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New Quarter Safari LbNA #51958

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Jan 8, 2010
Location:
City:Williamsburg
County:York
State:Virginia
Boxes:3
Planted by:Liz in VA
Found by: TheNewlyweds
Last found:Apr 19, 2016
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFa
Last edited:Jan 8, 2010
New Quarter Park is located off route 199 near a neighborhood of Williamsburg called Queen’s Lake. Directions to the park can be found on their website (or mapquest “1000 Lakeshead Drive, Williamsburg, VA 23185”).

To go on this safari, head all the way to the end of the lots, parking when you find yourself going in a circle. There’s a disc golf course and a children’s play area nearby. Go past these markers and head out onto Loop 4.

Bring bug spray! The whole region is known for ticks and mosquitoes.


#1 - American Crocodile
American crocodiles are well-armored with tough, scaly skin. They are gray-green or olive-green with long, slender snouts, which distinguish them from their cousin, the alligator. Also unlike the alligator, the fourth tooth on the bottom jaw of the American crocodile is visible when its mouth is closed. South Florida is the only place in which the crocodile and the alligator occur together.

(so says the Defenders of Wildlife group, www.defender.org)


The CROCODILE at New Quarter Park can be spotted on Loop 4. Go past a shelter on your right by 75 paces (heel-to-toe steps, that is), following the descent at the turn. Keep your eye out for the critter 30 paces on your left, off the trail between two hollies.

Once you find him, hide him carefully again. Hop back onto the loop to continue your safari!


#2 - Elephant
The African elephant is the largest living land mammal. Of all its specialized features, the muscular trunk is perhaps the most extraordinary. It serves as a nose, hand, extra foot, signaling device and tool for gathering food, siphoning water, dusting, and digging. The tusks are another notable feature of both males and females. Elephants are right or left-tusked, using the favored tusk more often, thus shortening it from constant wear. Tusks differ in size, shape and angle and researchers can use them to identify individuals.

(so says the African Wildlife Foundation, www.awf.org)

[Thanks to the kind traveller who helped relocate this box after the rainy season... New clues posted below]
Sit at the bench with the double skinny tree to the right. Behind is a fallen log. Go to the root end and facing the Savannah turn Right and go approximately 20 paces to a smaller fallen log. The Elephants are sleeping at the "Y" of the log.

Once you find them, hide them carefully again. Hop back onto the loop to finish your safari!


#3 - Zebra
No animal has a more distinctive coat than the zebra. Each animal's stripes are as unique as fingerprints—no two are exactly alike—although each of the three species has its own general pattern.

Why do zebras have stripes at all? Scientists aren't sure, but many theories center on their utility as some form of camouflage. The patterns may make it difficult for predators to identify a single animal from a running herd and distort distance at dawn and dusk. Or they may dissuade insects that recognize only large areas of single-colored fur or act as a kind of natural sunscreen. Because of their uniqueness, stripes may also help zebras recognize one another.

Zebras are social animals that spend time in herds. They graze together, primarily on grass, and even groom one another.

(so says National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.org)


Follow the trail toward the Loop 5 Exit. Don’t leave yet! You’ll find a fire pit to your left where the ZEBRA of New Quarter Park is hiding. Sit on the bench behind the fire, looking out over the “savannah” again. If you listen closely, you can hear the critter rustling behind you, at just past four o’clock.

Once you find him, hide him carefully again. Follow the Loop 5 exit pathway back toward the park entrance and parking lots. There are lots of geocaches, and a few more letterboxes here, so stay awhile in this jungle. Hope you had fun!