national geographic kids south africa

9 771811 723006HELP US SET A GUINNESS WORLD RECORD TITLE HELP US SET A GUINNESS WORLD RECORD TITLE SET A GUINNESS WORLD RECORD TITLE... Cover PhotograPh: © toNY heaLD / NPL / MINDeN P

Issue 109 September 2013 R28,00 (VAT incl.) 9 771811 723006

HELP US SET A GUINNESS WORLD RECORD TITLE

HELP US SET A GUINNESS WORLD RECORD TITLE

SET A

GUINNESS WORLD RECORD TITLE

H I, K i D S

There are so many positive things to get involved in this month – all

of which we should be doing for the rest of the year So here is an action list of things to do Tick as many as you can!

Dare to Explore!

LUCKY SUBSCRIBER LUCKY SUBSCRIBER LUCKY SUBSCRIBER LUCKY SUBSCRIBER LUCKY SUBS LUCKY SUBS LUCKY SUBS

• Escape from Planet Earth (Blu-ray or DVD)

• Camp chair

• Sleeping bag

• Two man tent

• T-shirt

September’s subscriber of the month is Kerrisha Dorasamy, 7, from

Woodmead, Sandton She has won* the ultimate Escape From Planet Earth

* Terms and conditions on page 39

Send us your letters, pictures and

comments Let us know when it is your

birthday We want to hear from you!

• Write to us at: The Editor, NG KIDS,

PO Box 1802, Cape Town 8000.

• Send an e-mail to fiona@ngkids.co.za or

SMS* a letter to “NGK Letters” at 33970.

* SMSs cost R1,50 Free SMSs do not

apply See www.ngkids.co.za for terms

and conditions.

L E

T T

E R O

F T H E

M O N

T HCARIKA AND TINKA

PS I’D LOVE TO KNOW WHaT yOUR FaVOURITE STORIES, COVERS aND POSTERS HaVE BEEN SO FaR THIS yEaR

DEaR FIONa

I’M CRazy aBOUT NG KIDS! I LOVE

aNIMaLS jUST aS MUCH aND THIS

MaGazINE IS PERFECT BECaUSE IT TEaCHES

ME aBOUT aNIMaLS I HOPE I CaN MEET

yOU SOMEDay THIS IS My DOG TINKa,

SHE’S a CROSS BETWEEN a BOERBOEL aND

a PITBULL SHE’S My yOUNGEST DOG, BUT

THE LaRGEST I’D LIKE TO KNOW IF yOU

COULD DO aN ISSUE ON TIGERS.

1 September | Spring Day

• Unscramble the flower names (page 45)

• Go on a nature trail

2 to 6 September | Arbor Week

• Plant a tree

8 September | International Literacy Day

• Enter our competition to win book hampers (page 15)

• Read more books

16 to 21 September | Clean-up SA week

• Get involved in a clean-up party

20 September | National Recycling day

• Get crafty with recycled material (page 46)

• Help your parents with the recycling at home

21 to 29 September | NG Great Nature Project

• Turn to page 12 and enter

24 September | Heritage Day

• Read 30 cool things about SA (page 36)

• Win a gas braai or a book for your parents (page 38)

• Ask a friend about their cultural traditions

Pet Friends Forever

Find the vulture! We

hid ten vultures in the magazine Here’s one

of them but can you

spot all ten?

12

38 48

Young Chefs Competition

It’s your last chance to enter!

Braai Day Competition

Win a braai or a cool book

Fun Factory

Win movie hampers and CDs

Cover PhotograPh: © toNY heaLD / NPL / MINDeN PICtUreS Page 3: JaMeS garaghtY (FIoNa); aLL other IMageS SUPPLIeD Page 4: IStoCKPhoto (vULtUre ILLUStratIoN, hIMaLaYaN Cat, 30 CooL thINgS aBoUt SoUth aFrICa, What IN the WorLD); FIoNa thoMSoN (BIrD); aFrIPICS (vULtUre, hUMPBaCK WhaLe);

ON THE COVER

ADVERTORIAL

We know how much you love your pets

Now you can send us photos, drawings

You can also send questions about your pet to our NG KIDS vet.

Like Persian cats but with big blue

eyes The basic colour is white or

cream.

They are very friendly and love

human company.

The long, lush coat has to be

brushed every day!

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2

3

(

( {

{

{ {

Professor Paws.

A: Like humans dogs can be allergic to pollen and grass A lot

of pollen is released in spring when trees bud and flowers bloom It’s best to ask your vet to find out what she is allergic to Your vet might do a skin test.

Q: Why is my dog so sneezy and itchy?

f o r y o u r d o g Ask your parent to do these

with you as you have to be very

gentle and you don’t want a

nip If you are in any doubt,

visit your vet.

I spy In hIs eye Gently pull the eyelids apart

with your index finger and thumb Can you see

your reflection? All is fine Go to the vet if they

are milky.

note hIs nose Is it wet and cold? then your dog

is healthy and happy If it’s warm and dry it may be

that he is dehydrated.

peer In hIs eAr Look for any discharge,

swelling or smell that could be an ear infection

you can clean your dog’s ears every so often with

a cotton wool dipped in ear wash.

Dear Fiona

This is my dog, Piper She is four years old We take her to the beach for walks.

She has lots of energy and always wants to play.

She is a good vacuum cleaner when food drops on the floor at dinner time.

She runs a lot and loves to play – especially ball.

This picture shows how she likes

to sleep.

I love NG KIDS and hope you can put her picture in the magazine.

– James Thornton, 7, Blouberg,

Cape Town

Piper

8 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3

Juergen Freund / Caters news (siswi, both); JeFF Moore / splash news / newsCoM (triFle);

© darren england / newspix (Migaloo); © Mike batterhaM / newspix (Migaloo digging)

teeth

oPen wide!

Central Kalimantan, borneo

Siswi the orang-utan would make a dentist proud The 34-year-old

ape has been spotted scrubbing her teeth with a toothbrush! “She

doesn’t brush regularly,” says Biruté Mary Galdikas, president of

Orangutan Foundation International, which works to protect Tanjung

Puting National Park where Siswi lives “But if someone hands her a

toothbrush and she’s in the mood, she’ll start cleaning her mouth.”

Does Siswi scrub her chompers to prevent cavities? Not exactly

Orang-utans sometimes use their fingers to clean their teeth but

they’re also very good at imitating actions they see Siswi has

watched many humans living in the area brush their teeth at a

nearby river “When she brushes, she’s copying them,” Biruté says

The orang-utan may also enjoy the minty taste of toothpaste

Another reason why the animal cleans her teeth: she’s getting ready

to pose for the camera “Siswi’s much more likely to start brushing if

someone’s about to take a picture,” Biruté says “She’s a bit of a diva.”

– John Micklos, Jr

where did i put the floss?

When Trifle the hedgehog injured three of his legs, he received a lot of TLC – and some

fancy footwear To help the prickly animal recover, veterinarians at Tiggywinkles

Wildlife Hospital fitted his legs with miniature blue casts

Trifle had been rushed to the hospital after he was found limping badly

An X-ray showed the hedgehog’s front leg was broken and his two back legs

were fractured Vets wrapped the limbs in bandages and plaster, just like

casts made for humans Soon Trifle was on the move again “This little guy

had so much energy, even casts couldn’t stop him from running around,”

head nurse Clare Campbell says “And they positioned his bones so they could

heal more quickly.”

After a couple of months, Trifle’s casts came off and the hedgehog was set

free in the hospital’s garden so vets could keep an eye on him “Trifle is

coping very well without the casts,” Clare says “He doesn’t miss them – even

though they did make him look pretty stylish!” – John Micklos, Jr.

Now Migaloo regularly joins excavation teams to search for remains of Australia’s first inhabitants, the Aborigine The pup’s coolest find? Bones that were 600 years old and buried two metres underground!

“Dogs have at least 125 million receptors in their noses that pick up scents – humans only have 5 to 10 million,” dog expert Stewart Hilliard says “This super sensitive snout makes dogs like Migaloo great for archaeological work.”

Migaloo also has some cool moves “When she makes a find, she does a shimmy,”

Gary says “It’s her victory dance.” – April Capochino Myers

blue is definitely

10 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3

Check out these

outrageous facts.

By michelle harris and julie Beer

© Isselee / DreamstIme (aarDvark, horse), © rangIzzz / DreamstIme (DIrt), © stanIslav voronov / DreamstIme (shovel), Image DIgItally composeD;

© Darko plohl / DreamstIme (strawberry); © renker666 / DreamstIme (musIc notes); © nIlsz / DreamstIme (tabasco); © russell glenIster /

corbIs (cat); © mIchael eDwarD / DreamstIme (moth); © luchschen / DreamstIme (tortIlla); © nIxIp / DreamstIme (skIn)

check out the book

National Geographic Kids Weird But True

5 and the

Weird But True app

MORE? WANT

MORE? WANT

MORE? WANT

WANT MORE? MORE? WANT

MORE? WANT

MORE? WANT

MORE? WANT

WANT MORE?

MORE? WANT

MORE? WANT

MORE? WANT

MORE? WANT

WANT MORE? MORE? WANT

AARDV ARK

CAN DIG FASTER THAN SEVERAL

SHOVELS PEOPLE WITH

HOUSE CATS.

Some

artists

paint portraits

on baked tortillas

Tabasco sauce

in space.

larGest online photo album of animals!

We know you love exploring So why not take a picture to show the world? From 21 to 29 September 2013 people all over the

planet will be sharing awesome outdoor photos as part of the Great Nature Project It is a worldwide celebration encouraging people of all ages to appreciate nature by taking a snapshot of a plant or an animal and sharing it Together we’ll create a global snapshot of the diverse life on our planet – and every animal picture will help set a Guinness World Record Title

All photos must incorporate a plant or an animal but only the

Guinness World Record Title.

Go wild! In South Africa we are

an amazing variety of plants,

but photographs taken in your

backyard will do.

Close-up pics are better

than faraway shots.

Adults can upload their pictures to Instagram, Flickr and Twitter using the hashtag #greatnature

To take part in the record add #animal to any photo of an animal.

Go online for more information about the Great nature Project:

kids.nationalgeographic.com/Greatnature

It’s easy to partIcIpate!

Take a picture of an animal – a butterfly, a squirrel, even your pet outside (The animal must be a major part of the photo, which must be at least 300 by 300 pixels.)

Grab a parent and upload your photo to ngkidsmyshot.com

Hashtag the photo #GreatNature and #animal

Go take more photos! You can upload as many as you want,

as long as they’re all different

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Bo the dog and Michelle oBaMa

on the White house laWn

selena goMez’s dog Baylor

in los angeles, californi a

Michelle oBaMa snaps the aBove self-portrait of

Bo and her.

PLUS! check out animal photos

by america’s

first lady, Michelle obama,

selena gomez,

danica patrick, and more at

kids.nationalgeographic.com/

Greatnature

We need

100 000 of animals to set this photos

record So get your fr

iends, family – even your entire school – to send us animal pictures!

Choose your category and make your

favourite dish (or dishes).

Give your dish an original title!

Write down your recipe and take a photo of your fab food Remember to send in only ONE recipe per category!

Post to: NG KIDS Young Chefs

Competition, PO Box 1802, Cape Town

8001 Don’t forget to include the entry

form on page 39*!

E-mail to: yc@ngkids.co.za Include all the

information on the entry form in your e-mail.

Deliver to: NG KIDS Office, Media24, 18th floor, ABSA Building, 4 Adderley Street, Cape Town Enter online: Visit the NG KIDS SA fan page

on Facebook and click on the Young Chefs Competition tab at www.facebook.com/

Do you have a recipe for a healthy

meal that will make you a sports

star or keep your mind sharp? It

could be a salad, smoothie or a

main meal

WEiRd buT TRuE saNdW icH

Invent your own awesome

combination for a wrap or make

up your own wacky sandwich

filling Go wild with cream cheese,

herbs or maybe vegetables

PaRTy sNacks

What do you think would be the best

savoury or sweet snack to have at

your next party?

PERFEcT PadkOs

OR OuTdOOR FOOd

If you know how to cook in a can, on a

stick over a fire or have a favourite

braai treat, send us your recipe!

send us your recipe with

a photograph in any of the

following categories:

WHaT yOu dO

Is your dish the go-to snack at a party? Then you’re who we’re

looking for!

The NG kids young chefs competition is back and we are excited to see

what all of you young chefs have in store for us this year!

open To aLL KiDs froM THe age of 6 To 14.

iT’s Your LasT cHance

To WoW us Wi TH Y our

creaTiViTY in THe KiTcHen!

CAKE KIT

PANCAKE KIT

ENTRIES WILL b E jUDGED ON T ASTE (40 PERCENT ), CREATIvITY (30 PERCENT ) AND PRESENTATION (30 PERCENT ) Th E jUDGES ’ DECISION

Waarvoor is seerowers bang?

Everyone knows pirates are brave and fearless, but Sanmarie uncovers the ONE thing they are really, really scared of!

Cats Ahoy!

Alfonso the cat hears there’s a trawler on its way to the harbour carrying loads of fish so

he hatches a brave, bold plan that involves cats – lots of cats

Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet

Fancy Nancy loses out to another ballerina as the star mermaid in the school ballet and she’s a little sad about it Instead she gets to play a little tree It sounds dull, but can she make it fun?

I’m Dougal Trump

and It’s Not My Fault!

Two Mongolian refugee brothers, Chingis and Nergui Tuul, make an unforgettable impression

on their school teacher, Julie Then they sud- denly disappear When she tracks them down many years later, Julie uncovers the truth

The One and Only Ivan

A story of friendship, bravery and a

courageous fight for freedom

Wake

This mythical novel is set in a dark world brimming with unimaginable secrets

BOOKS

One of NINE book hampers that include the books reviewed SMS “NGK BOOKS” your name, age and address to 33970*.

A hippopotamus helps baby

animals cross a raging river.

By Karen de Seve

It is rush hour in africa every October thousands of wildebeest and zebras gather along the

banks of the Mara river They wait to cross the deep, rushing waters as part of their seasonal

journey from the Masai Mara national reserve in Kenya to the Serengeti national Park in

Tanzania The river flows so fast that full-grown animals struggle to swim to the other side

“When the river is full, lots of animals drown trying to cross,” says Tom yule, who runs the nearby

Lemala Mara safari camp Watching from the river’s edge, Tom sees a wildebeest calf and later a

zebra foal jump into the water But he doesn’t expect what happens next

wIldebeest calf

The little wildebeest tries to paddle across the river but is swept away by the

strong current The calf tries to keep its head above water while floating

downstream Suddenly something rises out of the water: a large, dark head

followed by the hulking body of a hippopotamus “The hippo had been lying in the water

near where the animals jump in and immediately went after the calf,” Tom says Hippos

can be aggressive and even deadly when defending territory, so he wonders if the hippo will attack the young wildebeest

The strong hippo defies the current and uses its body

to stop the wildebeest calf’s scary ride downstream Like a tugboat guiding a ship filled with precious cargo, the hippo shepherds the little beast to the other side of the river Tom and other bystanders watch in disbelief “I had never witnessed anything like that,”

he says The wildebeest reaches the opposite bank and runs back upstream to rejoin the herd

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2

16 s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3

© tony heald / npl / minden pictures (big picture); tom yule (three insets)

zebra in trouble

Tom thinks the drama is over when suddenly the river grabs hold of a small zebra foal He watches

as the tiny striped head dips underwater and then resurfaces Just when it looks as if the zebra won’t make it, the hippo suddenly appears Again the huge hippo helps the baby across to the shallow water on the other side The exhausted youngster can barely stand The hippo gently nudges the zebra into a safe nook between two large rocks

“The hippo got out of the water and started to nuzzle the foal with its great jaws,” Tom says

“And then it coaxed the zebra

to cross a small channel and climb up the slope of the opposite bank

to its mum.”

3

Tom thinks the hippo will be too exhausted for any more superhero moments But it settles back into the river to keep a watchful eye

There are other accounts of hippos comforting baby animals after saving them from near death, including from a crocodile “Animals are unpredictable and each one has its own personality,” Tom says “This hippo’s instincts are to help those that need it It’s just like protective people who help others.”

N a t i o N a l G e o G r a p h i c K i D S 17

Believe it or not, vultures are

obsessed with hygiene They

clean up carcasses of animals

that have died of natural causes

or predator attacks Special acids

in their digestive systems destroy

bacteria like anthrax, cholera and

rabies, preventing the spread of

life-threatening diseases Vultures

also bath regularly! After feeding,

they wash in water pools and rest in

the sun to dry

Most vulture species share some

features but each one has a specific

job in nature’s recycling squad

Special tasks need special tools,

so let’s find out what makes a few

of South Africa’s vultures the best

birds in the cleaning business

If there is a carcass to be

cleaned up, this colourful

fellow will be the first at the

scene Being a smaller vulture, it is

light and agile and does not rely on thermals as much

Its striking black and white feathers are signals for

the bigger species that soar higher They keep an

eye on the white-headed vulture and when it swoops

down, they follow Being the early bird suits this

vulture’s shy and slightly grouchy nature Once other

species arrive, it prefers to take bits of meat and

feed some distance away from the crowd

Nature’s

18 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3

1

Lappet-faced vuLture [the boss]

The lappet-faced vulture is called the “King of Vultures”

because it is so big, strong and bossy Its wingspan measures almost three metres and it is a grumpy, aggressive

character But these are not the only reasons for other species

to step back when the boss arrives Its big, curved beak allows it

to tear tough hide If an animal has died of natural causes, other vultures often cannot feed until it has opened up the carcass

Most of them prefer soft meat but that suits the lappet-faced vulture Its favourite bits are hide, tendons and sinew which are all too tough for the rest Even if it does arrive last, it will always have plenty to eat

By RENÉE DE WET

Recyclers

White-backed vulture [the mop mobster]

White-backed vultures hiss and fight frantically to get their share Luckily for the rest of the team their huge flocks make them prefer big game like rhinos and hippos, otherwise the other species might starve!

how vultures keep the veld clean and healthy

The hooded vulture is smaller than the other members of nature’s cleaning team, so it is usually pushed aside by bigger species But its long, narrow beak helps it to make the most of leftovers by picking out morsels between bones

If it is still hungry, it is quite happy to snack on bird eggs, insects and small animals Hooded vultures are also less nervous around humans and have earned the nickname “garbage collectors” from scavenging at rubbish dumps

hooded vulture [the polisher]

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3

This big, shaggy bird looks more like an eagle and differs a lot from other vultures It hasfeathers on its head, lives in the mountains and eats mostly bones Its sharp beak cuts throughthe ligaments that hold bones together andits wide mouth allows it to swallow bones up to

25 centimetres long Bigger bones have to be broken first, so the bearded vulture drops them

on to rocks from a height of about 60 metres It can then scoop out the marrow with its rough,narrow tongue

1 5

DID YOU KNOW?

A group of vultu res is called a v

enue

A flock of vultu res circling in the air

is called a kettle Vultures can r

each

speeds of up t o 120 kilome

tres per hour as the

y swoop down for a meal

Many species roost in tall

trees or on high cliffs so

that they can take off more

easily but they must wait for the

sun to warm the ground This

creates thermals, or rising

pockets of hot air, which the

vultures use to keep them soaring

Long necks allow them to get into the nooks and crannies of a carcass

to do a proper cleaning job Bald heads are easier to keep clean and this

protects them from disease They also keep vultures cool in the sun, but

it can get a bit chilly when they soar a few kilometres above the ground Not to

worry – they have built-in scarves! While they soar, they pull their heads into the

ruff of feathers around the base of their necks to keep warm

How vultures are perfectly

designed for recycling

2

1

What a mess!

All our vultures are in trouble

Accidentally colliding with high

tension wires can kill or badly injure

them Less wildlife roaming free

means less food and many have to

eat insects and small animals This

food isn’t nutritious enough to

prevent deformities and illness

Farmers sometimes poison

carcasses to kill predators but end

up killing vultures instead Even

some livestock medicines can harm

them Vultures can help farmers

When they draw attention to dead

livestock, disease outbreaks can be

stopped in time Vultures also get

rid of carcasses that are not fit for

humans to eat

VItaL BIRDs

Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, Director of

the Griffon Poison Information

Centre, explains that disease would

spread like wildfire from game parks

and conservation areas to farms

without vultures “It would be a

disaster,” he says “Vultures are at

the top of the food chain and losing

them would have a serious impact

on the whole ecology.” Vultures only raise one chick at a time and out of

100 hatchlings only five survive to adulthood Vulture populations cannot keep up with the big losses they are suffering now

a DaY FOR VuLtuRes!

International Vulture Day is on

7 September 2013 It started when Birds of Prey Programme in South Africa and the Hawk Conservancy Trust in England decided to work together and turn their project into an international event

Populations of many species are under threat and some are facing extinction Here are some of the local groups taking part in this day:

Bearded Vulture Task Force, Maluti Drakensberg Vulture Project and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife

Go to www.vultureday.org to find out more

Let’s cLean It up!

We depend on vultures to do what they do best – clean up and work together We can follow their

example by teaming up to wipe out wrong ideas about these amazing birds Organisations like VulPro are doing it already At its educational and rehabilitation centre in Hartbeespoort injured vultures get treatment and people get a chance to learn about and even interact with them

Lunch tIme

The first vulture restaurant was created in the Giant’s Castle Nature Reserve in the 1960s, but this successful plan for saving vultures only became popular in the 1990s Now there are 149 vulture restaurants in South Africa VulPro’s research helps to ensure that the birds get safe food and that everyone from the vultures

to landowners and from farmers

to kids benefit from this amazing conservation effort “Vultures are indicators of the health of our environment,” says Kerri Wolter, the founder and manager of VulPro “We should protect them for the sake of our own ecosystem and our planet.”

without burning much energy as they scan the ground for food

3 They are big birds, so they can eat quickly and easily

Vultures eat up to 10 percent

of their weight in one meal That’s like you eating 25 hamburgers in one go

By FIONA THOMSON

Recording what you learn is an important part of a scientist’s

job When you are in the field it’s good to keep your camera

handy and even better if photography is your hobby Meet

four animal conservationists who love taking photographs of

the animals they love

Name:Michael Adams

Conservationist, Reptile Park,

National Zoological Gardens of

South Africa

my work: I’m part of a team

caring for the reptiles and

amphibians at the zoo I take

particular pride in caring for

the endangered Pickersgill’s

reed frogs we got as part of a

collaborative programme

my photograph: This is a picture of the Pickersgill’s reed frog that is endemic to the KwaZulu-Natal coast

The species is critically endangered and the zoo is taking part in a captive breeding programme It is only three centimetres long, so it requires a special lens to get the right picture

Name: Marine Drouilly Conservation biologist, University of Cape Town

my work: Every day is full of discoveries and adventure I study how animals interact with one another, their environment and with people This is the science called ecology

this photograph was taken

in July 2010 on Kodiak Island, Alaska, in the extreme northwest

of America That is more than

16 000 kilometres from South Africa! We were researching what climate change does to the main food resources of Kodiak bears, the biggest brown bears in the world These three cubs were watching their mother fishing salmons and learning her tricks The sow (the female bear) had a GPS collar that we used to follow her so we could find out what she ate

22 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3

pickersgill’s reed frog

kodiak cubs

Dr Amber Gillett (All)

Name: Lauren de Vos

Researcher, Marine Research

Institute, University of Cape Town

my Work: As a scientist I’m

devoted to protecting our

vulnerable oceans I use BRUV

(Baited Underwater Video) which

I edit into clips that show people

what my work is about

my photograph:

This is a roman, a brightly

coloured fish that lives on the

reef and is often caught by

fishermen The roman lives long

and defends its territory fiercely!

The photo was taken in False

Bay in the Western Cape In the

background you can see a

leopard catshark Taking photos

and video helps me to figure out

how many fish live in an area,

what different species can be

found and where they live The

cameras allow me to do this

without disturbing the sea

creatures I use the information

to help protect our oceans

Name: Ross Wanless Researcher, Percy Fitzpatrick Institute for African Ornothology

my Work: I’ve got the coolest job: making sure seabirds such as albatrosses and penguins don’t become extinct

my photograph Part of my work involves studying the Tristan albatross, which breeds only at Gough Island in the South Atlantic Ocean Their huge wings are used

to catch the wind With the right winds they can fly more than 100 kilometres (that would be from Johannesburg to Pretoria and back) without flapping their wings once They are listed as Critically Endangered, which means there are very few of them left, and their numbers are going down every year I use photography to create awareness of their plight

Make your mark and take part

The National Geographic Society, to which NG KIDS belongs, has its headquarters in Washington in America.

It is a non-profit organisation devoted to the conservation of the world’s cultural, historical and natural

resources Its purpose is to inspire people to care about their planet This year the Society celebrates its

125th anniversary. One birthday event is to create an enormous collection of photographs to celebrate

biodiversity National Geographic is famous for its amazing photography Now it’s your turn Find out on

page 12 how you can take part in the Great Nature Project.

triStaN albatroSS

The contraption is a motorcycle underneath bathroom fixtures that don’t work edd sits on a toilet and steers the vehicle with controls in the sink Passengers can ride in a bathtub on top of the motorcycle’s sidecar and there’s even a laundry basket for dirty clothes.

HOw's the air up there?

These are some small shoes to fill – horseshoes, that is with a shoulder height of 63 centimetres Charly is the smallest living stallion That’s shorter than a cricket bat Charly is tiny, but there’s an even tinier mare:

Thumbelina, who’s 19 centimetres shorter

hair stands

straiGht UP

This is one hair-raising guy! Kazuhiro watanabe of Japan holds the record for the tallest Mohawk, measuring more than 106 centimetres tall Three cans of hair spray – plus lots of hair gel – help sculpt the masterpiece Kazuhiro usually wears his hair in a ponytail since his Mohawk creates challenges such as ducking through doorways Another challenge? Small dogs often bark at him

Humpback Whale