This puzzle is a member of the Map of Victoria GeoArt. It has been placed to coincide with the Parkville Mega.
"I'm a geocacher, GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!"
A group of enthusiastic geocachers had gathered around for the Parkville Mega when all hell broke loose!! There was a disturbance and animals from the nearby Melbourne Zoo escaped, making their way through the parkland, stampede style, towards the event!
As the animals descended on the Mega site, you could have easily been mistaken for thinking you were in an African COUNTRY!!
Amongst all the hysteria and panic, some interesting facts were shared between the large group of cachers as they ran for their lives.
The Rothschild's giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) is a subspecies of the giraffe. It is one of the most endangered distinct populations of giraffe, with 1671 individuals estimated in the wild in 2016. It was named after the Tring Museum's founder, Walter Rothschild, and is also known as the Baringo giraffe, after the Lake Baringo area.
The Zakouma National Park was founded in 1963, covering an area of 305,000 hectares, and is an important area in the conservation of the elephant. Between 2014 and 2016, 120 births took place, increasing the park's elephant population to 500.
The lesula monkey (Cercopithecus lomamiensis) is a species of Old World monkey in the guenon family, found in the Lomami Basin. Though known to locals, it was unknown to the international scientific community until it was discovered in 2007 and confirmed in a 2012 publication. The lesula is the second new species of African monkey to be discovered since 1984.
Gazelles are known as swift animals. Some are able to run at bursts as high as 100 km/h (60 mph) or run at a sustained speed of 50 km/h (30 mph). Gazelles are found mostly in the deserts, grasslands, and savannas of Africa. The Mongalla gazelle (Eudorcas albonotata) is a species of gazelle found in floodplain and savanna areas including the Boma National Park.
The West African lion (Panthera leo leo) is a lion population in West Africa that is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. This population is isolated and comprises fewer than 250 mature individuals. Kainji Lake and Yankari Nation Park are two areas where the lion may be found.
Common hippos are recognisable by their barrel-shaped torsos, wide-opening mouths revealing large canine tusks, nearly hairless bodies, columnar legs and large size; adults average 1,500 kg and 1,300 kg for males and females respectively. Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it is capable of running 30 km/h over short distances. It often congregates in pools, rivers, and lakes and can stay submerged for up to six minutes. Areas such as Virunga National Park used to contain Africa's largest known hippo population in the 1970s. They are finally recovering from decades of poaching and habitat loss in what is the oldest protected area in Africa.
The Masai giraffe is another subspecies of giraffe but is remarkable because it is not only the largest giraffe but also the tallest terrestrial animal in the world. The species used to be distributed widely throughout Africa but is now only found in eastern Africa. Amazingly the Masai can be seen roaming in the wild only some 7km south of the city of Nairobi in the Nairobi National Park in sight of the city's skyscrapers.
As the famous Russell Coight said, crocodiles "can grow up to 20 feet, although most just have four". They can weigh over 700kg and have a life expectancy of between 80 and 100 years. Crocodiles in Africa have been known to eat lots of muggles. In fact, at least 15 were reported to have been eaten in 2013 by crocodiles on the shores of Lake Kyoga.
The Selous Game Reserve is one of the largest fauna reserves in the world and includes habitat for the critically endangered black rhinoceros. The reserve covers a total area of 50,000 km2 and has additional buffer zones. Within the reserve no permanent human habitation or permanent structures are permitted. All (human) entry and exit is carefully controlled by the Wildlife Division This rhino stands 140–180cm and is 3–3.75m in length. An adult typically weighs from 800 to 1,400kg. The longest known black rhinoceros horn measured nearly 1.5 m in length.
The Grévy's zebra (Equus grevyi), also known as the imperial zebra, is the largest living wild equid and the largest and most threatened of the three species of zebra, the other two being the plains zebra and the mountain zebra. Named after Jules Grévy, it is the sole extant member of the subgenus Dolichohippus. The Grévy's zebra can be found in a few areas including the Yangudi Rassa. Compared with other zebras, it is tall, has large ears, and its stripes are narrower. The Grévy's zebra lives in semi-arid grasslands where it feeds on grasses, legumes, and browse. It can survive up to five days without water.
