May 23, 2008

Zululand OBSERVER

	Not so dry Savannah Savannah and surrogate father Claud Lango share a moment at the pub counter Hey, that's my beer! Dalena van Jaarveld THE zebras in the Umlalazi Nature Reserve in Mtunzini have established cordial relationships with residents and regular visitors, but none of them are quite as well known as Savannah, the Mtunzini Backpackers' resident zebra. Kicked out of the Umlalazi herd (nature's way of controlling the population), Savannah nearly met her end soon after the birth of her younger sibling. Today, however, the two-and-a-half year-old zebra (a teenager in zebra years) is more than happy with the Lango family at the Mtunzini Backpackers where she moved in to find solace. A regular at the bar, Savannah loves carrots, apples and the occasional beer (or Savannah!). Although at first very skittish and prone to give the occasional kick at unsuspecting visitors, she is now tame enough to be stroked by her surrogate parents Aga and Claud Lango, and even follow them around the three hectare yard when she feels the need for attention. 'Mother' Aga says Savannah is one of a kind when it comes to eating habits, however, and will guzzle anything she can find - including biltong and bread. 'She can be a real nuisance when we serve food to customers!' Savannah is under tight supervision, though, since she has been caught wandering around town several times before in search of a fellow striped friend (not much different from the other teenagers in town!). But she might not be alone for long, as the Langos say the search is on for the most handsome of zebra suitors (they fear she might be insulted by the donkey friend they had planned on introducing to her). Applicants, they stress, should have their stripes in order.