MEET OUR
WINNERS
ExclusivE scrEEning

of thE nEw moviE,

thE crooDs

MOVIE TICKETS
The World of
Snow y
O w l s
The World of
Snow
y
O w l s
The World of
Snow y
O w l s
The World of
Snow y
O w l s
30
Cool
Things
About
BICYCLES
30
Cool
Things
About

BICYCLES
30
Cool
Things
About
BICYCLES
30
Cool
Things
About
BICYCLES
Issue 103 March 2013 R27,00 (VAT incl.)
Issue 103 March 2013 R27,00 (VAT incl.)
9 771811 723006
0 3 1 0 3
Download NG KIDS
to your desktop,
laptop or tablet.
Buy a single issue or
save by subscribing
for a year.
DIGITAL!
GOES
TWO:

Register at
www.mysubs.co.za
ONE:
Ask Mum
or Dad to

help you.
Animals
Clouded leopard rescue
|
Do animals
love
each other?
Animals
N
E
W
m
o
v
ie
N
E
W
m
o
v
ie
NE
W
mo
v
ie
NE
W
mo

v
ie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
SPACE
ROBOTS
The Lorax

SILLY PET
TRICKS!
FREAKY
TORNADO

MADAGASCAR
AND MORE!
2
HAPPY
FEET
2
HAPPY FEET

TITANIC

MYSTERY
SOLVED

GAMES, JOKES
,
3


CLOUDED
LEOPARD

RESCUE

SPACE
ROBOTS
The Lorax
SILLY PET
TRICKS!
FREAKY
TORNADO
MADAGASCAR
AND MORE!
2
HAPPY
FEET
2
HAPPY FEET

TITANIC
MYSTERY

SOLVED

GAMES
, JOKES
,
3


CLOUDED
LEOPARD
RESCUE

SPACE
ROBOTS
The Lorax
SILLY PET
TRICKS!
FREAKY
TORNADO
MADAGASCAR
AND MORE!
2
HAPPY
FEET
2
HAPPY FEET

TITANIC
MYSTERY
SOLVED


GAMES, JOKES,
3


CLOUDED
LEOPARD
RESCUE

SPACE
ROBOTS
The Lorax
SILLY PET
TRICKS!
FREAKY
TORNADO
MADAGASCAR
AND MORE!
2
HAPPY
FEET
2
HAPPY FEET

TITANIC
MYSTERY
SOLVED

GAMES, JOKES,
3



CLOUDED
LEOPARD
RESCUE
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
movie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m

ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
movie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW

movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
BEHIND THE
SCENES OF
WRECK-IT
RALPH
BEHIND THE
SCENES OF
WRECK-IT
RALPH
BEHIND THE
SCENES OF
WRECK-IT
RALPH
BEHIND THE
SCENES OF
WRECK-IT
RALPH
BROUGHT TO YOU BY BOSTIK

BROUGHT TO YOU BY BOSTIKBROUGHT TO YOU BY BOSTIK
WIN 10 PS3 CONSOLES
gamES + art hamPErS

WOrth r55 000
Issue 102 February 2013 R27
,
00 (VAT incl.)
Issue 102 February 2013 R27,00 (VAT incl.)
9 771811 723006
0 2 1 0 2
Amazing
C
h
oC
o
l
a
t
e
!

sculptures
FOUR:
Go to the checkout,

enter credit card

details and download


your e-zine!
THREE:

Search for
National Geographic
Kids and click “add
to basket”.
HOW TO:
30
february 2013
BY SCOTT ELDER
Serval
Rescue
Clouded Leopard
Rescue
Serval
Rescue
Clouded Leopard
Rescue
Serval
Rescue
Clouded Leopard
Rescue
Serval
Rescue
Clouded Leopard
Rescue
Serval
Rescue
Clouded Leopard

Rescue
Serval
Rescue
Clouded Leopard
Rescue
Serval
Rescue
Clouded Leopard
Rescue
Serval
Rescue
Clouded Leopard
Rescue
Serval
Rescue
Clouded Leopard
Rescue
Serval
Rescue
Clouded Leopard
Rescue
Serval
Rescue
Clouded Leopard
Rescue
Serval
Rescue
Clouded Leopard
Rescue
NatioNal GeoG raphic Ki DS

31
rare species,” vet Panjit Basumatary says. These
kittens are actually very uncommon wild cats
called clouded leopards.
The vets examine the two furry cubs, both
male, and estimate they are only a few weeks
old. They’re relieved that neither cat has any
bad cuts, broken bones, or obvious illnesses,
but because both kittens weigh in at less than a
kilogram, the vets fear that they’re dangerously
underfed and dehydrated. To replace the
milk their mother would give them, the vets try
hand-feeding the cubs cow’s milk using baby
bottles. If the leopard cubs don’t accept
this artificial diet, they won’t survive.
Fortunately, both patients eat well.
A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE
Now that the brothers’ health seems
stable, the vets and wildlife experts
at WTI and its partner organization, the
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW),
must decide the cubs’ future. Unlike common
leopards, clouded leopards are too small to be
threats to humans or livestock, so they can be
released. But without the care and protection
of their mother, who was almost certainly killed
by a poacher, the cubs won’t stand a chance.
Although WTI and IFAW have successfully hand
raised and released young elephants and black
bears, no one has ever attempted to do so


Q
uietly, a man spreads the word that he has
valuable goods for sale. He tries to keep it
a secret from the authorities who govern
his forest village, because it’s illegal to
possess the merchandise: two tiny, wild leopard
cubs. But the first people to arrive at his home
aren’t interested in buying exotic pets. Acting on a
citizen’s tip, they are forest rangers who police this
area in northeast India, called Kokrajhar. Busted,
the surprised villager hands over the helpless
leopard kittens, so young they haven’t even opened
their eyes.
The rangers alert the nearby
wildlife clinic – operated by the
Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) – that two
common leopard cubs are arriving
for emergency care. Although the
veterinarians are thrilled that the
rangers rescued the kittens, their
satisfaction is bittersweet. The common
leopard is a powerful big cat that often comes
into conflict with humans in India, so releases of
this species are currently banned in that country.
NOT COMMON AT ALL
When the cubs arrive, however, the vets
are amazed by the strange blotchy pattern on their
coats, which looks like brown and black clouds.
Common leopards would be covered with spots.

“The rangers don’t realise they have rescued a very
Orphan cubs learn how
to live
in the wild.
© IFAW / WTI / A. MOOKERJEE (bOTh)
BY SCOTT ELDER
Serval
Rescue
Clouded Leopard
Rescue
Serval
Rescue
Clouded Leopard
Rescue
Serval
Rescue
Clouded Leopard
Rescue
Serval
Rescue
Clouded Leopard
Rescue
A clouded
leopard’s tail,
used for balance
as it climbs trees,
is nearly as long as
the rest of its
body.
yummy

milk!
NatioNal GeoGraphic KiDS
3
HI,KIDS
• Writetousat:The Editor, NG KIDS, PO Box 740,
Cape Town 8000.
• Sendusane-mailto or
 SMS*usaletterto“NGK Letters”33970.
Send us your letters, pictures and comments. Let us
know when your birthday is. We want to hear from you!
* Standard rates apply for MMSs, so ask your parents first! SMSs cost R1,50.
Free SMSs do not apply. See www.ngkids.co.za for terms and conditions.
HI,KIDS
Dare to Explore!
P.S. Turn to page 30 for the finalists and page 35 for
the winner of the Young Photographers Competition.
Cape Town now has a cycle lane painted thickly in green paint.
The colour is practical as it stands apart from the grey of the
road but it also sends a great message. After all, it’s the green
way to get about town. The more people cycle, the safer it will
become as other road users become more aware of people on
two wheels. Once a month, in Johannesburg, Cape Town and
up to 300 other cities around the world, groups of cyclists get
together for an easy cycle about town as a group.The one I did
in Cape Town was 12 kilometres, which was a lot of fun and
more my style than the main event on the calendar for serious
cyclists. The Cape Town Argus Cycle Tour is a 110-kilometre
race coming up on 10 March and I’ll be there to support, if not
to race. If you are doing the Argus this year, I’d love to hear
how it goes. Please send me your pictures. If you are under

the age of 12, you can still take part. The Trike tour is for
youngsters up to the age of six and the Junior tour for kids up
to age 12 years.
SUBSCRIBERS
OF THE MONTH
March’s subscribers of the month are Anne Moxham from Sezela in KwaZulu-Natal and Margo De Bruin from
Pretoria. They’ve each won* a cool pair of sunglasses from the Little Greens range and valued at R699. Little ones’
eyes are precious and need extra-special care and now stylish kids can also look cool. The Little Greens range, the
latest from South African designer David Green, will make any kid jump with joy! Made of a cotton-based acetate,
which is tough enough to survive the most active childhood, the Little Greens range is cute, comfortable and offers
affordable style. Visit www.greeneyewear.com for more information.
The chimpanzee is in trouble! To
create awareness, we hid ten of
them in the magazine. Here’s one,
but can you spot all ten?
* See terms and conditions on page 49.
ED’S PIC
OF
THE
MONTH
Hi, Fiona
i recently came up witH an
idea For a cellpHone cover
witH a picture oF a rHino tHat
says “save me” on it, witH a
3-d Horn as a stand. i Have
been reading ng Kids since i
was about seven (i am eleven
now) wHen my aunt bougHt a
subscription For my birtHday.

Jessica mattHews, 11,
cape town
LETTER OF
THE
MONTH
Don’t forget
TO
turn off
YOUR
LIGHTS FOR EARTH
DAY FROM 8.30 TO 9.30
P.M.
on SaturDay
23 MarcH.

On the Cover

DEPARTMENTS
6 Pet Friends Forever 26 Poster 47 Animal Funnies
8 Amazing Animals
41 Fun Stuff 48 Fun Factory
25 Calendar 46 Spot The Difference 50 Just Joking
page 15
Cover PhotograPh:JOEL SARTORE / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC STOCK (SNOWY OWL)
Cover insets: © 2013
NU METRO (THE CROODS) ; ISTOCK PHOTO (ILLUSTRATIONS)
Page 3: RICHARD PILLER (fIONA); ISTOCKPHOTO (ILLUSTRATIONS); IMAGES SUPPLIED
Page 4: © ANDY ROUSE / NATURE PICTURE LIbRARY (OWL)
; © 2013 NU METRO (THE CROODS) ;
ISTOCK PHOTO (ILLUSTRATIONS)

© DISNEY 2012. ALL RIGHTS RESERvED (CHIMPANZEE)
Young Photographers Competition
Are you the NG KIDS Young Photographer of the
year? The finalists and winner are revealed.
page 30
30 Cool Things About Bicycles
page 20
EDITORIAL
Editor Fiona Thomson

Editorial and Digital Assistant
Shounees Moola

Senior Designer
Monique Petersen
Copy Editor Pieter van der Lugt
PUBLISHING
General Manager Jacques Breytenbach
Associate Publisher Nikki Ruttiman

ADVERTISING SALES & SOLUTIONS
Sales Director
Craig Nicholson

Business Manager (Women’s)
Marilize Hay

Business Manager (KZN)
Eugene Marais


Business Manager: Digital
Terance Winson

Sales Manager (JHB)
Bianca Quinn

083 375 1721
Sales Manager (CPT )
Abigail Wilmot

083 212 1141
Sales Executive (National)
Lynne Deacon
073-704-8793

Copyright Media24. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or be transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, without prior consent of Media24.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS is published and distributed 12 times a
year by Media24, with permission of the National Geographic Society,
Washington, DC 20036.
Published by the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
Chairman of the Board and CEO John M. Fahey, Jr.
President Timothy T. Kelly
President, Publishing and Digital Media Declan Moore
Executive Vice President Terrence B. Adamson
International Publishing:
Yulia Boyle, Vice President
Diana Z. Jaksic, Director
Jennifer C. Jones, Manager

Cynthia Combs, Rights Manager
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS Magazine
Executive Vice President and Worldwide Publisher Claudia Malley
Chief Creative Officer, Books, Kids, and Family Melina Gerosa Bellows
Senior Vice President, Kids Publishing and Media Nancy Laties Feresten
Vice President Julie Vosburgh Agnone Design Director, Books, and Kids
Publishing and Media Jonathan Halling Executive Editor Rachel Buchholz
Senior Editor, Science Catherine D. Hughes Editorial: Andrea Silen,
Associate Editor; Nick Spagnoli, Copy Editor; Kay Boatner, Assistant
Editor Photo: Jay Sumner, Photo Director, Kids Publishing and Media;
Kelley Miller, Senior Editor; Lisa Jewell, Editor Art: Eva Absher, Design
Director, Kids Publishing and Media; Nicole M. Lazarus, Art Director;
Julide Obuz Dengel, Designer
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER AND EXTREME EXPLORER
Vice President and Publisher Francis Downey
Art Director and Designer Karen Thompson Editors Brenna Maloney,
Sara Chauhan, Macon Morehouse Designer James Wildman
Photo Editor Shannon Hibberd, Mary Ann Price
Chimpanzee
NG KIDS goes behind the scenes of the
new movie Chimpanzee.
page 36
page 16
Snowy Owls: Stealthy Hunters
These birds of prey survive in a harsh environment.
Win Movie Tickets
Exclusive screening of the new movie, The Croods.
MARKETING and PR
Marketing Executive Lisel Daniels
Tel.: 021-443-9857

Admin Assistant Lulama Joe
CIRCULATION
SALES & SOLUTIONS
Circulation Manager
Adele Minnaar (011) 505 5723
Subscription Manager
Dilshaad Hassan (021) 443 9937
SUBSCRIPTIONS
All subscription payments to:
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS,
PO Box 1802, Cape Town 8000 or
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS,
Free Post, CB0006,
Cape Town 8000 RSA
Tel.: 0860-103-578 Fax: 021-405-1033
E-mail:

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS
CAPE TOWN:
ABSA Building, Lifestyle Division,
18th floor, 4 Adderley Street,
Cape Town
Tel.: 021-443-9871;
Postal address: PO Box 740,
Cape Town 8000
DIRECTORS
John Relihan, Raj Lalbahadur
REPRODUCTION Media24
PRINTING Paarl Media Cape
DISTRIBUTION:

Project Pack
MAGAZINES
FOR
R50!
On sale
exclusively in
Cut them up
for school
projects.
Magazines may vary
from those pictured.
SWEET BREEDS
3

Facts about
Burmese cats
No surprise here: Burmese
cats come from Burma as
well as Thailand and
Malaya (now a part of
Malaysia).
A chocolate
Burmese is the
colour of milk chocolate.
A brown Burmese is the
traditional deep brown.
Burmese cats are
intelligent and athletic
and can jump up to open a
door handle.

We know how much you love your pets.
Now you can send us photos, drawings
and letters especially for this page!
You can also send questions about
your pet to our NG KIDS vet.
1
2
3
ISTOCKPHOTO (BURMESE CAT);ALL OTHER IMAGES SUPPLIED
Send us your pet-related letters, questions, pictures, drawings and jokes!
• E-mailto•AskaparenttopostyourpetonourFacebookpageatwww.facebook.com/NationalGeographicKidsSA
• SendalettertoTheEditor,POBox740,CapeTown8000
We would love to meet your pets!
Ever wondered what your dog looks like
underwater? Award-winning
photographer Seth Casteel used
underwater housing for his camera to
shoot pictures of dogs doing what comes
naturally: diving into a pool to catch a
ball. The result-
ing pictures have
been viewed on-
line over
150 million times
and have been
made into a
beautiful book,
Underwater Dogs.
win one copy
of the book.

SMS* “NGK Dogs”
followed by your
name, address and
age to 33970 by
27 March 2013.
Dear Fiona
ThisisPoppychewinghertwofavouritetoys,
theirrigationandatennisballattachedtoa
rope.WenamedherPoppybecauseshewas
bornon11/11/2011(RemembranceDay).Her
favouriteactivityispullingouttheirrigation
anddigginginthegarden.
– Keto, 10, Johannesburg
Thisisadrawingofmy
sausagedogRocky.Some
peoplesaydachshunds
arequitefiercebutmine
issupersweet.
– Ilke, 12, Kimberley
Ifyouhavequestions
aboutyourpets
(whetherfurry,
featheredorscaled),
askourlocalNGKIDS
vet,ProfessorPaws.
A:Lickingisaformof
communicationwhichstarts
veryearlyinlifefordogs.The
motherlicksherpupswhen
theyareborntoencourage

themtosuckleandalsoto
gotothetoilet.Puppieslick
theirelders’facesasasignof
submission.Dogssometimes
lickbecausetheyarenervous.
Perhapsthebestansweris
thattheylicktogetyour
attention.Ifyoulaughbecause
youthinkit’scute,theyare
likelytodoitagain.
Q:Whydoesmydog
lickmyface?
BOOK REVIEW
KetowithPoppywhen
shewasapuppy.
Poppychewingher
twofavouritetoys.
8
march 2013
Welcome Bay, New Zealand
When Annette Swoffer went to investigate some
odd noises coming from her kitchen, she got a big
surprise: a wild fur seal had sneaked into her house
through the cat door.
The creature waddled past Annette and had a friendly
nose-to-nose sniff with her dog. It then shuffled to the enclosed
porch, pulled itself onto the sofa and curled up for a nap.
As the seal rested, Annette called to alert officials about her
flippered guest.
“Many fur seals come into town from the nearby harbour,” says

Chris Clark of the New Zealand Department of Conservation. “Often
they’re just looking for company.”
Annette thinks the seal followed her cat into the house. She didn’t
mind hosting the uninvited guest until Chris could fetch it. “The seal
was funny,” she says. “I just wish it had knocked first!”
ON
SE A L
SNOOZES
SOFA
THE SEAL
GETS COMFY.
© Tui De Roy / MinDen PicTuRes (fuR seal, big); © D. HuRsT / alaMy
(sofa); sTePHanie claRk (fuR seal, sMall); © oRegon Zoo / PHoTo
by caRli DaviDson (alDo); DZg / Rex / Rex usa (yoDa)
NatioNal GeoGraphic KiDS
9
Aldo
Daniel
Yoda
Fur Seal
Portland, America
Aldo the black bear cub is definitely cute. But when he was playing
with his plush beaver toy, he was truly adorable. “He’d make a fuss if
you ever moved it,” says zoo keeper Michelle Schireman, who used to
take care of Aldo.
The orphaned cub was brought to the zoo after being found alone
in the woods. Soon the exhausted and hungry bear was healthy again
and very energetic. “He played with every object in sight, including
my shoes,” Michelle says. “We decided to get him his own toy.”
The cub immediately bonded with the fluffy beaver. He loved

belly-flopping on to the stuffed animal and wrestling playfully with it.
He’d drag the soft toy around and nuzzle it before going to sleep.
“Like people, bear cubs can feel comforted by warm and fuzzy
things, including stuffed animals,” says Carmen Murach, an animal
curator at the zoo Aldo was moved to. Aldo is older now and
has outgrown his need for a stuffed animal.
Even so, he’s found another toy to play with. It’s a plastic penguin!
BEAR CUB LOVES TOY
BY KITSON JAZYNKA
my best
buddy
is a big
softie!
West Midlands, England
Yoda the black-and-white ruffed lemur didn’t let a little rain spoil his day.
Instead, the brainy animal scored himself an umbrella!
The primate had been roaming around his open area at the Dudley Zoological
Gardens one drizzly morning when he saw a woman with an open umbrella.
Getting close, he tapped on her leg. The startled visitor dropped her rain gear
and Yoda plucked it off the ground. He twirled it around by the handle and
reached up to touch the umbrella’s smooth fabric canopy. Then he dashed away,
holding the umbrella over his head. Yoda only dropped it when a gust of wind
nearly knocked him down.
Although Yoda avoided getting soaked by snagging the gear, staying dry
may not have been his main goal. “Lemurs don’t mind getting a little wet,”
senior curator Derek Grove says. In fact, he may just have been curious and
playful. “Rain or shine, Yoda likes to have fun,” says Derek.
LEMUR USES UMBRELLA
i should’ve
checked the

forecast this
morning.
BY SEAN PRICE
BY FIONA THOMSON
It’s easy to tell
male and female
house sparrows
apart, as the
females are
paler and have
pink legs.
SIZING UP THE
HOUSE SPARROW
FAVOURITE
FOOD:
Seeds. In the breeding
season they switch to
insects, which is what their
hungry chicks want.
14 to 15 centimetres
LENGTH
The best
muffins
are on the
corner of
Kloof and
River road.
City
Sparrow


S
mall, brown and everywhere you
look. This streetwise little bird
likes living near humans. You’ll
find them bathing in a gutter after rain
and picking up crumbs as people eat
their lunchtime sandwiches in the sun.
Because it’s not as flashy as some of
their cousins, the common old house
sparrow can easily be overlooked by
bird lovers.
Mohammed Dilawar of the Nature
Forever Society in India realised that
sparrows from his home town were
disappearing. He decided 20 March
would be World Sparrow Day and 2013
is the third year of his campaign. It
turns out house sparrow numbers have
been dropping in some Indian cities. The
Indian capital Delhi has even adopted
the house sparrow as its state bird to
create awareness before it’s too late.
This little bird is struggling to live in
modern cities. It prefers nesting in
old-fashioned eaves rather than
high, glass and concrete buildings. It
struggles to find enough food when
gardens are sprayed with pesticide or
paved over and grains are processed in
factories instead of in the open air.

The house sparrow occurs naturally
in Europe and parts of Asia but was
introduced to Australia, Africa and
North and South America. Workers from
India brought the bird with them to
Durban in the 1880s and 1890s when
they settled in South Africa. From there
the bird spread into other parts of
southern Africa and as far as Malawi
and Zambia.
Sparrows don’t seem to be
disappearing from South Africa but
some research shows they are moving
out of cities like Cape Town to the
countryside.
The European house sparrow is also
in trouble. It has disappeared from
central London in England where it was
once very common. Some researchers
are saying simple things like leaving
grass to seed in winter rather than
cutting it would help. Seems like
modern cities are too tidy for this bird!
10
march 2013
Making sure
sparrows have
enough to eat
will encourage
them to return

to cities.
MALE HOUSE
SPARROW
nicky lankester / limbe wildlife centre (both); martin walz (map) /
Graham searll (male hoUse sparrow) / bird table (istockphoto)
Extant (resident)
Introduced
6
6
© Brian KimBall / KimBall StocK
count on
facts you can
1
2
6
4
5
3
About
70 000
puppies and
kittens are
born in
the USA
every day.
Check out the National
Geographic Kids book
5,000 Awesome Facts
(About Everything!)

MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT

MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT

MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT

MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT

A
747-400
jet airliner
has 6 million
parts.
The oldest

koi f ish
lived to be 226
years old.

There are
about
1 000
grains in a
pinch
of salt.
About 8 billion
candy hearts are
produced each
year.
LEGO has made
more than 600 billion

toy bricks since
1958.
count on
facts you can
About
70 000
puppies and
kittens are
born in
the USA
every day.

A
747-400
jet airliner

has 6 million
parts.
The oldest

koi f ish
lived to be 226
years old.
About 8 billion
candy hearts are
produced each
year.
LEGO has made
more than 600 billion
toy bricks since

1958.
12
march 2013
There are
about
1 000
grains in a
pinch
of salt.
14
MARCH 2013
dogs
Wearing a dress costing R48 000, Baby Hope Diamond the dog wasn’t just
a bride. She was a bride in a pet wedding valued at R1 265 498, the most
expensive on record. Dog guests wore tuxedos and evening gowns, dined on
a special dog chow buffet and listened to an orchestra that cost R200 000.
Although the wedding expenses were donated, human guests paid up to
R2 000 to attend, raising money for the Humane Society
of New York. That’s something that the groom, Chilly the
dog, can really wag his tail about.
– Angela Modany
“Around the World” is probably a super-easy trick for this
yo-yo master. Ben McPhee can spin 16 yo-yos simultaneously,
the most on record. He starts by spinning ten yo-yos and
hanging them on hooks. The others? Two hang from each hand,
two from each ear, and two are clenched between his teeth.
Let’s hope he doesn’t get tied up in all that string.
– Angela Modany
SAILBOAT


ON LAND
Racing at 201,8 kilometres per
hour across a Nevada desert, this
cool wind-powered contraption
became the fastest land yacht ever.
Called the Ecotricity Greenbird, it
seems to sail like a boat on water.
But if the driver doesn’t catch the
wind of 50 kilometres per hour just
right, the land yacht might bite
the dust – Molly Marcot
POWERED
BY WIND!
SO

MANY
YO-YOS!
get married
With a parent’s permission, scan this code for a free app to view
cool 3-D animation in the Guinness World Records 2013 book.
GEOFF PUGH / REX / REX USA (MCPHEE); GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS (LAND YACHT); CINDY ORD /
GETTY IMAGES (DOGS). INFORMATION PROVIDED BY © 2013 GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS LIMITED.
WIN
preview
tickets to
The Croods

in 3-D
ReadeR event

*SEE PAGE 49 FOR FULL
TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
HOW TO ENTER:
*SMS your entries to “NGK Croods”
with your name, surname, age,
e-mail address and preferred
viewing city to 33970.
Please note:
Only four tickets per family. There
are 121 tickets available in
Johannesburg, 116 in Cape Town
and 121 in Durban. Free popcorn
and drink included.
When: 16 March 2013 at 2.30 p.m.
Where: Nu Metro Cinemas
Johannesburg: Monte Casino
Cape Town: V & A Waterfront
Durban: Pavilion
Closing date: 10 March 2013
Meet the world’s first modern family,
the Croods. In the previously unknown
time of the Croodacious Era their world
changes forever when Mother Nature
destroys their only known home, a cave.
Eep, the rebellious teenage daughter
of Grug and Ugga Crood, is eager to
explore the new world of fantastic
creatures and magical landscapes. The
Croods embark on a road trip to an
unchartered world uncovering fauna

and flora for the first time. Ultimately,
the Croods conquer their fear of the
outside world and discover that they
have exactly what it takes to
survive – each other.
THE CROODS

OPENS IN
CINEMAS
NATIONWIDE

ON 29 MARCH
2013
16
MARCH 2013
joel sartore / national geographic stock (big picture);
© andy rouse / nature picture library (flying)
Snowy owls
are birds of prey.
They’re built to
survive winter in
the Arctic, where
they are top
predators.
16
MARCH 2013
Logan International Airport near the city
of Boston in America. Perched on a fence
at the airport border, he turns his head
upside down to clean his downy coat.

His white feathers are tipped with brown
stripes. When he’s mature, he’ll be almost
all white.
He hears something, spins his head to
look behind him and launches. Like a stealth
plane he glides silently for three kilometres
until his keen eyes find a target at the
water’s edge. He manoeuvres gracefully,
stretches out his talons and snatches an
unsuspecting duck. His sensitive feet tell
him he killed it on impact. Dinner is served.
T
he winter wind blows across the
open landscape. Short grasses and
bushes struggle to stay upright,
but a snowy owl hovers effortlessly
in mid-air. His powerful wings, with a total
span of 1,5 metres, defies the wind and
allows him to hang nearly motionless with
his eyes fixed on a small rodent. The owl
is shooting forward to grab a rat when…
whoosh! Aeroplane engines blast overhead,
breaking the bird’s concentration and
scaring the rat back underground.
The young male owl began life in the
Arctic about five months ago. This winter
he flew hundreds of kilometres south to
Raptors on the Move
Snowy owls are nomads that migrate to
and from their Arctic breeding grounds

each spring and autumn in a quest for
food. The airport is a popular winter
destination in the northeast of America.
“The habitat here is like the tundra, with
short grass and rolling hills,” says Norman
Smith, a raptor biologist and director of
the Blue Hills Trailside Museum. “There
are lots of rodents and the airport is
surrounded by water, so there are ducks
and other waterfowl.”
Snowy owls show up at the airport
between November and April each year,
the Northern Hemisphere winter. Norman
has caught and released about 450 owls
A snowy
owl can reach a
top speed
of 80 kilometres
per hour.
Stealthy H u nters
BY KAREN DE SEVE
national GeoGraphic KiDS
17
How these birds of prey stay on the
move to survive in cold climates
18
MARCH 2013
© andy rouse / nature picture library (flying); © bruce corbett / alamy (male and female); © tim fitzharris / minden
pictures (single adult); © markus varesvuo / nature picture library (feeding, single chick); © all canada photos / alamy
(perched); © michio hoshino / minden pictures (group of chicks); © matthias clamer / corbis outline (harry potter)

at Logan since 1981. He captures the
birds in a net trap, examines them and
puts a metal band on one leg for future
identification. Then he releases them away
from aeroplane and car traffic. Sometimes
he equips an owl with an electronic beacon
so he can track where the bird goes. The
beacons help researchers find out where
snowy owls go when they’re not nesting on
the Arctic tundra.
Wintering on Ice
Not all snowy owls migrate that far south.
Some stay in the Arctic and hunt there.
Others, like one lone female, endure the
winter in constant darkness. The sun never
rises in winter this far north. Sea ice covers
the landscape and this owl is 160 kilometres
from land. Temperatures can plummet to
minus 40 degrees Celsius, but she’s not
turning into a bird-sicle. Layers of feathers
insulate her. Feathers cover her nostrils
and feet, which are padded for warmth.
Her 60-centimetre-tall body is motionless
as she conserves energy in the cold. She’s
hungry, so she has to eat.
A short flight takes the owl to open
water, where she swoops down and grabs
an eider – a northern sea duck. She tears
it apart with her beak, unaware that she is
ready for

take-off
coming in for
a landing
who’s who? adult males are all
white; females have stylish
brown-and-white feathers.
dad brings home
a lemming; mum
protects the nest.
sizing up
snowy owls
120 to 168 centimetres
TEN-YEAR-OLD
being monitored. When she was nesting this
past summer, researchers fitted her with a
bird-sized backpack beacon. It sends out a
signal with her location via satellite every
five days.
Researchers used to think snowy owls
always flew south in winter, but this bird’s
transmitter has tracked her to the sea ice
near Baffin Island in the Canadian High
Arctic. “It was a big surprise for us to see
them staying north,” says Gilles Gauthier,
a professor at Canada’s Laval University.
“Most of the snowy owls we tracked spent
one to three months on the ice.” Gilles says
the owl knows there are gaps in the ice
where seabirds gather. This is a useful guide
for a hungry owl.

Tundra Life
As the springtime sea ice thaws, the
female migrates overland to find a good
nesting site. She lands on the tundra near
Barrow, Alaska, satisfied that
there is a good supply of
lemmings. These rodents
are the summertime
staple of snowy owls.
Lots of lemmings mean
plenty of food, so snowy
owls will lay many eggs.
By May the female sits on top of a raised
mound in the treeless tundra. She is keeping
warm eight eggs. One by one fuzzy owlets
hatch in mid-June. They snuggle under their
mother’s wings and against the featherless
brood patch on her belly to keep warm in
temperature of four degrees. Hunting
constantly, their father provides food for
the whole family. The chicks grow quickly,
each eating about two lemmings a day.
Today the male returns to find the
female pretending to be injured, trying to
lure away snowy owl researcher Denver Holt,
who is examining and banding the chicks.
The parents think he is a predator. The
hooting male drops the lemming he’s
carrying and it hits Denver on the head.
Then the owl rakes Denver’s back with his

sharp talons. The assault continues until the
researcher leaves. The angry birds quickly
become doting parents again. “It’s pretty
intense, but you learn to deal with it and
duck,” Denver says.
When the owlets are about two months
old, their fluffy grey down gives way to
white-and-brown feathers. They are
learning to fly. By October, all of the
chicks are ready to strike out on their
own. They glide silently into the
darkness to their winter destinations.
The snowy
owl is also known
as the great
white owl or the
arctic owl.
WHERE’S DINNER? CHICKS
HUDDLE IN THEIR NEST.
A CHICK HAS
EXTRA FUZZ
FOR WARMTH.
LOOK OUT, RODENTS – THIS
OWL IS READY TO HUNT.
Find out more about snowy owls online at
kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals
better left
in the wild
Harry Potter’s snowy owl, Hedwig, made
a good companion on screen. In real life,

snowy owls are not good pets. Besides
needing a constant supply of whole
rodents to eat, these hunters require
lots of flying space. Experts sometimes
have permits to keep injured birds in
captivity if they’d be unable to survive
in the wild. Otherwise, it’s illegal to keep
snowy owls in captivity.
national GeoGraphic KiDS
19
20
mARCH 2013
COOL
6
4
1
14
17
18
15
19
21
3 2
THINGS
abOuT
20
bICYLES WERE FIRST
DESIGNED THE WaY
THEY aRE NOW IN THE
1880S.

THEY WERE CALLED
SAFETY BICYCLES AS THEY
WERE SAFER THAN RIDING A
pENNY FaRTHING.
0
There are a bILLION
bicycles in China. Bikes
were
FIRST
brought
there in the
LaTE
1800s.
IN THE
NETHERLaNDS
7 OUT OF 8
PEOPLE OVER
THE AGE OF 15
HAVE BIKES.
bMX
became a sport
in the 2008
OLYMpIC
GaMES IN
bEIJING.
5
5
A WHEELIE IS A
BIKE TRICK WHERE
YOU GO UP ON ONE

WHEEL.
THERE IS A
CHaNDELIER
MADE ENTIRELY
FROM bIkE
FRaMES
IN A
BUILDING IN
CapE TOWN.
a THREE-WHEELED
bIkE IS CaLLED a

TRIkE.
TO FIND THE HOLE IN a bICYCLE
INNER TubE, puT IT IN a baSIN OF
WaTER aND SEE WHERE THE aIR
bubbLES COME OuT.
IN 1993 A bIkE
SHaRING SCHEME
WAS
STaRTED IN
CaMbRIDGE IN
THE UK WITH 300
bICYCLES WERE
PLACED AROUND TOWN.
UNFORTUNATELY, MOST
WERE STOLEN OR
THROWN IN THE RIVER.
CYCLING IS THE MOST
ENERGY-EFFICIENT MEaNS

OF SELF-POWERED TRANSPORT.
THE
ONE-77
bICYCLE
MADE BY
aSTON MaRTIN
SELLS FOR ABOUT
R350 000 AND HAS AN
ON-bOaRD COMpuTER.
ONE OF THE
MOST FaMOuS
SONGS abOuT
CYCLING IS CaLLED
DaISY bELL. IT
ENDS WITH THE LINE

“a bICYCLE
buILT FOR
TWO”.
THERE ARE MORE
pHYSICaL aND
NEuROLOGICaL
PROCESSES INVOLVED IN
RIDING a bIkE THAN
IN DRIVING A CaR.
abOuT
100
MILLION
bIkES
aRE

MaNuFaCTuRED
EaCH

YEaR.
3
16
NatioNal GeoGraphic KiDS
21
ISTOCK PHOTO (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19,20,21,25,26,27,28,29,30); CAPE TOWN CYCLE TOUR TRUST (9);
JAMES GARAGHTY (18); SXC.HU (22,23,24)
8 97
2423
11
22
BY FIONA THOMSON
26 27
29
BICYCLES
30
10
13
In the Netherlands engineers are working on an airbag that is
fitted to the outside of a car
to protect cyclists in an accident.
28
THE BUNNY HOP

IS A BICYCLE TRICK WHERE
THE BIKE FLIES WITH BOTH
WHEELS OFF THE GROUND.

The 36th Cape Argus Pick n Pay
Cycle Tour takes place on
10 March 2013 in Cape Town.
THE PENNY
FARTHING RACE
WAS PART OF
THE WORLD
ALTERNATIVE
GAMES WHICH
TOOK PLACE IN
THE UK AFTER
THE OLYMPIC
GAMES.
ALBERT EINSTEIN
LOVED TO RIDE HIS BIKE. HE
SAID
“LIFE IS LIKE
RIDING A BICYCLE.

TO KEEP YOUR BALANCE,
YOU
MUST KEEP MOVING.”
The penny
farthing
was named
after two coins:
a large one and a
small one.
A giraffe
unicycle

has one
wheel
and an
extra-
long
neck.
25
Every full moon cyclists
ride through the streets of

Cape Town
in an event
called
Moonlight Mass.
SOME EXPENSIVE BICYCLES ARE MADE OF TITANIUM, THE SAME
METAL USED TO MAKE
ARTIFICIAL HIP JOINTS.
ON 31 DECEMBER
TAIWAN SET A
WORLD RECORD
FOR THE GREATEST
NUMBER OF
CYCLISTS IN A
PARADE WITH
72 919 CYCLISTS
TAKING PART.
THE SPEED RECORD FOR
A RECUMBENT BIKE IS
133,284 KILOMETRES PER
THE YELLOW JERSEY

OR MAILLOT JAUNE
IS WORN BY THE LEADER
IN THE
TOUR DE
FRANCE BIKE RACE.
THERE ARE
ABOUT
15 MILLION
BICYCLES THAT
WORK IN
SOUTH AFRICA.
Heinz Stücke has travelled 600
000 kilometres on a bicycle in
the last 50 years. That’s more
than anybody else.
12
THE OLDEST MAN TO COMPLETE THE 110-KILOMETRE ARGUS WAS
92 YEAR OLD JAPIE MALAN – ON A TANDEM.
HOUR OVER 200
METRES.
SET THE HEIGHT
OF A SADDLE
BY
PLACING
THE HEEL
OF YOUR
SHOE ON
THE PEDAL WHEN IT IS
AT THE LOWEST POINT.
YOUR LEG SHOULD BE

COMPLETELY STRAIGHT.
WHEN YOU
PEDAL
WITH THE FRONT
OF YOUR FOOT
,
YOUR LEG WILL BE
SLIGHTLY BENT.
A special boy
with
big dreams
has
the best time
of his life.
J
ust a while ago I was at the Red
Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape
Town, where I’m treated for
cystic fibrosis. One day I was chatting
to a lady called Margy. I was telling her
about the things I love.
For a start, I like bugs! Black scorpions
are my favourite creepy crawlies.
My mum saw one in Namibia and they
are very dangerous.
I go searching for every kind of bug
like spiders and ladybirds and I make
my mum and grandma search too. My
grandpa even bought a
magnifying glass so I can observe them

more closely. Cheetahs are amazing be-
cause they can run so fast. I have a toy
cheetah that goes to hospital with me.
I also really love owls, because they’re
so special.
Margy listened to my dreams
and I think she whispered them to
someone else.
BY ROBERT O’NEILL AS TOLD TO JULIKA KENNAWAY
22
march 2013
RobeRt with A Spotted
eAgle owl cAlled gemmA
RobeRt, mARk And
blAck eAgle leo
mY dReAm dAY
One day my mum and grandma said that I didn’t have to go
to school. We were going on a surprise trip. On the journey
we met a man called Mark from the Reach for a Dream
Foundation. He’s really cool and he took us to a
place where I met my first live cheetah. He made my dream
come true! I touched a cheetah whose name was Phoenix.
He purred when I touched him and it was awesome!
A cheetah is like me. People don’t understand me,
because I’m different. It’s the same with a cheetah. I learnt
there are Anatolian dogs that protect sheep and help to
prevent cheetahs from being killed. That’s great!
Then Mark took us to Eagle Encounters at Spier, a farm
near Cape Town, to see owls. I adore them. Owls are lovely
because they are so cute and their eyes are beautiful and

full of love. I always observe animals very closely and I
noticed that some owls were “clicking”.
If they got hurt, or their legs or wings were broken, I
would want to look after them and give them medicine.
When I’m older I want to work in nature conservation and
help at animal sanctuaries whenever I can. I want to help all
animals, because people don’t always understand them.
Meeting my Fav ourite Animals
Meeting my Fav ourite Animals
PHOTOS JULIKA KENNAWAY
HOSPITAL TIMES
Every few months I go to the Red Cross
Children’s Hospital. Hospital food is not nice
– I prefer my mum’s. Sometimes I don’t feel
like eating, other times I’m ravenous! I can
eat anything I want, but I have to take pills
before I eat. My favourite food is bread or
ribs with barbeque sauce. Auntie Vivien , who’s
the nurse, likes to have competitions with me
on how much I weigh and I always win. Then I
have to blow to see how my lungs are working,
and the doctor looks at how things are going
with my body. Many people pray for me.
FUN TIMES
Once I’m home again, I play
with my ball and go for
walks with my grandma’s
dogs. One is called Yster, the
other is called Loopy. I love
them because they’re

always happy and look
like they’re always
smiling. Loopy is a
dachshund, while
Yster is a crossbreed
with long hair.
Physios often play games with us and
make us laugh. Sometimes they tap on
our chests like a drum. This loosens
the mucus in the lungs. It’s like when
you hit a tomato sauce bottle to get
the sauce out, my physio says.
WITH CF
If you can’t breathe well, stay calm, ask your
mum to give you an inhaler. You musn’t freak
out. Just do some physio exercises – it really
helps you to breathe!
MY CHALLENGES
I was born with weak lungs and tummy
problems. I get tired quickly and don’t
feel very well. It’s something called
cystic fibrosis. I take creon pills for my
stomach to help me digest my food,
vitamin B drops on my tongue and lots
of other vitamins so I can keep strong.
At night I use a spray for a runny nose.
I have a wheezy chest. If I wake up and
am struggling to breathe, I ask Mum
if she can get my “Ferrari”, because I
need to be nebulised. It’s a machine

with medicine which you inhale. If I
start wheezing, it’s good to do a few
exercises that the physiotherapist
taught me. This makes everything
that is stuck in my lungs a bit looser
and then it’s easier to breathe. I play
ball, lift my arms, play with balloons,
blow with a straw
into water and
in the bath I can
have loads of fun
blowing bubbles
through a pipe.
Physiotherapist Brenda Morrow says:
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT KIDS
WITH CF DO A LOT OF
EXERCISE, AS THIS HELPS KEEP
THE LUNGS HEALTHY. THEY
CAN PLAY SPORTS AND SHOULD
NEVER BE LEFT OUT OF GAMES
BECAUSE OF CF!
I NAMED MY CHEETAH PHOENIX AFTER THE ONE I MET ON
MY DREAM DAY OUT. I TAKE HIM TO HOSPITAL WITH ME.
IT’S IMPORTANT TO EAT
LOTS OF FOOD THAT IS
HIGH IN FAT. KIDS WITH
CF DON’T ABSORB FAT
TOO WELL, SO THEY
CAN EAT MORE FAT
THAN OTHER KIDS !

Meeting my Fav ourite Animals
WHAT IS CYSTIC FIBROSIS?
CF is a condition that affects the lungs, pancreas and digestive system.
A few people are born with it, but you can’t catch it from anyone.
It is caused by a cystic fibrosis gene, which you inherit.
The main symptoms are coughing, wheezing, chest infections, a sore tummy and salty skin.
Everyone with CF must take pills (enzymes) and do exercises every day to stay healthy.
People with CF can have fun, become parents, have careers and lead active, productive lives.
The good news is that the treatment for CF is constantly improving and doctors all over the
world are working hard to find a cure.
Find out more at www.sacfa.org.za, the South African Cystic Fibrosis Association (S.A.C.F.A.).
Meeting my Fav ourite Animals
BY JEANNETTE KIMMEL
WATERMELONS ARE
92
PERCENT
WATER.
Check out these
Check out these
outrageous facts.
outrageous facts.
MAIL IS DELIVERED
BY MULE TO A
VILLAgE IN AMERIcA.
newscom (mule); © Isselee / DreamstIme (koalas); ZonecreatIve / Istockphoto (watermelon);
© kIrsty pargeter / DreamstIme (people); gary lewIs / getty Images (lobster)
A SMALL
LUMP OF
gOLD
cAN BE

FLATTENED
INTO A
SHEET
AS BIg
AS A
TENNIS
cOURT.
More people live
in and around
Tokyo,
Japan,
than in
all of
Canada.
was originally named the
Pluto Platter.
The

Frisbee
was originally named the
Pluto Platter.
The
Frisbee
was originally named the
Pluto Platter.
The
Frisbee
was originally named the
Pluto Platter.
The

Frisbee

SOME
LOBSTERS
ARE
ELECTRIC

BLUE.
KO
ALAS

IN SOUTHERN
AUSTRALIA HAVE
THICKER FUR
KO
ALAS

IN SOUTHERN
AUSTRALIA HAVE
THICKER FUR
KOALAS
IN SOUTHERN
AUSTRALIA HAVE
THICKER FUR
THAN KOALAS
IN THE NORTH.
THAN KOALAS
IN THE NORTH.
THAN KOALAS
IN THE NORTH.

Check out
our new
Weird But
True app.
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
MORE?
WANT
24
MARCH 2013

© 2013 NatioNal GeoGraphic Society • NatioNal GeoGraphic, NatioNal GeoGraphic KidS aNd yellow Border aNd KidS yellow Border deSiGNS are trademarKS of NatioNal GeoGraphic Society
• all riGhtS reServed • photo: NatioNal GeoGraphic Society (dUcKliNGS)
01 O2
O3 O4 O5 O6 O7 O8
O9
10 11 12
13 14 15
16
17 18 19
20 21 22
23
24 25 26 27 28 29
30
31


World Maths Day
Cape Argus Cycle Tour
End of term for inland
provinces
World Water Day
Public Holiday Human
Rights Day
Earth Hour 8:30 p.m.
New issue of NG
KIDS on sale
End of term for
coastal provinces
Good Friday