Ruaha National park is home to over 50 different types of animals and over 100 different types of birds. I was able to go on safari and see so many wild animals in their natural environment. I was not expecting to see so many animals, yet I was able to see what they call "The Big Five": lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards and buffalos! I woke up every day at 5:00 a.m. to see the sunrise and stayed out until sunset.
My favorite animal was the tembo (elephant) because they are very smart animals. Elephants have one of the best memories in the animal kingdom. They recognize complex family trees and remember almost everything. I love them because they are very connected to their families, traveling in large packs to graze and eat grass. They also flap their ears to cool themselves down in the heat. I love when they do this because the flapping of their ears reminds me of when a butterfly flaps its wings.
When I first saw the elephants I felt very small because they are really big animals! I was so happy to see them because my dad loves elephants, too, and he has about 20 different small statues of elephants in our house. He believes they bring good luck.
