Adam Katz asked:


Dear Adam:
I purchased your book about 5 months ago, and I was hoping that might would “entitle” me to some advice. First, let me say that I’m very satisfied with my purchase. Not only does it give advice on specific techniques, but, more importantly, it explains the foundation of all training–timing, motivation, consistency–allowing the dog owner to better understand the training process. Also, it does a very good job of explaining that dogs are pack animals–and will test the alpha’s leadership at various times (in my case, all the time)–and how that factors into training. Finally, I like your common sense approach, e.g., “stay” is a double command, if the dog’s not supposed to break a sit or down without the release command, why do we need to tell it to stay.

My question is not about dog training, however, but about breeds of dogs. Specifically, APBTs [American Pit Bull Terriers] and AmStaffs [American Staffordshire Terriers]. The AKC does not recognize the APBT as a breed, however, many dog fanciers recognize the two as separate breeds even though they share a common origin and look very similar. Or, if not separate breeds, two “strains” of the same breed, the AmStaff being bred for “show” and the APBT being bred for “performance” - meaning the gameness of the original dogs has largely been bred out of AmStaffs, but still remains in APBTs. I’d like to hear your take on this subject since you own and have owned APBTs or mixes thereof.

The reason I ask is that I’m considering getting an AmStaff or a Staff Bull Terrier. My wife and I currently own a Dalmatian, however, so I’m a bit concerned about the two getting along, especially when I’m not around. Should I stay away from these breeds? I’ve had one breeder tell me they should be fine if the Staff is introduced as a puppy, while another told me never to leave them together alone. What would be your recommendation (I realize all dogs are individuals and may possess different traits than others of the same breed)?

Thanks,

Ryan Fehlig

Dear Ryan:

Thanks for the kind words. You’ve asked an excellent question!

I love the bull breeds, personally. And while everything you’ve stated is pretty much “right on the money,” … I would suggest that if you decide to adopt one of these breeds you make sure that:

1. The dog you’re adopting is the opposite *** of the dog you already own.

2. If the new dog is a male, then neuter him before he hits sexual maturity. (Before 1 year of age.)

3. If the other dog is a male, then definitely neuter him. (Although this will not be a “cure-all” it may help somewhat.)

It’s true… many of the dogs in this breed seem to have a genetic basis for dog aggression. I don’t think that they come out of the womb being dog aggressive, but rather that they have temperament characteristics that tend to make them more dog aggressive. (i.e., dominance and a strong defensive nature).

As for the difference between the APBT and the AmStaff, the difference is largely one of registration. (AKC vs. UKC). And yes, the AKC version has been bred with more of an emphasis on conformation (like all AKC breeds).

If I were to adopt another bull breed, it would likely be the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (the smallest of the “pit bull” breeds). I like the idea of having a big dog in a small package. But to be honest, I’m really tired of the media stigma that this breed has received. And in real life terms, this means having a dog that you can never really take off leash at a park - not because the dog is dangerous or untrained - but rather because people are so darn afraid of what the media has led them to believe about this breed, that they snatch up their children and run screaming from the park.

On the upside, this stigma can work in your favor, too. Most criminals know that a “pit bull” is the type of dog that you don’t want living in the house that you’re about to rob.

On a personal note, there was a character who let his Rottweiler run off leash at the park I used to train at. This dog had a bad attitude and was a very dominant-aggressive dog. The owner was under the impression that his dog was trained. He’d give multiple commands, such as, ‘Ranger come, come, come, come,’… but all Ranger would do is engage my clients’ dogs and try to initiate a dog fight.

Well, after I adopted Forbes (an APBT-mix that looks like one big muscle and is about as wide as a Mack truck) and started keeping him in a down-stay while I worked with my clients’ dogs… Ranger’s owner suddenly started keeping their dog on a much shorter leash. If he didn’t attach his dog to a leash as soon as he saw me enter the park, then he’d definitely run to grab his dog THE VERY INSTANT that he saw that Ranger wasn’t going to immediately turn and come when called.

I guess that’s what you call motivation, eh?

Yes… it’s probably a macho thing. But IF there is a stigma, then you might as well use it to your advantage to encourage reckless dog owners with untrained dogs to keep their mutts on-leash.

That’s all for now, folks!

Adam



PETE

andrew.regan.2006@googlemail.com asked:


Following the introduction of new legislation and in light of growing concern over the amount of damage incurred, North Yorkshire Police are joining rangers from the Yorkshire Dales National Park in an effort to stamp down on owners of off-road vehicles who use them in an irresponsible manner within the Park boundaries.
In a series of joint action days the police and rangers will be ensuring that off-roaders are aware of recent legislation changes, checking that their vehicles are legal and coming down hard on anyone breaking the law. They will be monitoring activities on public footpaths, bridleways and byways within the National Park boundaries ensuring that those using them for recreational 4 x 4 activities are doing so within the law.

As well as a new leaflet produced by the National Park, ranger Matt Neale points out: “There is plenty of information available explaining what is legally required of off-road users and exactly where they can go to pursue their recreational activities.” He believes there is no excuse for off-road users to ignore the guidelines, or the law, and added: “The leaflets we’ve recently produced can be picked up from some petrol stations and cafes in the National Park area, or can be found on the Park’s website.”

Neale also points out the potential damage that can be done to the environment by off-roaders, he said: “Even a small numbers of off-road vehicles in the wrong place can have a serious effect on the tranquillity of and sensitive habitats of the area – the very qualities that draw many people to the National in the first place.”

Neale is also concerned about the physical damage that can be done to the area; especially during the winter months when a driver will notice very little wear and tear on his 4 x 4 wheels or his vehicle, but the area in which he is driving can be excessively damaged. But it’s not just damage from 4 x 4 tyres that causes concern, bikers are in the firing line too, and because they have the potential to be driven down smaller bridleways and footpaths, also offer most risk to other users of the National Park. Ranger Neale is determined that excessive noise and damage to the Park will be reduced by this joint operation with the police and advises that off-road users stopped by the police who do not have the necessary licenses for their vehicle will also be subject to prosecution.



ARMANDO

Groshan Fabiola asked:


How do you fill those summer days or weekends throughout the year with educational activities that will entertain your kids? How do you make sure they get enough fresh air, even when you don’t have the time or effort to take them down to the local park? How do you introduce your children to your love of wildlife through a medium that this tech-savvy generation understands?

Your own backyard is your children’s educational playground and your cell phone is the only tool you’ll need to teach them all about the wildlife you love to watch and wonder at from home! If you’re one of the 47.7 million people in the US who make their backyards a welcoming environment for wildlife, your kids will be able to learn about the wildlife that comes to you—like the birds that come to munch on those seeds you put in your feeder!

While you wait for the birds to come, teach your children the joy of sitting outside and relaxing by engaging them in a quiet activity that will occupy their time and not scare away any critters! When a bird comes, take out your cell phone and identify the bird by flipping through a guide of the most common birds in your area and reading the descriptions complete with identifying markings on crystal clear pictures. Or figure out what bird it is by streaming the sound of the bird’s call! 

You may have heard of the Peterson Field Guide to Birds, which has sold over ten million copies —a recent edition of the book in honor of the founder’s 100th birthday has recently been released. So get the official Peterson Mobile Field Guide to Backyard Birds for any cell phone on any server with an Internet connection and teach your children the wonders of being an amateur bird watcher and nature lover!

For an unbelievably low monthly fee, get Peterson images, descriptions and range maps for twenty of the most common birds in your area. If you take your children on a trip, take the love of nature with you! Enter the ZIP code of the area you’re headed to (it’s changeable each month) and have a complete guide of the most frequent avian visitors who flock to the place you’re flocking to yourself!

A phone with streaming sounds capabilities can give you the added bonus of being able to identify a bird by its song. Your children may well love this feature he most! Imagine their giggles as they listen to each of the birds about which they are learning[DRG1]—and get to know instantly which bird they’re viewing!

Even when the birds aren’t around, you can sit down with your children on a picnic blanket in the backyard and show them all the pictures of the most common birds in your area. Read the descriptions aloud to them, or if they’re learning to read, have them read it to you. Share the feeding advice you learn from the guide and plan a trip to a store that carries bird seed so that you can make your backyard into the perfect welcoming environment for the birds your children most want to see!

When you’re finished, have your children complete interactive multiple choice quizzes that come with the Peterson Mobile Field Guide to Backyard Birds and see how much they’ve learned! Give prizes—like their own set of bird-watching binoculars—if they score really high!

Teach your children to appreciate wildlife on those slow days off from school and give your children a gift that they’ll take with them their whole lives. Make it easy for them, as members of a video-game generation, to interact with their bird-watching guide and you’ll find that you can hardly tear them away from it until night fall!



ARNULFO

Patrick Arden asked:


Those are verdant green, muddy brown, snowy and chilly white, get darker with thick stems, cloudy gray with dusts, crystal clear and azure with splash of water, turn red when the background boasts of dusk. Those can be ferocious and scary, so alive, striking or simply natural – these are wildlife posters! And these are love of many people who can spend hours by watching, feeling like being pulled inside, appreciating wilderness.

People in love with these posters can’t resist temptations of possessing the moment wherein a rare species gets clicked and caught into photograph in their most natural and elegant pose. Wildlife posters capture all species of animals – from dangerous predators to vulnerable victims, from terrestrial to marine. However, these posters work also as silent and compelling reminders to restore those lives that are threatened to be endangered or on the verge of being extinct. These are best ways to hold their existence and their outstanding gorgeousness and vividness on the wall.

Wildlife posters display enthralling beauty of the wildlife regardless of their environs. Regardless of the depth and height of altitudes, continents, countries, zones and reach of humans, wildlife posters catch glimpses of diverse animals in their diverse gestures and postures. Without any professional training on photo sessions and grasping techniques of being photogenic – how animals are naturally born with their own gracious, wilder manner that we humans can’t refuse but generously shower accolades.

After all, what else could be the better way to import and glue wilderness of wild animals into the concrete jungle, onto the walls of houses in those concrete jungle than wildlife posters. Who knows even that particular part of the presently built up jungle of concretes were actually the habitat and hovering place of the animals on display through the posters! After all, those animals are actually giving away (rather are being robbed of their habitats) their habitats for the formation of habitats of their lovers.



CYRUS

Janice Sherwood asked:


After a night at Mt Gorilla Nest fuse, it was a breaking daylight on the 15th Saturday of December when a Led a Gorilla tour of 4 people from Abacus African Vacations. A cold gentle curl blew over Ruhengeri civic, facing the Virunga Volcanoes. It is here that the where main Rwanda tourism offices are located so I handed in the Gorilla permits the group I led that was said to roadway Gorillas in Perc Des National Volcans. In our program we were to Visit both Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla National Parks . After interactions between the tourists, license issuing officers, determining who is in the right state for the most thorny trek and interview about regulations from the warden guides, the long awaited adventure began.

Since we had opted to trek the Susa group which is termed the utmost family in Perc des National Volcans , which was termed the extreme and most thorny to find, we felt the pour was liability us a favour by making them inactive. We trekked through the thick vegetation, which the fall made rationally impassable. Several time the wet, slippery prairie saw many of the trackers slipping and sliding, with some asset onto foliage for sponsor. After persevering for 6 hours, climbing some metres over 3500, the warden guides advised that we had to sit only to find that we were completely surrounded by the group. The rangers grunted to agreement that the silverbacks were gracious and as a sign of acknowledgement of friendliness, the silverbacks grunted in allowance. In cause, the rangers were conversing with the gorillas. With gorillas meeting all around, and the babies wavering teasingly in’ the low foliage and one humorous baby holding onto a tourist’s shoes, the one-hour scene of the wider nasal crack, broad chest, black hairy wool with silverback males stunning a compare, we were amazed. It was an honestly exhilarating experience and something I will recall for the support of my life. We later transferred to Gorilla resort Camp in Bwindi where we experienced the Virungas in Uganda. Our tour guides briefed us about what we had to do the next day. The next morning, we assembled at the initial advantage eager to go to road the Habinyanja Group. We happening the walks but as others followed Wildlife rangers led the group as we began to organizer down the spell beaten avenue on a very steep rise that was covered with thick bushes, tall grass, and a few banana plants. A violent downpour the previous night had left the course so slippery and most of the ladies were screaming for help as we were sliding and rolling on our bottoms down the steep slopes while it wasn’t charming sailing for the guys both, as one kept on falling when my climbing boots failed to stick in the mud and sent me extensive down the knoll. Sweating, swearing with groans of Fatigue, we nonstop given the cheer of the anticipation of the now scary meet with the heavy-Uganda’s most current attraction!

An hour after the walk, we came across some mud and wattle houses surrounded by Banana gardens, pawpaw trees and passion fruits plants. Women and children abandoned their chores and starred at us. Some of us talked to them as a few of them were yelling at the whites we were tracking with proverb-Muzungu a Swahili word that means the sallow man. We were givens a five record disturb before we proceeded which we used to take water and take off jackets. . One of the guides Chris taught us that the hard part was yet to create from the site where we were settled so he advised that we had to proceed lacking out bags or any luggage we felt was thug to ensure the actuality that we were light. We reached a certain situation and the funnel told us that the gorillas had been there a few hours ago. He spoke on his Radio Call and spoke to his colleagues.

Faster we stirred only stopping to pause for those we had been waiting at that had relaxed to notice their breath. Closer the gorillas got as we could see a few of the meeting majestically and motionless in hierarchy brushwood report us. This was a gesture that our pains and determinations were about to pay off. We crossed a small tributary in one lip. So exhausted and excited, we crouched down and crowled faster to the gorillas in a compute silence. Finally they came nearer in an ample analysis of Gorillas - over 20 of them, a heed-boggling sight! Two silver-backs session next to one another at the command of the group while other huddled together intently behind in silent stares as our warden grunted to make them move faster. The larger silver backs suddenly stood on fours and stiffened as one of the gorillas named Africa refused to sit with the group or even move with them. Eventually he left the shrub and sat in the path behind us. We stirred whisper to let it line the others but all in vain. He could move behind us and when we could obstruct, he could stop as well so the rangers told us that he was tiresome to show the Silver backs that he too could head and he required to make positive that all was well. Nevertheless later he joined his family. Four one hour, we watched infants live on this mothers’ bellies as the juveniles were somersaulting. Finally, it time to retrace our paths back as we had three hours of climbing again……… Not even the drenching stream that poured middle into our journey back could restraint our spirits. It was a recall I would never overlook!

Rwanda has eight groups of gorillas. Each group has a stringent communal form based on age, showed by how an infantile one will check out of an eating detail, playing hole or sleeping zone in. A particular district for the elder. Five groups are the ones typically seen during trekking. These are identified differently according to the figures that constitute a group. Sabinyo group has 11, Sussa has 39 after the ruin of a baby bully on January 12th, Amahoro has 14, Umubano has 8 and group number 13 includes 17gorillas. Though most time tourists appeal to roadway Susa because of its large bully composition, Francis says facts do not mean a thing.

Each family of gorillas is eccentric for case; one group may have most playful children or a painless to relate with silverback, another main silverback among other behaviors that make tracking each group a full experience. Nevertheless, seeing a particular group very much depends on where it is that day as gorillas are forever on the move in search of food and security.

By high plus of their territory, Francis added, gorillas do not ~ have many predators. Apart from the buffaloes, blond monkeys and elephants that stake and live in synchronization with the gorillas in lessen altitudes, gorillas live in cold conditions which other animals cannot outlook, providing them a monopoly of the mountain areas. Francis explained that they are able to live in such cold conditions because of their black colour stain. “The black colour helps to draw and catch ardor in the high altitudes of the mountains and at the same time makes gorillas less susceptible to cook stroke as they fondness sun swim. Gorillas in this region can live up to 45 years with the silverbacks weighing about 200kg and females between 80 to 120kg.”

The diet of mountain gorillas largely consists of bushes. The writers aim of receiving tangled in the thug tracking was also to study and analyse the diets of the Mountain gorilla and the constituents. She found out that Gorilla food constitutes of over 50 different plants, whose foliage, shoots and stems are eaten. For shoots, the gorillas benefit from mainly the drizzling season mountain bamboos, when green and still tender, eaten with trocatea plants. The novelist noticed that because the rattan shoots are 84% water, the treat trocatea, tsile’s grass, celery’s stem without the ranking bark, juvenile bamboo leaves, stems, urela cameronesis’ leaves and stem bark, flowers and roots, and dry season blackberries developed on high elevation, provides a nutritious subtlety. Plus the bark of eucalyptus trees is also eaten especially by Ssusas of Rwanda, the leading gorilla group, for curative purposes. The male dominant gorilla also known as the silverback is particularly skilled in his facts of herbal plants and it is known that when one of his group members fall sick, the silverback will regularly direct the group to another sector of the square to find a particular rosemary and encourage the sick limb of the group to eat it.

The writer learned that Eating also depends on the prevailing situation in a group and the withstand. Normally gorillas have three intervals of surplus between each feeding, which amounts to 40% of their total time per day. However, if they have migrated in a vicinity that has enough of food, they will supply and then remnants for longer periods compared to period and society into a sector of imperfect food availability. In addition, if it’s raining heftily they become dormant; active again when it stops.

After getting pleasure from the larking about of the early gorillas and the sheer size of the male, with the one hour observe plain like 15 summary, we headed back down the mountain to a hot russet and a well-earned break.



WILFRED

Ellie Dixon asked:


As winter approaches and the days grow shorter we are likely to spend much less time winter gardening - there aren’t so many tasks to be done, and staying warm and cosy indoors seems a much more attractive prospect. Similarly, the wildlife in a winter garden is searching out food and shelter to help survive the winter, and there’s a lot we can do to help them in their quest for survival.

As we want to become less active in the winter garden, our neglect helps to offer wildlife in the garden many desirable winter residences. There was once a time when no respectable gardener could retire indoors for the winter unless the herbaceous borders had been cleared, all the fallen leaves removed and the vegetable patch reduced to bare soil.

These days we realise that both aesthetically and environmentally, the winter garden is far more interesting and diverse if some plants are left untrimmed until the spring. Tufts of ornamental grasses have a haunting beauty, especially when back lit by the low winter sun, but they are also a valuable habitat for hibernating ladybugs.

Areas of leaf litter provide homes for many beneficial insect species and will protect delicate plants that may otherwise be killed by the cold weather and frosty nights. The stark angular outlines of berried shrubs and the seed heads of annual and perennial plants give a visual structure to the winter garden, and many will last long into the season, providing important food for birds and other wildlife in the garden who will work their way through all the seeds and berries during the cold months.

Additionally, stone walls, log heaps and untidy coorners provide ideal homes in our winter garden s for all kinds of wild animals, from field mice to frogs, toads and hedgehogs.

There are also ways we can actively encourage wildlife in the garden, not only into the winter garden, but throughout the year. These days the domestic garden is an invaluable habitat and if we manage it well we will be rewarded with a wide variety of wildlife in the garden that will act as natural predators on our less welcome garden pests.

Feeding the birds is a top priority for pest control, but once you start, it is important to be reliable and continue as birds will waste energy visiting your winter garden bird feeder or table to no avail if no food is provided. In frosty weather they will also need water. This is a good time of year to fix new nesting boxes in place so the birds will have plenty of time to check them out before the spring comes.

Insects also need places to hide in the winter garden and while many will take up residence in existing nooks and crannies, it’s a good idea to provide some additional nesting places. These can be home made from simple materials such as a handful of straw or short lengths of cane in a flower pot, but you can also buy commercial versions.

So, why not spend some time making your winter garden welcoming and comfortable for your wildlife in winter? That way both you and they will be rested and ready for the lengthening days next spring.



AARON

Groshan Fabiola asked:


Ask anyone who has visited Alaska, and the first response is wistful faraway look and then a smile.   Alaska is that magical, that beautiful, that special.   Then this person will begin to relate all of the delightful, exciting, and astonishing sights of this very exceptional 49th state.  Captain Kirk got it wrong when he went in search of “The Last Frontier”.  Alaska is unique in that it has the tallest mountain peak in No. America, Mt. McKinley, 3 million lakes, glaciers, rain forests, tidal pools, volcanoes, and some of the most charming and history laden towns you will ever see.  This is state is rugged and serene in the same instant.

The best way to see Alaska is on a chartered small ship cruise.  These Alaskan tours combine the ultimate in wildlife adventure, and sightseeing tours at a leisurely pace, allowing you to get to know Alaska and all it has to offer up close and personal.  This is wilderness cruising at its best.  Experience the abundant wildlife of the natural preserves and the inland passage while enjoying the comfort of a small yacht complete with a Coast Guard licensed Captain and naturalist, a chef, his assistant, and a mate.  This harmonious team will tend to your every need while guiding you to the wonders never seen on a large impersonal cruise ship. 

When you elect to book an Alaskan yacht charter cruise, like the alaska cruises offered by All Aboard Yacht Charters, be assured you will experience the ultimate wildlife tour.  You will see whales, bears, glaciers, and sea lions.  On fishing excursions, use Boston Whalers, kayaks, and rowing skiffs as you fish for salmon, halibut, and crab while traveling into one of the most beautiful wildlife areas in the world.  Enjoy ample time to relax while they open the door to adventure.  On board discover all the amenities to make your excursion enjoyable, including a gourmet chef.  This is a totally different happening than you could ever get from a sterile, formal, over scheduled cruise line.  For those select travelers who want to actually experience this land of grandeur and enchantment, this cruise is for you. 

The professionals running All Aboard Yacht Charters are the first eco tour operators in S.E. Alaska.  They take pride in their eco friendly approach to touring and keep the itinerary flexible to allow for serendipitous adventure.  They meet clients but say goodbye to friends.



CLARENCE

Claire Dinnie asked:


A bad choice of flight left me very little time to collect my hired car and race out of Johannesburg city before the afternoon peak traffic congestion. Slipping out just as the congestion started, I had 3 ½ hours easy drive on good tarred road to get to the western entrance to Madikwe Game Reserve at Wonderboom gate. The friendly security guard at the gate greeted and welcomed me. After signing in, I entered the game reserve and enjoyed my own little game drive en route to my lodge where I would stay for a night. Ah! How nice it was to be back in the bush! Peace and quiet!

 

On arrival at the beautiful Impodimo Game Lodge, Steve, the owner, gave me a warm welcome, offering a cool cocktail to quench my thirst. The security guard at Wonderboom Gate communicated my arrival to Impodimo Lodge so Steve was at the entrance to lodge waiting for me when I arrived. My luggage was transferred to my luxury suite and Steve gave me a quick orientation tour of the lodge.

 

My late arrival meant I missed the afternoon game drive and sundowner drinks in the bush. All game lodges are booked on an all inclusive basis, including all meals, 2 game drives per day and some lodges include drinks. My pre dinner drinks were enjoyed on the balcony overlooking the open plains of woodland and grassland below. A popular waterhole near the lodge kept us entertained as game strolled in to drink. A delicious dinner was enjoyed in a traditional boma, our dinner tables placed around a roaring bon fire under the clear African sky.

 

The unfenced camp meant that I required an escort to my room by an armed game ranger. What luxury! I felt like a real lady! My luxury suite had its own private deck looking onto the open game area, a large colourful four-poster double bed draped with mosquito netting, a beautiful bathroom and a great outdoor shower.

 

An early morning wake up call had me jumping up in excitement. It had been years since I was last in the bushveld surrounded by game. I was looking forward to the open vehicle game drive. We enjoyed a hot cup of coffee and some delicious snacks before heading out on the drive. Roddy, our chatty game ranger ensured that we enjoyed a great gaming experience with spottings of lion, elephant, hyena, black rhino, black backed jackal and numerous very colourful birds species.

 

We returned to the lodge to enjoy a full buffet breakfast attractively arranged in the bar area at the swimming pool. As we sat down with our first serving, a small herd of elephants strolled up to the swimming pool just a few metres away from us and started drinking out of the pool. Wow! What an encounter! Who needs a game drive when you can sit in comfort at the lodge and watch the game come to you?

 

I decided to vary my stay in Madikwe by including 2 different lodges to stay at. After breakfast at Impodimo and a bit of time with the ellies, I then made my way to Mateya Lodge, a 5 star experience like no other! With immaculate attention to detail, the lodge is intricately designed, has magnificent arts and crafts from all over Africa and offers 6 star service! Exquisite!

 

On arrival I was welcomed with hot hand towels and an exotic cocktail, my hired car driven to the car park and my luggage carried to my suite. I was invited in for lunch on the deck overlooking open plains and a water hole where game roamed freely. 

After lunch, I was lead along a raised wooden walkway to my private suite. It was more like a house! It was huge! The spacious, beautifully decorated bedroom opened up to my own private deck and plunge pool overlooking the open plains where the game roamed. The bathroom, almost the size of the bedroom, complete with all the luxuries fit for a queen!

 

After a quick nap in the comfort of my suite and a dip in my private plunge pool, I joined the rest of the guests at the lodge for high tea. Aware of the 5-course dinner that awaited us in the evening and having already enjoyed 2 large meals today, I struggled to taste some of the delicious looking snacks at high tea!  The atmosphere was ignited with excited chatter between the game ranger and the other guests.  Being foreigners they had not experienced the Africa wildlife before and were enthusiastic about the afternoon game drive, which would take place after high tea.

 

Equipped with binoculars, mammal and bird books and an experienced game ranger we set off in our open 4×4 safari vehicle for our afternoon drive through the reserve.  Our spottings were excellent and included sightings of lions, elephants, a leopard on a kill, a small family of bat eared foxes and hyena. My 300 zoom lens allowed some good close up photos. After the drive we all gathered for dinner on the deck and shared our excitement of our days sightings. The meal was exquisite and the company was fun, drinks flowed until late in the evening.

 

After a good night’s sleep I took some time to enjoy the luxuries of my suite. Top quality bath products in a steaming bubble bath had me lulled to a light sleep. A luxury skin lotion pampered my body and prepared me for a new day.

Breakfast was yet another magnificent display of good food, a huge selection of tasty things to choice from.

 

My time in the lap of luxury had come to an end. I had a plane to catch to get me back home by the evening. “Farewell until next time” I said!

 

 

 

 

 

 



REINALDO

bharat gupta asked:


Wildlife Photography has a universal appeal attracting human curiosity and today it is gaining ground very rapidly-may be it is due to our inbuilt wild connections with nature and its creations. Interestingly the pioneers in this field were the hunters-turned conservationists like Jim Corbett & E.P. Gee. The previous hunters were the people who helped in promoting interest in the wildlife by taking interesting photographs. That era may be classified as the period of birth of Wildlife photography in India.At that time dwindling population of the mighty creatures started getting attraction of the people and then Government under the leadership of Smt. Indira Gandhi took positive steps in this direction by legislating Wildlife laws.The launch of channels like Discovery National Geography brought this issue in the limelight creating immense interest & awareness about the life of these beasts removing all misconceptions

First of all, a wildlife photographer should be aware about what is a good wildlife photograph. It is a sharp picture of an animal in its natural surrounding doing something interesting & natural. Capturing the right light is extremely important as it enhances the aesthetic quality of the picture.You should be aware about the different impact of light in different parts of the day.Nature of morning light is different from afternoon and evening light. Understanding light is extremely important for any novice in this field. Only then we can use this to our utmost advantage. Efforts should be on capturing the animal in the natural conditions. As far as Composition is concerned, the basic rules of pictorial composition should be observed. But the personal preferences play role in capturing an image. The knowledge of the subject & its habitat is an added advantage. The knowledge of animal’s behaviour,its mood, anger is important e.g. an elephant.We should be aware about the minimum distance between us & our subject to avoid the running away of the animal.It is advisable to learn & know which animal can be photographed Where & when, the best season and right time when a particular action or behaviour of the animal is known to take place.eg. Breeding season in wild creatures.The equipment we have is an important factor.

Title:-Tips on dos and don’t of wildlife photography.



GUSTAVO