Posted on: Wednesday, 28 November 2012

Exploring the World Of Birds

Posted to: Activities and Things To Do, Attractions, Western Cape

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Brightly Coloured

The World of Birds in Hout Bay, Cape Town is a wildlife sanctuary that focuses on preservation, breeding, education and research. It is a fantastic place to visit whether you love nature, are a keen photographer or simply someone looking for a great day out. There are such a vast amount of animals to see besides all the beautiful birds some of which include reptiles, foxes, racoons, porcupines and monkeys.

I always remember going there as a child and loved walking along the path through their large aviaries and admiring all there was to see. I have been more recently with my parents since I moved back to South Africa and I still felt the same excitement as I did back then.

The sanctuary is divided up into sections, housing different types of birds. The predator area has always been my favourite and the variety of different owls on display is phenomenal. When walking through each section you find yourself trying so hard to spot every type of bird not realising that if you wander through at a leisurely pace you may not have enough time to return to see your favourites on display for yet another glimpse.

After a tasty bite to eat at the World Of Birds Cafe, I continued though the maze of aviaries, coming across birds I never knew existed and some of the most beautiful and colourful species I have ever seen, amongst the turkeys, owls, flamingos, parrots, penguins, hawks, vultures and many more.

Monkey Madness

Over the years, The World Of Birds has grown bigger and better and I was very pleased to come across the section with marmoset, vervet and other monkeys. Just when I thought I had seen it all, I discovered another cage door. I walked through only to discover a large area filled with squirrel monkeys, running from tree to tree, scurrying around on the pathways and interacting with people. I watched them getting up to mischief where they could and admired the mothers clambering around with new born babies clinging to their backs as they journeyed along the branches.

I scooped up some seeds on the floor that hadn’t been eaten and stood patiently by a tree. Within seconds I had monkeys all over me, crawling on my shoulders, sitting on my head and climbing up my arm to play with my beaded bracelet that must have appeared to be a string of seeds to chew on.

Turning around with a huge grin on my face to show my mom the monkey madness, I saw that she too was getting attention, with the very cheeky monkeys trying to get what they could from her bag. Looking over to my dad, he was laughing at one sitting on his hand with its head in his shirt pocket. I was so amazed at how tame they were and how used to people they had become.

I certainly didn’t expect to come across so many wonderful creatures when visiting the world of birds but was pleasantly surprised and couldn’t have been happier to have had such a great experience and worthwhile day out.

I would definitely suggest getting there early in order to see everything there is, have the chance to appreciate the many species around you and to make the most out of your visit.

Useful Links:

Hout Bay Attractions
Hout Bay Accommodation
Things to Do in Hout Bay
Cape Accommodation
Western Cape & Cape Town Hotels

World of Birds

About Michelle Rawlinson

Michelle has a huge love for all things aquatic, particularly marine life. Her main passion lies with Great White Sharks, although she is interested in all marine species and their well-being. She volunteers at the Two Oceans Aquarium in her spare time and would spend all her time by the sea or surrounded by nature if possible. After spending 7 years in the United Kingdom, she has returned back home to Cape Town to be nearer to her family and to her ‘favourite place in the world’. She enjoys camping, fishing, watching rugby and going out with her friends and family to try out new restaurants and bars.

Tagged: hout bay