After several months of work, the two Animalian colonies that are on the continent of Africa were complete and ready to receive tourists and refugees alike. Both colonies combined the past and present in very innovative ways.
The colony in Egypt was named New Zerzura after the legendary city, though the people who spoke Arabic called it Madina Almalja or 'Refuge City'. The colony was built on the uncovered site of the world's first refugee camp, built during the Hykos occupation. While the exact date of his construction uncertain, it was known to have been abandoned by 1420 BC when it was no longer needed as a refuge. But even then, there was some impressive architecture for a temporary city. The white buildings had been extensively restored, which gave the city a closer resemblance to the mythical Zerzura.
The restored houses were habitable by those who wanted to live more like Ancient Egyptians. But there were modern houses built in the outer ring of the city, designed to be as comfortable and efficient as possible in this harsh, arid climate. But there were still several commodities that made this place livable. For instance, there was an oasis within walking distance of New Zerzura. In fact, it was the main reason the colony was where it was. It had been licensed out to Animalia for their Egyptian colony and they were digging out a suitable place to build when they uncovered the remains of the refugee camp.
As for governing the colony, several humans and Animalians were selected, based on their resemblance to Egyptian gods, to form the Divine Council. Of course, their power wasn't absolute. They answered to both the Animalian Council back in Lyre as well as the Egyptian government. Members could be voted out or step down, so the positions weren't held for life.
The Animalian colony that was built in the Serengeti was named Maelewano, which was the Swahili word for 'harmony'. The centerpiece of the colony was a large kopje that was designed to resemble Pride Rock which was also the community center of the colony. Around the community center were different sections for different lifestyles. There were modern houses of course, some more futuristic-designed to be more energy efficient. But there were also an area made of simple grass huts. It would seem that a lot of the refugees who would be moving here would like to return to their ancestral roots and live by the traditions that their ancestors used to follow before the Europeans came. Of course, this area would be more cordoned off from younger visitors as the ancestral way involved wearing little clothing, with women going topless and the children wearing nothing at all. It was something that Animalians could get on board with, but for the sake of decency, that area was put where people would be less likely to stumble across it by accident.
The governing power in Maelewano was the Tribal Council. For the human part of it, their members were divided between the different countries from which they had fled for various reasons. Their representatives were elected within their own particular groups. A similar thing happened with the Animalian part of the council, though instead of being divided by country, they were divided by species. There was certainly not a lack of different species as there were nearly as many Animalians for each species that lived on the Savannah, either freshly uplifted or immigrating from Lyre. Decisions in the Tribal Council required unanimous votes, so there was often a lot of compromising to make the decisions harmonious.
As New Zerzura and Maelewano were opening at a time where it was Spring Break for many places, particularly Lyre, there was a lot being planned to welcome the many tourists coming. New Zerzura was planning several tours of unearthed tombs. Maelewano had probably the most extravagant with a production of the Broadway version of "The Lion King". Considering almost every species in 'The Lion King' is already represented by an Animalian, it would certainly cut down on the costume costs.
There were many Animalians who were wanting to go to the new colonies for Spring Break, especially to get away from the last bits of winter that were stubbornly clinging to North America. Rosie and Michael were going to Maelewano to enjoy their honeymoon. Zoe was also going there, she was particularly eager to meet the other lions. Ben and Tyree were going to New Zerzura to see Melbourne, who had finally finished up his archaeology work. And of course, Abby and her group of friends were very eager to go to the new colonies, but they had to figure out the best way to cover the two African cities.