Baobab: The mighty and iconic upside-down tree

 The iconic baobabs are trees like no other. A thick trunk rises to support thin branches. They are deciduous, which means during the dry season, their bare branches look like a gnarled root system, and make these trees look as if the tree was growing upside down.

Why are baobabs important? 

The baobab is a key species in an ecosystem. They play a key role in helping to keep soil conditions humid and also promote nutrient recycling. They also prevent soil erosion. And the baobab is an important source of food, water and shelter for various birds, reptiles and insects. 

A mature baobab tree will create its own ecosystem. For example, monkeys and warthogs are fond of fruit and seed pods, birds can make a home in the cavity of the bark or make their nests in the huge branches. Bush babies and fruit bats will drink baobab nectar. And other wildlife like elephants sometimes eat the spongy baobab bark, which provides moisture during times of drought.

After a long walk through the summer’s heat, this tree will be your best friend. You find shade and a drink – as the cavities in the tree act as reservoirs for rainwater. The seeds within the fruit from the tree can also be sucked to relieve thirst. And who knows, if you stop for a drink, you might even get lucky and spot something exciting. 

Where can you see baobab trees?

There are nine different species of baobab trees. One is from Australia, six from Madagascar and two species are native to mainland Africa. All these species are situated in low-lying, arid regions. 

In Africa, you find baobabs growing above hot, dry shrublands. In Madagascar, baobabs are pioneers of the dry deciduous forests in the western side of the island. In Australia, they live in open savanna woodlands. All these regions go through a short wet season and long, hot, dry season. Most trees would not survive in these conditions, but baobabs can grow.

What beliefs exist about baobabs?

The baobab is surrounded by many superstitions. Here are some of my favorites:

• Many cultures believe that an evil spirit lives in the tree’s white flowers. If anyone plucks these white flowers, the evil spirit will cause a lion to them.
• In Zambian culture, women are not allowed to eat baobab fruit during the beer-brewing process, as it is believed that this will cause the beer to go bad.
• Baobabs are considered to be a fertility tree.
• For the East African people, it is believed that Resa, the lord of rain, stays in the top branches of an enormous baobab in order to support the sky.
• And my favorite is a Bushman legend. In the beginning, the creator decided to hand out seeds and plants to the animals of the world for them to cultivate. The baobab was issued to the hyena, but because she was upset about being last in the queue, she decided to plant it upside-down.

Nutritional uses of baobab: 

• People can eat almost each part of this tree, including roots and small sprouts. 
• The baobab’s fruit has a citrus flavour and is enjoyed by monkeys and humans. 
• The leaves can be boiled and used as spinach, and even the flowers are edible. 
• You can mix water and powdered fruit pulp to create a refreshing drink. Some people snack on roasted seeds or use them to brew a coffee-like drink. The pulp can be used in juices to add flavor. The pulp is rich in vitamin C – about 10 times that of oranges
• Baobab seed powder is sprinkled on food for added nutrients and as a natural preservative.

Medicinal uses of baobab: 

• Traditional beliefs said the baobab have been used to treat almost any disease including malaria, tuberculosis, fever, microbial infections and dysentery. 
• The leaves and fruit pulp can be used to stimulate the immune system and fight against fever. 
• It is said to have a lot of healing properties : antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antidiarrheal and antiviral. 
• The leaves can also be useful for treating anaemia and asthma.

Others uses of baobab: 

• The hollow bark of the baobab tree can provide homes for a lot of animals like reptiles, insects and birds. Foliage sometimes can be eaten as fodder for livestock.  
• The bark is harvested extensively for its fibrous qualities. Strips can be rolled into a tough yarn and used in many different ways such as sacks, fishing nets and also clothes. 
• Bushmen also used the bark to create traps.
• The twine is also used occasionally for the strings of musical instruments. Its wood is used for fuel and timber. 

The landowners of The Sunland Baobab decided to build a pub inside the hollow centre of this tree. It was around to be 22 metres tall and 47 metres in girth. The landowners decided to close the pub to prevent soil erosion around the tree and The Sunland Baobab unfortunately died in 2017.

Are they protected or endangered? 

In 1941, the baobab was included in the list of protected trees by the Forest Act in South Africa. However, the six Madagascar baobab species are both on the IUCN Red List, three as endangered and three as near threatened. The African and Australian species are not assessed but may become a problem without surveillance.

Global climate change may be playing a role in the loss of these trees. A rapid increase in baobab deaths in southern Africa have been noted. Of the world’s 13 largest baobabs, 9 have collapsed and died. For such ancient trees, their death and breakdown is remarkably rapid. Baobab trees simply crumple into a pile of papery fibre when they die. If a hot fire passes through, it would probably remove any evidence of the tree’s existence. This devastating loss reminds us of the impact of climate change on biodiversity.

Red-Vented Bulbuls

 Bulbul, any of about 140 species of birds of the family Pycnonotidae (order Passeriformes) of Africa and Asia, including some called greenbuls and brownbuls. Members range in size from 14 to 28 cm (5.5 to 11 inches) long. They are active, noisy, plain-colored birds that sometimes damage orchards.

Red – Vented Bulbul

 Representative of the 47 species of the genus Pycnonotus is the African bulbul (P. barbatus, including P. xanthopygos and P. tricolor), an 18-cm (7-inch) brownish gray bird. Others are the red-whiskered bulbul (P. jocosus, sometimes Otocompsa jocosa), which is indigenous from India to southern China, and the red-vented bulbul (P., sometimes Molpastes, cafer) of Pakistan to Java (natively) and the Fiji islands (by introduction). 

red-whiskered bulbul

The 22 species of Phyllastrephus are common in tropical Africa. Finch-billed bulbuls (Spizixos) occur in southeastern Asia. The white-throated bulbul (Criniger flaveolus) ranges from the Himalayas to Bali. One of the larger species, 25 cm (10 inches) long, is the black bulbul (Hypsipetes, sometimes Microscelis, madagascariensis) of Madagascar, Indian Ocean islands, and southern Asia east to Taiwan; it has gray and black-and-white races.

Red-Vented Bulbuls inhabit a huge range that extends from India east to Vietnam and south to Java; they have also been introduced to Hawaii and many other places.  They inhabit open woodlands, scrub, farms, villages and cities, pairing off while breeding but otherwise going about in small groups.

Among the most readily available of their 120+ relatives, Red-Vented Bulbuls have a subtle beauty.  Their plumage is a pleasing mix of light to chocolate browns, tan, white and black, with a purple-tinged red patch at the vent.  When excited, angry or otherwise stimulated, bulbuls raise the head feathers into a crest, which is most amusing to behold.

Keeping Red-Vented Bulbuls

In my opinion, the Red-Vented Bulbul’s chief selling point is what can only be described as a “friendly personality”.  As long as they are not crowded or stressed, Red-Vented Bulbuls are very curious about people – I was able to induce several to feed from my hand in a very short time.  They really do make the most engaging pets, and in parts of Asia are kept and treated much as are parrots.

Unlike many softbills, Red-Vented Bulbuls do fine in a large indoor cage but, given their size (8 inches) and high level of activity, they really come into their own in an outdoor or indoor aviary.

Captive Diets

These little fellows are quite hardy and fare well on a high-quality insectivorous bird food  into which has been mixed a bit of Softbill Select and Egg Food.  Hard boiled egg and some cooked ground beef should be offered regularly.

However, a highly varied diet, packed with insects and other invertebrates, is essential if you want to keep your birds in peak color and breeding condition.  I

Wild and Canned Invertebrates

Red-Vented Bulbuls relish grasshoppers, katydids, crickets, spiders, sow bugs, beetles, flies, termites, moths, mealworms, waxworms, fly larvae, silkworms – almost any invertebrate, in other words! 

Canned Invertebrates marketed for use with captive reptiles and amphibians are a convenient means of increasing the nutritional content of bulbul diets.

Dried Shrimp, a food favored by old-time bird keepers for insectivorous birds of all types, should also be offered.