From Boulders Beach, in False Bay. Visitors flock to Boulders Beach to check out the almost 3,000 African (or Jackass) penguins that reside there.

Now, before the snickering begins, they are called Jackass penguins because their call resembles the bray of a donkey. These endangered, flightless birds waddle all over the beach, popping in and out of the water. They also have these little dens that they make on land that look like tiny sand igloos.

To me, it was very strange to see penguins in warm weather, but there they were, as cute as can be. A very amusing excursion for this ProjectExplorer!

From Cheetah Outreach in Spier. Here, we spoke with a woman named Liesl about how the center works to protect these beautiful, yet endangered animals.

Since cheetahs can be dangerous, we had to keep our team to a minimum when we entered the enclosed habitat - so only three of us were allowed in. Meredith snapped photos while I filmed up-close. To be honest, I think we three were the only ones brave enough to enter the cheetah enclosure. Lucky me - I was even able to pet a cheetah before it was time for us to leave.

From the World of Birds Wildlife Reserve and Monkey Park with owner, Walter Mangold. The World of Birds is astounding; like walking through a rainforest (and we had the necessary rain to make it even more authentic.)

The reserve keeps the animals in habitats that visitors can walk through. This means we could play with the monkeys, pet the tortoises, and walk right into a peacock’s path.

Given that their focus is birds, we learned about birds indigenous to South Africa, such as the Grey Crowned Crane. This is an austere bird with a crown of feathers atop its head. Legend has it that Grey Crowned Cranes are former Xhosa princesses. Today, they are fiercely protected by the Xhosa, who do not want to see these beautiful birds become extinct.

I am secretly wishing I could bring a baby cheetah, monkey, or tortoise home with me,

Move on: To District Six.

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