CONTENTS DEPARTURE The expedition of Pep and Tapython begins.
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INTRODUCTION An unbrief introduction from Tapython.
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THE WARTHOG About an animal so ugly, it’s cute.
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A FAMILY WALLOWING What’s so good about wallowing in the mud?
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REALLY? How did Papa Warthog lose his fang?
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THE HYENA The continent’s most prominent cleaner and its diligent friends
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WHO HAS THE LAST LAUGH? Brushing your teeth can save your life.
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THE ZEBRA The relationship between stripes and fashion.
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CAMOUFLAGE Pep and Tapython become invisible, which is not always a good thing.
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REALLY? Why are the zebras fleeing?
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THE LION Being king is not as easy as you would expect.
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A WALK IN THE DESERT Where finding water is never easy.
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REALLY? Why aren’t the zebras fleeing?
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THE AFRICAN BUFFALO A dangerous herbivore that is fond of birds.
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THE POWER OF ART Even a buffalo is able to smile.
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REALLY? How did the lions anger the buffalo?
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THE RHINO It is grey in colour, and yet it’s called black or white.
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THE GAME A cure for sadness.
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REALLY? Is the rhino aware of what it sees?
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EQUIPMENT Useful items, things worth knowing and interesting facts.
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THE CHIMPANZEE When monkey business is taken seriously.
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MONKEY BUSINESS Mimicry can sometimes be useful.
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REALLY? Do chimpanzees go into the water?
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THE OKAPI A loner that does things its own way.
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SUNBATHING When even the foliage plays tricks on you.
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THE MEERKAT Curious, yet asks no questions, only listens.
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CURIOSITY Curious, but never listens and cannot stop talking.
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REALLY? What will our friends do with the cobra?
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THE HIPPO The giant and the dwarf.
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THE RESCUE A good deed deserves another...
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REALLY? Do you see anything strange?
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THE CHEETAH World record holder in the 100 metre dash.
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THE RACE Is life faster on two legs or on four?
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REALLY? Is the fastest bird afraid of the cheetah?
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THE OSTRICH The bird that pursues no policy.
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SUPPER No food is boring when you are hungry.
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THE ELEPHANT His nose isn’t drooping because he is sad.
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THE CHASE Enough is enough, even when you are having fun.
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REALLY? Do elephants go fishing?
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THE CROCODILE Imagine if it could fly!
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FISHING It is humour that rescues the crocodiles.
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THE GIRAFFE Looks down on everyone but looks down on no-one. 88 WHEN IT’S TIME TO DRINK... The nuisance of being thirsty...
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REALLY? Why do giraffes spread their legs?
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FAREWELL TO AFRICA One last tour!
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SOLUTIONS Did you manage to solve the puzzles?
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I am very grateful for having had the chance to discover the rugged landscapes of Africa together with my friend Tapython. No animals were harmed in the course of our adventures, in fact, the very opposite is true...
DEPARTURE Our friends set off in tandem, While all of Africa awaits them. ds landed at our two frien of e n la p e h T orning. They early in the m rt o rp ai i b e capital N airo ch time in th u m o to d n e were did not sp excited and ry ve re e w ey of Kenya. Th tely. el on immedia av tr to r e g a e
Africa, re he we come!
Yipeee!
Africa, here we come! Before their journey, Tapython carefully examined the map to make sure they could find their way around the continent. Each coloured section represents a different country. Find the highlighted countries based on their shapes and mark their locations on the map.
1.
2. 3. 6.
4.
5.
A B
7.
8.
G F
C D E
H
Odd ones out Two of the animals below do not live on this continent. Can you tell which ones? B A
C F
hold of ad to get h t s r fi y e th ot want they did n N aturally, s a , le ic h athof ve bought a r n o h so m e so r t t y p a T would be on foot. opinion, it to set off is h n I . p not t jee k s, it does r o er worn ou w it s a on‌ for a ; as long sufficient hey drove t o S ! p o tip-t have to be t is. while, tha
D E
G
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INTRODUCTION Nature is a true miracle. As a child, I dreamed of becoming a hunter because I used to think that nothing could be more exciting. I thought that hunting down animals was a difficult and heroic thing to do. Later on, I realized that discovery, getting to know the animals and understanding their behaviour is a much more complex and noble task.
I decided to devote my life to discovering the secrets of nature. I travel the world to experience all of its wonders first-hand, and I help people realize how important it is to protect nature and its wildlife. Sadly, a number of species have already disappeared from our planet.
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I know that there is a lot I can do for the animals living today. I am not a scientist, but I have read and heard many a thing, which all helps to make my travels successful. I can also rely on my experience during my adventures. And on top of it all, I am always accompanied by my devoted colleague and friend, Pepi. He helps me a lot, and I share my knowledge with him in exchange since I am also a teacher.
Who can, for example, teach you how not to drive in the African wilderness!
My childhood dream came true, after all. I am a hunter hunting for experiences, with knowledge as my weapon in difficult situations. Pep notes down all of my adventures. He wants to write a book. I’m glad he does, because this way the readers can also learn from my experiences. Of course, I will have to go through Pepi’s notes first because he tends to get carried away… I have to make sure he does not let his imagination run wild. After all, I am not called Tapython the honest hunter for nothing.
They left the off-road vehicle behind as, sadly, it would not go any further. They will take care of it later when they have the time. They set off on foot, which Tapython did not seem to mind at all; he was not a big fan of technical contraptions anyway. He thought that this change of circumstances would only make their adventure more exciting and challenging. Little did he know how right he would turn out to be.
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The Warthog Despite its very bumpy complexion, its own beauty the warthog does not question.
o say, t e v a t Ih you ea an , s s o B i... I me like a p ven-toed e like an e. You t ungula t in nicely fi would at herd of h with t gs... o warth
ad e, if I h and n i g a Im s r fang a l i m i s ld . I wou warts ve to kneel a also h lbows to e on my to my in reach d without n bowl; a and fork as a knife d I would n well. A sing any u e not b , either. y cutler
From Nairobi, the expedition set off in a northerly direction. They wanted to first visit the village where Pep’s family lived. The village was a good two-hour drive from the capital. But on foot? Both our friends were used to walking and they also took to the African heat rather well. Nonetheless, they had to stop a number of times along the way. After a few hours, Tapython felt that he desperately needed a bath. He soon got what he wished for, if not exactly the way he would have liked.
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Big head, short neck, Wide nose and beady eyes, Pretty, by an y means, You wouldn’t say, but maybe wise. Despite its looks that makes one sigh, About the truth, I cannot lie, The warthogs have…. by and by, Become such good friends of I.
Everyone seems to think that piglets are cute or even pretty. Even when they grow up, you can still say these things about most of them. Warthogs, however, are an exception to this, since their heads undergo significant changes as they grow. They become huge, compared to their bodies, and strange bumps or warts develop. This is how they got their name. Warthogs also develop fangs and thus lose their cute appearance. Their neck is so short that they have to bend their front legs to be able to reach the ground. They often crawl about in this strange position, looking for roots and bugs. They feed this way from the time they are piglets, so cushion-like features develop on the part of their legs used for leaning on.
Warthogs love to wallow in the mud, but instantly scramble back into their dens if attacked by a lion or other big game. However, they willingly risk their lives to protect their family, which is a noble characteristic of an animal regarded as so unattractive.
Unfortunately, big cats are not the only ones warthogs have to watch out for as humans have been hunting these animals since the beginning of time. Their fangs are to this very day used to make attractive jewellery, such as the popular items traditionally worn by both men and women of the Mursi people of Ethiopia. Desert warthogs are similar in appearance to their cousins living in the Savannah, only smaller. Sadly, their numbers have decreased significantly in recent years.
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A Family Wallowing
One of the least attractive animals in the world.
Do you know what animal it belongs to? Pep, look what I found... A fang.
A short neck, an enormous head and all those bumps and warts. Yuck!
A warthog?
It also wallows in the mud.
It lets birds clean its skin, instead of washing.
The campsite It will be dark soon and our friends have to find somewhere to camp. Let us hope the warthog family will not mind our friends setting up camp close to their home. Link the tents with the appropriate floor plans. 1.
3.
2.
Unbelievable!
A
Be akarsz menni, főnök?
B
C
4. D
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PREHIST
ORIC TIM
It lives over there. Let’s take a look!
Run, Pep! Run while I...
ES
A fierce prehistoric warthog species, belonging to the genus Nyanzachoerus, inhabited our Earth for more than 5 million years. Even members of this leopard sized ancient cat, belonging to the genus Megantereon, avoided contact with fully grown specimens.
You sure you want to go in, Boss? The animal lost one of its fangs. It must be rather sad.
...distract them. Ouch!
YIKES!
I can now see why they enjoy the mud Just like one big so much, hee-hee. happy family.
The End
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Reflection in the water
REALLY?
Papa Warthog never looks at himself in the mirror. However, one day he was curious to see his reflection in the lake. He could barely believe his eyes. He doubted that his reflection was accurate, and so will you if you take a closer look. Find and circle the five minor differences in the reflection below.
Papa d i d w o H his e s o l g o h Wart fang?
Items packed Tapython packed too many things for the journey, which he cannot take with him on foot. The extra weight would be a big disadvantage when crossing marshland. Tapython will send these items home from the next settlement they come across. Luckily, most of them have not been unpacked yet. Find and connect the objects below with the appropriate packages. C
B
A
D
F E 1.
2.
4.
3.
5.
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6.
’t bout it, it isn a k in h t u o y If s what could hard to gues s d. Toothache have happene uisance! n can be a real
. hing for days c a n e e b s a h tooth octor Spotty D rthog whose . a g W n a fa p n a e P k o t ws sy. his bro This is not ne th is never ea im get rid of o h o t lp e a h g o in t ll d u n p ie t areHe asked a fr ent without much ado, bu advice seriously and to c ight atm her’s rushing stra b began the tre n decided to take his fat d o o g a m e gave th g’s so h. Papa Wartho is teeth. He ran back and a hearty laug rd a e h e h , h e r e m o fully look aft s he was nearing their h successful. s a w ’ t A n . e y m a t w a a t the ‘tre It seems tha y it really Is that the wa ou have do y happened? Or a? Why don’t a different ide wn story? you tell your o Have fun!
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