National Symbols

by Bushtots

This show certainly instilled a sense of national pride in the presenters and listeners. Some of the national symbols that we learnt more about on Saturday included, but were not limited to the national:

Flower – Giant or King Protea (Protea Cynaroides)
- Widely distributed in the south-western and southern areas of the Western Cape, from the Cedarberg up to just east of Grahamstown
- It is the largest of proteas
- Lends its name to the South African national cricket team

Animal – Springbok (Antidorcas Marsupialis)
- Gets its name from it’s jumping display (pronk in Afrikaans)
- Stands 75cm high and weighs about 40kg
- Both sexes have horns, with the ram’s horns being thicker and rougher
- It is adapted to dry, barren areas and open grass plains and is found in the Free State, North West and Karoo up to the west coast
- Lends its name to the South African rugby team – fondly known as ‘the Boks’

Bird – Blue Crane (Anthropoides Paradisia)
- It is found almost entirely within the country
- Is about a metre tall, light-blue grey, with a long neck supporting a bulbous head, long legs and elegant plumes which sweep to the ground
- Lay their eggs in the bare veld, often close to water
- Common in the Karoo but also the grasslands of Kwa-Zulu Natal and the highveld, usually in pairs or small families.
- Emits a distinctive high-pitched and rattling croak which can be heard from quite a distance

Fish – Galjoen (Dichistius Capensis)
- Found only along the coast from Namibia to Durban
- Keeps mostly to shallow water, and is often found in the rough surf, sometimes right next to the shore.

We also discussed the National Order and The National Flag.