Random Fun Facts: Fairy Circles in Africa

Crop circles are already hard enough to explain but don’t confuse them with fairy circles.

There are Fairy Circles in Africa?

I’ve heard of crop circles, but fairy circles are a new topic for me. Another thing that’s new and different? I don’t usually associate fairies with Africa. But there are fairy circles found in the Namib Desert of southwestern Africa and they are much like the crop circles in that they are circular patches of ground.

All kinds of stories developed around the crop circles such as they are the work of aliens from another planet. As for the fairy circles? There are also lots of stories. One of the stories is that they must be the footprints of the god Mukuru (from the mythology of the Himba people who live in Namibia and Angola).

Of course, a team of researchers conducted computer simulations and they have theorized that these fairy circles could be the combined result of two natural processes: root-eating sand termites and self-organizing plants that compete for water. The team believes these theories will not only explain the fairy circles in Africa but in other parts of the world like Australia. Umm? I don’t usually associate fairies with Australia either. LOL.

• Glick, Molly. “The Secret Science of Fairy Circles.” Discover Magazine. Discover Magazine, 2020. https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/the-secret-science-of-fairy-circles.

• McDermott, Alicia. “Secrets behind the Namibian Fairy Circles May Finally Be Solved.” Ancient Origins Reconstructing the story of humanity’s past. Ancient Origins, January 26, 2017. https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-general/secrets-behind-namibian-fairy-circles-may-finally-be-solved-007437.

Another one of nature’s wonders.

Thanks for reading.