TZANEEN: World famous Baobab… splits again
Another major section of the famous Sunland Baobab has crashed to the ground.
The trunk split off another third of its trunk last week, reported Heather van Heerden, owner of the world famous tree.
The first third broke off late last year, as reported previously by the Herald.
Read: BREAKING NEWS: World famous Giant splits
Two scientists who have been studying the tree over the past 10 years, Dr Stephan Woodborne and Professor Adrian Patrut, went to see the tree on March 21.
The side that collapsed consists of the younger wood. This portion, which housed the pub, is only 850 years old. The tree is reported to have done the same thing 850 years ago, after which it regrew again.
“The older side of the tree is still standing and still looks magical”, van Heerden says.
Baobab has split off and crashed to the ground last week,
destroying the pub enclosed inside the trunk.
“That wood is radio carbon dated to be 1700 years old, and we are hoping that the fallen stems will root themselves”.
Seven out of ten of the huge Baobabs in Africa have collapsed over the last couple of years.
Among them the Chapman’s Baobab (Botswana), Glenhove (Hoedspruit) and a 28 m Baobab in rural Zambia. Sunland is still open every day from 8 to 4 at R25 per person.
All visitors are as always welcome to enjoy bring-n-braai’s and picnics, and to see the brave Baobab still standing proud.
