Welcome to "simbabiology.blogspot.com" - the class blog for The Biology and Ecology of the Lion King.  The purpose of the blog is to have the students document their explorations of the class material.  Feel free to include useful resources, personal observations, animal sightings, surprising or important facts, etc.  

As a starting point, I offer this:
In appreciating the importance of wildlife to the national psyche of South Africa, one needs to look no further than the money.  Every rand coin or note depicts indigenous wildlife.  On many of the bills, animals appear on the front and the back.

In bills where Nelson Mandela appears, he is typically gazing at large game.  On many bills, groups of animals appear, sometimes pursed by hunters.  On the R100 bill with Table Mountain, there are 3 Cape buffalo on one side and a dozen or so kwagga or Cape mountain zebra wondering in front of the mountain.

To illustrate these points, I have posted a number of photos below.

As in the US, the national emblem includes a raptor which also appears prominently on the currency.

Happy explorations.