Many Rivers to Cross – Nile

The Nile River is possibly the most famous river in history because it was here that one of the oldest civilizations in the world began. Not surprisingly, the Nile teems with life; as would be necessary to support the world’s earliest urban settlement, but while the river is still rich I wildlife, some animals have been either wiped out or reduced almost to extinction, you won’t see lions for example, but only a few hundreds of years ago, both hippos and lions could be found here.

And of course, there’s the Nile Crocodile. While the gigantic animals had not been seen around the Nile for many years, in the past decade they've started making a comeback in the area behind the Aswan Dam. An interesting fact - the skin of the Nile Crocodile, unlike that of most reptiles, is not shed, but grows with the animal. The adults can reach lengths of over ten feet and weigh up to 1500 pounds – that’s a lot of skin to grow into!

The ibis, is one of the birds that were revered by the ancient Egyptians as a holy animal. It was sacred to Thoth, the god of knowledge and writing, who had the head of an Ibis. The true Sacred Ibis has not been seen wild in Egypt for over a hundred years but on the river you will still see the Amboselli Ibis, a very close relative.

The Tilapia is a fish also known as the Egyptian Mouth-Breeder. When Tilapia are born, the parents incubate the tiny fry by holding them in their mouths. They take turns in holding the fry and eating, to ensure they don't accidentally swallow any. The Tilapia has been fished in Egypt for hundreds of years, and even the modern-day Egyptians who fish for a living often use much the same methods as their ancestors did – hand casting a net over the river.. The Tilapia is so popular that it is sent all over the world to stock lakes.

Nile photograph by Tom@HK, used under a creative commons attribution licence

 

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