Burkina Faso might sound like an obscure little country in Africa, but ntion its other na, and many people might have an impression—it's known as "The Country of Honorable Gentlen."
The na of the country cos from its native language, aning "The Country of Honorable Gentlen."
Positively speaking, despite the extrely unstable security in Africa, the people of Burkina Faso lead a self-sufficient, leisurely life.
But from what Bi Fang saw along the way, poverty and hardship are the true epitos.
It is one of the poorest countries in the world, with nearly 80% of the labor force engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry, yet due to its location on the edge of the desert, with flatland that holds no moisture, the arable land is scarce and dry.
Having no money leads to farming, but farming yields no significant results—it's a vicious cycle of sorts.
The ground under Bi Fang's feet was already severely desertified, with fine sand mixed into the large quantities of grit, and slopes were prone to slipping.
"In this place, rain is a cause for great celebration, if a child is born when it's raining, people believe that the child is inherently lucky, blessed by the gods, and so they generally na the child Patwa, which ans rain."
"Locals even build houses directly from clay, mixing it with water and then constructing walls and roofs, without worrying about the possibility of rain soaking and collapsing them."
While looking for prey, Bi Fang also didn't forget to make so comntary, lest his audience find it monotonous, but this undoubtedly exacerbated his body's dehydration, often having to stop to sip water.
Being close to the equator, Burkina Faso was already very hot by the end of May.
Especially in the northernmost part where Bi Fang was, the highest average dayti temperature had exceeded thirty-seven degrees, and even light activity under the scorching sun could lead to heavy sweating.
Just lifting his head, he could see the heat distorted by high temperatures, layered upon itself, denser than sea waves blown up by a typhoon.
A small bunch of gravel slid down the hill, and Bi Fang, dressed in light khaki explorer gear, stepped forward, heading toward the top of the slope.
Crossing the Sahara, the system only allowed the use of minimal low-level system equipnt, and Bi Fang ultimately chose a set of khaki explorer gear reminiscent of Professor Indiana Jones. The color was called khaki, but it was quite pale, and under strong exposure, it even looked pure white.
The quality, as always, was good—convenient and quick-drying, eliminating the embarrassnt of sweat stains.
Standing atop the hill, Bi Fang scoped the horizon, where the yellow earth stretched far and wide, with a few sparse, thinly spread trees that looked short and pitiful.
Facing the sun, Bi Fang squinted slightly, trying to spot any traces of his prey.
In another two days, it would be June, and he only intended to spend three days to obtain a sufficiently docile cal, ready to set off by the first of June at the latest.
The best arrangent would be to have a catch today and spend one to two days acclimating.
After all, capturing one didn't an he could ride it; so basic training was needed.
"Most of the territory of Burkina Faso is made up of plateaus, but the average altitude is not high, at only about 300 ters, and the terrain is flat. The country's highest peak is only 749 ters tall. However, due to the flatness of the land, this is not advantageous for our ambush of cals."
Bi Fang pointed at the vast plain in front of him, scanning from left to right, sharing so basic knowledge about cals.
"Cals are exceptionally large animals, with adults asuring over two ters in height, a body length of 2.8 to 3.2 ters, and a weight close to 500 kilograms, dwarfing horses and mules in terms of size."
"In nature, bigger often ans stronger, so without a doubt, cals are one of the land's dominant creatures."
"Though they may seem cumberso, they are very agile, and their bodies are quite flexible. Their necks can bend into an S-shape like a cobra's, allowing them to keep an eye on their surroundings all the ti and escape quickly."
"Most importantly, cals are also very fast, especially the drodaries used in races which have explosive power. Their sprinting speed is similar to that of wolves, reaching speeds of up to 50 kiloters per hour."
"Once December arrives," he began, "the speed of cals further increases, because it is their mating season. During this period, cals beco extrely aggressive and are constantly in a state of excitent. Their running speed reaches a new level, reportedly up to 70 kiloters per hour—faster than wild horses."
[Wow, is this the power of love?]
[What flows in their veins isn't blood but the hormones of love.]
[This hormone is more potent than gasoline, so powerful.]
[It's intoxicating.]
"This speed also grants the cal a trendous impact force, like a cannonball. Any animal struck by them is either killed or injured. Moreover, there's the kicking, which is common among hoofed animals and very dangerous. Thus, capturing a cal is not an easy task; using the terrain to your advantage is the best thod."
Capturing so large fierce beasts often critically depends on the use of terrain.
The most common strategy is to have a small mound, with each party on one side of it—it provides not only a visual shield but also a degree of scent isolation. When you suddenly appear, the swiftly shortened distance can also sowhat intimidate the animal.
Of course, having a headwind would make it even better.
With scent and sight completely blocked and at a distance of fewer than twenty ters, Bi Fang rarely missed his mark.
His record when capturing reindeer and black bears certainly proved this point.
On the ground, a low bush drooped wearily, and Bi Fang squatted, lifting so of it.
As the drone approached, everyone could clearly see the bite marks left on the stems of the plants.
"The manner in which bark is peeled, the leftover nutshells and berry remnants, the tooth marks on tender branches, the remains of prey left by carnivorous animals, and the destroyed state of prey nests—all of these can help you determine the types of animals living in the vicinity and their habits," he explained, pointing to several noticeable marks before looking up at the live broadcast device.
"Many deer that nibble on tender plant stems leave characteristic tooth marks, and the edges of the peeled stems and bark will show signs of damage. The edges left by rabbits that have gnawed on bark, however, are smooth."
"In the sumr, the bark nibbled by deer is torn into long strips, fully exposing the wood underneath—in winter, when the bark is tightly adhered, it is only gnawed into chunks, allowing one to see many clear tooth marks."
"Sheep and goats also gnaw on bark. The tooth marks they leave are usually slanted, while those of deer are vertical."
"Rodents often gnaw at the base of tree stems—stripping the soft bark off saplings is usually the work of wild rabbits. The parts gnawed by industrious beavers look as if they've been chopped with a small hatchet, leaving deep marks with conical tops."
"Squirrels will climb to the top of the stem to strip and gnaw the bark of tender twigs, and you'll usually find wood chips and pieces of bark scattered at the base of the tree. But if you also find scattered nuts or pinecones below, that indicates it might be the work of nut-stealing birds."
"Near a pile of empty nutshells on the ground, one is likely to find a burrow inhabited by a rodent."
[Note it down, note it down.]
[Master Fang is aweso!]
[Professional Hunter's tips, saved for later.]
[Why bother, think you'll use it one day?]
Bi Fang shared a wealth of information about the signs left by common herbivores, which was an eye-opener for the audience. But then he changed tack.
"However, cals are different from the animals ntioned before. Their mouths are full of sharp teeth, and at first glance, one might not even consider them herbivores but rather liken them to carnivores, like tigers or leopards. That's why the marks they leave are easily recognizable at a glance."
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