This year it really happened: after the mayor of Rotterdam, mr Aboutaleb, officially openened the savanna on July 8th, at last Rotterdam Zoo has its African savanna with giraffes, antilopes, zebras, ostriches and before long spotted hyenas, servals and Colobus monkeys. But what exactly is a savanna and what is going on there?

The savanne is one of the most characteristic landscapes of Africa. We associate Africa with a vast rolling grassland dotted with trees or bushes and many animals like giraffes, big herds of antilopes and zebras, ostriches and a hungry African wild dog. As a matter of fact that image harmonizes fairly well. However, the population of the African steppe differs somewhat per region. The savanna regions in Africa cover a vast part of the continent surrounding the rainforests of Central-Africa.

rain
Life on the savanna is highly dependent of the wet season. Rain means food; during the wet season from April to October there is a rainfall of approx 40 to 60 inches in the north.In the dry season the plants shrivel up and die. Numerous fires destroy what food is left.

The East African savannas have to put up with an annual precipitation of 24 inches. The soil is poor but water restores fresh gras and leaves, a necessity for large groups of animals. Herds of zebras and wildebeasts cover vast distances to arrive in time there where food is. Many of us will have seen the impressive images of thousands of wildebeasts on their expedition to find food crossing rivers in which crocodiles are waiting for them.

The savanna consists mainly of grassland with bushes and low trees, bolders, kopjes and hills. Thorny trees and bushes try to defend themselves from the gluttony of the many hungry animals. But they all have their tricks to reach the lusty leaves; giraffes with their long necks use their very long tongues to graze the highest trees, bigger antilopes like gerenuks and kudus graze at half height and the dik-diks nibble the lowest bushes. Amidst all those plants, trees, bolders and rocks the special baobabs (monkey bread trees) are characteristic for the image of the African savanna.
Here and there a river crosses the savanna, or a clear well is found or even a green oasis where hippos and crocodiles can survive.

elephants and termites
Although the vegetation on the savanna is rather poor in species, the number of animal species is unprecedented large. From elephants to termites (often with impressive termite hills) they all live here, with a star part for the tens of antelope species, large and medium size predators like lions cheetahs, leopards and hyenas and (often invisible) species such as aardvarks, galagos (bush babies) and chameleons.

With our new African savanna Rotterdam Zoo has tried to give an impression of the real African savanna despite all sorts of limitations. First of all there is the limited room in Rotterdam Zoo. Creating extra space e.g. by moving the stables of the kudus and Mhorr gazelles a few yards  appeared to be impossible because of the status of  Rotterdam Zoo being nominated a national as well as a municipal monument. Nevertheless we found sufficient space for our reticulated giraffes, greater kudus and Chapman zebras. The ‘bandits’ of the savanna are represented by spotted hyenas. The beautiful black-and-white colobus and the small African wildcat: the serval are housed in a kopje-enclosure. At first we planned to have the rare Mhorr gazelles accompanying the giraffes on the savanna but at second thoughts we changed plans. The Mhorrs will stay were they are and before long Thomson’s gazelles will join the giraffes and kudus on the savanna.

Baobab
Although the baobab is a fake it has a very important task. As an African characteristic it completes the Africa-feeling. Besides the baobab acts as an observation post affording a view over the savanna. What’s more, inside this tree there is a display of models of all sorts of animals that in Africa are living in baobabs, animals that we cannot or don’t want to show in our continent, such as galagos (Prosimians), lizards and snakes, bees, bats etc.

With water courses and rocky river beds we keep the animals within the bounds, those barriers will also be seen in the savanna in Africa. For the crocodiles that are native in the African savanna we built a lovely heated glass house (the Crocodile River), in every respect they are part of the savanna. A footbridge starting at the crocodile river and gradually rising is visualizing the connection between these parts of the savanna. Visitors following this bridge are walking via the new giraffe-house and the baobab across the savanne and will have a special view on the savanna animals.

Already during the official opening of the Savanne the kudus -as expected- smoothly crossed the rocky river beds to visit the giraffes. And within a few days, “against the rules” the giraffes Fehari and Tipsy were spotted on the kudu enclosure heartily nibbling the bark from the unprotected trees there.

Time will show whether the barriers that have since been broadened will be sufficient to keep the giraffes on their own half.

translated article Blijdorp Blad 3 - fall 2009