Hi! I'm Henry and I'm 9 years old.
I'm an English cocker spaniel and I cannot wait to share my new adventures on safari.
Hope you have a ROARSOME read with this new book.
Oh we are so excited.
Me & Henry get to go on holiday and travel around on safari to see some of the amazing animals of the world!
What's a safari?
Well the word comes from an Arabic word 'safara ' which means ' a journey'
It is said that the word 'safari' was introduced into the English language in 1860 by the legendary British explorer, Sir Richard Francis Burton who travelled the world.
Back then safaris were usually European explorers looking to colonize far away lands. Many were purely to hunt and kill animals.
In Africa especially, large animals were hunted and carried around by a small army of local tribespeople.
In 1909 the US President Teddy Roosevelt made safaris popular when he went on a huge safari killing 11,400 animals including 512 'big game ' which is large animals like- elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes, hippos, and rhinos, including six white rhinos which were rare even at that time.
The safari he did lasted a year and filled the Smithsonian Institue in America with hundreds of African animals.
Thankfully hunting like this is not allowed anymore and people find it horrible.
We need to protect the animals and help them survive!
Most safari companies actually give money to wildlife projects and game reserves to protect the animals.
African safaris have become holiday trips that actually benefit the wildlife of Africa. Instead of hunting animals you can go and peacefully see them and watch them in their natural habitat.
People visit and take photos and smile and let the animals live their life!
So where is the best place in the world for a safari?
Probably the best country with the most amazing animals to see is Africa.
Here's a map of Africa and all the incredible places you can visit - can you spot the animals?
These are the countries they are in:
elephants in Ethiopia
zebras in Zaire
monkeys in Madagascar
what else can you see?
When people think of safaris they always think of Africa and the grassy dusty outback.
But did you know that you can also go on jungle safaris.
Instead of a safari some people might call it a 'forest trail', except that instead of walking, hiking or trekking, you might explore the jungle regions in a jeep or on a horse or maybe even on the back of an elephant!.
This gives you a really good chance to see very different animals that live in a very different habitat.
I wonder how comfortable it is on the back of an elephant and if its rocky do you get 'elephant-sick?'!
We're in Kruger National Park in South Africa and ready to go and explore. The park was established in 1898 to protect the wildlife there.
Our home where our tent has been set up is called basecamp.
I wonder how many animals we will see?
Let's see if we can collect all of the Big 5.
Maybe more along the way....
Right then - lets actually get oursleves ready and go on a safari...woohooo
....before we set off though, what do we need?
We've got our jeep ready but let's make sure we ' ve packed all the right things before we leave our base camp.
Can you spot the following items on the next page?
water bottle
binoculars
camera
sun shades
backpack
map
mosquito spray
sunscreen
snacks
walking boots
Let's start our exciting journey by going on a Big 5 safari! Big 5 means the most amazing African animals: elephants, buffalo, rhinos, lions and leopards.
Do you know why these animals are called the South African Big 5?
Well yes, some are physically BIG but they are called that because in the early days, they were very difficult to hunt.
Almost all of the Big 5 are now endangered and vulnerable because of all the years of hunting so if we see them we are VERY lucky.
Kruger National Park is AMAZING and HUGE!
It covers over 7500 square miles and covers parts of South Africa called Limpopo and Mpumalanga ( try and say
THOSE words!)
It is bigger than the US states of New Jersey, Hawaii, Connectictut, Delaware or Rhode Island!
It's also bigger than whole countries like Kuwait, Jamaica, Fiji and doezens more
The key to success on safari is to wake up super early because this is when a lot of animals are still quite active as the temperatures are also much cooler.
You will have a much better chance of seeing lots of animals if you wake up at 3 or 4am. You might be tired but can have a sleep in the afternoon when all the animals also have a snooze!
When it's too hot for you it's also too hot for them - so an early start is best and the sunrise and colours as the sun becomes bigger and bigger is absolutely breathtaking so the tiredness is worth it!
woohooo - look at that - one of the Big 5 already seen! Lions!
And the chances are on safari that if you see one you will see lots because they move and hang out in groups called a 'pride'.
Did you know a lions roar is SO loud it can be heard 5 miles away!
Roaring helps lions to establish territories as well as maintain strong bonds between the pride members!
Wow - we ' ve only been looking for half an hour and now we get to see leopards!
These are basically big cats but they are actually really hard to spot because their camouflage spots blend beautifully with the scenery - so we are so lucky to see one!
Leopards mostly travel alone except for female leopards when they are raising their young.
We are doing well. Let's head to a waterhole because that's where most animals will hang out to drink and bathe and keep cool - but also to eat!
We were right - look at all these animals! And a lot of water buffalo!
Did you know the most dangerous animals in the park aren't lions or leopards but buffalo. - they have super quick tempers.
Often hanging out with them are flamingoes but if you look closely you can also see a huge mouthed animal - a hippo!
A big lake - so many animals it's hard to keep count! How many can YOU see?
And look closely - another of the Big 5 - the rhino!
See the birds above the rhino - they're called oxpeckers -rhinos have something called a 'symbiotic relationship' with these birds.
That means they both get something out of being friends. The oxpecker eats the ticks and insects on the rhino - so the oxpecker gets food and the rhino gets free grooming!
A win-win for all!
It's so easy to look for the big 5 and all the other really well known animals and forget some of the smaller ones and amazing birds.
There are 517 species of bird in the National Park.
Five of them are known as the 'Big Birds'.
Other than the lappet-faced vulture, there aren't many of these big birds left - only 22 pairs of martial eagles, 178 families of ground hornbills and just 30 pairs of saddle-billed storks.
The Pel's fishing owl catches fish and frogs at night but is hardly even seen these days sadly.
Pel's fishing owl
martial eagle
lappet faced vulture
saddle billed storks
ground hornbills
But let's also look down on the ground...there's a mass of insects and things I really don't want to think about!
Take this giant stick insect as an example - it measures half a foot long, has horns and pretends its a stick so nobody see ' s it.
If it feels threatened it plays dead - for hours. Luckily, it only eats leaves - at night!
Look at this praying mantis - called that because it looks like a person praying. It has a triangular head that can turn 180 degrees!
The common rain spider is all over South Africa and is HUGE!
It's legs are 5 inches long!
If you saw one of these you would jump!
And then there's the dung beetle - which eats - yes you ' ve guessed it - dung: elephants poop!
eeeew...
They can roll up dung up to 50 times their body weight -
and scientists have recently discovered they use the Milky Way as a compass. Clever little things!
That's enough of looking down - let's look up! To the highest most elegant animals you can see on a safari. The amazing giraffe.
Did you know giraffes have a blue tongue? YES - you read that correctly!
The average length of a giraffe's tongue is 20 inches, it really IS blue in colour and has an extremely leathery texture.
It's designed this way to help the giraffe pluck leaves off the thorniest bushes without causing any harm.
Most giraffes are anything from 14 to 18 feet tall but the tallest giraffe ever was George who lived in Chester Zoo in England in the 1950's - he was 19 feet tall! That's as tall as the height of two basketball hoops!
There they are - the animal we most wanted to see - elephants!
Elephants love playing in the water. They are famous for splashing and showering themselves and others with sprays from their trunks.
They are also great at swimming despite how big they are!
They use their powerful legs to paddle and use their long trunk as a snorkel when they cross deep water.
They cross so many rivers and lakes in their life so being able to breathe normally under water with their trunk out of the water is really helpful!
Elephants are very social and intelligent animals and they are very similar to us: they show kindness, compassion and look out for each other if one of it's group is sick or injured and also get very sad if one dies.
They know every member of their family and are able to recognise up to 30 companions by sight or smell.
They love to play - espeicially in the dirt. Although they look super sturdy their skin is really sensitive and they can get sunburned so they throw sand on themselves to stop the damaging rays - how clever?
Their trunks have 40,000 muscles and they use them to smell, eat, make sounds, clean themselves and defend themselves - elephants are pretty cool!
Did you know there are some big differences between Indian elephants and Asian elephants?
the arch of back is their tallest point
ears don't cover their shoulder
forehead has two bumps
four toes
five toes
single chunk of flesh on the tip of their trunk
Asian Elephant
forehead curves smoothly
the elephant's shoulder is it's tallest point
the back dips
looser more wrinkled skin
ears cover their shoulder
two chunks of flesh on the tip of their trunk
four or five toes
three toes
Indian Elephant
Crocodiles! Did you know they are older than dinosaurs?
They've been around for over 200 million years and are the top predator in Africa - not many animals will mess with a crocodile.
They have the strongest bite of any animal in the world, with razor sharp teeth and pretty much eat any animal.
If they can't find food they can survive a long time without eating!
A coalition of cheetah
A confusion of wildebeest
A kettle of vultures
A prickle of porcupine
A dazzle of zebra
A bloat of hippo
Animals tend to hang around in groups but did you know there's a really funny list of names you call groups of animals. They're called 'collective nouns ' and identify groups of African animals...
A coalition of cheetah
A crash of rhino.
A float of crocodile
We've seen the Big 5 - but did you know there's a 'LITTLE 5' playing off the names of the Big 5....
Here's the RHINOCEROS beetle -it has a horn just like a rhino and its so strong it can carry things up to 850 times its own body weight. the ant LION
pounces on food - it will eat small insects and even other ants
the BUFFALO weaver makes incredible nests with thorns on the outside to keep predators away
this is the ELEPHANT shrew - it has incredibly long back legs meaning it can jump as high as 3 feet in the air!
and finally this is the LEOPARD tortoise - called this because of markings it has on its shell - like a leopard.
it's also the only member of the tortoise family that can swim!
In Africa there are two countries called Kenya and Tanzania and every year there is a massive movement of wildebeest.
Over 2 million of them start on their journey to look for fresh pastures in order to survive.
During this annual migration, along with zebras and gazelles that move with them, they have to survive crocodile filled waters and other predators waiting to pounce on them.
Hundreds of thousands of them survive and along the way give birth to young - the next generation that will take the journey next year!
It's getting dark. We need to head back to camp before it's so dark we can't
see anything and only the animals can see us! How quickly can we get back?
In fact, how quick are we compared to the animals?
humans: 28 mph
giraffe: 32 mph
zebra : 40 mph
lion : 50 mph
cheetah: 70 mph
pangolin
it's so dark - look at all the animals that are out - they're called nocturnal animals. bush pigs
bush baby
So Africa is AMAZING - and when you say safari to people that's the place they will probably think of but did you know there are other places?
Let's look at all the other places that give you the same experience of a safari but they're not in Africa.
Let's look at BRAZIL!
There is an amazing area called The Pantanal Wilderness and its the world's biggest tropical wetland.
It has the largest amount of crocodiles in the world - called caimans - there are 10 million living there!
It's also home to most amount of jaguars in the world - when it's dry season (July to November) you can easily spot them....let's go!
So we are going on a boat safari! - 80% of the region is flooded during the Winter and it's described as the biggest swamp in the world - so boat is best!
This whole area is home to 3,500 plants,
325 species of fish,
159 mammals,
656 birds, 53 amphibians and 98 reptiles
- there is a lot to see but I have a funny feeling we are going to get wet!
We said we would see jaguars and here you go - this is pretty much the only place on Earth where you can see them.
They are luckily protected by something called World Heritage Protection so their numbers are growing!
They normally live in dense rainforest but even after a few days of safari you are pretty much guaranteed to see one - how cool?
Jaguars really are beautiful.
Many people think they're looking at leopards but jaguars have black dots in the middle of their markings - leopards don't.
They also have much larger heads and short legs - and they're BIG - the third biggest cat in the world with tails that can be 40 inches long!
Unlike cats at home, jaguars LOVE the water and will swim confidently in lakes and wetlands.
They pretty much eat anything they come by and stay awake day and nightsometimes they will travel for 6 miles a night to get food. They will even try to eat a caiman.
Look in the trees - there are so many amazing birds
As well as normal macaws if you look closely you might see a Hyacinth Macaw - it is the world's largest parrot.
Sadly only 3000 exist so its rare.
You can't miss them- bright cobalt blue feathers and a yellow trim around it's eyes.
The other bird everywhere here is the Jabiru Stork.
It's the symbol of the Pantanal and is the tallest flying bird in South and Central America.
When the rains come every year to flood the area, it becomes a massive breeding ground for fish so the birds flock here for feeding.
Let's look at the wetlands a little closer because there are some pretty amazing things to see eg. look at that lilly - it is the largest flower in the world!
And look at the HUGE blue butterflies - they are the biggest in the world too!
Just don't go for a swim because lurking underneath are piranha's - fish with teeth that will eat you!
leopards
whales
sloth bears
asian elephants
Another cool location for a safari is Sri Lanka. It has its own 'Big 5'" : Asian elephants, leopards, sloth bears, blue whales and sperm whales. Something called the 'Gathering' happens between August and September when up to 300 elephants gather by the lake - you won't get a chance to see that anywhere else.
For leopards : Yala National Park is their home and has the largest amount of wild leopards in the world! You can easily spot them from a jeep because the area is so open and flat.
This amazing park also has amazing colourful birds and you will often see the sloth bear which can only be seen in this part of the world.
Very few people know that whale watching is also huge on the South Coast of the island...there is a massive amount of Blue and Sperm whales that come together in large groups between January and April so you can go on a sea safari as well in Sri Lanka!
Let's explore another safari destination - Singapore!
Here you can go on the world's first ever night time safari where more than 2,500 animals love to come out at night!
You can get tickets for a guided tram that takes you through seven different zones from the mountains to the rainforest.
In some areas you can get off the tram and actually walk through dedicated trails so that you can see the animals up close.
There's a leopard, fishing cat and wallaby walking trail! There are also two giant aviaries where you can see tonnes of birds but also flying foxes and squirrels - how cool is that! All by night!
Nest place - India!
Unlike the quite agressive, scary and huge rhinos in Africa, North East India is home to the quite friendly one-horned rhino.
In Kaziranga National Park there are over 1600 rhinos!
If you want to get really close to them then one trick is to take an elephant ride because rhinos and elephants are very comfortable being in each other's space.
Another great park in India to do a safari is called Corbett National Park.
It was established in 1936 and is one of the most important parks in India!
It's really well known for being home to lots of rare mammals, reptiles and birds.
Crocodiles are also everywhere in the park but the MAIN reason people come is to see the Royal Bengal Tiger.
They have the most amazing striped coat to camouflage - did you know that every stripe pattern on a tiger's back is unique to them - not a single tiger thas the same!
They are so strong they can easily kill young elephants and rhinos but they hardly ever attack humans so you ' re safe - book that safari to go see them NOW!
Also in Corbett Park is one of the world's most beautiful birds: the peacock!
There are over 100,000 peacocks in India and they are seen as symbols of glory, beauty and sophistication.
Peacocks are the national bird of India!
Their vibrant wonderful colours match the vibrant wonderful colours and culture of India!
They love warm weather and live wild in the forests.
It's believed when a peacock dances and shows its amazing feathers that it is a sign of rain.
It can rain a lot in India so you have a pretty good chance of seeing this wonderful sight ! Just get the camera ready!
Another great place for safari isn't a country but actually an island - it's called Borneo.
The oldest rainforest in the world is here.
It's 140 million years old and of all the animals living here, over 100 can ONLY be found in Borneo. So this place is very special. The biggest plant in the world is in Borneo: it's called The Rafflesia and it smells TERRIBLE : like rotting flesh and is sometimes called the ' corpse flower'.
Another huge plant is called Nepenthes Rajah and is like something from a horror movie or another planet because it can actually trap small animals and eat them - a plant!! Really!
Usually it's frogs, lizards and birds but I am quite a small dog so I might not go to this part of Borneo!
The main reason come to Borneo is to visit an area called Sabah to see the amazing orangutans
They are shy and a little scared but come here and look up! There they are - amazing
but there are also lots of other amazing animals...
Proboscis monkeys: look at them with their funny long nose
elephants : tiny elephants
Pygmy
30% smaller than usual!
Clouded leopards: they have the most amazing climbing skills and can cling on and walk on branches upside down!
Their claws retract back into their paws and only bring them out to hunt or climb.
What an amazing world we live in - but we have to remember it's not just our planetwe SHARE it with all these animals.
There is a huge problem because the forests and jungles are disappearing.
Big companies who want the land are chopping down the forests and the animals are being killed.
As their homes disappear they have nowhere to live!
We all have to be careful when we visit their homes because its very easy for the forests and jungles to catch fire - if a wildfire starts it can go on for days and weeks and destory their homes forever.
So if you DO go on a safari or even go camping near your home, you have to be really careful and make sure if you have a camp fire you build it far away from anything that can catch fire - and make sure you are always with it to keep an eye on it.
When you ' re finished you need to make sure its really covered with water until it's totally out.
It's pretty simple - treat their home how you would treat your home!
But there are lots of other things we can do to save the forest and jungles.
Here are just a few ideas you can talk to an adult about: Read about other children who live in or near a forest or jungle - see how they and their family depends on the plants and animals that are there.
Maybe suggest to your teacher to do a class project to learn more about the forest and jungle and the plants and animlas living there. You could decorate your whole classroom as a jungle and make a skit that you can perform!
Spend some time looking at a map of the world with your parents or teacher and point out all the places where jungles and rainforests exist- use this book to help you!
Have a bake sale, a garage sale or a school fundraiser to raise money that you can donate to a charity or organization that helps save forests and jungles.
You know about this one already because we did a whole book on itbut try to recycle and reuse as much as possible.
Use less paper so trees don't have to be chopped down to make new paper.
Ask your school to use recycled paper and remind your parents to use paper over and over again !
Another great thing to do would be to join the WWF or a similar organization.
WWF was started in 1962 and stands for World Wildlife Fund and is dedicated to pretecting endangered species of animals and their homes.
It also tries to help with the problems of pollution and the effects of global warming.
If you donate to their charity they use the money to help programmes all around the world including some of the places you ' ve just read about!
How cool is the WWF?
And guess what?
If you have loved reading about all these amazing animals around the world you can BUY tees with them on!
Yes - tell an adult when you get this book and they can maybe get you one from Me & Henry to WEAR!
You might not be able to see one on safari but you can wear a tee with them on! We can't wait to see photos of you wearing them on Instagram so tell your parents to take a photo and show us!
written by Mark Jeynes
illustrated by Carolina Torres Carmo