How Do You Say Hello?; 5

This is Charles winter our programs in the series how do you say hello are usually by and about children and the places in which they live. But today's program is different. It's about a place where young people are not ordinarily found it was Francis we hurry a Kikuyu boy who first gave me the idea of going there when I asked him this question. If I were to visit places around the area what would some of the most famous places be that I should see. I mean we just go back to St. Albans. Oh treetops Could you tell the girls and boys just what treetops is it is just like a hotel. We may have to start from the overseas countries come to see the Adam was because if they see enough of us. Don't know it's. Us right here for this or that. There is dispute over that. I have never seen. So for Francis and for all the others who've never seen it. A visit to tree tops.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in cooperation with UNICEF the United Nations Children's Fund presents. How do you say hello. A series of radio programs by Charles winter about children of the developing countries. How do you say hello today from Kenya treetops. When one hears the words East Africa probably the first country you think of is Kenya. And when you hear that magic word Kenya I don't doubt that treetops comes to mind treetops is one of the world's foremost tourist attractions but it's more than that as we're going to find out today. And tonight with me is a man who's going to help us find that out. Sir would you introduce yourself plays you right. I mean I was the Indian army officer and I was commissioned in

1969. And retired from the Indian army at the rank of Brigadier when India packed up. I then looked for the son and I came to Kenya as I was used to working. I joined the police in Kenya and left them in nineteen sixty three. Then I was offered employment as a senior at tree tops. Right I am today. So you have told us everything but the very most important thing of all. What is your name. By the name is Hayes Newington. Is it Colonel. Yeah is Colonel engineering we are standing outside the outspan hotel now this is not treetops no tree top set up as this all gets going to treetops have to assemble as we have and you have seen here today. They come in between 12:00 and 1:00. We give them a good luncheon. Tell them what to do. And now here we are at five minutes to do. Ready to take the

first 14 up tree tops with the first run off and then drop us 10 minutes after I leave two or more land rovers or knowledge of vehicles will follow up making us as we are today a total of 43 guests. Now we're in the is it a town or village of NE area and there is a small township which is fairly important. It has a railway going through and it is the entrance to the Abbey Daz in which we will find treetops today when you get up there. How is it located in relation to Nairobi. Ninety six miles to the north almost on the north bearing from Nairobi on a good road. How far from the outspan to three times ten miles as the car goes three miles as the crow flies. You have in your hand a case that looks as though it could hold an elephant tusk that's a rifle gun of a ball which would take on anything we're likely to meet but I'll let you know more

about that later. Fine we'll climb aboard then and off we go. That's the stuff to give men you get. Back you've always got a gate with a national park ranger. Gary in it. He is all right as we are and this sign says the emirate our national park tree tops keep this a tree top skates have a to national talking just about you write him and ask him what you know about a mining guppy. My knowing is he says that elephants are known to be at a place called demoting God a river which is about four miles from treetops. Well now we know that there it's up to them to decide which way they're going to go north south east or west. I hope nor do they come if you whistle. Now we send out trunk calls. For tree tops with tree top surface waiting for us. Then take the kid out

of the car and put it in there. And we I suggest to get it in any camera they like and the luggage will follow behind us to treetops. How far away is 250 yards. So we're on our way now but on the way. I notice you taking your elephant gun out of its holster because it's one of those elephants got your trunk oh yes he's got that song called I Hope I meet him. You know it's a four five eight when she's done 500 grain bullet and it's purely for protection in case we get another elephant. Well young rhino come charging in to see what's what. And we managed to finish the party by finding a couple of overhead and that only happens probably once a year so it's no drama but it must be that for protection. Has it happened this year yet. Not you know. So the law that every just says we're just about to do.

Not today so we're good. I got and I got it. David Busch which is occupied by animals at any time of the day or night and we may meet. Now that on the left is one of the eight hides we have. If we meet something no Freemasons. Get 10 or 12 people and then we stands to. See what they're going to do it's an elephant a rhino a buffalo. We stand still in the public stance. So it's up to me then to take some an action now to make a noise they don't like and I think testing is a mood. To disappear and we start off again and if we see an animal resell the other guess for the height and I'll bet you well internally. That I have the stair case up to go. You'll be met by my teeth you had missed the breath and mentioned number. And he would direct you to no room at night.

Up comes the case we put it up when going to the top so we can come down again. You can come down that's when I stop the shooting if you come down. Be careful we may see you later that it's not that. Anymore from them and. Their tribe is gone. But it's gone. It's an amazing place as you can probably hear in the background. It's tea time here we are in the middle of a game reserve on the observation deck of treetops somewhere enjoying tea with milk and sugar and cake and pleasant company and a charming hostess and a colonel all combined. What more could anybody ask for. A. Colonel would you tell us a little bit about the history of tree tops as we enjoyed his tea up here.

New year's gone by. Used to be part of a farm by a man called Sheldrake who lived across the way that he had come from India. And he found his bit of water and when you were being mean and you see water nor we see temper of it he would have been in the game when he found he said that wonderful games but I. Think I'd have to just friends that included me just before we built the outspend her to where you had been once and in twenty four. And if you and by moonlight combined Levinsky decided that day to do what you're doing and put a bit up and chop time sit and look from that thing and started humming they said why not that is something in the tree. But made a serve of rice and the big evil. Seen years ago had stayed in a house and way of thinking when they had what they called a windy house in the tree and it took me around on wendy

house in the tree where the children used to be so Decker's below death house in the tick from that you know tree tops which is built in. If you want. To see if more people later and built up to considerate of transcoding 15 people where the princess became queen. Said Marine One 13. D. When are we standing on the side of the original tween Oh no you're looking at the site across of what the original tweet up stated here 1954 it was bearing down during the published Yep this is built into deception. How did you manage to build a hotel here without frightening all the animals away. It's a natural sort of give and take between the builders and the animals. Order would have to be brought in the huge seeded streams which the props some 70 and they go right from the top right into the bottom 16 and the gun but at

the end we stayed away but often came into Austin game indeed. As the buildings were guests and it was less and less work more and more animals came and you'll find it logged in the book on the opening night. Over 300 elephant and Mr. Mason Smith and I was and I was the abuse of the time and effort building it for 22 people in 164 lodges decided to increase you can increase it to 43 what we are today. So there we are you headed from 100 to 250 for 57 to today and here I am sipping delicious Eisen deck of this reading and I hope you have another cup. Thank you I would like very much. We are downstairs near the dining room of treetops now. Colonel I would like to know if you keep a record of the animals that visit three times rather than recode. Own the names.

And the number of the animal to tempt an agent and he's done and has been done ever since. Gee tough stuff and a book of stuff where those records got down from the various numbers behind you will see half a dozen books and the rest are down and yet when I want to have people you record the animals the record the people in well in reviewing the 42 43 45 what is reported to be 40 feet and so on throughout the month. Today. To feed people. And visit number. Five thousand three hundred twenty one since the records in these books it's not. So I put that in here and everybody. We ask them all to sign. Like you some of the countries or Colonel New York USA in Honolulu Switzerland the skinniest and I'm a lucky honest damn. We had an interesting one of the prime minister for Sweden. And his party had quite a bit to say they had quite a good

time. People when they come up with absolutely no map. And the list you're making a VIP they happen. So that we have it by a three to one today the body for the queen will get you to sign your name in there as well. When I put in here any animal seen in. Daylight. Now I can put down the headings at the moment. What a buck. You saw those granted up here Bush but rather pretty dark Ones a male. And with horns and the female of it in Night band the type. I use or not the warthog little brutes they are only on one day but they do say that and in other words have not been one of them so they might say that about us how do we know. Now you saw the big black John probably stung Poppy and Don. He is a gentile is totally the peculiar administers discovered 900 to Rhea in this country by a famous Colonel minus Haagen who discovered a nothing game in Kenya.

This animal can grow up to infected been killed at sea for three of the shoulder wing £700. So you compare that with cattle it's quite a big beast and indeed it has been only a few came about today. You've just seen a buffalo. Now that is a cape buffalo season. None domesticated anyway. Indian when he sent me to mitigate it and a bit dangerous but the popular is really a wild cat. Run. Keeps out of his way and thank God he keeps out of us. And so long as we're both keeping out of each other's way we're all friends and harmony continues. Do you use any artificial means to entice the animals here. But T-tops itself treetop because as I said I think that somebody discovered this water. The work was discovered later the animals came here not so much of water because it's small. But for the trace minerals in the earth a kobold trace minerals. And you know Cobalt is a favorite of all

animals. And apparently this is one of the spots in this part of the additives which is has the best quality Cobalt. You have this water here within half a mile there's a huge leak. They drink that but they don't dig all the trace minerals. There are many rivers in this place I fish them all full of nothing. Trout in its own which are favored drinking at least in the end but they come here for you seed we put in we put down just in front. Yeah. And little bit of rock salt and that is what I call dressing like you have a shop you dress the window to get somebody to come inside and redress it and saying that can never sneeze in this Salt. And having a touch of it is even not as good on the Cobalt and hence. The making of tree tops nothing else is made. Now I've been eating a lot of carrots which is good for night vision good enough to see the animals at night how am I going to do that.

Let me have enough fire flood lights so the lights on to the front. If you would good you stand like up to about 30 yards. Then we have to go to the south in the West which you can watch the approach of the animals from the forest. Is there a danger of having too much light. We could do but I've often been asked by King the dog why Joe drank chrysolite I said I could make a data of what you coming at me. We talked by night to see by day see if I David you see it as the animals you had me like to be seen not the floodlight but just to give you enough light so that you can see them. We've seen a good many animals so far and it's getting dusky What should I look forward to tonight. I do hope you see Romeo and innocence which is the elephant is a favorite animal of all. But the rhino is the more difficult to see in other parts of Kenya and many people who can see want to study a rhino. They study it from a chair on a veranda where more comfortable now visit number what did you sing.

Five thousand three hundred twenty one. May I sign the book please do or is this the women I want to be here or is this the animal page the people page and the beast man was here. Soames I'm the beast. Thank you very much. We are back at the top of the tree tops now and I must talk even more softly than ever because the animal have truly assembled. We've had a magnificent dinner following our equally making it with some tea and the colonel is with us again. At our feet. Literally we're standing on top of them. Our number of animals Colonel what are some of the animals belongs there. A little bit. Tonight's you've got this. Two if you run the one thing I. Remember I should say is a good two term peace through a. Baby and. Only wearing. This 6 700. There are a. Couple of good will to

come. Family moves run around outside. Don't mix too much. Come to the bed and right approach it. But Jim. Elephant at the moment. I still think that with any luck we may get the old elephant in here. COLONEL. If you talk and notice that when the rhino is about the biggest one down there. That only other animals seem to avoid it. Why is this. Well run in and look at him once he got two really spikes in the top. You got to show. Mick. This is terrific. You suffer bad eyesight. And then oh he's a. Friend and to defend him so if he has to shoot it and you spit. Company at him he just chases any

other animals on all of this may do it and you don't like him the elephant doesn't like a rhino. But what is he doing now I notice he lowers his head and rubs his good for we're tusk along the ground. I'm. Home. Not at all with the horn not a turtle. It's receiving African rhinos go to their old Indian mine I want. The horn is made from half and growing out of the skin. Check manuals for a living room like that have growing from the skin not attached to a bone and it becomes the solid or very good skit he didn't get a lick because he's going to look at this Pepsi NEXT TO and get what Salt is what that is in that. So he really comes with a built in Macon for commerce. That's right. Oh he just approaching one of the other.

That's a nice big bump. Probably a spread of about 40 to two and she's. Looking he's rather Munda. Blue eyed him now. I want what you mean a blowout of them rather than harm or really get sick I think. I feel bad I said to him so he bluffed with it to rust Frank and I think it was more wondrous difficult to pick up. That largest horn puzzles me you said it was here what Isn't it a rhino has a major horn which is the frontrunner. And goes up to anything. We've had them in this country Kenya here 45 48 50 and she's 16 she's more known as shorter one behind but both are

made from the same material which she's head screws and twist together and agglomeration I think the wood is incidents on right to me but still it is and it is absolutely solid to the point in the same animal if it doesn't like something charges and it has done snapping to and then drive and put both those homes from them. Bottom through the seat twice and retreated and gone away with both horns still a nice hit and then rev a looking at the city and at one time the land was on two wheels and that is a true story and the photographs to be seen in the professional and to the office. But there were no human punters just Kerpen you know they just went straight to the bottom of the lander and it was touch and lucky and still the horn didn't break or did not break off. Now do they ever let you get

to see him come in here broken homes and we see fights in a case and some nasties. Really Madrid but interesting but what you do see when two heads come together and each putting two prongs out and they do a sort of natural swing at each other and if both homes connect nice they will that's a big part of the twist and money crack off of it and it's on its nature off from us. Have you ever had to shoot an animal here who came in wounded or sick. No. A wounded animal in the park. I phone or get in contact with the wardens of the park. I say I've got a case here. Broken leg what a book sense isn't. It. Can you come and have a look at it. Or I give you a further report in the morning.

Next morning he scouts are out and trying to pick up the enemy. But there are obvious reasons we can't go walking about him and. I think he will have begun at an end. Now we've seen a tremendous number of animal here tonight would you care to name some of the animals that. Are customarily found around tree tops midnight and beyond. Yes well in the what you see a good principle. Chapter 10 and 2 if you run. And a buffet to half a dozen men to cross the family of a subroutine he said the station had to mend. Yeah yeah on the right. Oh you want a buffalo gummy and. It's muddy in the fetus sucking in the mud. What. Are those Bushies to our left over there. Yes it

was left to Elephant. Oh yes it's a Cup a couple of cows. Well I think I need to be followed by those we always hope so but I have a couple of those beautiful innocent nice small tusk munge an elephant. We don't carry big tusks in the photosphere Minton's and who really be afraid of the rhino to see single rhino to it's its a mean species. The atmosphere which they build up. I should think so. Nope just like they were quite happy together. Well we haven't quite talked to the animals but we certainly talk to the next best thing Colonel and I thank you for it I think. I think when those elephants leave I'll head down but had beautiful soft warm bed you had with us in the room downstairs on the pillow and all that we see in the morning. Yes you. If we give them a big brownie nothing the animals feel. We can't now we figured let's hope for the best.

Well it's bright and early in the morning I might say 6:30 7:00 o'clock. We had an exciting night. We've seen dozens and dozens literally dozens of animals in-kernel. I would like just to say thank you for all you have said and what you have done for us. Any any parting words for the girls and boys listening. Well that's a nice one. I'm Sunny you didn't see much in the elephant line but we can't arrange the game and it's up to the animals to come. And as you've enjoyed yourself. We've enjoyed having you and perhaps some of your public will listen to may be attracted and we hope to see him here some other time. Good bye and thank you very much. A program in a radio series entitled How do you say

hello for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation the United Nations Children's Fund. This program was distributed by the national educational radio network.