Considering the threats for the early Africa Missionaries you would think first about the big feline predators and not about tiny mites in the ground visible only by strange reddish brown rock-hard mounds: the termites. And yet the omnipresent little insects are a huge problem. These creators of mounds often taller than the height of a full-grown man are destroyers of buildings.
Most frequently occurring termite types live on wood; they prefer dead but well-preserved construction timber. The damages may be hidden until the breaking of the timber because termites first feed on the inner part of the wooden element.
Termites build their mounds out of a mixture of soil and their own saliva. With this material as hard as mortar they build stable "hills" that reach deep down into the ground and contain a huge system of caverns and passageways.
Most termite colonies have three "castes": king and queen, workers and "soldiers" defending their nest with strong mandibles.
In spite of their well-organized self-defense termites have many natural enemies: certain bird species with long or strong bills like the hornbills (Toko birds) and Rollers; or specially adapted mammals like the pangolin. It can close its nose, eyes and ears, and its spectacular hide looking like an oversized fir cone makes it impossible for the termites to attack.
Our special exhibit shows souvenirs from the beginning of the 20th century brought back by St. Ottilien's Africa Missionaries: parts of termite mounds and wood eaten away by termites, termites immersed in formalin, and termite-eating birds and mammals (Lilac-breasted Roller, Von der Decken's hornbill and pangolin).