Category: Rhodesia

The Wattle Plover (Vanellus senegallus) is a large lapwing, a group of largish waders in the family Charadriidae. It is a resident breeder in most of sub-Saharan Africa outside the rainforests, although it has seasonal movements. “The yellow-orange wattles distinguish this from other plovers. The rather plaintive call is also…

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The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large cat native to Africa. It is the fastest land animal, capable of running at 80 to 98 km/h (50 to 61 mph); as such, it has evolved specialized adaptations for speed, including a light build, long thin legs and a long tail. Its…

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Burchell’s zebra (Equus quagga burchellii formerly Equus burchelli) is a southern subspecies of the Plains zebra. It is named after the British explorer and naturalist William John Burchell. As European settlement spread northward from the Cape to colonial southern Rhodesia, this subspecies was thought to have been hunted to extinction.…

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A African Baobab (Adansonia digitata) African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer) African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana) African Leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) African Lion (Pathera leo) Aloe Aloe arborescens Aloe chabaudii Aloe excelsa Aloe inyangensis Aloe musapana Aloe ortholopha Aloe pretoriensis Aloe saponaria Angolan Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis) Ansellia (Ansellia africana) Antelope…

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The half-collared kingfisher (Alcedo semitorquata) is a kingfisher in the subfamily Alcedininae that is found in southern and eastern Africa. It feeds almost exclusively on fish and frequents streams, rivers and larger bodies of water with dense shoreline vegetation. “The black bill distinguishes this species from the other small blue…

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Umtali was founded in 1897 as a fort, located about 8 km from the border with Mozambique. It is sometimes also the “Gateway to the Eastern Highlands”. In 1891, the town was moved to a site known as Old Mutare. In 1896 the construction of the railway between Beira and Bulawayo…

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Christmas Pass is a mountain pass that leads into Umtali from the west. The pass was so named by some of the colonial pioneers who camped at the foot of the pass on Christmas Day 1890. Things To Do Kingsley Fairbridge Memorial References Wikipedia: Mutare

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The golden-breasted bunting (Emberiza flaviventris) is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It occurs in dry open woodlands and moist savanna in Africa south of the Sahara, but is absent from the equatorial forest belt. “This is another bird that has adapted to man’s gardens and can become…

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The Kingsley Fairbridge Memorial statue at Christmas Pass, Umtali, was unveiled by Her Majesty the Queen Mother on 8 July 1953 during her Royal Tour. Present at the unveiling was the Mayor of Umtali, Mr. Harry Went and other local dignitaries. Kingsley Fairbridge was an Umtali boy who pioneered child…

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The Big Tree is a large baobab of the species Adansonia digitata situated close to Victoria Falls in Rhodesia. It is located approximately 2km from the Zambezi River, Victoria falls. It is estimated that The Big Tree may be about 2,000 years old based on girth and growth ring data…

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