Africa's
Wild Kingdom: Serengeti Superstars
by
Jerry
W. Bird.
Like
a cinemascope movie, Africa's Animal Empire filled
the scene, then fanned out in all directions on the
ar horizon; to the Tanzania - Kenya border, or to
Lake Victoria and beyond. And what performers these
four legged actors were; prancing about like tv
wrestlers, snorting and butting heads, as if they
knew they were the star performers of our show. On
a rocky knoll nearby, a pride of lions lolled
lazily, like cruise passengers on deck chairs,
surveying the situation, as they stood by for the
evening dinner gong. Staring at us curiously, this
shaggy crew was perfectly cast for the scene to
follow, as were the two cheetahs lying couched in
the tall grass near the Serengeti airport. In a few
hours, traversing the countryside by Land Rover,
courtesy of Serena's Serengeti Lodge, we were able
to spot at least a dozen recognizable species,
including several from the Big Five category. As a
matter of fact, as seen from the air, every water
hole from Arusha, to the Ngorongo Crater and Rift
Valley, was surrounded by animals of every size and
stripe.
Before
she could land Regional Air's Twin Ottr, pilot Iris
McCallum had to buzz the airstrip several times to
scare away the critters. The next morning,
following a 5 am breakfast in the bush, Muguette
Goufrani and our North American travel media group
drifted a few feet above the migrating herd in a
hot air balloon. She will tell you all about it in
our coming edition.
African
Wildlife Update
Here's a contact for those interested in the
preservation of the species in Africa: P.O. Box
546, Olympia, Washington 98507-0546, email:
editor@africanwildlife.org
Uganda, The
Emerald of Africa
by Abigail Lubline.
More
Photos->
Wildlife
of Kenya:
Return
of the Bongo
Eighteen African antelopes bred in North
America have arrived in Kenya in an effort to save
the species from extinction in its native habitat,
in the first ever 'repatriation' of large zoo bred
African mammals.
Wildlife
of Cameroon, West Africa
From an attractive Media Kit package we
received from Cameroon Tourism while at the ATA
25th Jubilee Congress in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Until then, we had no idea what a wide variety of
animals and birds there are in this beautiful West
African country. More->
On
Safari: Harold's Defining Moment
"Thirty years ago," Harold Gordon of New York's
Park Tours related, "I was on a minibus heading for
Arusha Tanzania, when I spotted four tall,
ungainly, but graceful giraffes galloping towards
an acacia tree to munch on the green leaves. The
bus stopped and we watched as they fed, wrapping
their tongues around the thorns to reach the tiny
leaves. These proud, funny faced, long-necked
giraffes, each over 16 ft. tall, were almost within
touching distance. I could see their the long
eyelashes, as one turned to look at me. They were
alive, we were both alive! The giraffe and I shared
this earth together, and this eye contact was a
defining moment, especially for a city boy like
myself, who grew up in a world of concrete and
steel. When I saw these four giraffes dancing on
the African horizon, my life and career changed
forever." More->.
Our
theme for the 4th EcoTourism Symposium in Abuja,
Nigeria was "Preservation- Land- Culture-Wildlife."
How timely that is when we see what is can happen
right in our own backyards if we don't become
guardians of these treasures. Coming from Western
Canada and spending many days and nights in the
Yukon wilderness, I've seen my share of wild
animals up close. But until we flew into
Kilimanjaro International Airport, and took a side
trip from Arusha, Tanzania to the Serengeti Plain,
did I realize what life must have been like on the
Canadian Prairies 150 years ago. All the more
reason for sound conservation practices today and
in the future. The herds of caribou we used to spot
swimming the Yukon river, were a puny troop
compared to the seemingly endless stretch of
wildebeeste and zebra we saw on our first
safari.
Kenya lodge named after
Elsa,
the
lioness movie star
from
Born Free
Conservation
and Ecotourism.
Dr. Doolittle talks to the Animals
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