An Overlook Look Over

As Guests approach the edge of the Pangani Forest, they come to an overlook structure, built in a traditional, upcountry style. The overlook provides a dramatic view of Baobab trees and some of the animals of the dry savanna grasslands beyond the forest. Gerenuk can often be seen grazing here. Giraffes occasionally come into the area as well.

Apart from the view, the overlook was also constructed as a place to host school groups and other visitors. The interior of the space is decorated with a variety of things to educate not just about wildlife, but about some of the area's cultural heritage. The spears, shields and gourds (used for drinking or storage) are artifacts of the Maasai, a semi-nomadic people who inhabit the Serengeti plains.

While the rest of the structures at the Pangani Forest Conservation School are utilitarian in nature, the overlook has been purposefully designed to evoke the tribal traditions and romance of East Africa.

Alongside the overlook, a colony of meerkats has created a home by burrowing into and under an old, eroded termite mound. The meerkats can often be seen frolicking or rooting around for grubs. There's always one member of the colony, though, who is keeping watch for predators (that's the sentry sitting atop the mound at the top left of the photo below).

A notebook on a nearby table contains some of the observations of researcher T. Gikungu, who has been studying the meerkats. Also on the table, Gikungu has left examples of a tiny meerkat skull and the much larger skull of a warthog. Since the wide world of Disney even reaches out to the schoolchildren of Africa, using references to familiar characters and stories is just another way to engage the kids in caring about these creatures.