African wattled lapwings are conspicuous and unmistakable birds. They are large brown waders with a black crown, white forehead and large yellow facial wattles. The tail is white, tipped black, and the long legs are yellow. In flight, the upper wings have black flight feathers and brown coverts separated by a white bar. The underwings are white with black flight feathers. The African wattled lapwing has a loud peep-peep call.
White-faced whistling duck vocalizes frequently with distinctive high-pitched, multi-syllabic whistles which sound very unduck-like. Male and female calls differ slightly and may be a bonding mechanism. Its attractive appearance make it a popular bird in waterfowl collections. They are usually in flocks. They spend a lot of time sitting on the banks. Most foraging activity takes place at night; during the day the birds roost near the water, often in flocks of several hundred, and preen themselves and others. Whistling ducks are more arboreal than many other species of duck, spending part of the day perched on a branch. They are fast swimmers but do not dive except for food.
The King Cheetah – this unusual looking cheetah, also known as Cooper’s Cheetah, was once thought to be a separate sub-species. But it is actually an African Cheetah exhibiting a rare fur pattern mutation. A recessive gene must be inherited from both parents in order for this “blotchy” pattern to appear. First discovered in Zimbabwe in 1926, this very rare animal has been seen in the wild only 6 times. It has been known to exist in Zimbabwe, Botswana and in the northern part of South Africa’s Transvaal province. The DeWildt Cheetah Research Center in South Africa specializes in breeding this Cheetah.
