Cape Town Tour 2009 – Butterfly World
Matthew du Toit (AS-Level)
The first thing that greeted us when we entered “Butterfly World” was the foul stench of rotting cheddar. We were herded into a small room liberally decorated with posters, molts and dead butterflies. Unfortunately, it also served as a storage room for live crickets.
After a brief overview, or whatever it was, we were taken to the adjacent room. Inside were a number of different mini-beasts, including several species of tarantulas and scorpions. There was even a display of Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches. My heart swelled with joy as I laid eyes on the first terrarium; it contained Brachypelma Smithi, more commonly known as a Mexican Red-Knee Tarantula. I was confronted with the moral issue of smuggling her out of the enclosure. I promised myself at that moment that one day I would own either a Mexican Red-Knee or a Mexican Red-Leg.
Then I noticed an unfathomable felony, a tag labeling a species of arboreal Tarantula incorrectly as a “Tree Tarantula” even though its actual name is a ‘Pink Toe’. I was in a state of disbelief; these villains are misleading the youth of today. I soon discovered another, albeit more forgivable, error. The culprit in question was a terrarium which was simply labeled “Black Tarantula”. This is understandable, as it would be almost impossible to identify the spider due to its lack of any distinctive markings.
The ‘guide’ then brought out a Corn Snake, which we would be allowed to handle. The room immediately erupted in a symphony of screams. Those poor naïve fools. This was a fairly large specimen and very docile. The snake could be handled relatively easily and with little danger towards itself.
We then proceeded to “The Garden” where all the butterflies are housed. It was eerily similar to those displays at the large plant nurseries. The biosphere was divided into four sections. The first section contained the butterflies. The spectacle was unbelievable both in terms of the staggering number and great diversity of the butterflies.
While walking along the narrow paths I encountered what seemed to be a incredibly detailed statue. Upon closer inspection I realized that it was actually an adult iguana. Another local was some sort of fruit bat with a head which resembled that of a dog. Many of the students started to feed it the fruit that was copiously strewn around. It was rather amusing to watch the bat eat. When Jenna tried to feed it, the bat bit her. The expression on her face was priceless.
The second section contained several small tortoises. This section was roughly the size of the AS1 classroom and did not hold my interest for long. However, at this moment I heard someone’s voice call out behind me. I immediately turned around and was surprised to see a massive iguana feeding on lettuce. Unfortunately, as I neared the beast it retreated back into the vegetation; Strange for an animal that should have been used to humans by now.
The next enclosure was guarded by a rather threatening cockatoo. It contained several species of bird including, if memory serves, an owl. Regrettably, I have forgotten whether it was a Barn Owl or a Spotted Eagle Owl. I have limited interest in birds and so left the section fairly quickly.
The final section was a return to euphoria. It contained various reptiles ranging from lizards and chameleons to snakes and turtles. Each species was kept in a concrete pen the size of a small bathroom. To my great disappointment, some of the enclosures were repeats and after the third Stripped Lizard and Skink display I realized that they urgently needed more specimens of non-butterfly related species.
Since the exit was located at the first section I had to back track. On my way there, I was almost grievously harmed by the malicious feathered sentinel, but when I arrived back at the first section I was reminded why the place was so magical. I uttered a sigh as I walked through the exit.
The remainder of the park was nothing but a half-hearted attempt at making money. I thought that the gift shop would be an example of how such enterprises should be run. After all, they would probably sell butterfly displays and tarantula molts. To my great disappointment, it served as a classic example of how they should not be done. The closest I saw to a butterfly was an overpriced poster. Most of the stock would not be out of place at a discount bargain market.
To my horror I realized that was only the beginning. The ‘food’ they served made sub edible cafeteria muck seem like a five star meal in comparison. It had the texture and taste of plastic and was not nearly as healthy. Never had my digestive system encountered anything quite like it. In fact it was the only meal I could not stomach during the entire tour.
I left Butterfly World with mixed feelings. A dream had been
realized; I had seen a Mexican Red-Knee and Pink Toe Tarantula, but
the memory of the ‘unique’ gift shop and ‘fine’ cuisine would stay
with me forever.
Other Extra-Curricular Activities
- Extra-Murals
- Tour & Camp Photograph Galleries
- Drums & Dreams - 2008 School Concert
