I am so ~\ ugly now - all black and gritty from the fire. You saved my life,' gasped 5tripey. 'How am I ever going to face the other insects? No one will want to know me.'
I I
r(r
THE MAGNIFICENT CHAMPIONS At twilight, the animals gathered together. It had been a long and " exciting day filled with drama. They were all looking forward to the awards and to the Annual Table tI
Mountain Picnic that traditionally followed the ceremony. 'Lights on, please,' called Ndala. All at once, thousands of little lights glowed in the dark, making
the arena seem magical. 'Wow!' gasped Monty, 'Amazing!' 'Those are the fireflies,' whispered Bushy. 'They have the most powerful natural light in the whole world.' Ndala motioned the animals to be quiet, and a hushed silence fell over the crowd. 'We now come to the ~ward part of the evening,' he said, 'but before we do that there are a few matters to deal with.' 22
MONTY ON TABLE MOUNTAIN
Everyone smiled; Ndjla had to do things the right way, even if it took a long time. 'Firstly, I would like to welcome you all here this evening. As you know, this is the highlight of our animal annual calendar and this year has been better than ever.' There was a polite round of applause. 'Thank you to all the helpers and marshals who made this event such a success,' Ndala continued. 'Sadly, I have some dastardly deeds to expose,' he said in his sternest voice. Everyone gasped - this had never happened before. 'As I was flying overhead, keeping an eye on events, I was flabbergasted to see some mean and evil tricks being played on our competitors. Slyball, come forward.' The little dassie tried to escape but he was held in an iron grip by the porcupine and the otter. 'I saw you try and make Bushy cheat.' There was a horrified silence. 'But I am pleased to say that Bushy resisted, so he is, fair and square, the winner.' The animals clapped in relief. 'That is not all. I also saw you hide the slimy rock so that Monty's dassie lost his footing on the boulders.' The animals all booed in disgust. THE MAGNIFICENT CHAMPIONS
23
INTERESTING FACTS DASSIES One often sees these sweet little animals sunning themselves on the mountain. Dassies are small, and look a bit like over-sized guinea pigs. Amazingly, the dassie's nearest living relative is the elephant! The dassie is a fantastic climber, because its footpads, when moistened by sweat, become suction pads, and so the animal is able to scale almost vertical cliff faces. Dassies like to stay in groups, where one member acts as a sentry, looking out for predators such as Verreaux's Eagle (Black Eagle). Dassies are herbivores, which means that they eat only plants, P'I1ainly grass. They usually mate in February and, after 7 months, give birth to between 1 and 6 young. Newborn dassies climb onto the backs of adults, so that they will be recognised as being part of the colony. FIREFLIES These incredible little creatures are able to produce light without any heat. This is achieved by a reaction between a chemical substance called luciferin (found right at the tip of their abdomens), and an enzyme called luciferase, which is found in their blood. As the male darts around he flashes his light at a special frequency that allows his mate to recognise him. Each different type of firefly has a different frequency of flashing light, so there is little chance of mistaken identity. The female firefly also produces light, but it has a weaker glow, and she stays still as she waits for her mate to find her. Sometimes the female plays a very nasty trick! She flashes her light at a different frequency to her species and attracts a male from another kind . When he comes down to pay her an amorous visit, she gobbles him up for her dinner! The fireflies can be seen in the forest at Kirstenbosch in the early weeks of November each year, and it is well worthwhile to go on a walk to see them glowing their little hearts out in the twilight! THE CABLE CAR From as early as the 1800s people started to look for ways to get to the top of Table Mountain without having to walk! The first cable car was opened on 4 October 1929. It could take 25 people and travelled at 4.4 metres per second . It was constructed by Alfred Bleichert anQ Company and safely served the people of Cape Town and thousands of tourists for nearly 70 years. In the 1990s it was decided that the cable car should be upgraded and, on 4 October 1997, the new, zooty car was launched by the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company. Each car weighs 18 tonnes, and can carry 65 people at a time. It takes four minutes for the revolving car to reach the station at the top of the mountain - 1 067 metres above sea level - travelling at a speed of 10 metres per second . Some 14 million people have travelled to the top of Table Mountain since the fir~t cable car was installed.
26
MONTY ON TABLE MOUNTAIN
TABlE MOUNTAIN How it began
Acwmlng to AMcan "g,nd, Qamata 'n"too th, wo,,"" But th,,, w" a mighty dcagon call'd Nganyamba who "'pt und" th, >ea and did not Want Qamata to "eat, dcy land. To h"p Qamata, Djobela, th, on'路'y,d earth godd"" ""t a 'P<'II and '''at,d fou, gl'n" to guam th, earth. Th,,, 'om, mighty battl" but th, glan" lo,t and beto" th,y dloo th,y "k,d Djob,'a Table to tumMountain! th'm Into mountain,. Um"ndl W,mlnglzlmu, th, Wat,h" of th, South, became
w,"
yea~
In fact. it h" tak'n million, of of geological actl"'ty to fo'm Tabl, Mountain. Mo,t of th'mountaln I, mad, up of laye, upon lay" of Tabl, Mountain "nd"on" which '"'' on a lay" of Cap, gcanit,. '" th, "nd"on, b"ak, down, it '''at" 'oil, that ", poo, In nUtri,n", but in which Table Mountain fynbos (which means 'fine bush') thrives. INTERESTING FACTS
Early settlers The Khoi-khoi pastoralists who lived at the Cape some 2 000 years ago, called Table Mountain 'Hoerikwaggo', which means 'Mountain of the Sea.' In the late 1400s, Table Mountain provided a landmark to many explorers - including Bartolomeu Dias - who passed the Cape of Storms, as it was then known, on their travels. And in 1652, jan van Riebeeck arrived at the Cape and established a refreshment station on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch settlement, and other later settlements, grew into what we know today as the city of Cape Town. Did you know ... ? • Table Mountain is 3 kilometres long at the top from east to west. • The highest point is Maclear's Beacon, at 1 086 metres. This beacon was erected in 1843 by Sir Thomas Maclear, who was an astronomer. It was used as part of an experiment to measure the circumference of the earth. • Table Mountain is the only geographical feature in the world to have a constellation named after it - mensa, which means 'table' in Latin. • Table Mountain is famous for its table cloth which, according to legend, was created when a Dutch pirate called Van Hunks, who spent his days smoking a pipe near Devil's Peak, challenged the Devil to a smoking contest. So much 'smoke' was generated that a table cloth formed over the mountain! In fact, what happens is that, in summer, moist air rises over the back of the mountain and condenses in the cool air at the top, causing the clouds to stream over. As a result of the moisture created by the 'table cloth' some very special plants are able to grow under very hot conditions.
Frogs and chameleons • The Table Mountain Ghost Frog is unique to the mountain's streams. The frog belongs to the genus He/eophryne, which means 'the one that is afraid of the sun'. Ghost frogs are only likely to be seen at night, when they come out to feed on insects. • The Cape Dwarf Chameleon is a fascinating little creature, with a tongue as long as its body! The chameleon keeps its tongue all wound up onto a bone at the back of its jaw until it sees a prey item, at which point it catapults its tongue forward at great speed. This chameleon can only change colour from light green to dark green, and can often be seen in trees and shrubs. Fires on the mountain Table Mountain sometimes suffers devastating fires. These may be caused naturally - for example, by lightning, or by the careless behaviour of human beings. Although fire is frightening and can cause devastation, it can also do a lot of good, particularly on Table Mountain, because some plants in the fynbos vegetation nE.'ed fire to stimula.te growth. After a fire, the woody
28
MONTY ON TABLE MOUNTAIN
cones of leucadendron proteas crack open, releasing the flower's seeds. And the silver tree releases large, black, nut-like seeds that have their own parachutes. The seeds tumble along until something halts them, and there they lie until the rains fall and they begin a new life. The April fool, a beautiful bulb of the amaryllid family, flowers before it grows its leaves, and often appears after a fire. When the seeds are ready to be sown, the flower head topples over and the seeds land in the rich ash from the fire, and germinate in the winter rain . Other plants will retain their seeds in a sheath or pod until the heat from the fire causes them to burst open, thereby releasing the seeds. After the first rains, the seeds begin to grow, and before long the scorched earth is renewed with fresh green shoots appearing everywhere. Fire also burns excess vegetation, so that new bulbs can sprout, pushing through the ground and growing without having to fight through lots of other plants that don't belong in our country (aliens). After a fire, insects, small animals and birds are very peckish and plants can help them to find food! Flowers often have special 'trails' that the insects and birds can follow to find their hidden nectar. Look closely at the flowers of the pelargoniums and the gladioli, and imagine you are an insect looking for food! Only experts can control and manage a fire, so be very careful not to cause a fire by being careless.
FIRES ARE FORBIDDEN ON TABLE MOUNTAIN HOW CAN WE PRESERVE OUR FAMOUS MOUNTAIN?
.;t. •••• A'
.... ••
........ -
.... ••
Leave only footprints, not litter.
When climbing the mountain, always stay on the paths .
Learn about the plants and animals so you can teach others to love our mountain .
Do not feed, frighten or hurt any animal.
Do not damage, remove or destroy any plants, rocks or seeds.
INTERESTING FACTS
29
This is the 5 th book in the Cape for Kids series, as AIi continues to introduce young readers to their heritage, and to encourage them to value their heritage now and for future generations. Cape for Kids has its headquarters in Hout Bay, Cape Town, where Ali lives with her husband lan, children Samantha and Dave, and their entourage of dogs and other animals. Educational tours, based on Ali's books, are offered at different places in the Cape.