This image was taken at the historical Kruger National Park in South Africa. Pictured above are antelopes, and based on the shape of their horns, they are probably a certain species, Impalas. Impalas are a species of antelope that can be found in the grasslands that border the woodland area of the park. Impalas are typically tan, have long horns, and have a medium sized build. The antelopes present in the photo appear darker because of the shadowing from the sunset but can be determined to be Impalas based on the males’ unique horn structure. The image includes the grassy area and shows only a few antelopes together. There are two males and two females traveling together. The antelope standing tall in the photo appears to be looking towards the camera as if to inspect the person taking the photo. The moon is very prominent in the sky suggesting that nightfall is close. The sky itself is a hue of warm red and orange, making the atmosphere in the photo seem warm and peaceful.
Moments before this image was taken, the antelope were probably resting, eating, traveling together, or running from predators. Their predators include lions, cheetahs, and leopards, all which can be found at the Kruger National Park. Impalas tend to travel in groups for safety. Usually the young and females tend to travel together in a large group while the male impalas tend to travel in smaller groups together. Traveling in larger groups makes it harder for the predator to catch prey simply because one antelope can hear or see the predator and alert the others. Impalas are very alert and quick to run and jump to avoid danger. Once alerted, they spread out and run in all directors to throw their predators off. In this image, there are only four antelopes present, suggesting they might have been separated from the rest of the herd either by running from a predator or just scattering to look for food. Moments after this photo was taken, the sun would have set completely, and the antelope would be walking around the park in the dark. Their predators would be asleep, giving the antelope ample time to graze or travel without worry for survival.
In a time period before 1898, before this photo was taken, the antelope population would have been the largest it had ever been in this area. Before the land was named Kruger, it was just a land that was open and available to visitors, whether they be good or bad. Antelopes are easy prey for bigger mammals such as lions, cheetahs, and leopards. While they travel in herds and can run and jump very high, they are still an easy target. These larger mammals depend on the antelopes need for water and lie by the watering holes, ready to attack and feast on their prey. The antelopes are smarter than their predators and wait to travel to the watering hole until midday. At this time, the sun is high in the sky and the heat radiating from it is great. This causes the lions and other predators to be quickly tired, making it difficult for them to successfully attack their prey. At this point in history, these predators would have their own predators and be considered prey. Poachers or hunters would be allowed to travel into the lands and openly hunt large mammals. They would be able to openly kill or sedate lions, cheetahs, and leopards and use them for their own personal gain. This land was open and available to anyone, there were no laws that restricted access or protected the wildlife that lived here. At this point in time, lions and cheetahs and leopards had to hide and run as well. As these big mammals were being hunted by humans, their populations began to decrease. As the number of predators decreases, the amount of prey increases as long as there is enough food to support the growing population. The antelope population would have been high because there would have been less and less predators to attack and eat the prey.
There are layers of history that are built up when talking about Kruger National Park. After learning about the history and the purpose of the land, these layers build up. These layers are also being torn apart as the history of the park is fading and being forgotten. Kruger National Park is more of a tourist attraction now and wildlife nature reserve. The purpose of the park was to help keep wildlife safe and protected in this area from poachers and hunters.
This photo tells a story of the land as we know it now, the Kruger National Park. This park is known for its species richness and diversity. There are at least seven hundred species of animals and nineteen hundred species of plants that live and thrive on this land. There are one hundred and thirty rock sites, or areas where there are unique rock formations, located at Kruger. This park is also known to be named after its founder, Paul Kruger, who was able to accomplish his goal of protecting the wildlife in this certain area. While many of these facts are often known or easily remembered, there are many things are often forgotten or not known about the park. Homo erectus, the earliest known humans with modern human proportions, roamed Kruger National Park around five hundred thousand years ago. There were many artifacts found in recent years that help prove the existence of Homo erectus and its place in time in relation to the national park. There are also two hundred and fifty-four known cultural heritage sites on the land. Kruger National Park is a very historical place, but the historical aspect has gotten lost and is easily forgotten. The shape of the land itself has become forgotten. Many people take tourist trips through the park and ride in carts and cars down dirt roads created for an easier mode of transportation. The land before was not carved out to our liking and what would be better for us as tourists, but it was carved out for the wildlife, plants and animals that live there. The first trails were created by a man named Ian Player in 1957. These trails are still used today as roads for the safari adventures and tourist walks.
The Kruger National Park is very susceptible to severe flooding and severe droughts that can have a major effect on the land. There were a few major flood events that really changed the park. The park severely flooded back in February of 2000 and caused damage to the infrastructure and roads connecting areas of the land, as well as wiping out all power and water. There was also another severe flood in 2012 due to heavy downpours of rain ranging from one hundred and twenty to two hundred and seventy millimeters. This downpour was described as a once in a hundred-year rain. There were even more severe floods in 2013, 2016, and even earlier this year (2020) back in February. There are many drought events that have caused the park to suffer in recent years. A severe drought occurred after the El nino natural disaster in 2015/2016. The drought caused a loss of biodiversity across the land, including a loss of plants. As a result, there was at least a loss of one herbivorous animal species. Herbivores are animals that obtain their energy from eating autotrophs, or organisms that can create energy and food for themselves. Autotrophs are generally plants; they convert light energy into food and oxygen for other species including humans. The loss of one species does not sound very important, but it is very important. Every species plays its own role in the environment whether it be big or small. Removing one species would cause an increase in the prey they feed on, the plants, and a decrease in the predators that feed on them, a larger organism. Losing one species, known or unknown, is not good for the environment.
After the park was declared a protected national park, the biodiversity has remained high. The area is large enough to accommodate every species special needs. The park gives back to its inhabitants by providing a place to stay, food, and water for the animals and plants. There are many plants and animal species that depend on each other living together at this park. There are predator and prey relationships, but they allow for population control of certain species. There are also newer restrictions on poaching and hunting at Kruger. There are park rangers readily available to inspect the area and prevent hunters from entering. This land is almost twenty-thousand square kilometers, giving the wildlife animals space to roam free, spread out, grow, and develop in a natural environment.
Being the animal I am, I can see the beauty of the land. I wake up early and head out of hiding with my family. Kicking my feet back and huffing my breath one good time, I join the herd of other women walking away. I am young, but not still a child, just too young to have one of my own. I stick close to the other ladies and keep my cool. Slowly we walk straight ahead. The morning sun peaking over the horizon begins to warm my fur. As we walk, I see others getting up and walking as well. A few call out to us but we keep pushing forward, never turning to look to see who called out. The males are leading the way today and keeping an eye out for the predator. We were told to stay back and be careful. It’s easier said than done considering the young ones we have to take care of. They always want to run off and leave us in the distance. That is how we lose them, every time. The walk so far had been peaceful and nice. That is until we reached the watering hole. There they were a full pride. There were lions to the left and leopards to the right, all waiting anxiously for a meal to come their way. They stared at us all and licked their lips, excited to see a meal walking close. We all stopped and decided to hold back for now and wait for midday. By this time, the predators would be too tired to chase us and we would be free to drink. After what felt like hours, the sun finally reached its peak. We then began our journey forward to the hole. As we had suspected, the lions nor leopards moved, instead they just watched us as they lay tried by the water. We were free to drink and wasted no time doing so. After we finished, we began our journey back to our side of the park, to our home. The whole park was like home to us, but more specifically our corner of the park was home. As we traveled back, we slowed our pace even further. This time, we took time to look around and respond back to the other animals who called out to us. They were our neighbors, we had to keep our relationship strong. Most of the animals here do something to help one another and that is how it has always been. It would be impossible to survive without some of the bonds and connections we have to the other animals here. As we returned home the group started to scatter. I met up with my mother, father, and brother. We were walking around as the sun began to set. We were finding our food for the night as my father saw something in the distance. He looked straight ahead and kept his ears perked. No one else in my family seemed concerned so I kept on eating. Afterwards, the sun finally set and we were free, free to roam under the stars.
Works Cited
"Fenced out of Nature." Conservation International, www.conservation.org/stories/fenced-out-of-nature?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIte-Oopri7AIVjIbACh2EvAqAEAAYASAAEgJQXvD_BwE. Accessed 27 Oct. 2020.
Google, gcs.thesouthafrican.com/2019/11/06ed5245-kruger-national-park-lodges-scaled.jpeg. Accessed 21 Oct. 2020.
"History." Kruger Park Travel, 19 Oct. 2020, www.krugerpark.travel/history/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2020.
"Homo Erectus." The Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins Program, 10 Jan. 2020, humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/species/homo-erectus. Accessed 30 Oct. 2020.
"Impala." OneKindPlanet, onekindplanet.org/animal/impala. Accessed 19 Oct. 2020.
"The Kruger National Park's Flood History." Getaway Magazine, 27 Feb. 2020, www.getaway.co.za/travel-news/the-kruger-national-parks-flood-history/. Accessed 29 Oct. 2020.
"Mammals of the Kruger National Park." African Safari Tours | South Africa, Namibia, Botswana - African Sky, 2019, www.africansky.com/african-travel/south-africa/destinations/national-parks/kruger-park/kruger-national-park-mammals. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.
"Recent Droughts in the Kruger National Park As Reflected in the Extreme Climate Index." Taylor & Francis, 24 Mar. 2020, www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2989/10220119.2020.1718755?journalCode=tarf20. Accessed 25 Oct. 2020.
Moments before this image was taken, the antelope were probably resting, eating, traveling together, or running from predators. Their predators include lions, cheetahs, and leopards, all which can be found at the Kruger National Park. Impalas tend to travel in groups for safety. Usually the young and females tend to travel together in a large group while the male impalas tend to travel in smaller groups together. Traveling in larger groups makes it harder for the predator to catch prey simply because one antelope can hear or see the predator and alert the others. Impalas are very alert and quick to run and jump to avoid danger. Once alerted, they spread out and run in all directors to throw their predators off. In this image, there are only four antelopes present, suggesting they might have been separated from the rest of the herd either by running from a predator or just scattering to look for food. Moments after this photo was taken, the sun would have set completely, and the antelope would be walking around the park in the dark. Their predators would be asleep, giving the antelope ample time to graze or travel without worry for survival.
In a time period before 1898, before this photo was taken, the antelope population would have been the largest it had ever been in this area. Before the land was named Kruger, it was just a land that was open and available to visitors, whether they be good or bad. Antelopes are easy prey for bigger mammals such as lions, cheetahs, and leopards. While they travel in herds and can run and jump very high, they are still an easy target. These larger mammals depend on the antelopes need for water and lie by the watering holes, ready to attack and feast on their prey. The antelopes are smarter than their predators and wait to travel to the watering hole until midday. At this time, the sun is high in the sky and the heat radiating from it is great. This causes the lions and other predators to be quickly tired, making it difficult for them to successfully attack their prey. At this point in history, these predators would have their own predators and be considered prey. Poachers or hunters would be allowed to travel into the lands and openly hunt large mammals. They would be able to openly kill or sedate lions, cheetahs, and leopards and use them for their own personal gain. This land was open and available to anyone, there were no laws that restricted access or protected the wildlife that lived here. At this point in time, lions and cheetahs and leopards had to hide and run as well. As these big mammals were being hunted by humans, their populations began to decrease. As the number of predators decreases, the amount of prey increases as long as there is enough food to support the growing population. The antelope population would have been high because there would have been less and less predators to attack and eat the prey.
There are layers of history that are built up when talking about Kruger National Park. After learning about the history and the purpose of the land, these layers build up. These layers are also being torn apart as the history of the park is fading and being forgotten. Kruger National Park is more of a tourist attraction now and wildlife nature reserve. The purpose of the park was to help keep wildlife safe and protected in this area from poachers and hunters.
This photo tells a story of the land as we know it now, the Kruger National Park. This park is known for its species richness and diversity. There are at least seven hundred species of animals and nineteen hundred species of plants that live and thrive on this land. There are one hundred and thirty rock sites, or areas where there are unique rock formations, located at Kruger. This park is also known to be named after its founder, Paul Kruger, who was able to accomplish his goal of protecting the wildlife in this certain area. While many of these facts are often known or easily remembered, there are many things are often forgotten or not known about the park. Homo erectus, the earliest known humans with modern human proportions, roamed Kruger National Park around five hundred thousand years ago. There were many artifacts found in recent years that help prove the existence of Homo erectus and its place in time in relation to the national park. There are also two hundred and fifty-four known cultural heritage sites on the land. Kruger National Park is a very historical place, but the historical aspect has gotten lost and is easily forgotten. The shape of the land itself has become forgotten. Many people take tourist trips through the park and ride in carts and cars down dirt roads created for an easier mode of transportation. The land before was not carved out to our liking and what would be better for us as tourists, but it was carved out for the wildlife, plants and animals that live there. The first trails were created by a man named Ian Player in 1957. These trails are still used today as roads for the safari adventures and tourist walks.
The Kruger National Park is very susceptible to severe flooding and severe droughts that can have a major effect on the land. There were a few major flood events that really changed the park. The park severely flooded back in February of 2000 and caused damage to the infrastructure and roads connecting areas of the land, as well as wiping out all power and water. There was also another severe flood in 2012 due to heavy downpours of rain ranging from one hundred and twenty to two hundred and seventy millimeters. This downpour was described as a once in a hundred-year rain. There were even more severe floods in 2013, 2016, and even earlier this year (2020) back in February. There are many drought events that have caused the park to suffer in recent years. A severe drought occurred after the El nino natural disaster in 2015/2016. The drought caused a loss of biodiversity across the land, including a loss of plants. As a result, there was at least a loss of one herbivorous animal species. Herbivores are animals that obtain their energy from eating autotrophs, or organisms that can create energy and food for themselves. Autotrophs are generally plants; they convert light energy into food and oxygen for other species including humans. The loss of one species does not sound very important, but it is very important. Every species plays its own role in the environment whether it be big or small. Removing one species would cause an increase in the prey they feed on, the plants, and a decrease in the predators that feed on them, a larger organism. Losing one species, known or unknown, is not good for the environment.
After the park was declared a protected national park, the biodiversity has remained high. The area is large enough to accommodate every species special needs. The park gives back to its inhabitants by providing a place to stay, food, and water for the animals and plants. There are many plants and animal species that depend on each other living together at this park. There are predator and prey relationships, but they allow for population control of certain species. There are also newer restrictions on poaching and hunting at Kruger. There are park rangers readily available to inspect the area and prevent hunters from entering. This land is almost twenty-thousand square kilometers, giving the wildlife animals space to roam free, spread out, grow, and develop in a natural environment.
Being the animal I am, I can see the beauty of the land. I wake up early and head out of hiding with my family. Kicking my feet back and huffing my breath one good time, I join the herd of other women walking away. I am young, but not still a child, just too young to have one of my own. I stick close to the other ladies and keep my cool. Slowly we walk straight ahead. The morning sun peaking over the horizon begins to warm my fur. As we walk, I see others getting up and walking as well. A few call out to us but we keep pushing forward, never turning to look to see who called out. The males are leading the way today and keeping an eye out for the predator. We were told to stay back and be careful. It’s easier said than done considering the young ones we have to take care of. They always want to run off and leave us in the distance. That is how we lose them, every time. The walk so far had been peaceful and nice. That is until we reached the watering hole. There they were a full pride. There were lions to the left and leopards to the right, all waiting anxiously for a meal to come their way. They stared at us all and licked their lips, excited to see a meal walking close. We all stopped and decided to hold back for now and wait for midday. By this time, the predators would be too tired to chase us and we would be free to drink. After what felt like hours, the sun finally reached its peak. We then began our journey forward to the hole. As we had suspected, the lions nor leopards moved, instead they just watched us as they lay tried by the water. We were free to drink and wasted no time doing so. After we finished, we began our journey back to our side of the park, to our home. The whole park was like home to us, but more specifically our corner of the park was home. As we traveled back, we slowed our pace even further. This time, we took time to look around and respond back to the other animals who called out to us. They were our neighbors, we had to keep our relationship strong. Most of the animals here do something to help one another and that is how it has always been. It would be impossible to survive without some of the bonds and connections we have to the other animals here. As we returned home the group started to scatter. I met up with my mother, father, and brother. We were walking around as the sun began to set. We were finding our food for the night as my father saw something in the distance. He looked straight ahead and kept his ears perked. No one else in my family seemed concerned so I kept on eating. Afterwards, the sun finally set and we were free, free to roam under the stars.
Works Cited
"Fenced out of Nature." Conservation International, www.conservation.org/stories/fenced-out-of-nature?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIte-Oopri7AIVjIbACh2EvAqAEAAYASAAEgJQXvD_BwE. Accessed 27 Oct. 2020.
Google, gcs.thesouthafrican.com/2019/11/06ed5245-kruger-national-park-lodges-scaled.jpeg. Accessed 21 Oct. 2020.
"History." Kruger Park Travel, 19 Oct. 2020, www.krugerpark.travel/history/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2020.
"Homo Erectus." The Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins Program, 10 Jan. 2020, humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/species/homo-erectus. Accessed 30 Oct. 2020.
"Impala." OneKindPlanet, onekindplanet.org/animal/impala. Accessed 19 Oct. 2020.
"The Kruger National Park's Flood History." Getaway Magazine, 27 Feb. 2020, www.getaway.co.za/travel-news/the-kruger-national-parks-flood-history/. Accessed 29 Oct. 2020.
"Mammals of the Kruger National Park." African Safari Tours | South Africa, Namibia, Botswana - African Sky, 2019, www.africansky.com/african-travel/south-africa/destinations/national-parks/kruger-park/kruger-national-park-mammals. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.
"Recent Droughts in the Kruger National Park As Reflected in the Extreme Climate Index." Taylor & Francis, 24 Mar. 2020, www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2989/10220119.2020.1718755?journalCode=tarf20. Accessed 25 Oct. 2020.