Encounter 1/36

@ Welcoming Guinea Pig Trio
Rubens has been looking forward to meeting the huge variety of other animals on this Summer Safari. What a treat to find Chintz here, too!
Welcoming Guinea Pig Trio
We don't come from Guinea but from the Andes in South America.
We are not related to pigs at all.
We quite like humans but we must have our own kind for company.
Like humans, we cannot store Vitamin C in our bodies and must have a daily supply.
We communicate with a "wheeking" noise and have developed a high-pitched squeaking noise that we only use to communicate with humans, not each other.

Encounter 2/36

@ Cottontail Warren
“I could stay here forever, Rubens,” said Jade. “This is an amazing place!” “Well, you never know what lies ahead, Jade. I wouldn't be surprised if the next stop is even better!” said Rubens.
Cottontail Warren
It's hard to sneak up on rabbits! Their vision covers nearly 360°, which allows them to see what's coming from behind them, above and from the sides without turning their heads. Rabbits can rotate their ears 270°, allowing them to detect any threats that might be approaching from close to 2 miles away. The oversized ears also have the added benefit of cooling rabbits down on a hot day.

Encounter 3/36

@ Squirrel Pasture
Rubens was excited to meet up again with Maxwell. They both took a moment to admire the amazing scene around them.
Squirrel Pasture
Squirrels are well known for their acrobatic skills and they have the intelligence to complete a complicated "assault course" to reach the food at the end! These cute, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed creatures are a common feature in our back gardens.

Encounter 4/36

@ Panda Patch
Sweetie was distracted by the sounds of loud rustling as Rubens unfolded a very large tourist map, in the course of which he succeeded in knocking Sweetie’s hat off. “Put that away, do!” snapped Sweetie. “We’re about to pose with this amazing creature—the picture will be of your map if you don’t fold it up pronto!”
Panda Patch
Its resemblance to a teddy bear is what makes a panda so popular! Pandas appeal to our "cuteness receptors" because they have large, front-facing eyes, and are extremely furry. This was the subject of a BBC scientific study. Apparently this is why almost all of us like pandas!

Encounter 5/36

@ Forest Drey
Rubens and Puddle Rumchuckle shook paws and said “How do you do?” to the next creature who had come to meet them, and posed for a souvenir photo. “Why am I always on the left?” grumbled Rubens. “Let’s change sides.” “No,” said Puddle Rumchuckle. “This side shows my best side.”
Forest Drey
Squirrels are one of the most important animals for helping the spread of oak trees. They store acorns in the ground but only recover around 70 per cent of them, allowing the forgotten acorns to grow into healthy trees!

Encounter 6/36

@ Silky Tabby Cat Corner
“Shall we take a selfie?” Rubens asked Marley as they drank in the scenery and admired their new friend next to them.
Silky Tabby Cat Corner
Tabby cats were named after a striped silk made in Baghdad. The cats were compared to the silk, giving them the name “tabby.” The silk comes from the Attabiy district in Baghdad and the 14th century Middle French term for it was “atabis,” that soon turned to “tabis.” This, of course, translated into our English word, “tabby.”

Encounter 7/36

@ Wattle Den
“I’ve written a postcard to my aunty to tell her about our amazing safari!” said Rubens. “She’ll wish she was here! Where’s the nearest postbox?” Chipilona shielded her eyes and rotated 360°, elaborately scanning the horizon. “I don’t think they’ve thought to provide a postbox here, Rubens. How remiss of them!” Seeing Rubens’s ears beginning to droop, Chipilona added, “Don’t worry, you can post your card after this leg of the safari.”
Wattle Den
The turkey is believed to have been sacred in ancient Mexican cultures. The Mayans, Aztecs and Toltecs referred to the turkey as the ‘Great Xolotl’, viewing them as ‘jewelled birds’.

Encounter 8/36

@ Cosy Lamb Barn
“What have you got in your tote bag, Lila?” asked Rubens. “It looks very full!” “I’ve come prepared for anything, Rubens,” responded Lila. “There’s deck shoes, snowshoes, tennis shoes, flip-flops, flippers, walking boots, Wellington boots—you name it, I’ve got it!”
Cosy Lamb Barn
Within only minutes, newly born lambs can stand and are walking with the flock almost immediately. This is crucial for their survival outdoors.

Encounter 9/36

@ Cosy Roost
Coco was distracted by the sounds of loud rustling as Rubens unfolded a very large tourist map, in the course of which he succeeded in knocking Coco’s hat off. “Put that away, do!” snapped Coco. “We’re about to pose with this amazing creature—the picture will be of your map if you don’t fold it up pronto!”
Cosy Roost
Chickens have prehistoric roots and are the closest living relative of the Tyrannosaurus Rex!

Encounter 10/36

@ Pastoral Verdancy
Rubens and Icy agreed that the variety of environments on their expedition was the best ever! Rubens and Icy exchanged opinions on which their favourite terrain had been so far, and which was the most interesting creature they had met in their travels!
Pastoral Verdancy
Did you know that sheep can recognise up to 50 other sheep faces, and remember them for two years? Other studies have shown they are capable of learning and remembering how to navigate complex mazes.

Encounter 11/36

@ Sunshine Mead
While Rubens paused to drink in the view, Foxy Rex started scrabbling in his rucksack for his portable, foldable camping chair. “What are you doing with that, Foxy Rex?” asked Rubens. “We’ll need to get going in a minute or we’ll be left behind!”
Sunshine Mead
The black and white Holstein-Friesian is the most widespread cattle breed in the world. Its spots are like fingerprints—no two cows have the exact same pattern of spots.

Encounter 12/36

@ Springbok Savanna
“What an amazing creature!” exclaimed Rubens. rex agreed with Rubens. “I’m seeing so many animals, birds and insects that I’ve never seen before!”
Springbok Savanna
The springbok is the national animal of South Africa. It is also the symbol and nickname of South Africa's national rugby team. When frightened or excited, a springbok makes a series of vertical leaps up to 11½ feet (3.5 metres) high. This behavior is known as pronking.

Encounter 13/36

@ Dapple Meadow
“What have you got in your tote bag, Dominion?” asked Rubens. “It looks very full!” “I’ve come prepared for anything, Rubens,” responded Dominion. “There’s deck shoes, snowshoes, tennis shoes, flip-flops, flippers, walking boots, Wellington boots—you name it, I’ve got it!”
Dapple Meadow
A white horse is actually grey—it’s a colouration that occurs when a gene causes the hair coat to gradually lose its colour. Horses have been domesticated for over 5000 years. They have bigger eyes than any other mammal that lives on land. Because their eyes are on the side of their head they are capable of seeing nearly 360° at one time. Horses gallop at around 27 mph (44 kph).

Encounter 14/36

@ Ou est la plume de ma caille?
Rubens and Peanuts got so engrossed in the conversation they were having with their fascinating new friend that they had to hurry along so as not to be left behind! They regretfully bade farewell to their new chum and promised to visit again!
Ou est la plume de ma caille?
The California Quail is California’s state bird. Its head plume, or topknot, looks like a single feather, but it is actually a cluster of six overlapping feathers. Pairs of California Quail call antiphonally, meaning that the male and female alternate calls.

Encounter 15/36

@ Victoria Wood
Rubens was very happy to meet Frank here! They both swapped tales of their experiences of their travels so far!
Victoria Wood
Dollar bills are often referred to as ‘bucks’ because in the 18th/19th centuries deerskin deerskins were a common medium of exchange for other items of value.

Encounter 16/36

@ Burns Plough
Both Mimi and Rubens love the scenery at the next stop, and they both enjoy introducing themselves to their new friend, who has been waiting to meet them!
Burns Plough
Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murd'ring pattle!

Encounter 17/36

@ Bears' Den
“I’ve written a postcard to my aunty to tell her about our amazing safari!” said Rubens. “She’ll wish she was here! Where’s the nearest postbox?” NUTTER shielded his eyes and rotated 360°, elaborately scanning the horizon. “I don’t think they’ve thought to provide a postbox here, Rubens. How remiss of them!” Seeing Rubens’s ears beginning to droop, NUTTER added, “Don’t worry, you can post your card after this leg of the safari.”
Bears' Den
Vikings and the Celts have many legends about the strength, protectiveness and prowess of bears. The bear is a common national personification for Russia and Germany. The brown bear is Finland’s national animal.

Encounter 18/36

@ Chipmunk Scurry
“What an amazing creature!” exclaimed Rubens. moo moo agreed with Rubens. “I’m seeing so many animals, birds and insects that I’ve never seen before!”
Chipmunk Scurry
Chipmunks are native in only two places—North America and Siberia. One small chipmunk can gather up to 165 acorns in one day, which it will store in cheek pouches whilst foraging. The collective noun for chipmunks is a "scurry"—which, like our pictured chipmunk, is cuteness overload!

Encounter 19/36

@ Eucalyptus Haven
Rubens is enjoying the view when Kitty comes along. "Look! A special prize!" says Kitty. Rubens looks down and sees something valuable. Well Rubens WAS here first ...
Eucalyptus Haven
Koala bears are doughty trencherman, shifting up to two pounds of eucalyptus leaves in a day! Eucalyptus leaves are not only extremely tough, they are poisonous, but a koala's long digestive cecum allows them to break down the leaves unharmed. Koala bears get their name from an Aboriginal term meaning ‘no drink’. It’s believed this is because koalas get almost all their moisture from the leaves they eat, and rarely drink water.

Encounter 20/36

@ Lounging Llamas
Rubens and Rockstar were entranced at reaching this stopping place and eagerly posed for a picture standing on either side of the attractive creature they had just met!
Lounging Llamas
The llama is the national symbol of Peru and appears on many tourist products as well as coins and stamps. Llamas communicate with each other through a variety of ear, tail and body postures. They also have a range of vocalisations including humming.

Encounter 21/36

@ Impala Grasslands
"Wasn’t it worth coming all this way, Rubens," said Q, "for this experience alone?" Rubens, admiring the creature at the centre of the scene they were now in, heartily agreed!
Impala Grasslands
We are impala, as you can tell by the distinctive lyre shape of our horns, and we live in large groups in grasslands near water in Africa, and we know how to look out for each other! Amazingly, we can jump up to nine feet in the air, and across spaces of 30 feet! Our running speed is up to 35 miles per hour.

Encounter 22/36

@ Meerkovo
Rubens was excited to meet up again with Darrell. They both took a moment to admire the amazing scene around them.
Meerkovo
I, Aleksandr Orlov, am handsome and success businesskat and have many claws in many pies.
Despite being talent singer and actorkat, I follow in footsteps of my ancestors, and take over family business of compare meerkats. Visit comparethemeerkats.com! Simples!

Encounter 23/36

@ Gardeners' Friend
Moe was distracted by the sounds of loud rustling as Rubens unfolded a very large tourist map, in the course of which he succeeded in knocking Moe’s hat off. “Put that away, do!” snapped Moe. “We’re about to pose with this amazing creature—the picture will be of your map if you don’t fold it up pronto!”
Gardeners' Friend
Not only do hedgehogs (or "urchins" as they used to be called) enjoy berries and fruit but the staple of their diet is made up from pests that are common in our back gardens, such as beetles and caterpillars.

Encounter 24/36

@ House Sparrow Haven
“Ooh, that’s a scary looking creature!” whispered Tobasco. “It’s bigger than me! I’ll stay here and wait for you to come back.” “C’mon, Tobasco, it’ll be fine—it’s not so very big; it's a trick of perspective, and anyway, it’s looking forward to meeting us!” said Rubens.
House Sparrow Haven
Unlike many other birds, the sparrow avoids woodlands, as it prefers to live close to human "settlements", whether urban or rural, probably because of the plentiful supply of available food. Incredibly, the once ubiquitous common sparrow is now listed as a threatened species.

Encounter 25/36

@ Red Panda Roost
Rubens and Jillie had shaken paws and were now introducing themselves to the next critter who had come to meet them on this leg of the quest, who was eager to make friends and to show off a carefully tidied natural habitat!
Red Panda Roost
Did you know that the Firefox browser's logo is a red panda?
Red pandas are vegetarian carnivores. ‘Carnivore’ doesn’t necessarily imply a meat-eater but can refer to their biological order. As they’re descended from carnivorous ancestors but rarely eat anything more than bamboo and a few insects they are classed as vegetarian carnivores.
They were given the name ‘panda’ about fifty years before the black and white variety.

Encounter 26/36

@ California Towhee Canyon
“You never know what sort of critter to expect next, do you, Supahfly?" whispered Rubens. “You know, small, cute and furry or really quite, um, large, with—er—very sharp teeth.” Supahfly reassured Rubens that all the critters were looking forward to meeting them, regardless of size, furriness, cuteness and/or type of teeth.
California Towhee Canyon
This little bird, the Canyon Towhee, is a native of lower-lying areas from Arizona, southern Colorado, and western Texas south to northwestern Oaxaca, Mexico, mostly avoiding the coasts. Its natural habitat is brush or chaparral.

Encounter 27/36

@ Houdini Hill
“What an amazing creature!” exclaimed Rubens. Rex agreed with Rubens. “I’m seeing so many animals, birds and insects that I’ve never seen before!”
Houdini Hill
Goats are really good escape artists, but Alpines specifically can figure out how to unravel enclosures and climb fences!

Encounter 28/36

@ Equine Flatlands
Rubens and Julian got so engrossed in the conversation they were having with their fascinating new friend that they had to hurry along so as not to be left behind! They regretfully bade farewell to their new chum and promised to visit again!
Equine Flatlands
Horses float when they run, sort of! When a horse gallops, all four hooves are off the ground at one point.
Rather than being measured in feet and inches, horses are measured in "hands". A hand is equivalent to four inches.

Encounter 29/36

@ Quicksilver Quail
While Rubens paused to drink in the view, Hera started scrabbling in her rucksack for her portable, foldable camping chair. “What are you doing with that, Hera?” asked Rubens. “We’ll need to get going in a minute or we’ll be left behind!”
Quicksilver Quail
The valley quail is the official state bird of California.
The California quail has a group of six feathers on top of its head, shaped like a comma. These feathers, called a topknot, make it almost impossible to mistake this 10-inch long bird for any other species.

Encounter 30/36

@ Gentle Giants Meadow
Rubens and Plop agreed that the variety of environments on their expedition was the best ever! Rubens and Plop exchanged opinions on which their favourite terrain had been so far, and which was the most interesting creature they had met in their travels!
Gentle Giants Meadow
Did you know that the Highland cow is the oldest registered breed of cattle in the world? Their long hair is an unusual double coat enabling them to withstand the cold, cold Scottish Highland winters!

Encounter 31/36

@ Shepherd Dog Repose
While Rubens paused to drink in the view, Elmeri started scrabbling in his rucksack for his portable, foldable camping chair. “What are you doing with that, Elmeri?” asked Rubens. “We’ll need to get going in a minute or we’ll be left behind!”
Shepherd Dog Repose
The Australian Shepherd dog probably came from the Basque region of Spain. Basque shepherds first took their dogs with them to Australia. American ranchers loved Australian Shepherds because they were great herders, but the dogs became very popular with the general public because of the dogs' frequent appearances in rodeos, where they could not only herd the bulls, but also perform tricks.

Encounter 32/36

@ Raccoon Road
“You never know what sort of critter to expect next, do you, Sweetie?" whispered Rubens. “You know, small, cute and furry or really quite, um, large, with—er—very sharp teeth.” Sweetie reassured Rubens that all the critters were looking forward to meeting them, regardless of size, furriness, cuteness and/or type of teeth.
Raccoon Road
Is it a bandit? Is it a highwayman? No, it's a raccoon!

Encounter 33/36

@ Rambling Roadrunner
Rubens and Sabrina had shaken paws and were now introducing themselves to the next critter who had come to meet them on this leg of the quest, who was eager to make friends and to show off a carefully tidied natural habitat!
Rambling Roadrunner
A relative of the cuckoo, roadrunners have zygodactyl feet with two toes pointing forwards and two pointing backwards. These feet leave X-shaped footprints along dusty paths or dry ground that can be easy to identify. Roadrunners can fly, but only do so in short bursts, preferring to run!
The Greater Roadrunner is the state bird of New Mexico.

Encounter 34/36

@ Al Fresco Armadillo
“I’ve written a postcard to my aunty to tell her about our amazing safari!” said Rubens. “She’ll wish she was here! Where’s the nearest postbox?” Astrid shielded her eyes and rotated 360°, elaborately scanning the horizon. “I don’t think they’ve thought to provide a postbox here, Rubens. How remiss of them!” Seeing Rubens’s ears beginning to droop, Astrid added, “Don’t worry, you can post your card after this leg of the safari.”
Al Fresco Armadillo
Armadillo is a Spanish word which means “little armoured one”. There are more than 21 species of armadillo from ones as tiny as 6 inches, the Pink Fairy Armadillo, to giant ones which can measure 1.5 yards.

Encounter 35/36

@ Dragonfly Dance
Rubens is enjoying the view when Choose a name comes along. "Look! A special prize!" says Choose a name. Rubens looks down and sees something valuable. Well Rubens WAS here first ...
Dragonfly Dance
Long before the dinosaurs roamed the Earth, dragonflies took to the air. Griffenflies (Meganisoptera), the gigantic precursors to modern dragonflies had wingspans of over two feet? and dotted the skies during the Carboniferous period over 300 million years ago.
Dragonflies are able to move each of their four wings independently. They can flap each wing up and down, and rotate their wings forward and back on an axis. Dragonflies can move straight up or down, fly backward, stop and hover, and make hairpin turns—at full speed or in slow motion.

Encounter 36/36

@ The Meadowlands x
Rubens has had a wonderful day, and has met lots of animals for the very first time, but now it is time for Rubens to go back to your page and relax.
The Meadowlands x
To welcome your pet at the start of this area of the quest will be some very friendly and familiar little creatures. They enjoy attention and in particular they love being fed some tasty treats, so your pet should not go empty-pawed! The route then proceeds through countryside where a variety of attractive, not to say cute, animals and birds will be waiting to say “Hello” to your pet.
Rubens has completed the quest! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can take part in the Summer Safari!