2006 RV - Doug & Crystal

The African elephant is the largest land animal in the world. They can grow to 29-24 feet long, and can reach heights of 11 feet tall while weighing 5-7 tons. The females are smaller than the males and have smaller tusks. The African elephant is characterized by its brownish-grey color, large flat ears, tusks (which can vary in length) and a trunk with two finger-like tips at the end. The diet of African elephants is comprised of bark, fruit, grass and leaves. At times they may topple trees completely over just to feed on them. They drink 50 gallons of water a day. They are very adaptable, but they prefer areas providing grass and leafy vegetation and clean drinking water.

The Masai Giraffe is a herding animal and lives in the Savanna. They are native to most of Africa, south of the Sahara. Tallest of all mammals, male giraffe attain an overall height of 18 feet with the female at 16 feet. Both male and female have the same size legs. They have a short body for an animal of this size and very long legs and neck. Its long neck contains only the seven vertebrae typical of most mammals. The tail is tufted and there is a short mane on the neck. The tongue can be 17 -inches long. Giraffe also have short bony horns that are covered with hair and skin.

Lions are found in the sub-Saharan region of Africa in savannas, grasslands, dense bush and woodlands. Lions are the most powerful African predator and largest of Africa’s cat family. Males are five and a half to eight feet long and can weigh 330 to 528 pounds. Females weigh 260 to 400 pounds and are just over six feet long. The young have rosettes and spots, which disappear as the animal matures. Males have manes, of which size and color varies on each lion. The female lion has a white beard and white whiskers. The backs of their ears are black and their tails end with a tuft of black hair.
The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), our national bird is the only eagle unique to North America. The bald eagle's scientific name signifies a sea (halo) eagle (aeetos) with a white (leukos) head. At one time, the word bald, meant white, not hairless. Bald eagles are found in most of North America, from Alaska and Canada to northern Mexico. About half of the world's 70,000 bald eagles live in Alaska. Combined with British Columbia's population of about 20,000, the northwest coast of North America is by far their greatest stronghold for bald eagles. They flourish here in part because of the salmon. Dead or dying fish are an important food source for all bald eagles.