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Ep241: Serengeti National Park · Kidcast Daily

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  Spin the wheel, let's take a ride.
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  Sports and science bursting from inside a world of wonder.
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  Open wide. Come on kids, let's amplify.
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  Kid Cast Daily starts yours. Welcome to Kick Ass Daily, where
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  we bring news, trivia, fun facts, and more just for curious
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  kids like you. Today, we're going on a journey
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  to one of the most famous and exciting places in the world for
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  animals and nature lovers, Serengeti National Park.
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  Grab your imaginary binoculars and safari hats because we're
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  heading to East Africa to explore the wild wonders of the
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  Serengeti. Let's start by figuring out
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  where Serengeti National Park is.
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  The Serengeti is in the country of Tanzania, which is located in
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  the eastern part of Africa. Tanzania is known for its
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  amazing wildlife, tall mountains, and beautiful lakes.
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  The Serengeti covers a huge area, about 5700 square miles
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  that's almost as big as the state of Connecticut in the
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  United States. The park is so big that it can
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  take several days to explore all its areas.
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  The word Serengeti comes from the Maasai language, spoken by
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  the Maasai people who live in this region.
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  It means endless plains, and if you ever see pictures or videos
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  of the Serengeti, it's easy to see why.
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  The land stretches very far, with grasslands that seem to go
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  on forever. There are also scattered trees,
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  rocky hills, and winding rivers. So why do people all over the
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  world talk about the Serengeti? One big reason is the animals.
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  The Serengeti is home to some of the most famous and fascinating
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  animals on the planet. It's one of the best places to
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  see wildlife in their natural habitat, which means they live
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  freely and aren't inside cages or enclosures.
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  Let's talk about some of the animals you can find in the
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  Serengeti. There are over 70 different
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  kinds of large mammals and more than 500 species of birds here.
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  Some of the most famous animals are known as the Big 5.
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  The Big 5 are the lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, and
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  Buffalo. These animals are called the Big
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  5 because they are the largest and most powerful mammals in
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  Africa. Lions are the kings and Queens
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  of the Serengeti. In fact, the Serengeti has one
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  of the largest lion populations in the world.
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  If you're lucky, you might see a whole pride of lions lounging
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  under a tree or hunting together for food.
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  Did you know a lion's roar can be heard from up to 5 miles
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  away? That's almost as far as 88
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  football fields lined up end to end.
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  Leopards are also found here, but they are much harder to spot
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  because they like to hide in trees or thick bushes.
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  Leopards are strong and fast, and they often drag their food
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  up into trees to keep it safe from other animals.
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  Elephants roam the Serengeti in family groups called herds.
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  These gentle giants can weigh as much as a small car and have
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  trunks that help them eat, drink and even play.
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  Watching a herd of elephants walking together is an
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  unforgettable sight. There are also black
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  rhinoceroses, which are very rare and protected in the park.
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  Rhinos have thick skin and big horns on their noses.
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  They like to eat grass, leaves and branches.
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  The African Buffalo is another member of the Big 5.
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  These animals are strong and can be found in large herds,
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  sometimes hundreds at a time. Buffaloes use their curved horns
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  to defend themselves from predators.
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  But the Serengeti isn't just about the Big 5.
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  It's famous for many other animals, too.
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  Zebras with their black and white stripes, Grays in huge
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  groups. Wildebeest, which look a bit
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  like a mix between a cow and an antelope, are everywhere.
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  There are also giraffes, with their long necks reaching high
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  into trees to eat leaves. You might see hippos cooling off
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  in rivers, crocodiles waiting for prey, and cheetahs sprinting
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  across the plains. One of the most amazing things
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  that happens in the Serengeti is the Great Migration.
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  This is the largest animal migration on land in the world.
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  Every year, over 2 million animals, mostly wildebeest but
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  also zebras and gazelles, travel in a giant loop across the
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  Serengeti and into a nearby park in Kenya called Maasai Mara.
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  They move in search of fresh grass and water because the
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  seasons change and some areas become dry.
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  During the Great Migration, animals have to cross rivers,
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  face hungry predators like lions and crocodiles, and travel long
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  distances. It's a dramatic and dangerous
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  journey, but it's also one of nature's greatest sites.
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  Did you know the migrating animals travel up to 1200 miles
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  in a year? That's about the same distance
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  as walking from New York City to Miami.
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  The Serengeti's weather changes with the seasons.
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  There's a rainy season, when lots of grass and flowers grow,
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  and a dry season, when water can be hard to find.
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  The animals have learned how to survive by moving to different
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  areas, finding water and working together in groups.
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  Besides animals, the Serengeti is also home to many kinds of
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  birds. You might see ostriches, which
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  are the biggest birds in the world and can't fly but can run
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  really fast. There are also colorful birds
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  like lilac breasted rollers and secretary birds, which have long
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  legs and eat snakes. Bird watchers come from all over
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  the world to see the incredible variety of birds in the
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  Serengeti. Now let's talk about the people
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  who help protect the Serengeti. National parks like Serengeti
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  are special places because they are protected by law.
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  This means that people can't build cities, cut down lots of
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  trees, or hunt animals there. Park Rangers work in the
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  Serengeti to keep the animal safe, guide visitors, and make
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  sure that the park stays healthy for plants, animals, and people.
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  Many scientists and researchers also work in the Serengeti.
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  They study animal behavior, keep track of the number of different
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  species, and try to understand how nature works.
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  For example, scientists might put small collars with radio
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  transmitters on lions or elephants.
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  This helps them track where the animals go, what they eat, and
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  how they take care of their young.
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  The Maasai people live near the Serengeti and have been there
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  for hundreds of years. They are known for their
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  colorful clothes and unique way of life.
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  The Maasai raise cattle and goats and know a lot about the
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  land and animals. Sometimes they work with Park
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  Rangers and scientists to help protect the wildlife.
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  Tourism is important for the Serengeti.
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  Too. Many people from around the
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  world visit the park to see the animals and beautiful
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  landscapes. The money from tourism helps pay
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  for conservation, which means protecting the plants, animals
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  and land. Tourists can go on guided
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  safaris where they ride in special vehicles and look for
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  animals. It's important for visitors to
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  follow the parks rules, like not feeding the animals and staying
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  quiet so they don't disturb the wildlife.
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  Did you know that the Serengeti is also a World Heritage Site?
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  This means that the United Nations thinks it's one of the
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  most important places on Earth for nature and culture.
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  The Serengeti is protected so that people in the future can
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  also enjoy its wonders. Let's recap what we've learned
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  today. Serengeti National Park is a
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  giant protected area in Tanzania, East Africa, known for
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  its endless plains and huge variety of animals.
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  It's home to the Big 5 lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and
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  Buffalo, as well as zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, and many
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  more. Every year, millions of animals
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  take part in the Great Migration, traveling hundreds of
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  miles in search of food and water.
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  The park's weather changes with the seasons, and the animals
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  move to survive. People like Park Rangers,
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  scientists, and the Maasai help take care of the park.
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  Tourists visit to learn about and support the park, and
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  Serengeti is recognized all over the world as a natural treasure.
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  Thanks for joining us today on Kick Ass Daily.
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  We hope you had fun learning about Serengeti National Park
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  and all the amazing things that make it special.
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  Keep exploring, stay curious, and remember there's a big world
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  out there waiting for you to to discover grab.
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  Your breakfast, feeling fine, adventures waiting, don't be
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  late. Today's.
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  The day we celebrate Kid Cast Daily starts your day fun.