Wild Africa

As soon as they stepped into the park, they saw a few tall creatures looking at them, with long eyelashes and **** eyes full of curiosity. Catherine and Joanna, who were walking in front, were full of youthful vigor, standing on tiptoe by the fence, wanting to touch They, this giraffe, also have a good temper and bowed their heads to cooperate.

  Matthew pointed to the top: "Ladies, don't worry down there, let's go to the second floor and feed them with our own hands!"

It is much more convenient to come to the corridor on the second floor. The giraffe normally stands at the same height as them, and the staff next to it is holding a piece of alfalfa in its hand. At a glance, it is clear that tourists have paid for it. But An Feng discovered that Bazel, the boss, also had to pay.

Sensing An Feng's gaze, Bazel explained: "The Fund for Animal Protection has limited funding, and poaching has been serious in recent years, so the money must be spent on key points, and even most of the hotel's annual profits are invested in it. Try to It needs to be self-sufficient in order to survive in the long run."

   "Good idea." An Feng said.

Seeing that everyone was very happy feeding the giraffe, An Feng also brought some food forward. The giraffe stretched out its head. An Feng hugged its big head and spread his palms. very happy. The closest contact is much more interesting than the zoo.

The giraffe did not forget to please him after eating, wanting to get more rewards, An Feng got close to take a photo with it, and was licked by the hot long tongue without paying attention. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and only touched One point, if you don't get rolled by such a big tongue...it's like washing your face.

An Feng took a few steps back with a smile, saying that everyone was hugging the giraffe, but they were very affectionate. Bazel reminded everyone: "The buck has a bad temper, and you may get angry if you touch it. To pet the doe, as long as you give them something to eat, they will basically refuse to pet them!"

  An Feng stood beside him and said, "You're pretty good at research."

   "Do this often, and find out their habits." Bazel said.

  Played for a while, then everyone bid farewell to the giraffe and left from the other side of the stairs. The next stop is the breeding area, also called the adoption area, which is dedicated to adopting and caring for small animals that have lost their parents. The managers of the reserve will bring them back and release them to nature after they are raised to a certain age.

The Little Lion Center is not open today, and many foreign tourists leave disappointed. Although there are many wild animals in Africa, there are still very few opportunities to get close to them. At least when you go out to see them, you must be separated by a layer of glass or protection. Yes, very few can or dare to touch it.

  The sign at the door is clearly written, the price of 40 dollars is close contact, but there is a closing reminder below. But as soon as Bazel arrived, the staff opened the door automatically... There is no doubt, it was the boss who came over, and they specially vacated the seat for them exclusively.

There are two little guys who have just lost their mothers. After the cage was opened, they ran out like puppies and ran around the room. They were very naughty. The little lions went around in circles with the staff, but they refused to catch them, but they were still reacted to later. Sensitively grabbing the skin on the back of his neck, he lifted it up.

   It was almost no surprise that the two cubs were given to the lady first.

The one in Joanna's arms was only two or three weeks old. It had two big watery eyes, black eyes, round ears, and a big belly. It was the same as Xiaobai at home. She is ignorant and curious about everything, and does not refuse the touch of strangers at all. This natural cuteness is simply a lady killer, even men can't resist the innocence and cuteness of young animals.

They stayed with the little lion for the most time. After everyone came out satisfied, it was getting late, and they walked around the garden again. It is not big, and it can basically be walked in ten minutes, but if you stop and look, you have to Spend a long time taking photos with giraffes, teasing lion cubs, watching cheetahs sleeping late, or going to see the rare century-old tortoise, leisurely hiding under the shade of trees to enjoy the cool.

  Until the evening, everyone was finally tired from playing and went back to have dinner. Due to the time difference, there was no activity at night, so they all went back to the house to rest.

the next day.

  Everyone gathers in front of the hotel after putting on breathable and loose-fitting clothes in the morning.

   Four cars were parked outside. The eight of them were divided into three groups according to the family and took three cars. There was also a car for accompanying security guards. Four black men with guns were hired by the wildlife park to drive away poachers. In addition to security guards, there are four drivers and guides, and another animal expert.

  An Feng looked at the animal expert a few more times because...his name is Darwin. It is said that it is an expert from England who specializes in the study of lions, leopards and other beasts.

Darwin has worked in Africa for many years and knows this area well. When he learned that Bazel and his party were going to hunt, he made a list for them. According to the number of wild animals this year, hunting without affecting the ecological balance, the maximum allowed Two lions, two elephants, five leopards...

In fact, the impact of commercial hunting on the ecology is far less than that of human activities—such as industrial development, urban expansion, mining of minerals, etc. Although it is not possible to see how many animals died because of this, it affects the entire biological chain behind it, and the number on the verge of extinction is far greater than that of human activities. Much more than commercial hunting.

   Of course, poaching is not included.

Darwin was deeply resentful about poaching: "Just two months ago, many armed poachers appeared in the northwest area close to Rwanda, killing more than a dozen elephants one after another, and there is a tendency to spread southward. The army Some people went to investigate, but nothing came out!"

  Bazel said: "Go back and ask the security team to seize the security checks in the surrounding area."

  Darwin said: "But only our area can be protected, and other national parks may become a place for poachers to gain profits."

  Bazel shook his head: "You know that this kind of thing is inevitable. We are not omnipotent. We can only protect what we can take care of."

  Darwin also knew this, but he still looked helpless.

Bazel came in front of everyone, and two security guards took the weapon box from the car, he said: "We are operating in a private protected area, and Darwin will give you a list for each team, follow the above regulations, there are some There are limits to how animals can be hunted, and the methods are on it."

   Next is to shoot the shotgun.

There are also restrictions on hunters' guns. Large magazines or automatic weapons are prohibited. You can choose double-barreled shotguns, or some rifles in the catalog, such as a Steyr SSG-PI held by An Feng, and he was in the United States. The SSG69 sniper rifle is similar, but it is a commercial model, with iron sights removed, a heavier barrel, and a .243 Winchester round that is smaller than the .308 version.

After taking one or two shotguns, the average number of guns in the team has reached 1.5. I am afraid that it is also the most powerful tour group in Tanzania. The most in the hands of others are cameras or fruit knives. With a gun on his back, he is full of toughness!

  After the preparations are complete, everyone gets in the car.

These four Wranglers have been modified to varying degrees. Originally, the Wrangler claimed that its off-road performance was comparable to that of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. it. But comfort is not considered.

  In fact, in Africa, you don't need to consider comfort. The main thing is to have a soft chair, and it's heaven to have an air conditioner blowing cold wind, and you can do anything else. The roofs of these four vehicles are all modified to be in a liftable mode, which can support a shed, allowing people to stand up in the car and look at the external scenery.

  After the convoy set off, everyone was standing uniformly, the sun was covered by the ceiling above their heads, they were wearing sunglasses, wrapped in face scarves, and they picked up their cameras to look around. An Feng and Joanna share a car, with a driver and guide on board, and a car radio to keep communication unblocked at all times.

  They play very high-end games. The other tourist teams encountered on the road are inferior to them in terms of equipment and vehicles, and the tourists are purely for viewing, while they have the purpose of hunting. This time, except for the rare animals on the list, there are no restrictions on other zebras, antelopes, etc.

   Especially hyenas, because lions are illegally poached excessively, the hyenas have no natural enemies, and the result is naturally flooding and seriously damaging the ecosystem. Therefore, hyenas are currently shot freely in many African countries, aiming to control their numbers to a reasonable level.

   After walking a few kilometers along the dirt road, the guide car turned into a private reserve and bumped forward on the grassland. The Wrangler has strong off-road performance. It has three differential locks and non-independent suspension to ensure that it can pass obstacles even when only one tire is on the ground.

Darwin's voice was on the radio, and he was introducing the area: "Last week, there was a group of hyenas with a number of about 30. My colleagues filmed scenes where they snatched food from cheetahs and lions. If you go in this direction, you may gain something."

The team increased the speed of the car. The surrounding design of the roof is very thoughtful, with armrests and cushions, which makes it comfortable for people to lean on. An Feng and Joanna looked at the open grassland around them. It's not much, and I have to sit back and blow dry frequently.

   About ten minutes later, the convoy returned to another road.

   Within a few minutes, a voice came from the guide car: "Attention, there are a group of Xiangqun crossing the road ahead. There are many small elephants. Stop and turn off the engine. Be careful not to provoke them."

Darwin acted as the narrator at the right time: "Little elephants are very timid and easily frightened, especially the sound of the engine. Once it is frightened, the elephant will get angry. Our few cars can't stand it. So they passed Be careful on the road and don't get too close."

  Everyone stands up and observes the herd of elephants crossing the road.

Compared with the elephants An Feng saw in the zoo, these African elephants are a little thinner and dirty, but the baby elephants are cute, with short noses, they cross the road with their mothers, very well-behaved, and won many cameras rattling sound. But there are also special elephants with a bunch of grass rolled up in their noses and come to the side of the road to eat, and then their accomplices stretch their noses to grab the grass in its mouth, but it looks like it is trying to kiss, which is very funny.

These two elephants don't even cross the road, so they just roll up grass and eat in the middle of the road. If there is a traffic jam, the driver who is impatient may have already honked his horn, but this is not the case here. It is no longer a human world, it is an animal kingdom. Animals are the masters, and humans can only escape when they get angry.

  Patiently wait for the herd of elephants to cross the road, and then continue to set off. A voice came from the radio: "Good luck, there are lions hunting ahead!"

An Feng looked around, but couldn't find anything except a patch of weeds. The two of them searched together, and there were various inquiries on the radio. Obviously, these novices were not as sharp as the eyes of experts. After Darwin pointed out the specific direction, It was difficult for everyone to find the lion group hiding in the weeds.

   There are about three or four lionesses staring at the gazelles grazing not far away.

   Then Darwin's voice sounded: "Oh! There is a group of hyenas in the northwest! It seems that this lion hunt will be very exciting!"