Dear friends, How are you all? Most of you must be enjoying the spring holidays. Play well and don’t forget to read this week’s magazine. In this issue we have brought amazing stuff to read. Read about the reptiles in our ‘zoology’ section. If you are allergic to anything, then read our advice section. Have fun with the activities. Best wishes, Edi
Designed by Sohail Abbas
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Cover story
Poster
Mammals
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Advice
Hey kids, kindly send us letters, stories, poems and events detail on the following address: youngnation@nation.com.pk Or Editor Young Nation 23- Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore.
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The right pet Cover story
Most of you must love cuddling with animals. You should do as it is a great way to get instilled with social responsibility and you have a job to do at home. If you’re wondering what animal is right for your family, look no further. Here you will get some ideas for finding the right pet. Cats Cats are less social and require less responsibility than dogs, but there are still jobs you can take care of. Cats need to be fed, and the litter box needs to be cleaned. Cats can also be very playful and cuddly, while being gentler to you. Cats are great for families Young Nation-March
who need a pet that requires less responsibility than a dog. Smaller, Furry Creatures Hamsters, rabbits‌ the list of smaller, furry animals you can welcome into your home goes on and on. These animals require cages that need to be cleaned, and regular feeding and exercise, just like any animal. These smaller animals are often good gateway animals to see if you can be responsible for taking care of larger animals like cats and dogs. You can clean cages and provide food for these animals as a start toward a larger animal with more responsibility.
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Reptiles and Amphibians Reptiles and amphibians such as lizards and frogs can provide the same training and joy as smaller animals. They also need to be fed and have cages or aquariums that need to be cleaned, but can be great pets for those with allergies. These animals also provide great excuses to check out books from the library to learn about them and their counterparts. Find out what they eat, how they move, what kind of habitat they live in and learn as much as you. The possibilities are endless. However, be sure you know to keep the lid on the cage.
Fish Fish are fascinating creatures. Having fish is a great way to learn about the ocean, rivers, and other bodies of water as well as the multitude of different types of fish. You have to feed the fish on a regular schedule, and not feed them too much or else they will be unhealthy. You also need to learn how to clean the tank and provide a healthy environment for their finned companions.
Dogs Dogs are, by far, the most social animal you can get, and that means they require the most responsibility. While it may seem like a great idea to get a dog for your family, consider that you will need to be responsible for walking, feeding, and playing with the dog. With younger children, be cautious because dogs can get rambunctious and hurt children who are smaller than them. Do research on breeds and choose the one that will fit with your family’s activity level if you’re set on getting a dog. Young Nation-March
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Creepy creeping Reptiles Mammals
By Wajiha Khalid If you are looking for some entertainment being in the city of Lahore there are so many sources and of course places that it becomes confusing when you have to make a decision. However, if you are a kid one best place for you could be the Zoo. If we talk about Zoo then the Lahore Zoo is probably the most famous not only in Lahore but all over Pakistan. Lahore Zoo was established in 1872, and is presently one of the largest Zoos in South Asia. It is currently managed by the wild life and parks department of the Government of Pakistan. Zoo houses 1381 animals from 136 species including 996 birds of 82 species, 49 reptiles of 08 species and 336 mammals of 45 species. I visited Lahore Zoo last week and the best place I found was reptiles section and the snake house. Reptiles are a class of
the chordate phylum. They have scaly skin and feet with claws on their toes. They have a breastbone called a sternum to protect the heart and lungs. The female’s eggs are fertilized in her body by the male. The eggs are laid in a shell that has a leathery covering to protect it in the wilds. The common reptiles are snakes, turtles, lizards, alligators and crocodiles. Snake house is the serpentarium of the Lahore Zoo. It was closed in June 2007 when about 20 snakes died because of suffocation. After being renovated, it was reopened on April 30, 2010. The exhibition houses species including Indian Cobra, Indian Python, Indian sand boa, Russell’s viper and Rattlesnake Bungarus interesting features of snakes are that Snakes are that snakes have been surviving on the earth for the last 130 Million years. There are
2,600 known species of snakes. They have a long, cylindrical and limbless body. They cannot maintain a constant body temperature so when it is cold they become lazy and when it is too hot they dehydrate and die. Only about a third of snake species are poisonous. Snakes are very sensitive and feel pain. Snakes can dislocate their lower jaw thus can swallow a much larger prey. Some snakes coil around their prey to kill it. Pythons, boas and largest of all anacondas. The venom helps in the digestion of food and to intoxicate the prey. Snakes are highly endangered; hundreds are killed out of the hatred. Snakes skin is used to make purses, wallets and shoes etc. Some of the snakes which are present in Lahore Zoo are
Krait.
with a prominent backbone, they are usually found only in Asia. This snake is of special concern to man. It is deadly about 15 times more deadly than the common cobra. It is active at night and relatively passive during the
day. The Krait has a tendency to seek shelter in sleeping bags, boots and tents. Its venom is a powerful neurotoxin that causes respiratory failure. Kraits mostly feed on mice, toads and lizards.
Its size is 90 cm its weight is 1.33 pounds kraits life span is 20 years and sexual maturity is 30 months. Krait is a tiny but extremely deadly venomous snake;
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Viper Daboia russellii is its biological name and its size is 20 inch weight is 1.8kg its life span is 5 years. The viper snake is very colourful and robust. It lives in the rainforest lives, in wet places and also in mountains in small caves. Their bright colours in their skin help them to survive. The viper snake is a very short snake. The viper snake mainly eats amphibians and it can also stay a whole year without eating. The viper snake is endangered because it is hunted down and killed for its soft skin. Rattlesnakes Rattlesnakes have a forked tongue that they flick up and down. The tongue picks microscopic airborne particles and gases from the air. Rattlesnakes have external nostrils lined with olfactory cells which also pick up scent, though they are mainly used for breathing. The fork of the tongue is a navigational aid. It can provide information based on which side or fork of the tongue has the strongest presence of a particular odour. This information can help the rattlesnake follow its prey or find its way home. The snake’s eyes can detect objects or movement from about 40 feet away, but its vision is much sharper when objects are closer. A rattlesnake’s pupils are elliptical, not round, which enables the snake to see well in dim light. This is helpful for night hunting. Now I will be telling you very interesting facts about Gharial, crocodile and tortoise which are present in Lahore zoo.
Gharial Male Gharial is 6.5 meters and females are 4.5 meters in size. Its weight is 500kg and life span is 50-60 years. Being a reptile a Gharial cannot keep a constant body temperature. For that, it either basks in the sun, stays in the water or in shady places. It uses its tail like an oar and holds its limbs at the side of its body, while swimming. It has a long snout and about 100 teeth. It eats fish, shrimps, crabs, birds and frogs. When the male is about 10 years old he starts developing ‘nose knob’ at the tip of its snout.
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Marsh Crocodile Mash crocodile is 9 meters long its weight is up to 1000 kg. Life span of Marsh Crocodile is 50 years. Marsh crocodile lives in lakes, ponds and marshes but it has adapted well to reservoirs, irrigation canals, human-made ponds, and even recently in costal salt water lagoons. They cannot maintain a constant body temperature thus cool themselves by keeping their mouth open for evaporation. This crocodile is highly social.
Spur Thighed Tortoise Life span of this tortoise is 100 years Thighed Tortoise is active through out the winter period, and estivates through the hot summer. spur thigh tortoises are strict vegetarians and are considered grazers in the wild. Their diet consists mainly of weeds and grasses in nature but they do well in captivity on leaves, flowers, tortoise chow, greens, veggies, and little fruit, if any. They inhabit dry areas of Africa south of the Sahara Desert.
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Mano ! O Mano
By Ziauddin J. Syed Mano ! O Mano Beautiful cat of baby Bano
We belong to God and to Him we shall return We know that you have gone, you shall never return
You were our blue eyed darling Charming like our own offspring
Death has taken our dearest Mano apart Leaving us very sad with our broken hearts
You accompanied us for twelve years And those were most unforgettable years A Virgin Mary! A master piece of Almighty Allah A pretty fairy! A beautiful creation of Almighty Allah You were a wonderful cat Cute, lovely and smart, not fat You had splendor, sagacity, brilliance and innocence Captivating, graceful and symbol of patience You used to wander all around the house You were sleeping beauty of the house You had very pleasing and fascinating voice Were very peaceful. Would not make any noise You had piercing and marvelous turquoise blue eyes On your demise everybody has tearful eyes On a fateful night of March 2012 You expired at eight on 15 March 2012
A Mother is a joy forever By Ednan Syed An inspiring and motivating Mother A guiding and stimulating Mother
May you shine, rejoice and exalt in Heaven (Amen) May Almighty bless us to join you in Heaven (Amen) Your love is beautiful, wonderful and infallible Your love is irresistible, remarkable and unforgettable May Allah rest you in peace Glorify you with all comforts and ease Every moment, we love you Mama Every instant, we admire you Mama You are a joy forever May you smile as ever (Amen) Your warmth and fragrance were charming Your love and radiance are inspiring You had great trust in Allah You feared none except Allah Your fascination, grace and
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style made you a captivating creation of God Your elegance, your grandeur and your dignity were all gifts of God Gifted with sagacity, fairness, nobility, splendor and honesty Blessed with wisdom, justice, piety, brilliance and integrity A charming daughter of parents and in-laws alike Captivating everyone whom you ever met in life A loving sister and a fascinating wife Pride of the family, led an excellent life Your traits have many rare and wonderful features You had an authoritative, brave and independent nature May you enjoy fragrance of heavenly breeze This cool and soothing breeze may never cease Your love will never fade or die It is sea deep and sky high I am sorry By Ghulam Mustafa You win I lose You bet I am a fool I hit you with a stool I thought it was cool Now I am alone in the room But I am really really sorry You can crush me with a lorry I am in a worry So I am really really sorry
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Protects your kid’s
life before
Allergies ruin it! “Hey! Asim look what I have for you, it’s the latest play station along with DVD’s of your favorite games” said Asim’s father, Ishtiaq at the exciting birthday party he had arranged at a fast food restaurant in Clifton for his son who had just turned seven. Other guests also arrived with wrapped presents for the birthday boy. Everything seemed perfect except Asim, the birthday boy who looked saddened and preferred to sit in a corner quietly at his birthday party. Nothing managed to please Asim who sat in his
mother Sara’s laps and did not seem to enjoy at all. The only reason was the recent restrictions that were imposed upon him. Asim is an animal lover. Since his very early days he was fascinated by pets’ particularly furry cats and this time he had plans of buying a pair of Persian kittens. Asim’s mother Sara who does not like animals had to give in to her kids wish and agreed to have a pet. A couple of weeks before Asim’s birthday his dad took him to their family physi-
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advice By Ahsan Raza Firdousi
cian. Along with a runny nose, Asim frequently complained of itching in the nose too. So much so that he did not have comfortable sleep that resulted in his declining performance at school. At first he was given regular antibiotics but as his symptoms never seemed to go away the doctor advised some more tests and later announced Asim to be suffering from Allergic Rhinitis. Neither Ishtiaq nor Sara had ever heard about the disease before. They inquired immediately about its treatment. Their
ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) consultant explained them in detail that Allergic Rhinitis is a collection of symptoms, mostly in the nose and eyes, which occur when one breathes in something that he or she is allergic to such as dust, dander, or pollen. The body as a reaction releases chemicals, which cause allergy symptoms such as itching and watering of the eyes, stuffy and congested nasal passages, runny nose and sneezing. The ENT further explained to Ishtiaq and Sara that intranasal corticosteroids are the most effective treatment for Allergic Rhinitis, as they cause direct reduction of nasal inflammation and have the ability to reduce nasal hyperactivity. Moreover he strictly advised Ishtiaq to keep Asim away from pets, furry carpets in their home and areas where there are cockroaches and dust mites; as all these are among the possible allergens that Asim
reacted to. Out of all these precautions, staying away from pets was something Asim was just not ready to accept. The poor kid never realized how threatening his passion for pets was to his health. Ishtiaq took two wise decisions which were to benefit Asim in the long run. One, he took strict measures to avoid all the triggers that Asim reacted to, and second, he did not ignore the symptoms. This is something that very few parents do. Our first priority remains giving home treatment to children when such symptoms appear and often the doctor is approached when the symptoms develop into complications. This is a trend that has to be altered. So whenever you see someone in your family with symptoms such as continuous sneezing (multiple bouts), nasal congestion (that causes
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problem in breathing), runny nose or red and itchy eyes, do not ignore them and visit the doctor immediately. It could be Allergic Rhinitis, as it is a global health problem, affecting around 40% children worldwide . It causes major illnesses and has psychological implications like lack of sleep, impact on the educational and work life of individuals. As for Asim, the doctor advised his parents to buy an aquarium, to which they readily agreed as keeping fish as pets would prove to be a healthier and safer hobby for their child’s health.
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