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BY YVETTE THOMSON

It was a beautiful day in Jumbo Safari Park. The sun was shining, making the watering hole sparkle. The leaves on the baobabs rustled gently in the breeze that was cooling down the hot morning. The fresh smell of last night’s thunderstorm was still lingering in the air. Thank goodness for that! Game ranger Jack had been worried about this summer’s drought. Luckily, clouds in the shape of cauliflower had appeared over the park and everyone – especially those on four legs – had breathed a sigh of relief. To the human ear it was a quiet day, the only sounds to be heard those of chirping birds and rustling leaves. But to its animal residents, the [...]

You’ll have to get your microscope out to see these tiny animals.

Protozoa are single-cell organisms that can be found in freshwater ponds and rivers, the sea or in moist soil. They are divided into four groups, namely amoeba, ciliates, flagellates and sporozoa.

Fun fact
There are more protozoa in the world than any other animal.

Amoeba
During feeding, this type of protozoan extends its body until it has completely surrounded its food. It then secretes special enzymes that help to break the food into smaller particles before converting the food
particles into energy to move. This process of feeding is known as phagocytosis.

Did you know?
There is a dangerous amoeba called Entamoeba histolytica, transported through infected water supplies, that causes illness in [...]

Well done to all our August 2011 competition winners!

Well done to all our July competition winners!