Tragedia en Freetown y la Aventura del Safari Africano

1. Tragedia en Freetown

Staff murdered at a petrol station

Freetown – A member of the staff of the only service station in the north-west of Freetown was robbed at gunpoint on Sunday night. The thief shot and killed him before rushing off, as the shop assistant had refused to give him the money from the till. A European couple who were walking around had also been robbed half an hour before at a corner next to the station. Fortunately, they had decided to give all their cash to the thief. They are having their car repaired and that is why they had not taken it.

A man driving at high speed on the highway and with evident signs of nervousness was arrested by the police. It seems he had never been arrested before. At the moment, the police are busy investigating whether there is any kind of link between the two crimes. They had already arrested a thief in the same area when the armed robberies took place.

Inspector Thomas Scorn said the first incident took place at 21:25 at Percival Street. "The couple of tourists had gone out for a relaxing walk. They were walking along Percival Street when a man with a red cap approached them from behind and asked them to give him the money. They got nervous but gave all their cash and valuables to the thief who rushed off down the street", said Scorn.

The second incident took place half an hour later at a service station on Krootown Road, barely two kilometres away. "The armed man entered the premises, held up the member of the staff and tried to take an undisclosed amount of money. The shop assistant put up resistance and he was shot. The thief fled on foot," said Scorn.

"The police are now attempting to ascertain whether both robberies are linked and also whether any other service station armed robbery has recently been committed in the area. Incidents like these need stopping" said Scorn. The man who was arrested is expected to appear in the Law Courts in Freetown next week.

2. El Leopardo y su Hábitat

Lectura sobre animales salvajes

Paco has been reading about wild animals all morning. He is really excited about finding so many species in their natural habitat and he knows he won't be disappointed with the experience. He has paid special attention to some information about the leopard. This animal belongs to the group of the four 'big cats', also including the lion, the tiger and the jaguar. As many other animals, its number has decreased dramatically due to an excess of hunting and loss of habitat, what makes it a possible endangered species if limits are not imposed. Despite this fact, Africa is the place where most leopards are found nowadays.

The leopard is similar to the jaguar in appearance although the leopard is smaller. It is a very aggressive and dangerous predator. It's good at hunting other animals because it is very agile and stealthy, and it has very powerful jaw muscles. Paco also thought it was similar to the cheetah but it is very different from it: the spots are different and the leopard is bigger than the cheetah. Studies have shown that it is a very solitary animal which is not used to interacting with other leopards. However, it is very aggressive and research shows there have been violent encounters between them, especially when fighting for a female leopard.

The leopard likes climbing trees and spends great part of the day resting on tree branches. It is used to hunting at night, being antelopes their favourite prey in Africa. Leopards must compete for food with other predators. They have managed to live with these other animals by hunting at different times or in different places. Sometimes leopards have to leave their dead prey high up in a tree. Paco has read that their prey doesn't have to be smaller than them; quite the contrary, they can carry animals which are much heavier. 'They must be really strong animals then', Paco thought. Our friend knows this animal is difficult to find but he hopes to see it in his next adventure. Let's find it out!

3. Safari en Kenia

Experiencias en África

One night, when Paco was in bed, he could not sleep: he was too excited about the experiences he was having those days. He had made a really good choice with Kenya. ‘An African safari is a true adventure, which should be experienced once in our lives’, Paco was thinking. Apart from this, the whole trip was really well organized. Paco booked the safari in Nairobi, but it is also very easy for people coming directly from abroad. The best time for an African safari is normally the dry season. The safari must be booked in advance. All necessary information is given well in advance, such as the vaccinations you must have or any kind of advice. Information about the climate is also provided, and you can choose from different types of accommodation.

Once in Nairobi, you are received at the airport and taken to your hotel, where you stay for the night. The following morning, after breakfast, you are driven to Maasai Mara, where the guide introduces himself and, after lunch, he takes you for the first tour. The following days, the tours last for the whole day in order to get the most of the trip. At night you are given a good dinner and you can either rest in your room or join the other tourists in the camp to have a chat or to enjoy each other’s company. People’s expectations are fulfilled when they have seen the biggest number and variety of animals, especially if the ‘Big Five’ are included in the list and in their cameras. Then they will have made the journey of their lives. A beautiful sight that should not be missed is the annual migration of zebras. Then Maasai Mara Game Reserve must be visited between September and December, when the zebras continue their way to the Serengeti in Tanzania.