DRIVE MOMENTS

What can be seen above the bush ??

A raffie, of course.

Hello there.

Oh no, problems with the jigga. Rexon will investigate

Seems to be that off roading has caused the accelerator cable to malfunction. Here Rexon is walking next to the jigga as fast as it the jigga can go, lol. (Up hill that is)



With the jigga all fixed, Moses takes us out and we spot this Mongoose.

This was the only one showing itself. Moses says it was checking things out while the rest are safe in the mound.


Leopard track but alas that's all I saw of any leopard. Moses sure tried hard to find them though.

Dead tree that has been moved to a spot next to the waterhole. WE is going to use it to put a new cam up. So we'll have another view of the waterhole (from the other end) and they are hoping that this cam catches a lot more animal action.

Area surrounding new cam location. This is going to be so exciting. Hope things go as planned and it's up and running soon.

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Images courtesy of http://www.wildearth.tv/ (Drive cam)

HAPPY VIEWING !!

NEW AT WILDEARTH.TV

There are 2 more streams to watch at the WE link. They have added 2 views of the Eagles at Hornsby Island. No eggs there as of yet but looking forward to another season of waiting and watching.
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Also got this news item from the WE blog ~

This week WE are going to focus on the nocturnal a little ... so on Tuesday the 17th February, and on Wednesday and Thursday (the 18th and 19th) WE are going to go out on the normal afternoon safari from 16h30 to 19h30 CAT (Central African Time), but then the crew are going to charge the Jigga up and head out again at 22h00 CAT and stay out until at least 24h00 CAT ... maybe even longer. The crew are going to focus on the animals that WE don't normally see because we come in too early for them, animals like pangolin, aardvark, genet, civet, honebadger, wild cat, serval, white tailed mongoose, etc.
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You can read all about this and all the WE news at ~ WILDEARTH BLOG
Info courtesy of Wildearth
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I hope that some of you can go on at least 1 of those Drives. Me, I'll have to settle for watching the footage in the archives since I'll be at work (very sad face here, lol).
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HAPPY VIEWING !!

XEROX IS DOING SOMETHING COOL

If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq . You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services. How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! It is FREE and it only takes a second. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them. This takes just 10 seconds and it's a wonderful way to say thank you. Please take the time and please take the time to pass it on for others to do. We can never say enough thank you's. Thanks for taking to time to support our military!

HOT OFF THE DRIVE 10/25/08 PM

Reports of another (the 3rd) kill site.

Question is whose ?? Of course we head that way to check it out.

And sharp eyed Pieter finds it.


AH, Karula with a young Nyala. We didn't stay long but will get back to Karlua later.

A lone Nyala. Pieter thinks it might be because the herd got separated when Karula showed up.

A bit of rain of the lens ...

but a few swipes of the cloth and ...

all is clear again (for now anyways)



As you can see, rain is needed there. While rain will hamper Drives, they really do need it.

What's this ?? Ellie ? Rhino ? Sorry, just a really thick area of bush. Fools everyone, LOL

A few Zebra out and about.




Those clouds are holding the promise of rain. Question is how much and when.

Checking back in with Karula, we find her resting. BTW Karlua means "Peaceful"



She has a full belly and full bellies always mean naptime.

Jackalberry Tree where Pieter is hoping to catch Karula in the act of taking her latest kill.

Since Karula was napping it was a good time for our crew to take a break and switch back to the waterhole.

And just in time for this group of Dagga Boys. It was funny, they came at a run. Must of been powerful thirsty.

Went right for the water ...

and one guy just pushed right in.

Which made for a tight fit.

OK getting a bit crowded, time for ...





making some room.

Footing on the stones is a bit tricky so a little help from a friend is good. (Seemed to me like they were leaning on each other)

Feeling a bit chippy (Heard Pieter say that he was feeling a bit chippy today too. Must be the promise of rain LOL)

They soon headed out to parts unknown or just somewhere to bed down for the night.

Always amazes me how fast night seems comes there

WildEarth has a cool feature. Live GPS. The red marker is where the Drive is in relation to the whole area.
This shot shows where the first kill site is. Just below that is camp.

And the Impala is still there. Maybe others will come into the area too. Leopards that is.

While they switch over to infra-red, we got a short Geography lesson. See where it looks like an "A" well the cross line shows the distance between camp and Dixie. Not far at all. And there were a bunch of happy and tired children in Dixie this night. Today was their 'Movie Day'. Fun but exhausting.

Ah, the Dagga boys didn't go too far.

This little (and I do mean little) guy has found his bed for the night. Wasn't hardly any bigger the Pieter's finger.

Arrow points to where Pieter saw the Flatneck Chameleon. Boy he has good eyes, LOL

Back at Karula, a mom and youngster Nyala are yards away from ...

where Karula has made a bed in the soft sand.

This shows where Karula was with her latest kill (Camp is in the upper left hand corner)

Most she's doing now is finding the most comfortable place to lay. (The sand in the river bed makes a good place to do that, nice and soft.) With 3 kills in the area we should have a few days to enjoy her company.

Images courtesy of http://www.wildearth.tv/ (Drive cam)

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I also want to pass along a bit of information I got today. I had wondered about how Karula was feeding, so I asked. I learned that most predators go for the hind quarters first because that is where there is a lot of meat and it's easy to get at. I always thought they went for the belly area first (since that is what we usually see) . And as Pieter said, what's in the belly can't be taken. So it makes sense to get the most as fast as they can. Then after the initial feeding they continue up the carcass. Thanks to WE for giving us the chance to ask questions and teaching us more about what we see.

Well that was it. I got to see the whole Drive, been along time since I got to do that. And as always I was not disappointed.

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Until the next time HAPPY VIEWING !!

OCT IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

I'm passing along a copy of an email I received today. ~

A favor to ask, it only takes a minute....
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Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' for free (pink window in the middle).
It just takes 2 clicks...onto the website and then in the pink box. No information is needed. That's it!
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This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising.
Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know
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http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/
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This is a different link then the one that is on the 'CLICK-A-DAY' page so you can do double duty here.
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Thanks and ...
HAPPY VIEWING !!

TAKE THE PLEDGE ! ! !

I just got an email from Defenders of Wildlife and it had something in it I want to share. While we should all be doing this all the time, wildlife activity happens everyday, it seemed like a good reminder. Below you can find the article and link ~


Fall can be a dangerous time to be on the roads. As daylight grows shorter, drivers need to be extra cautious -- not only for little ghouls and goblins on Halloween, but for deer, raccoons and other wildlife as well. Experts estimate that up to 1.5 million wildlife-vehicle collisions occur in the United States every year -- and October and November are top months for these types of accidents. Over 300 people are killed and 29,000 are injured in wildlife-vehicle collisions every year in the U.S., and 85% of deer-motorcycle collisions result in a human fatality.Roads are also a leading cause of decline for some species. In fact, 50 percent of all endangered Florida panther deaths are from vehicle collisions.This fall, Watch Out for Wildlife by pledging to...

• Drive with caution in wildlife areas and tell your friends and family to do the same.
• Report wildlife vehicle collisions to wildlife and transportation agencies.
• Participate in state and local planning and voice your concern about the negative impacts of roads on wildlife.
  
  Take the Watch Out for Wildlife pledge, download your free digital WOW kit and spread the word!
  
  
  Article courtesy of Defenders of Wildlife
  
  Thanks to all who take the time to slow slow for our 'wild friends'
  
  HAPPY VIEWING !!

NEW STUFF

Got some new sites for you to check out. So here goes ~


Site #1 ~ Photo Africa Blog
This site is a lot like this one but (and there's always a but lol) the pictures here aren't from a web cam but shots taken by Field Guides and Wildlife Photographers 'in the wild'. So take a look at it, it has some very good shots and some amazing stories to go with them. Nothing like getting the story behind the shot straight from the photographer.

Site #2 ~ National Geographic's Reef Cam
NatGeo has a new cam. It's set up at Glover's Atoll in Belize. About 1969 feet from shore and 66 feet deep, it captures the wonder of the Reef. Not as exciting as Lions and such I know but the wonders of the Sea soothe the soul.


That's it for now. I'd like to thank DaveKay for passing on the info on the Photo Africa site. As for links, you can get to the new NatGeo cam from the Central NatGeo cam page http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/wildcam/
that's over on the WorldWide web cams page and I'll add it to the Aquatic page too. The link for the Photo Africa site
http://www.photo-africa.blogspot.com/
will be over on The African webcams page. (I know not exactly a cam but ... hey it's close, lol)

HAPPY VIEWING !!

SAD NEWS FROM 'PAWS'

DaveKay passed this along to me and I think it's worth passing along here.

71, one of PAWS' cherished African elephants, peacefully passed away this weekend. Her PAWS family was with her. She was 26 years old.

71 was born in Africa and shipped to the United States after her mother was killed in a cull. Assigned and tagged #71, and slated to be sold as a baby circus elephant, she and a few others in the group ended up being purchased by a man in Florida who owned a large estate. Without her mother's care she was malnourished, chronically sick and nearly died. In an attempt to save her young life, Pat Derby and Ed Stewart, founders of PAWS, offered to give her sanctuary.

"71 was the cornerstone of PAWS. She was the reason for everything that guides PAWS' founding mission. She leaves a legacy for the other African elephants, Mara, Ruby, Lulu and Maggie, whom she led. ARK 2000 was truly hers," Pat Derby said.

When 71 first arrived at PAWS her veterinarian said she would never be a healthy elephant. But Pat and Ed committed themselves to giving her a chance. They slept with her for months, and bottle fed her until she was strong enough to eat on her own. They gave her love and encouragement. They gave her a family.

"When 71 first arrived and walked out of her crate," Derby recalls, "we immediately cut the chains from around her neck. We promised her right then she would never again be chained. She would never be beaten. She would never have to do anything she didn't want to do. We kept that promise to her."

Captivity, and the practice of capturing elephants-tearing them away from their families, forcing them to live in confined spaces, often cruelly trained-is ultimately what destroys them.

"I hope everyone who hears 71's story will remember her when they see elephants languishing in small spaces, rocking and swaying, deprived of their freedom and their families," Derby said.


Courtesy of www.pawsweb.org and DaveKay

Thank you and God Bless those at PAWS for the love and care you give each and every resident. The world needs many more like you. You can read more about what PAWS does at their website. There is a link to them over on US WEB CAMS that goes to their main site.

Thanks DaveKay for letting us know.

A MUST SEE AND DO

Have you checked out WildEarth lately ??? Well if not, I have a treat for you. They have been growing by leaps and bounds. Not only do we get to go on Game Drives but Pieter will be doing a Walking Tour of Djuma (yes I said walking) and they have also set up a 'chat' time (1 hour with various members of the crew).

So head over to WildEarth.tv and read all about it. I'm still trying to figure out what time I'll have to tune in the be a part of the action. I used to have a 'list' of the time difference but can't find it right now. But never fear, I'll figure it out lol.

HAPPY VIEWING !!

PANDA UPDATE 8/08

After all the recent updates dealing with the terrible effects of the May Earthquake,we finally have some good news to report!




Ten cubs have been born to Wolong pandas! At their new home Bifengxia in Ya’an City, six mothers have given birth. As you may remember the pregnant females were the first pandas to be evacuated after the earthquake at Wolong. And Incubators were one of the first items sent to Bifengxia by Pandas International.



Here's the lowdown ~



Guo Guo had twin boys on July 6, 2008

July 13th Ying Ying had a single cub

July 21st Long Xin had twins

July 26th Bai Xue had twins

August 5th Cao Cao had twins

August 8, 2008, Fei Fei had a single cub who will hopefully be named the Olympic Baby.



Wow ! That's the best news ever ! Thanks to all who have worked so hard to make it possible.

You can see pictures of these little guys and keep up to date on all the news at



http://www.pandasinternational.org/



Info courtesy of Pandas International and DaveKay



HAPPY VIEWING !!

FIRE AT KWA

Here is a picture I got from a friend of the fire that destroyed the lodge at Kwa Maritane. ~



Roy/Tester


Thanks Roy and I was very sorry to hear of the fire. I hope no one was hurt (animal or human).



HAPPY VIEWING !!

CHANGES AT WILDEARTH

I know a bit late but .... if you want to catch a Drive or any action at WildEarth you'll need to use the following link ~

www.wildearth.tv


The Africa Web Cam page has been updated to reflect this change. As of Aug 10, 2008 WE has stopped streaming in Windows Media Player. Don't forget to change your Fav listing, if you have one, so you don't miss out on any of the action !

HAPPY VIEWING !!

WOO HOO DAVEKAY ! ! ! ! !

Here I am, pokin around at WildEarth's blog and what do I find ??? Our very own DaveKay. Well one of his videos anyways. It's absolutely breathtaking, wonderful and all that stuff (but that doesn't surprise me). And that WE has it as 1 of 2 awesome vid's featured doesn't surprise me either.

Vid #1 is called Painted Africa by Blaze. Very good and different then anything I've seen.

Vid #2 is called Twlight Moves by DaveKay. Excellent, what else can I say.

Now I'm wondering if he even knows about it, since he didn't give me a heads up on it, lol. Well DaveKay, you are truly making a name for yourself and I couldn't be happier for you. Now I can finally say "I knew him when" LOL

So go check them out, please. The link to the blog is over on the right --->>>
Both are well worth your time.

HAPPY VIEWING !!

LOSS

I received this from Mothernature ~



The Pondie Press, Final Edition, July 29, 2008



I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEARD, BUT PAUL GROBLER FROM PETE'S POND... CAM OPERATOR/ WALKING SAFARI GUIDE AT MASHATU GAME RESERVE DIED WHILE COMPETING IN THE TOUR DE KENYA BIKE RACE 2 DAYS AGO. IT IS SUCH A HUGH LOSS TO LOSE SOMEONE WITH SUCH A LOVE AND KINDNESS FOR NATURE, HE WILL BE TRULY MISSED BY ALL WHO KNEW AND LOVED HIM...GOD BLESS YOU PAUL, MAY YOU CONTINUE FROM HEAVEN TO HELP MANKIND SEE THEY DESPERATELY NEED TO LOVE AND RESPECT NATURE!



Such a tragic loss for our wild friends as well. My thoughts and prayers go out to those close to him.



And speaking of Pete's Pond ~



Please be advised that at this time I will not be posting any shots from Pete's Pond. The link to the cam is still over on AFRICAN WEB CAMS but there has been some concern (at another site) about copyright issues/on site advertising and such (as I'm sure some of you know). So to be on the safe side (They haven't contacted me as of today but ya never know) I've decided to stop posting pictures from Pete's. Sorry everyone. Future pictures will have to be shared in emails. Since none of us are looking to 'get rich' from the sharing of pictures, I am willing to



1) accept shots from Pete's Pond (keep them coming)

2) pass them along to whomever would like them



If you would like to be included, send an email with INCLUDE ME in the subject and anytime I get a email from someone with Pond pictures I'll send it on to you. All pictures will go out as attachments (I'll download them to my computer) and emails will go out as BCC (so your addy's won't be seen by anyone else). Only those who have requested Pond pictures will get them and that's all they'll get (NO SPAM). Send your requests to ~ wolfkas@wildmail.com

Thanks Mothernature for passing on all the info.

HAPPY VIEWING !!

GOOD NEWS AND NOT SO GOOD NEWS

I'll start with the not so good news. Mainly because I want to get it over with but also because it doesn't have to stay bad news. I'm a member of WWF (World Wildlife Foundation) and yesterday I got an email about the Polar Bears. They included a link, which follows of course, that I think everyone should watch. And as wildlife lovers (you wouldn't be reading this if you weren't) I'm sure you understand why I felt the need to pass this along. Here's the link ~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIy2XniVIuw


I'm not asking you to donate, unless you feel the need to, but I am asking that you do your part in helping to at least slow down Global Warming by using energy-saving appliances/bulbs, not using gas powered items when you can (walking is good for the soul ya know, gives you time to ponder and enjoy nature & letting the grass grow a bit more never hurt anyone), recycling everything you can and all those 'Green' things you hear about now.

Now for some really good news. DaveKay brought this to my attention. It's wonderful news and I'm gonna bet Mothernature will be doing 'The Happy Dance' when she reads this. The article explains itself so without further ado ~

Report: 125,000 gorillas found in African zone

Thanks DaveKay for passing this on, good news is always welcome.
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Well that's it for this post. More later and HAPPY VIEWING !!

NEW SITES

Well I was going through some of the sites I have links to and boy did I get a surprise. Over on the SCENIC WEBCAM page I clicked on the Black Hills link. Listed down the left hand side are some new cams! Places like Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Zion to name a few. So if you've got some time on your hands, check them out. Awesome views.
Happy viewing !!

NEW PANDAS ! ! !

Yesterday morning (7/6/08), the giant panda Guo Guo, gave birth to twins at Bifengxia, part of the China Conservation & Research Center for the Giant Pandas. The twins are the first to be born this year and the first since the devastating earthquake in Wenchuan. Guo Guo was one of the six pandas evacuated immediately after the earthquake from Wolong to Bifengxia.

This is indeed Great News for all panda lovers and for the Giant Panda Species.

See report from the Panda Club at link below-

Photos show Dr. Li and the cub in incubators provided by donations to Pandas International


http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=220736104&u=2295149

Short news clip which shows Guo Guo and one cub-

http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=220736104&u=2295150

Short report from Xinhua News with good photo of Guo Guo

http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=220736104&u=2295151

Please consider a donation to help care for the twins or a donation in Memory of Mao Mao


Info courtesy of www.pandasinternational.org and DaveKay

HAPPY VIEWING !!

TRUELY A TRAGEDY

Believe me, I was at a loss for words when DaveKay sent me this. It's not from any webcam but I want everyone to know about it. Just who are these people and how can they do this is beyond me.

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I have attached a single photo to this email, which will be explained in a minute or two.

Sometime during the period of time from the evening of June 26, and the morning of June 27, the entire goose population, along with some ducks, disappeared from Wilkins Lake. The mystery was solved in an article that appeared in the local newspaper on the evening of June 27 - the entire group, all the Toulouse, all the African, all the Chinese, all the hybrids, including 27 goslings - were euthanized.

The City, along with the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, acted upon the complaints of many of the park users who found the birds messy and hard to control. As a result, the F&G group moved in on the evening of the 26, netted the birds, and slaughtered them. It was easy to gather them up - the domestic geese couldn't fly, the Canada geese had molted their primary feathers and couldn't fly, and, of course, the little goslings had not yet learned to fly.

We have become a throw-away society, a desensitized nation that believes all will be O.K. if the "reset" button on the big Video Game we call life is pushed repeatedly, and often.. We tire of something, we merely dispose of it, and move onto the next diversion. It doesn't make any difference if the diversion is a living, breathing thing which is just as deserving of life as we are. We are victims only in the sense that we are addicted to the concept of "instant gratification". There is no such thing - gratification, in its true sense, has to be earned in order to be appreciated.

True beauty, like those beautiful creatures that once graced our park lake, no longer stands alone. It has to be "politically correct" before it is accepted for its merits by the Desensitized.

The squirrels are next: then watch for the songbirds to follow.

I have a suggestion - take Nature out of the park - replace it with plastic flowers and trees, lay AstroTurf, and cover the whole thing with a gigantic geodesic dome. No mess there...

At the city limits, there is a sign declaring Winchester as a "Bird Sanctuary". It probably won't be me, but I can't be too certain if that sign will continue to stand...
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Info courtesy of DaveKay
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DaveKay, I am truely sorry for the loss of these beautiful birds. I have to wonder just why it is that the whole thing happened under the cover of darkness and not in the light of day.

THESE YOU JUST HAVE TO SEE

Boy oh boy, these are a treat for all your senses. DaveKay has a new toy and all of us can enjoy it. I've only seen a few of these as of yet but the ones I have seen are awesome.

We all know that DaveKay has given us much to enjoy from past drives in the pictures he's sent for Little Bit. But now he's working on putting some of his best shots into videos (with music) ! I really do recommend you taking the time to view these, you will not be sorry.

Here is the link (I'll also add it over on the right since I think it will show new vids as they are added)

http://wildearth.ning.com/video/video/listForContributor?screenName=3ai87d3hx3pqy

If you enjoy these videos as much as I think you will, please let DaveKay know by leaving your comment. (It's always nice to hear when you've brought a smile to someone's face)

Until later HAPPY VIEWING !!

THIS IS DAVEKAY'S QUESTION!

Check out "Campfire Chat Part 3" on WildEarth.TV! To view this video, visit:

http://wildearth.ning.com/video/video/show?id=2094372%3AVideo%3A21279

How cool is this. Congrats DaveKay.


HAPPY VIEWING !!