Kangaroos arrive at Tbilisi Zoo

A mob of kangaroos has arrived at Tbilisi Zoo in Georgia as a gift to replenish animal lost in the 15 June 2015 floods. After heavy rains 15 people died, and many zoo animals drowned or escaped into the city streets. About half of the zoo’s animals were missing, including tigers, lions, bear, wolves, birds, and the hippopotamus Beglar. Beglar, was tranquilized with a dart gun and taken back to the zoo in good health and is now in a new enclosure.

Since the destruction of Tbilisi Zoo, zoos around the world have established a program to assist in the restoration of the zoo. As part of this plan, Australian kangaroos were introduced to Tbilisi Zoo on the weekend of 2 April 2017. There is yet to be information on the kangaroos, but I counted 7 kangaroos (and/or wallabies) in the new enclosure, where they are housed with pelicans, ducks and swans.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

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MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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