Rangers Diary
OPGEDRA AAN ELKE RENOSTER WAT MET SY LEWE BOET
Nossie my dier
Hoe lank nog voor “poachers” jou moord ook vier
Niks word gespaar vir die nageslag
Terwyl onheil in skuiltes lekker lag
Hoe saag jy die renoster se horing af?
Terwyl sy nog leef
En haar kalfie in vrees sidder en beef
Wees God jou genadig en mag hy jou vergeef
Terwyl Afrika moedeloos aan die renoster spesie kleef
Jy wat genadeloos in rep en roer
Met dollars in jou sak nog ‘n horing vervoer
Jy is niks my maat
Net ‘n skakel in die ketting
Van ‘n sinnelose sindikaat
Kyk om jou rond, horing dief
Ek smeek asseblief
Kry die renoster ook lief
‘n Statige spesie, O’so groot
Met ‘n traan in die oog
So hulpeloos so bloot
Spaar die renoster spesie, wit en swart
Want slegs dan ……. Rus Afrika
Se siel sonder smart.
Deur: Ronel O’Neill (Copyrite) (Buffelsdrift Gids)
Snake Encounter
When feeding my giant Ground Gecko two nights ago, I instinctively screamed out with surprise when encountering a harmless brown house snake in his terrarium looking for a warm cozy spot.
By Dirk Barnard
10 September 2011
Meerkat Lane
Had a drive yesterday with my German Guests, whilst driving through meerkat lane, we spotted a martial eagle snatch a surrogate ”stockstert” meerkat, instantly the rest of the little troop vanished into their clay houses.
By Dirk Barnard
8 September 2011
Bird Song
Birds like the Bokmakierie make use of their song to lure females. They some times “copy cat” other sounds or other birds to sound more impressive. Their duet is antiphonal (alternating) the one that follows in perfect syncrony that it sounds like one bird calling.
Southern boubou’s duetting may also serve as territorial advertisement functions.
By Dolf Grobler
3 September 2011
Elephant Smarts
Just realised how smart an elephant really is. Jabari got a cut on the inside of his tusk. While trying to clean it….. I shift the syringe from my left to my right hand. When its in my left hand he alows me to get close enough to clean it…..but as soon as i shift to my right hand (strong hand) he avoids it.
By Theo Olivier
01 September 2011
The Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor)
Flamingos have one of the most distinctive and specialized of all avian bills.
They have large, trough like lower mandible with a powerful, fleshy tongue that pumps water through the bill as it is held upside down in the water.
The Lesser flamingo has a much finer filter, which is used to sieve minute blue green algae and diatoms.
Flamingos are highly gregarious in enormous flocks. It has been estimated that the total Lesser flamingo population of East Africa consumes about 550 tons of blue-green algae every day.
By: Dolf Grobler
01 December 2010
Pigeon Butter
Have you ever heard of pigeons drinking milk?
All the food that pigeons eat will get stored in their “krop”. When they go back to the nest, the chick will feed on the milky substance which is called “kropmelk”.
Apparently this milk gets harvested in some areas and are used to make Pigeon Butter – considered a delicacy by some.
My question is: How many pigeons do you need to milk for a little bit of butter?
By: Dolf Grobler
15 October 2010
