tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24368782705354347552024-03-13T22:40:05.395-06:00Wildlife Vet, Author, StorytellerJerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.comBlogger280125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-67245483858838887492016-09-01T06:32:00.000-06:002016-09-01T06:32:49.282-06:00A skunk in the pool
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<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My
duties as the zoo veterinarian covered more than just the animal collection.
From time to time there were situations in which the blowgun I had designed proved
invaluable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One such occasion followed a call from a
worried householder who lived not far from the zoo grounds. “There’s a skunk in
my swimming pool, and he can’t get out. Can you help?” she said. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The
striped (as opposed to the spotted) skunk is the main carrier of rabies in the
prairies, so I approached the problem with great care. Zookeeper and friend Stu Hampton and I headed to the
home to see what we could do.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we arrived the situation took on an extra
level of complexity. The skunk was not just in the pool. A bedraggled and
soaking wet, thoroughly miserable, lump of black and white hair sat in the
middle of the pool on the blue cover, or so-called blanket. Two glistening
eyes, the only bright thing that identified the animal as more than a child’s
teddy bear, looked resignedly at us. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We
both went to the long edge of the oblong pool in the hope of persuading the
animal to escape at the other side. It did shift away from us but only got to
the pool’s edge before we realized why it was using the centre of the blanket
as a resting place. When it tried to reach up to the pool edge, its weight
promptly depressed the nylon material so that the skunk sank up to its belly
and could not reach the tiled rim. Carrying one of the zoo nets Stu quickly
went to the other side, where the skunk was still trying its best. It promptly
retired to the middle.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My
next possible solution was to use the blowgun. With the dart loaded with a
suitable drug I went back to the long side of the pool so that the range would
be minimal. The creature at once retreated. I could in no way ask my partner in
this exercise to stand opposite me and drive the skunk back to the middle so
that I could dart at a range of no more than three and a half metres. Such an
action would be beyond dangerous. The last thing either of us needed was for
Stu to be darted if the projectile should ricochet off the blanket surface.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, back to the short end of the pool. Now the hours of
practice came into their own. The target was no larger than three of my palms
held side by each. At a range of fifteen metres I pinged the dart right into
the skunk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Success! He was soon out
cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The housewife looked amazed, Stu
seemed impressed and I was delighted. The rest was simple. I lifted the
blanket’s edge, causing the skunk slide down to the other side where Stu used
the net. As a fisherman he had plenty of experience. Luckily the animal had not
discharged its infamous scent so all was good. </span></div>
Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-1487447750795780402016-07-25T06:53:00.000-06:002016-07-25T06:53:35.844-06:00A tale of a monkey's tail
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The
Forestry Farm zoo in Saskatoon has had a small group of <a href="http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/tufted_capuchin">capuchin monkeys</a> for many
years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1981 a tiny infant arrived and
was soon an attraction as it nestled up against its mother breast. One of the
keepers, and older and very experienced man called Jureen had along established
close relationship with the females. </span>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kkNTMJr0Np4/V5YHQGWFqJI/AAAAAAAACoE/FQ_O0uLm8xUfvqUglb-9kYvV1Bg8X8ulQCLcB/s1600/02%2BTame%2Bcapuchin-FFP%2B320.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kkNTMJr0Np4/V5YHQGWFqJI/AAAAAAAACoE/FQ_O0uLm8xUfvqUglb-9kYvV1Bg8X8ulQCLcB/s400/02%2BTame%2Bcapuchin-FFP%2B320.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jureen seen as a trusted friend</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">They
would come right up to the wire and take titbits of food from him and seemed to
enjoy being stroked. Not so much with Tarzan, the male.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The
newcomer was two weeks old when Jureen told me that it had something wrong with
its tail.</span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">I
went with him to see what was what. The mother came right up to the wire, the
infant firmly attached to her belly. Jureen fed her some grapes, one at a time.
This allowed me to take a careful look see that the tip of the infant’s tail
was dark, almost black and had no hair on it. There was little else to see but
it did not look good.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">“Let’s
watch them closely. I’ll come by every day and take a look,” I told
Jureen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a taciturn man at the
best of times and sort of grunted a reply that meant okay. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Two
days later, grapes in my own hand, it was obvious that I needed to take a
closer look. The hairless end of the tail had now extended a further two
centimetres towards its backside. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Jureen,
to my amazement, opened the door of the pen. The mother let him take the infant
from her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The
tip of tail was cold and swollen. It was gangrenous. Prompt action was needed..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Neither
of us could be certain how that had come about, but Jureen thought that it
might have been attacked by one of its pen-mates. We had no way of knowing
which one. There were three possible culprits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Its mother, the other adult female and Tarzan. The easiest to eliminate
was its mother. Tarzan was a remote possibility, after all the, infant carried
his DNA. That left the other female. She seemed to be a reasonable candidate
and there was no way we could be sure. Jureen tucked the tiny infant inside his
jacket and we headed over to the old house where there was a little clinic. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The
surgery to remove the gangrenous end of the tail was simple. An injection of a
small amount of local anaesthetic about four centimetres about above junction between
healthy and dead tissue eliminated any possibility of pain for the little guy.
That was easy to judge because the live tissue was warm, the dead, cold. While
we waited for the anaesthetic to take effect I filled up a hot water bottle and
we placed it, wrapped in a towel, under the patient. Another towel lay over its
top. Next, a rubber band, twisted a few times and slipped up its tail made a
handy tourniquet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The
key was to lop off enough tail at a junction between the tiny bones to make
sure that everything left behind was healthy and had a blood supply. A flap of
healthy skin on both sides was needed to fold over the stump for the stitches. All
this took only a few minutes. The fiddly bit was the buried sutures. If the
monkeys, especially the mother, found any tag ends of nylon they would promptly
pull them out. Three stitches did the trick in no time. When all was done we used
a swab to wipe off the iodine and alcohol that had been used to prepare the
surgical site. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Jureen
stood quietly by as I explained what I was doing. With the monkey again tucked
inside his jacket we headed back to the barn. Jureen put the little guy back on
a shelf in the cage. His mum came over to see how things were. She sniffed once
and took off, heading through the exit to the outside display area. This was
not good. It was impossible to decide if she had detected the smell of the
disinfectant, or perhaps of me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Our
next step was to let the other two back from the outer section of the display
and leave them to themselves. The thinking was that they might induce the
mother to pick up her youngster as she might be protective or jealous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Half
an hour later Jureen checked everything out. The infant had not moved and was
cold to the touch. A rescue action was needed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">A
syringe of a favourite drug cocktail and the blowgun did the trick on the
mother. She was soon asleep. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">We
found a wooden box big enough to hold the pair of them and soon had a blanket
in it. A twenty–five watt light bulb fixed to the wire front of the box made an
ideal heater.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The
next task was to eliminate what remained of the smells of those disinfectants. Warm
water was a start but it would probably not be enough. I dipped a Q-tip into
the mother’s mouth, another one into her rectum. These two were smeared over
several parts of the baby, including the upper end of its tail. Jureen placed the
hungry infant against its mother’s breast where it at once began to suck,
albeit rather weakly. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">An
hour later we returned to check how things were progressing. The mother was
awake, the baby was nestled against her. All was well. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> </span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tcYRG6HCmWA/V5YKKbyLecI/AAAAAAAACoQ/1qyZ7e3yx3YpTwRg0yKIOoSrNJ0DHVi8gCEw/s1600/%2B%2BPorcs%2B2%2BP%2BB%2B72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tcYRG6HCmWA/V5YKKbyLecI/AAAAAAAACoQ/1qyZ7e3yx3YpTwRg0yKIOoSrNJ0DHVi8gCEw/s200/%2B%2BPorcs%2B2%2BP%2BB%2B72.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">This
and other stories about zoo and wildlife work in Canada are part of my
soon-to-be-released book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Porcupines to Polar
Bears.</i></span></div>
Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-10879930589905427012016-06-16T19:10:00.001-06:002016-06-16T19:10:20.897-06:00A wild deer in the sitting room<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Watching
a group of wild deer cross the pond in front of the house is a form of
magic. A wild deer in the house is a different matter. Something has to
be done.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EXPDYBJCA3A/V2M8UJPpzkI/AAAAAAAACmo/8EvPB431SAQit2aCc830WynxlbAzu6hOACLcB/s1600/W-TD%2Bon%2Bpond%2Bre15.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EXPDYBJCA3A/V2M8UJPpzkI/AAAAAAAACmo/8EvPB431SAQit2aCc830WynxlbAzu6hOACLcB/s640/W-TD%2Bon%2Bpond%2Bre15.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eight does on the pond</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">By the late
1970s humans had acquired the ability to administer drugs to animal patients
that were either dangerous or too far away to inject by hand. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"> H</span>eavy metal
darts, the kind seen on many a film of the time were well established. They are
not precisely accurate enough for small targets. They can either miss, or cause
severe damage. I had seen an X-ray of an unfortunate small dog that had been
darted by a dog-catcher with one such projectile. The entire dart was buried
deep inside its body. It died in seconds. The catcher and the owners must have
been horrified. An alternative seems to be a good idea. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">The new technique
owed much to the men of hunter-gatherer societies in many countries. They had
developed blow-gun systems that allowed them to shoot darts high into the
forest canopy with deadly accuracy. Their darts had tips coated with paralyzing
or poisoned </span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">compounds</span> (working on the target, not the consumer) that brought down animals for use a food. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">The <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/977452">basic design of those darts</a> was converted into syringes that carried vaccines or
other treatment drugs. </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-88eHL3J7oHo/V1wxCDKweZI/AAAAAAAACmI/7Z5A5DizJZ0gIgJ3wCX8-6-okIfSikNAQCLcB/s1600/lion%2Bvaccination%2Bblowdart500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-88eHL3J7oHo/V1wxCDKweZI/AAAAAAAACmI/7Z5A5DizJZ0gIgJ3wCX8-6-okIfSikNAQCLcB/s400/lion%2Bvaccination%2Bblowdart500.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vaccination of a zoo lion. The blow dart can be seen in his hip.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Many zoo veterinarians and their patients benefited from
the modernization of this ancient technique.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">In chapter six
book of my book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">From Porcupines to Polar
Bears </i>I describe my own struggles with the development of the blow dart and
how I put it to use. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jI-F10ms-CI/V1wzddZTVcI/AAAAAAAACmU/r5YPKrL6i_QMUBHYEFJTcur_IHcVxGwVwCLcB/s1600/%2B%2BPorcs%2B2%2BP%2BB%2B72.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jI-F10ms-CI/V1wzddZTVcI/AAAAAAAACmU/r5YPKrL6i_QMUBHYEFJTcur_IHcVxGwVwCLcB/s320/%2B%2BPorcs%2B2%2BP%2BB%2B72.jpg" width="202" /></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"></span></span>One problem
that needed a quick solution was the noise emitted when blowing into the pipe.
It is a noise that should at all costs be avoided when in polite company. Many
readers will admit, under pressure, that in private the noise is associated with
warming of the bed.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x3-Kad93Mhg/V1wxBT_CIiI/AAAAAAAACmE/dE4FQx_xYow2XaxGujWqUUc4S7m_CWirwCLcB/s1600/blow-gun%2Bmouthpiece%2B500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x3-Kad93Mhg/V1wxBT_CIiI/AAAAAAAACmE/dE4FQx_xYow2XaxGujWqUUc4S7m_CWirwCLcB/s320/blow-gun%2Bmouthpiece%2B500.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A simple mouthpiece solves the noise problem.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">The
solution was simple. A mouthpiece did double duty. It cut out the noise and
ensured that all the effort in the puff propelled the dart with maximum power. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"> On one occasion
a call from the city police meant that I had to deal with a situation outside
the zoo. The tool came into its own. An invasion of a home by a white-tailed
deer needed urgent action. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">I</span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">n fall
young males are often driven off by big bucks wanting to ensure that any
females became their sole (or is that soul?) mates. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Under
normal circumstances the youngsters head off into the countryside. But on this
and other occasions the young deer seem to lose their minds. .</span></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">A buck had leapt
through the picture window of a house with a fine view of the university
buildings across the South Saskatchewan River. Two ladies of a certain age were
enjoying a quiet cup of tea. Their afternoon view underwent a dramatic change. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The deer
had no doubt come up from the bush-lined river bank. Naturally it panicked when
it found itself in the unfamiliar environment of a city sitting room. Soon
there were shards of bone china mixed with the shattered glass of the window.
The ladies wisely retreated and made the call. When I arrived some fifteen
minutes later the room lacked what I assumed was its former pristine state. The
sofa was shredded. The carpet was decorated with a fresh stain of something
dark wet and smelly. Several flowers lay scattered among greenery beside the
coffee table. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The deer
was standing still, no doubt bemused in unfamiliar surroundings. A drug-filled
dart with its bright red woollen tail soon had the young buck down and out. Thence
into the zoo truck and away to a wooded spot some fifteen kilometres from the
city limits. Into the jugular vein went an antidote to the immobilizing mixture
Thirty second later it was up and away, without even a look back of thanks. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-54646768579465254832016-05-26T18:36:00.000-06:002016-05-26T18:36:11.259-06:00A Wet Nurse for a Bear Cub
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sl3VoyZVJ2o/V0dqUJxa_6I/AAAAAAAAClM/hrlqEblMaO0lsxAD7luPcqW6u3YGWXdqQCLcB/s1600/%2B%2BPorcs%2B2%2BP%2BB%2B72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sl3VoyZVJ2o/V0dqUJxa_6I/AAAAAAAAClM/hrlqEblMaO0lsxAD7luPcqW6u3YGWXdqQCLcB/s320/%2B%2BPorcs%2B2%2BP%2BB%2B72.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">There has been an unexpected
delay in the publication of my new book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Porcupines
to</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Polar Bears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"></span>The manuscript was ready to go in late
January. The intended launch date was at the beginning of April. A couple of
things beyond my control have put that back and the printer still has not got
the book to Dragon Hill, my publisher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While I wait I will post a small number of edited clips to give an idea
of the work and hopefully tickle your fancy. Here is one. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> A
sure sign of spring in the 1970s and 80s was the arrival of orphan bear cubs at
the Forestry Farm Zoo in Saskatoon. Most often the mothers had been shot when
they became a danger to humans in logging camps in the north. The cubs usually
arrived in early March.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">One
mother bear cannot have known what was coming when she heard the growling noise
of diesel engine approaching. The machine was a huge earth mover clearing an
area around her den to prepare it for a mining camp.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Next
thing she had been crushed to death by tonnes of a mix of earth, rock and
trees. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The
driver of the enormous machine must have been right on the ball when he saw the dead bear because he was
quickly out of his cab to see what he had wrought. There were two tiny cubs
nestled against the sow’s chest. Both were alive and would almost certainly
have been mewling. He must have been horrified. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">It
was late January and bitterly cold, with daytime highs hovering around the
minus twenty centigrade mark, while at night it dipped below minus thirty. For
an adult bear, spending much of her time in the den she could develop a real
cozy fug—that warm, smoky, stuffy atmosphere so favoured by the British— this
temperature would be no sort of challenge, and she could easily keep a cub warm
and snuggled up as it lay between her front legs or on her chest where it could
easily get some nourishing milk from one of her two teats, which like a human’s
are level with the armpits. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The
cubs eyes were still closed and their umbilical cords hardly dry. They would
have no chance of living for a full day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The
driver acted right away, no doubt on the radio installed in his cab (no cell
phones in 1980). With admirable speed someone on the crew bundled the cubs up
in a warm blanket and headed to Saskatoon, some 400 km away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">It
was obvious that there was a real challenge at hand. The smallest cub was
moribund, hardly responding and making no noise. It died within a couple of
hours. The eyes of the larger cub, a male, were closed and a 10 cm length of
dried umbilical cord was attached to it belly. On the zoo scale it weighed under
a kilogram.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Given
that reading it had likely doubled its birth weight and was no more than two
weeks old, a very early arrival indeed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Bottle
raising bear cubs was nothing new the zoo staff. Those previous ones were much further
along on their development and weighed two or three kilograms by the time they
reached us. They did well on evaporated milk and soon dived into some added solids
fed twice a day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The
tiny new orphan would need to be ‘on the bottle’ every three hours day and
night. Obviously impossible given the small number of staff. Another solution
was needed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IIc1qtGUOak/V0dtdQdSK5I/AAAAAAAAClY/G4_0f9xs13sSBwTHVRYLkQ77hkIcVhTewCLcB/s1600/Romulus_and_Remus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IIc1qtGUOak/V0dtdQdSK5I/AAAAAAAAClY/G4_0f9xs13sSBwTHVRYLkQ77hkIcVhTewCLcB/s320/Romulus_and_Remus.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Romulus and Remus and their foster mum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Could
a foster-mother be found? Other human / animal wet nurse stories come to mind. The
classic, which may be more myth that fact is the story of the founding of Rome
by the brothers Romulus and Remus, nursed by a she-wolf. There are plenty of
records of humans nursing animals. For instance, as reported by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human%E2%80%93animal_breastfeeding">Samuel Radbill in 1976</a>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">t</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ravelers
in Guyana observed native women breastfeeding a variety of animals, including
monkeys, opossums, pacas, agoutis, peccaries and deer.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">It became
a case of trying to find a suitable lactating female. In those pre-laptop,
pre-Google days of 1980, but having some knowledge of this practice, I called Dr.
Ernie Olfert at the animal resource centre at the university and see if we can
get some help. We were in luck. A Terrier-cross bitch had just whelped. We
could borrow her for the unusual task of raising our little orphan. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">I
was unsure if the bitch would accept the newcomer to her cute litter of four
mainly white pups, with the only black on them being around their heads and
ears. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Although
I have later learned that dogs will often accept such newcomers without the aid
of drugs it seemed prudent to sedate her and try to fool her into thinking that
nothing unusual had happened when she woke. The injection soon had her dozing
soundly. Next, the faeces on the Q-tip that I had briefly put into her rear end
was smeared over the little cub. He took no notice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The
objective was to try and fool the bitch into thinking that he was one of hers
that needed a clean-up. When the hungry cub was placed at her belly he at once
latched onto a teat and began to suck as if there was no tomorrow.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CPasgm5h6CY/V0dt17J_JuI/AAAAAAAAClc/D2FOPa-YAL4dS9wWUDq3Nz66LRvYqFeGQCLcB/s1600/Cub%252C%2Bpups%2B%2526%2Bbitch%2B500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CPasgm5h6CY/V0dt17J_JuI/AAAAAAAAClc/D2FOPa-YAL4dS9wWUDq3Nz66LRvYqFeGQCLcB/s400/Cub%252C%2Bpups%2B%2526%2Bbitch%2B500.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The milk bar is open</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Even
before she was fully awake the bitch began to check on her litter. She licked both
cub and pups. He was just one of the gang. He soon perked up and within a week
was mixing with the pups, rolling, play-growling and so on, although in a
slightly different language than his “litter-mates”. He was having a good time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">All
went well for about four weeks, but on my daily check-ups it became obvious that
her udder looked sore. On closer examination I thought that the needle-sharp
claws of her foster child might be causing the problem. She seemed to be
uncomfortable as soon as he began to feed and we needed to do something before she
rejected him outright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">It
is unlikely that a five-week-old bear cub has ever had his toenails clipped,
but that is what we did. While keeper Sharon held the squirming little guy I
used a set of human clippers to do the job. He struggled a bit and made his
objection known with little squalls. Other than that the process went smoothly,
unlike some dog clipping wrestling matches I engaged in during my general
practice days in Kenya. We then wrapped the ends of his feet in sticky tape to
try and further protect the udder and put him back with his buddies. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">This
worked for only two more days and then she simply turned off the taps. One day
the pups and the cub were nursing—the next she would have nothing to do with
them. It seems probable that the cub’s tiny needle-sharp teeth may have finally
led to this dismissal. The pretty little bitch’s job was done. She went home
with all but one of her charges to Dr. Olfert’s care at the university.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">We
had weighed the cub every three days and he had made great progress, now
stretching the spring to over two kilograms. He would need more milk for a
while and so we went back to the standard evaporated milk for bear cubs, only three
times and then twice a day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">He
did lose weight for the first two days, but then the scale began to stretch
every day. Within a month he was up to five kilos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0t3-LBRWpJI/V0duHXiaAyI/AAAAAAAAClk/cJF_1j6nObgxnI3cBLcxdPMvYdi4m_R3ACLcB/s1600/bear%2Bcub%2B%2526%2Bpup%2Bplayjpg500.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0t3-LBRWpJI/V0duHXiaAyI/AAAAAAAAClk/cJF_1j6nObgxnI3cBLcxdPMvYdi4m_R3ACLcB/s320/bear%2Bcub%2B%2526%2Bpup%2Bplayjpg500.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Play time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">We
hung on to him for about another month as he and one cub had formed a bond and
seemed to spend their days roughhousing, eating or sleeping curled up together.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Within
a coupe of weeks the pair were losing interest in the milk as they found a much
more enticing diet in the bowl full of milk, fruit and ground meat on offer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The
two buddies stayed indoors for another six weeks, the cub leaving the pup in
the dust both literally when they played and weight–wise. On April 15, two and
half months after he arrived, he weighed fifteen kilos, the same as his foster
mother when she adopted him.</span></div>
Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-23153383300103312532016-05-06T10:01:00.002-06:002016-05-06T15:42:52.196-06:00Buenos Aries and the Iguazu Falls.<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
From Coronel Suarez we headed for
Buenos Aries, the capital city of Argentina. Here I must declare a bias. With
the exception of Christchurch in New Zealand I have not yet been to a city that
I like. Too many people, too much traffic, etc., etc. Buenos Aries is part of
the group. There were a few saving graces. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9ADdoNXnHTg/VyyfqNnx-aI/AAAAAAAACiM/Erou1A8heFAHtIf6_A6Va-pt4MohbFIoACLcB/s1600/Ba%2Bskyline%2B15th%2Bfloor20.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9ADdoNXnHTg/VyyfqNnx-aI/AAAAAAAACiM/Erou1A8heFAHtIf6_A6Va-pt4MohbFIoACLcB/s320/Ba%2Bskyline%2B15th%2Bfloor20.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buenos Aries skyline</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The evening view from our hotel
window was spectacular.
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Some of the buildings were impressive. There were
beautiful trees in some parks. We were lucky to meet up with Laura and her son
Ethan. We had first met them on our trip over the Andes from Chile and Laura
urged us to get in touch once we hit the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ppK2jpAN7A/Vyyf7FewsSI/AAAAAAAACis/9lUmBpbewFweUntwy2nktRxPlZAmzPjUgCKgB/s1600/Pink%2B%2526%2Byellow%2Btrees20.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ppK2jpAN7A/Vyyf7FewsSI/AAAAAAAACis/9lUmBpbewFweUntwy2nktRxPlZAmzPjUgCKgB/s200/Pink%2B%2526%2Byellow%2Btrees20.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blooming trees in BA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9yVuS70azRI/VyyfwU6u2tI/AAAAAAAACio/-pvlxpS3dVEdy4Ufxa0Rb0kSDlgzu8hJACKgB/s1600/Jo%2Bbuildingcrtop%2Bhar%2B20.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9yVuS70azRI/VyyfwU6u2tI/AAAAAAAACio/-pvlxpS3dVEdy4Ufxa0Rb0kSDlgzu8hJACKgB/s200/Jo%2Bbuildingcrtop%2Bhar%2B20.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo's Tilley hat and one of BA's buildings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They took us to a nice restaurant on the waterfront and we were
impressed with the tall buildings across the river that had been built on a
reclaimed garbage dump.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WjNn01YtJGI/VyyfoFE7XuI/AAAAAAAACiE/wBlOfbG_hVohfjEp2kjAYQlwQyxm1_QqgCLcB/s1600/Buenos-Aires-bus-hop-on-hop-off.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="122" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WjNn01YtJGI/VyyfoFE7XuI/AAAAAAAACiE/wBlOfbG_hVohfjEp2kjAYQlwQyxm1_QqgCLcB/s200/Buenos-Aires-bus-hop-on-hop-off.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A BA yellow bus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
We were much less impressed with the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://vamospanish.com/sightsee-buenos-aires-on-a-double-decker/"><b><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Yellow bus</span></b></a> hop-on, hop-off</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>city tour.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_611575106"> </a>If all the buses are the same as the one we boarded they are an
utter waste of time and money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
The Nauga
hide seats had cracks in them. The headphones are unreliable. We had to choose
among three of them before we found a pair that even worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every now and again, without any action our
part, the commentary would quit, or change into another language. As if that
was not enough the recorded voice would seldom tell us about the place or
building we were passing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Useless as
tits on a boar. We soon disembarked and headed for the metro, which is
excellent.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Emn3EqUJR-0/Vyyf4CHXoGI/AAAAAAAACis/nvVR9o104QcuEQIfWmKPpWWoAv7O6Bo5ACKgB/s1600/San%2BMArtin%2Bstatue%2Bside20.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Emn3EqUJR-0/Vyyf4CHXoGI/AAAAAAAACis/nvVR9o104QcuEQIfWmKPpWWoAv7O6Bo5ACKgB/s200/San%2BMArtin%2Bstatue%2Bside20.jpg" width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">General San Martin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We did more exploring on foot. A
tasty treat at a <i>p</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">anaderia</i> for lunch;
the famous monument of General San Martin, the national hero of Argentina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were impressed with the cathedral and it
high altar. <a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IegNCxjZuRM/VyyfoLLiLDI/AAAAAAAACiI/isYq5lwRBbourFXROFGNBmYAf5_NOjRwQCLcB/s1600/Cathedratl%2Baltar20.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IegNCxjZuRM/VyyfoLLiLDI/AAAAAAAACiI/isYq5lwRBbourFXROFGNBmYAf5_NOjRwQCLcB/s200/Cathedratl%2Baltar20.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Unfortunately we fell victim to a pickpocket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had heard of the skill of the local
members of this brigade. I imagine that the activity is on an industrial scale
with gangs acting as teams. Our pickpocketing experience may have been unique. As
we emerged from the dark of the cathedral to the bright sunlight of the square
Jo put on her dark glasses. We crossed the road, walked fifteen metres and
suddenly Jo called out, “my hat!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
gone. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kOgk3RSXXw8/Vyyfwu0SkkI/AAAAAAAACio/9fHoxdPtY3U9NL6wMlhJM4WOWsfgAOL9ACKgB/s1600/Jo%2527s%2Bnew%2Bhat25.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kOgk3RSXXw8/Vyyfwu0SkkI/AAAAAAAACio/9fHoxdPtY3U9NL6wMlhJM4WOWsfgAOL9ACKgB/s320/Jo%2527s%2Bnew%2Bhat25.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo and her new hat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Her expensive Tilley headgear had been removed from her head. Only one solution.
Buy a straw replacement from a sidewalk vendor. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
On our last evening we did
enjoy a tango show. The intriguing thing was the demonstration of the dancing
styles and costumes over the last century. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UPLUSTKwYsU/Vyy4EY19_UI/AAAAAAAACi4/oq5uJQAHkSkPemzoocAx8AqZu-bj81gRwCLcB/s1600/Taj%2Band%2Bwaterre72.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UPLUSTKwYsU/Vyy4EY19_UI/AAAAAAAACi4/oq5uJQAHkSkPemzoocAx8AqZu-bj81gRwCLcB/s320/Taj%2Band%2Bwaterre72.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A special place</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Enough of cities for quite some
time. One reads of places and things that should be
on anyone’s bucket list. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
The Taj Mahal, Machu Pichu, Victoria Falls, an
elephant herd in the wild. We are lucky to have seen all four. There are no
doubt others. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YOnYJ4HuXn0/Vyy7jctYdZI/AAAAAAAACjE/OvCmixw2nEguee3EIYrtDGmAqs24NNsvwCLcB/s1600/ele%2Bmade%2Bit%2B%25215.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YOnYJ4HuXn0/Vyy7jctYdZI/AAAAAAAACjE/OvCmixw2nEguee3EIYrtDGmAqs24NNsvwCLcB/s640/ele%2Bmade%2Bit%2B%25215.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A special moment on the shore oif the Kasinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth NP, Uganda</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Machu Pichu, another special place</td></tr>
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In each case one can read as much
as one likes, one can even see photos or watch videos. Then one sees the real
thing. The experience is on another level. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oMEpcoAHiXE/Vyy7zC02P5I/AAAAAAAACjM/fNRgI-oKV-4W3TdT-QUI3Vij03_qS7GQwCLcB/s1600/Iguazu%2Bmassive%2B172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oMEpcoAHiXE/Vyy7zC02P5I/AAAAAAAACjM/fNRgI-oKV-4W3TdT-QUI3Vij03_qS7GQwCLcB/s320/Iguazu%2Bmassive%2B172.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Devil's cauldron Iguazu</td></tr>
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Next stop the Iguazu Falls. Even in the thirty-four degree
and maybe ninety-five percent humidity the falls are stunning.</div>
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A raging series
of cataracts, crashing sound, clouds of spray high in the air. Enough said. </div>
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The best thing, other than the falls? As we left the little train at the exit gate there were two cold showers to stand under. We soaked oursleves from head to foot, clothes and all. </div>
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The clothes were dry by the time we boarded the bus, but the temporary relief was great. </div>
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Despite my statement that photos not doing justice here are a couple that we
have kept, if only for ourselves<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (and to share in miniature here) </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pan view of the Argentinian side of the falls. </td></tr>
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Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-1732736775279420982016-04-16T15:23:00.003-06:002016-04-18T10:25:29.882-06:00Five days in Coronel Suarez, Argentina<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
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Planning a big trip is fun. Where
will we go? Do we speak the language? How much will it cost? My wife Jo and I
decide it's time to visit South America. We have never been together to the
continent. I had been to Brazil thirty years earlier to attend a wildlife
conference. But that’s another story. <br />
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It took us no time at all to
decide that Brazil was not an option. The visa requirements are ridiculous. They
wanted three months of recent bank accounts. They even wanted Visa records.
They almost wanted my great-grandmother’s maiden name. Forget it. Next on the
list, Argentina. We had heard about the Iguazu falls as a must-see destination
and would visit at the end of our trip. Jo starts to work on her Spanish. CDs’,
dictionaries, even a Harry Potter book.</div>
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As we chatted about this and that
with dear friends Trudy and Leo about the trip she said, “You must go the
Coronel Suarez. We have been there twice. It’s great. Maria Luz, mother of our
friend who studied here and stayed with us would welcome you.”</div>
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Coronel Suarez? Not in any travel
book. No reference in Lonely Planet. Check Google. There it is.
Contact Maria. She writes: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Any friend of
Trudy is a friend of mine. Come and stay with me. You will be welcome.</i></div>
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In Puerto Madryn, where I left
you, we board a late night bus. After breakfast and a five-hour wait we board
another bus in Bahia Blanca, destination Coronel Suarez. Our first daylight trip
through the famed pampas is a surprise. We see vast acres (hectares) of crops. Sunflowers
in bloom, huge fields of wheat, equally large green fields of soya beans. None
ready to harvest. After all it is early February, six weeks or so before that
busy time. </div>
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A couple of small ponds where
flamingos swing their heads back and forth as they sift for food. Two majestic
black-necked swans glide across the surface of another pond. Raptors glide and wheel
across the sky, too far away for me to identify. Every now and again are tall
stands of pampas grass, their bushy heads waving in the breeze. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PgZnDqWXX9Y/VxKXXplKWMI/AAAAAAAAChk/YcJF91dz01wrcLkmAHdKRAMbZHNsOXtqwCLcB/s1600/JO%2B%2526%2BMAria15.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PgZnDqWXX9Y/VxKXXplKWMI/AAAAAAAAChk/YcJF91dz01wrcLkmAHdKRAMbZHNsOXtqwCLcB/s320/JO%2B%2526%2BMAria15.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo and Maria in the garden</td></tr>
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Five hours later Maria is at the
depot hugging Jo. Her home is on a tree-line boulevard in the middle of the
little town of thirty-thousand folks. We meet her youngest son, Federico, when
he gets home from work. </div>
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The next days were so full of new
things and wonder that it is still sinking in. Trudy and Leo had mentioned
Tito. A larger than life character related to Maria through the marriage of her
son Gaston to his daughter Marta. Tito is soon at Maria’s home and takes us on a tour
of the town. He knows all the details of its history. He tells that next day he
will take us to Sierra de las Ventanas where we will see The Window in the
Mountain.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Window in the Mountain</td></tr>
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Next morning we head out, Jo and
Maria in the back. My Spanish is worse than his English, but not by much. As we
drive along he asks me, through Maria, about Kenya, specifically if I know
about Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scout movement. BP, as he is known
among scouts world-wide, lived the last years of his life in the Outspan Hotel
where my parents honeymooned over Christmas 1939.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I played many a game of cricket within sight
of the hotel. Tito had retired from his duties as a scout leader after thirty
years, but was still passionate about every aspect. My involvement was more
modest. I was a cub and scout at prep school. In Saskatoon I led a small troop
for a few years. I tell Tito about our most memorable day. It was the winter of
1980. We went camping when the temperatures plummeted. It was minus 29 when we
set up the tents. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By morning it had
dropped another four degrees. I tried to light the camp stove – failed. We
bundled the boys in the van and headed out for pancakes at Smitty’s.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burrowing owl during a Candian winter.<br />
It's much warmer in South America. </td></tr>
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At lunch-time the four of us stop
in the picturesque village of Ventanas. As we leave I spot a bird on the wall
of a part-built new home. It is a burrowing owl. Is his northern summer home in
Saskatchewan? Maybe. </div>
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Next stop, now two hours from
home, we spend time admiring the range of jagged hills and the window in the
mountain far above us.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of he Sierra de las Ventanas range</td></tr>
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In the morning, after a leisurely
breakfast, we visit three silversmiths to look at exquisite jewellery. Trudy
has told us about these treasures, and shown us some of the pieces she
purchased on her trips. She is absolutely right. We dither and gawp. No
purchases today, just comparing and planning for a return. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maria, JCH, Jo, Tito after the picnic</td></tr>
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Tito picks us up as we return
from the jewellers. Maria has told us that we are going to a popular health spa
and camp site known as <span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Camping Levalle. The spa has a saline </span>pool. Some
of us take a dip. Tito’s youngest daughter, Ana, known to one and all as Anita,
who teaches English, does the fluent translation. After a picnic lunch we head
out again. There has been no mention of our next destination. </div>
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An hour later we enter a chocolate-box
pretty town of Carhué. The streets, laid out in a well–designed grid, are lined
with flowering trees. As Tito tops a small rise a desolate scene confronts us.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4G3ynQ6Paoo/VxKWZgHsPkI/AAAAAAAACgU/a-8T9GwwJIEeq5FGAm1lDlp1IAdgaSojgCLcB/s1600/Dead%2Btree%2Bline%2B10.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4G3ynQ6Paoo/VxKWZgHsPkI/AAAAAAAACgU/a-8T9GwwJIEeq5FGAm1lDlp1IAdgaSojgCLcB/s320/Dead%2Btree%2Bline%2B10.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dead trees on the shore of Lago Epecuén</td></tr>
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Dead trees are the only things we can see above ground level. Rows of wooden
corpses, branches sticking up as if in supplication, line what must have been
more avenues like those in the town behind us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We drive between two rows of the ghosts. A cemetery, its headstones much
corroded, is the only sign of former human occupation. Someone still cares for
a lost loved one. A bunch of flowers sits atop a grave.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The graveyard </td></tr>
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We learn that Lago Epecuén, the
lake we can see beyond the trees is saline. So much so that the mineral
concentration is slightly less than the Dead Sea, ten times the level of any
ocean. It is the last in a chain of seven lakes above it. It was inundated in
1985 when heavy rains led to the upstream overflows. The water level rose
steadily over a few months. We skirt the shore passing many more tree
skeletons. A scene of utter wreckage appears to our left. We have arrived at
what remains of the town of Villa Epecuén that used to have a population of
three thousand. Like Carhué the desolate streets had been laid out in a tidy
grid pattern. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_xMvfGtO3ZE/VxKW4fOHR9I/AAAAAAAAChY/eS3lMK2a5EEIL1MRqBRw8fpndRZbWo8DQCKgB/s1600/treee%2Bbark%2BEpecuen15.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_xMvfGtO3ZE/VxKW4fOHR9I/AAAAAAAAChY/eS3lMK2a5EEIL1MRqBRw8fpndRZbWo8DQCKgB/s400/treee%2Bbark%2BEpecuen15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curled bark stripped from a dead tree beside the lake</td></tr>
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Before this trip I had not
realized the destructive power of salt water. Not as a surging force like a
tsunami or the terrifying wall of water rushing down a flooded river, but as a corrosive substance. It is not just the
rusting of metal, as one would expect. It is the concrete of the roads and
buildings. Other than a tall tower marked with a line at the eight-metre level,
not a single structure remains intact. The lake reached those eight metres.
Because of the slow rise of the water nobody died. All but one older man
remained. Everyone lost a home or a business. Imagine! </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gKy60z0KHGY/VxKWreLmUkI/AAAAAAAAChA/Q2ktTX5DZ7Ub8sHpF-n7BKb0ras9_Z-IwCLcB/s1600/Salt%2Btown%2Bruins%2B10.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gKy60z0KHGY/VxKWreLmUkI/AAAAAAAAChA/Q2ktTX5DZ7Ub8sHpF-n7BKb0ras9_Z-IwCLcB/s320/Salt%2Btown%2Bruins%2B10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tower in background. Marked with its 8 metre line. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gKy60z0KHGY/VxKWreLmUkI/AAAAAAAAChA/Q2ktTX5DZ7Ub8sHpF-n7BKb0ras9_Z-IwCLcB/s1600/Salt%2Btown%2Bruins%2B10.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gKy60z0KHGY/VxKWreLmUkI/AAAAAAAAChA/Q2ktTX5DZ7Ub8sHpF-n7BKb0ras9_Z-IwCLcB/s1600/Salt%2Btown%2Bruins%2B10.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>I at once think of some post-apocalyptic
scene. It turns out that the site has indeed been used in movies. My photos do
not do it justice. <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2295111/Epecuen-Eerie-pictures-real-life-Atlantis-underwater-25-years.html">This link </a>
shows the scene five years before our visit. The water has receded even further
since then. This YouTube video gives a more current view as a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiF5HHkHvX0">trick cyclist does his thing</a> over and around the ruins. </div>
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The impact is all the more
stunning because none of our hosts have warned us what is coming. </div>
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Next day, after lunch, we head to
the polo grounds where there are seven pitches. I have known for many years
that the best polo players in the world are Argentinians. I had mentioned to
Maria in our early correspondence that I used volunteer as vet for games in
Kenya. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M_47ghVRA40/VxKWKhncFKI/AAAAAAAACf0/dVsyid5tuawyLGg65VVoEV08kHgcpKCSwCLcB/s1600/Coronle%2BSuarez%2Bpolocrop%2B15.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M_47ghVRA40/VxKWKhncFKI/AAAAAAAACf0/dVsyid5tuawyLGg65VVoEV08kHgcpKCSwCLcB/s320/Coronle%2BSuarez%2Bpolocrop%2B15.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polo ponies and riders at Coronel Suarez</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now here is the real thing. Dozens of ponies stand patiently in the shade of
a line of trees. They are élite athletes tuned down to exact fitness for the
explosive game, one minute quietly standing, the next at full gallop. We meet
Horatio, </span>
a few
years older than us. He is here to watch his son and grandson playing on the
same team. He remembers playing in a tournament with Rowena, one of our
oldest Kenya friends. I send her a picture of the three of us standing
together. She at once replies that she remembers him well. She adds that we
have been lucky to visit Coronel Suarez, telling us that it is the Mecca of
polo. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NiJ85duT_UQ/VxKW2vVzHXI/AAAAAAAAChQ/zqOgCVBSLxgX1azFXBjUmtDZALfxJnh3QCLcB/s1600/Tito%252Canita%252C%2BJ%2526J%2Bwines25.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NiJ85duT_UQ/VxKW2vVzHXI/AAAAAAAAChQ/zqOgCVBSLxgX1azFXBjUmtDZALfxJnh3QCLcB/s320/Tito%252Canita%252C%2BJ%2526J%2Bwines25.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tito's wine cellar.</td></tr>
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We are invited to Tito’s home for
the evening meal. Maria warns us, not once but at least three times, to make
sure we are hungry when we arrive. She even tells us to go easy on the pre-dinner
snacks. Tito takes us into his wine cellar. Not just wines, there are
preserves, home-cured hams and other goodies. He offers a choice of wines. A
merlot, minus one glass for a ‘tasting’ is soon on the table. </div>
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We emerge to join the family for
a pre-dinner drink. I am in for a surprise. Silvano, one of Tito and Mabel’s sons
joins the group. He has a blue and purple scarf, with a toggle holding it at
his neck. Before I know it Anita has translated Tito’s little speech. I am
honoured with the gift of the local scout’s neckerchief and toggle. Wow! </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b0tl38Hd1ys/VxKW0rDiUKI/AAAAAAAAChI/5oZXQqJ2EgYIRXVDBsfEXmgv1IbiBoCXgCKgB/s1600/Supper%2Bat%2BTitos15.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b0tl38Hd1ys/VxKW0rDiUKI/AAAAAAAAChI/5oZXQqJ2EgYIRXVDBsfEXmgv1IbiBoCXgCKgB/s400/Supper%2Bat%2BTitos15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One small part of the dinner party</td></tr>
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We sit around a long table and
are treated to a feast. Maria’s advice on hunger was not given lightly. Mabel
has shared in the preparation of the spread.</div>
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<br /></div>
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From the left, clockwise: Julian, Jo, Maria, Marta, Mabel,Tito, Gaston and Ana. </div>
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On our last day we return to the
silversmiths and make our choices. After that Tito takes us to the town’s
scouting headquarters. Silvano and all the other troop leaders are making plans
for an upcoming event. </div>
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Dinner that evening is another feast.
This time at the home Maria Luz’s son Gaston and his wife Marta. The family are there
and Anita tells us that she and Julian are engaged and will marry in December. Congratulations
all round. Pizza extraordinaire. Many flavours. Great gathering. </div>
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Late at night, we board for
Buenos Aries. Maria is with us, heading off on her first leg to Uruguay for a
holiday. Tito’s entire family wave farewell on the sidewalk of the bus depot.
What a welcome it has been. What a memorable time. What a send-off. </div>
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Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-25551851264943622812016-03-25T15:32:00.001-06:002016-04-17T12:55:09.332-06:00Wildlife scenes in the Chubut province of Patagonia. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
I left you in Esquel boarding an
overnight bus for Puerto Madryn on Patagonia’s east coast. We go with a taxi to the
Hi Patagonia hostel run by the charming and very helpful Gaston. So helpful
that he had no problem putting a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>kettle
on to boil so that we could have our first proper cup of tea since arriving in
South America. Tea lovers know what I mean!</div>
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Gaston soon put us on to the
first of several wildlife encounters. We boarded a big zodiac, fit for 50+
passengers and headed out in the bay to see some dolphins, seal lions and
birds. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQitW1LcswU/VvWD2vSXqxI/AAAAAAAACao/RhJiZYWGaI0ox5xrKnrOApLcxbX1FnCUw/s1600/Sea%2Blins%2B%2526b%2Bcormorants25%2B.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQitW1LcswU/VvWD2vSXqxI/AAAAAAAACao/RhJiZYWGaI0ox5xrKnrOApLcxbX1FnCUw/s400/Sea%2Blins%2B%2526b%2Bcormorants25%2B.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea lions and cormorants on the rocky shore of Golfo Nuevo</td></tr>
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The dolphins did not oblige but the seal lion colony, dominated by a big
bull, on the rocky shore was interesting, especially when we saw Imperial
Cormorants and a single gull standing nearby. Later we identified it as a Kelp gull.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TuInlqlNh4M/VvWEVKhUUGI/AAAAAAAACa4/dIKjAnBN_rgV5TP_P7VmN8dzTKu9YmxUA/s1600/Humpback.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TuInlqlNh4M/VvWEVKhUUGI/AAAAAAAACa4/dIKjAnBN_rgV5TP_P7VmN8dzTKu9YmxUA/s320/Humpback.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Under the boat and a farewell wave</td></tr>
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We may have missed out on the
dolphin but then an extraordinary bonus presented itself. The boat crew asked
us to watch for disturbances in the water surface. Long before any of us
amateurs saw anything the skipper called out “There it is.” At once we saw
the tell-tale of a tail above the surface. </div>
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<br /></div>
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It was a juvenile humpback. The guys
at once identified it as a different one from that seen the previous week.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As if this was
not enough of a thrill the magnificent creature swam right under our boat, not once
but twice within fifteen minutes.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wGEahCRNPcM/VvWncp_e0NI/AAAAAAAACb4/r2Us6r1IGgwsaBUu_Pb2CXbWcwIusCISw/s1600/P.%2BMadryn%2Bgraffiit%2Bdoubel%2Bface25.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wGEahCRNPcM/VvWncp_e0NI/AAAAAAAACb4/r2Us6r1IGgwsaBUu_Pb2CXbWcwIusCISw/s200/P.%2BMadryn%2Bgraffiit%2Bdoubel%2Bface25.jpg" width="200" /></a> On our walk back to the hostel we once
more admired the variety and number of graffiti on any available wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are in every community we visited</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0bH58CQ4beI/VvWnyGKbrbI/AAAAAAAACb8/ykuaJRibqwM2US4-WNinam6L7GJ3mpTPQ/s1600/graffiti%2Bhorse%2Bskeleton15.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0bH58CQ4beI/VvWnyGKbrbI/AAAAAAAACb8/ykuaJRibqwM2US4-WNinam6L7GJ3mpTPQ/s200/graffiti%2Bhorse%2Bskeleton15.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div>
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</div>
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Over the next two days we hired a
car, a much newer, more comfortable and more reasonably priced Ford than the crummy Chevy for which we had been gouged in Bariloche. Two hundred dollars American in the Andean town was outrageous. </div>
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We
headed for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valdes_Peninsula">Peninsula Valdés</a> a fascinating area that
has been designated as a national park. <a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0078kWQui6I/VvWEUAT7OUI/AAAAAAAACbY/WXQIK1BDWhQXzkRUGmw3seG1MPvFQY_4A/s1600/guanaco%2Broad%2Bsign25.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0078kWQui6I/VvWEUAT7OUI/AAAAAAAACbY/WXQIK1BDWhQXzkRUGmw3seG1MPvFQY_4A/s1600/guanaco%2Broad%2Bsign25.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0078kWQui6I/VvWEUAT7OUI/AAAAAAAACbY/WXQIK1BDWhQXzkRUGmw3seG1MPvFQY_4A/s320/guanaco%2Broad%2Bsign25.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A road sign makes things clear.</td></tr>
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Along the way there were several groups of
wild guanacos, a few rheas and an array of succulent flowers that we could not hope
to identify. </div>
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The <a href="http://www.ecosystema.ru/08nature/world/61pat/14e.htm">red one</a> is thought, by the authors of this site
to be a member of the <span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Aizoaceae
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pucUinTSLrk/VvWD3k9XZ-I/AAAAAAAACas/2_cbxob3ol0ZS1AMInQ2XtoGK5Tl0XOEg/s1600/red%2Bflowersre20.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pucUinTSLrk/VvWD3k9XZ-I/AAAAAAAACas/2_cbxob3ol0ZS1AMInQ2XtoGK5Tl0XOEg/s200/red%2Bflowersre20.jpg" width="200" /></a>The yellow is probably <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Opuntia maihuen. </i>A</span>ll were fleshy
and low to the ground, seeming to be <a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6lcnZksHHgY/VvWEy5kg-sI/AAAAAAAACbQ/MaADcqisBLQ4xBK6Dma1I-35jC527EWDw/s1600/spike%2Borange%2Bflowers%2Bcrop15.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6lcnZksHHgY/VvWEy5kg-sI/AAAAAAAACbQ/MaADcqisBLQ4xBK6Dma1I-35jC527EWDw/s200/spike%2Borange%2Bflowers%2Bcrop15.jpg" width="200" /></a>drought and salt resistant. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo puts things in perspective</td></tr>
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A lunchtime stop at Punta Delgado
gave us a chance to see the skeleton of a Southern Right whale. The whales themselves gather in the <i>Golfo San Matias</i> on the northern side of the peninsula over the months of
<a href="http://www.sconewhales.co.uk/valdes.html">May to December.</a> </div>
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We were too late to see
them congregate there, but they are reported to be so tame that one can get close to them as
they calve and breed. Maybe we’ll see them next time we go. </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cN8OLph5kSU/VvWE-P92o2I/AAAAAAAACbs/zXhHekWWTK8MHa5-jmFcdMenCcETnYjYQ/s1600/Jo%2B%2526%2Bright%2Bwhale%2Bskeleton25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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After lunch we were led by a
charming guide down a steep incline to see a group of female elephant seals. They
look like giant slugs. There were no big bulls around so we did not see the
noisy and vicious fighting that is so readily viewed on all sorts of wildlife
movies and no doubt on YouTube. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU4xW79ASsg">This one,</a> shot by Richard Sidey is a good
example. </div>
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Next day we headed to Punta
Norte, the northern-most tip of the peninsula to see much larger colonies of
sea-lions. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2CjLiWeaGZU/VvWpOev-4hI/AAAAAAAACcE/Zjg4D4rW6MkAde_i-e9b2gENy8I9F2Z0g/s1600/sea%2Blion%2Bmatingre15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2CjLiWeaGZU/VvWpOev-4hI/AAAAAAAACcE/Zjg4D4rW6MkAde_i-e9b2gENy8I9F2Z0g/s320/sea%2Blion%2Bmatingre15.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A disproportionate weight advantage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We saw one breeding event. A huge male smothered a female that
seemed to be trying to escape. How she survived her mate's crushing weight (400
kg) is thought for reflection.<br />
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We hoped to
see the famous beach hunting of sea–lion pups by Orcas. No luck. We were about
a week early. The pups were still with their mothers and had not yet ventured
out to swim. From Gaston we learned more about the unique hunting technique. It
stems from an old human activity. At one time the ranchers used to capture the
pups for food. They would chop off the heads and flippers and chuck them into
the water. The Orcas soon found out about these free lunches. Next step,
self-service. This <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWsN63PRCW8">National Geographic</a> clip, shot on the same beach, shows what
we missed. The commentary is inane and way over the top. It makes no mention of the human induced behaviour. </div>
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The next two days took us bird
watching. We had heard that there is a huge lagoon near the town of Trelew, a ninety minute bus ride south of Peurto Madryn.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xQ8lAXOj5aA/VvWDpW4treI/AAAAAAAACag/Ui3XvOvLQAEWcP1tGlNgKtjk7kWeA6NLw/s1600/Chilean%2Bflamingo%2Btake-off%2B72.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xQ8lAXOj5aA/VvWDpW4treI/AAAAAAAACag/Ui3XvOvLQAEWcP1tGlNgKtjk7kWeA6NLw/s320/Chilean%2Bflamingo%2Btake-off%2B72.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilean flamingos and others on take-off</td></tr>
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We found it, but were in for a
surprise. It is indeed huge, many kilometres long, but it is a sewage lagoon.
There were thousand of ducks and swans swimming on it. They rose in a cloud as
we approached. In the distance I saw some Chilean flamingos, one of three species seen in South America. The others live in the high Andes. A stalk behind scrub and bushes got me within a hundred metres. As they also rose I was able to snap their departure. In
silhouette there are many ducks and a couple of ibis, identifiable by their long
down-curved beaks. An hour of the smell was enough.</div>
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Our last day in Puerto Madryn
gave us two spectacular experiences. The morning two-hour taxi
ride to Ponto Tombo led to an amazing experience. Ponto Tombo's name comes from the site where the
aboriginal people buried their dead (tombs). We walked among a Magellanic
penguin colony of something like one million birds. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sFtJHGSum1c/VvWEh7hcjRI/AAAAAAAACbo/O2tcsYqD5D4bUBUl7dHXOM-M_JrZP13bQ/s1600/preg%2Bmums%2Band%2Bsheelchair%2Bsign25.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sFtJHGSum1c/VvWEh7hcjRI/AAAAAAAACbo/O2tcsYqD5D4bUBUl7dHXOM-M_JrZP13bQ/s320/preg%2Bmums%2Band%2Bsheelchair%2Bsign25.jpg" width="320" /></a>At the entrance to the trail a sign shows that not only folks in wheel chairs can gain prior access, but also pregnant women, a nice touch with a simple graphic message. </div>
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The path for visitors is clearly marked with a two-strand wire fence. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ha1h4Dz99LM/VvW4IDSWa0I/AAAAAAAACcg/5q7Z9y8Ih-Ucl6XjYlaBucetVnQNiUShQ/s1600/penguin%2Bchicks%2Bmob%2Bparent72.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ha1h4Dz99LM/VvW4IDSWa0I/AAAAAAAACcg/5q7Z9y8Ih-Ucl6XjYlaBucetVnQNiUShQ/s320/penguin%2Bchicks%2Bmob%2Bparent72.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Competing for food. Two chicks mob one parent</td></tr>
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Our taxi driver, who had taken tourists there many times, knew the area well, told us that there had been no penguins at the site before 1978. </div>
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The tiny penguins come to the beach and
the walk (waddle) up, in some cases over a kilometre to their respective
burrows. Every pair returns to the same burrow each year for the nesting
season. By the time the chicks are weaned they are the same size, or a tad
bigger that their parents. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mt7sWpwmwgs/VvWEms1TPyI/AAAAAAAACbI/gdIIMtsLzr4OR-6tou0kfgwRifDE6VV-w/s1600/penguin%2Bright%2Bof%2Bway%2BJo%2Bcrop25.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mt7sWpwmwgs/VvWEms1TPyI/AAAAAAAACbI/gdIIMtsLzr4OR-6tou0kfgwRifDE6VV-w/s200/penguin%2Bright%2Bof%2Bway%2BJo%2Bcrop25.jpg" width="164" /></a></div>
The birds have right of way on the fenced paths
where tourist are permitted. They know it. One walked within half a metre of
Jo, ignoring her completely. </div>
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We watched chicks mobbing parent birds as they
returned with full stomachs from feeding in the ocean. Outside some burrows
there were two chicks competing with vigour to get at the regurgitated food. The
adults trade off every ten days and are said to travel up to six hundred kilometres
out to sea to find their food. </div>
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As we returned to the parking lot I needed to answer a "call of nature". The choice of cubicles was clear, but shown in a delightful way.<br />
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Our visit to the town ended up
with a fine sea-food supper and a magic rainbow show. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C7T4l00WNnU/VvWD1nwfVnI/AAAAAAAACa8/WrOZsULiIf8cSmgTfbBkYIK2nPciJy9Hg/s1600/rainbow%2Bpan25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C7T4l00WNnU/VvWD1nwfVnI/AAAAAAAACa8/WrOZsULiIf8cSmgTfbBkYIK2nPciJy9Hg/s640/rainbow%2Bpan25.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sea front at Puerto Madryn</td></tr>
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Then it was off to
the bus station for another overnight ride north. Next stop Coronel
Suarez.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-43080259481682864292016-03-16T14:14:00.001-06:002016-03-25T09:25:30.132-06:00The Seven Lakes of Argentina<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In my the last report about our trip to Argentian I left you in
San Martin, the final town on the seven lakes tour in the Andes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The evening before we departed we stopped in
the town square to watch a couple performers and their amazing tricks on a big hoop and a slack tight rope (is that an oxymoron?). Here is a short <a href="https://youtu.be/AEUVhEC2c_8">movie clip </a>of the show.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lenin volcano from route 40</td></tr>
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Then it was further north to
visit the <a href="https://www.google.ca/search?q=lanin+volcano&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=zS_oVvWuFsL6jgTDyKvgDQ">Lanin Volcano</a>
Even from the roadside thirty kilometres short the snow-cap was spectacular.
Then came a turn on to a rough dirt road. We skirted lake <a href="https://www.google.ca/maps/@-39.7699926,-71.4150194,10z">Huechulafquen</a> and then crept slowly through a maze of
hairpin bends until we reached the end and stopped on the shore of the north
western arm of the lake. Now the mountain was in full view, Spectacular!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The majestic volcano </td></tr>
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We were in for a surprise. Three
mounted gauchos rode their horses straight into the lake at its narrow junction
with the main body of water. At no time did the horses go deeper than their
hocks. The shallow water was no doubt well known to locals. The posse was
leading, sometimes dragging, a reluctant Hereford heifer. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gauchos cross the lake</td></tr>
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Every now and again
the heifer simply sat and refused to move. It had to be ‘persuaded’ The men
stopped right by me and so I was able take a few photos of the drama. The
animal had escaped from its herd mates and was being returned to base.
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Over a picnic lunch of empanadas
and ham and cheese sandwiches, purchased at a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">panaderia</i> (bakery) in San Martin we could see the volcano framed by numerous monkey puzzle trees that are native to the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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There is a traditional
<a href="http://www.patagonia.com.ar/Jun%C3%ADn+de+los+Andes/232E_Lan%EDn+volcano's+legend.html">Argentinian folk story </a>about the volcano. It involves a hunt, an angry god that
causes the mountain to shoot flames and smoke into the sky, and the sacrifice
of a young girl to appease the god. Since the sacrifice the mountain has
remained quiet and has never lost its snowy peak. The story is recounted on
several websites that vary a tad from one another. </div>
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Our next stop was in Villa Traful. To get to this little
resort we had to leave the excellent paved route 40 and go down a gravel road with
hairpin bends and plenty of rock. It was here that we learned more about the
history and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araucaria_araucana">biology of the tree</a>.
There are males and females, each bearing cones that differ in shape and
colour. The taxonomic name of the ones that are native to the southern and
central parts of Chile and Argentina is <i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Araucaria araucana. </span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is </span>the national tree of the former and is
long-lived (up to a thousand years according to some).</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--SCZEXiuwIQ/VumR4p-y34I/AAAAAAAACZk/7247OrRbOo0MpfDo41VYVCw3wkZF8sL3g/s1600/Female%2Bmonkey%2Bpuzzlere500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--SCZEXiuwIQ/VumR4p-y34I/AAAAAAAACZk/7247OrRbOo0MpfDo41VYVCw3wkZF8sL3g/s200/Female%2Bmonkey%2Bpuzzlere500.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">female blossoms</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nTwEzUlzUj8/VumSBa9dSnI/AAAAAAAACZk/ftufJeXyGSslo-wP0azFn7J5ngqa_zcqw/s1600/Male%2Bmonkey%2Bpuzzle500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nTwEzUlzUj8/VumSBa9dSnI/AAAAAAAACZk/ftufJeXyGSslo-wP0azFn7J5ngqa_zcqw/s200/Male%2Bmonkey%2Bpuzzle500.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male pine cones</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is
a related tree in the genus, native to Australia, known as the </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">False Monkey Puzzle, or Bunya tree </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araucaria_bidwillii"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Araucaria</span></i></a><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araucaria_bidwillii"> </a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araucaria_bidwillii">bidwillii</a>. </i></span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araucaria_bidwillii"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
</span>It has been suggested that both trees, members of the Araucariaceae
family, flourished during the <span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jurassic
and into the Cretaceous from two hundred million to sixty-five million years
ago. At the start of those long-ago times the super continent of Pangaea began
to drift apart so it is possible that the original ‘living fossil’ has evolved
into the two species in Australia and South America. </span></div>
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Human beings have always been
interested in trans-locating plants and animals to a never-ending list of
foreign countries (think New Zealand, think Australia). There are monkey-puzzle
trees in Canada, the UK and many others. In UK the most famous spot is<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.kew.org/)">Kew Gardens</a>. My own memory of the tree comes from the front garden of the house
at 79 Salisbury Road in the city of Salisbury, Wiltshire, where our family
lived when I was nine years old. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p6bwiuetsaQ/VumSB3wfFpI/AAAAAAAACZk/Y7FkijXvEZcds_YIg_BfMhfYEOb4adk-A/s1600/monkey%2Bpuzzle%2Bbarkcrop72.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p6bwiuetsaQ/VumSB3wfFpI/AAAAAAAACZk/Y7FkijXvEZcds_YIg_BfMhfYEOb4adk-A/s200/monkey%2Bpuzzle%2Bbarkcrop72.jpg" width="123" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unclimable bark</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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There was a huge one there and one thing
was for sure, I was not going to try and climb it. The spiky trunk made sure of
that. No wonder it is called the monkey puzzle. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another piece
of useful information is that both species of the tree produce <a href="http://www.urbanhuntress.com/2013/09/foraging-monkey-puzzle-nuts/)">edible nuts</a>. <span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then it was
back to Bariloche for a night before heading across to the east coast. On the
way we stopped for lunch at a beach with a splendid view of mountain peaks with
lake <a href="https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Parque+Nacional+Nahuel+Huapi/@-41.0000256,-71.9202287,9z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xb1e12ee62fa4dd73">Nahuel Huapi </a>in the foreground.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pwe2VVlIZRQ/VumSPJO-AKI/AAAAAAAACZk/1-oThc4IWSo7JJatnwYCmLJWat2R0kzHg/s1600/Stump%2Bpanre%2B72.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pwe2VVlIZRQ/VumSPJO-AKI/AAAAAAAACZk/1-oThc4IWSo7JJatnwYCmLJWat2R0kzHg/s640/Stump%2Bpanre%2B72.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A shore-line view of lake Nahuel Huapi</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Rt7oDEymH8/Vum_QbRLQFI/AAAAAAAACZw/Q03asVtAXJgSlu6EbNjm-4vvj5oI5MREg/s1600/pudu%2Broad%2Bsign%2B225.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Rt7oDEymH8/Vum_QbRLQFI/AAAAAAAACZw/Q03asVtAXJgSlu6EbNjm-4vvj5oI5MREg/s320/pudu%2Broad%2Bsign%2B225.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harldy big enough to damage a car, Just means TAKE CARE</td></tr>
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On the road back through the
seven lakes began we passed a road sign that warned of tiny pudu. Because I
worked with deer for most of my university career it was a creature I would
love to see for real. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vWv9xSaMLXI/VumSPP9tx_I/AAAAAAAACZk/tA9vteZ5XbgBEVsK5aYZNdFUhVjs_o6WQ/s1600/Southern-pudu-female.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vWv9xSaMLXI/VumSPP9tx_I/AAAAAAAACZk/tA9vteZ5XbgBEVsK5aYZNdFUhVjs_o6WQ/s200/Southern-pudu-female.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A souhern pudu</td></tr>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vWv9xSaMLXI/VumSPP9tx_I/AAAAAAAACZk/tA9vteZ5XbgBEVsK5aYZNdFUhVjs_o6WQ/s1600/Southern-pudu-female.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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As I noted in the last post they are the smallest of all
deer species, standing at a maximum 45 centimetres. There are two
subspecies, the <a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/18847/0">northern </a>and
<a href="http://www.arkive.org/southern-pudu/pudu-puda/">southern</a>. Once hunted as a food
source they are now threatened by habitat conversion and dog predation. <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Rt7oDEymH8/Vum_QbRLQFI/AAAAAAAACZw/Q03asVtAXJgSlu6EbNjm-4vvj5oI5MREg/s1600/pudu%2Broad%2Bsign%2B225.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SroYVuaZXFc/VunMrrRUGDI/AAAAAAAACaA/WGFmTMNhe7Ql8uvaUCjn_ti6jU6255QFA/s1600/band%2Bin%2Bsquare25.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SroYVuaZXFc/VunMrrRUGDI/AAAAAAAACaA/WGFmTMNhe7Ql8uvaUCjn_ti6jU6255QFA/s320/band%2Bin%2Bsquare25.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bariloche town square. Just jamming for the fun of it. </td></tr>
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<br />
In Bariloche we headed out for a
bite to eat and watched a bunch of musicians <a href="https://youtu.be/n8I0VPfTub0">jamming</a> in the town square. They
had no interest in any cash rewards. They were just having a good time. So were
the crowd.</div>
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Next day we boarded a couple of
the fine buses that carry folks all over the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the afternoon we went south to Esquel.
After supper in a pub there we headed back to the bus station and at eleven at
night we left for <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Tourism-g312832-Puerto_Madryn_Province_of_Chubut_Patagonia-Vacations.html">Puerto Madryn.</a> </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lyys7iIhCXk/VumR39NXMQI/AAAAAAAACZk/bsa5IbGumqgHnJoFvY_bOCjn0g_1qp2gw/s1600/Bariloche%2Bnight%2Bbus25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="475" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lyys7iIhCXk/VumR39NXMQI/AAAAAAAACZk/bsa5IbGumqgHnJoFvY_bOCjn0g_1qp2gw/s640/Bariloche%2Bnight%2Bbus25.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our overnight bus</td></tr>
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This overnight bus had seats
that turned into reclining beds and offered both supper and breakfast during
our seven-hour trip out of the Andes, across the pampas to the east coast. </div>
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More
of that next time. </div>
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Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-78840663396757809712016-03-05T21:15:00.000-07:002016-03-07T11:10:29.385-07:00A trip to the Argentinian Andes - part one<div class="MsoNormal">
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Back to blogging, after a hiatus of eighteen months. My
excuse? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was working hard on a new
book. This one about work in Canada. Title: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Porcupines
to Polar Bears</i>. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lpEihmFcLDw/VtnLaelE7qI/AAAAAAAACUo/RWY7bH1mY8A/s1600/Porcupines%2Bto%2BPolar%2BBears_front25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lpEihmFcLDw/VtnLaelE7qI/AAAAAAAACUo/RWY7bH1mY8A/s200/Porcupines%2Bto%2BPolar%2BBears_front25.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
There are stories from the <a href="http://www.usask.ca/wcvm/">Western College of Veterinary Medicine,</a> the <a href="https://www.saskatoon.ca/parks-recreation-attractions/events-attractions/saskatoon-forestry-farm-park-zoo"><u>Forestry Farm Zoo</u> </a>in Saskatoon and the wilds of
Canada.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-njnOV_slYDc/Vtu1fqfwHbI/AAAAAAAACYI/S0I9K2L-w5U/s1600/stag%2Bsculpture25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>As I wait for the release in May
I can write about the trip that my wife Jo and I took in January and February
to Argentina. There are so many memories that I’m going to start with the time
had in Patagonia. To get there Air Canada took us to Santiago in Chile. After
that a bus and boat trip across the Andes took us to the <span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">town</span> <span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">of </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bariloche"><span style="font-size: small;">San Carlos de Bariloche,</span></a>
<span style="font-size: small;">conveniently known</span> as </span><span style="font-size: small; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Barilo</span><span style="font-size: small;">che</span> in the Andes. We had
booked into the beautiful <a href="http://llaollao.com/en/">Llao Llao</a> hotel a twenty-minute bus-ride from the
town.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-40hPWrZWOiQ/Vttw_u_ES9I/AAAAAAAACWo/Eg4OEkjf220/s1600/J%2526J%2BLlao%2BLlao25.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-40hPWrZWOiQ/Vttw_u_ES9I/AAAAAAAACWo/Eg4OEkjf220/s200/J%2526J%2BLlao%2BLlao25.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lawn below the Llao Llao hotel</td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-40hPWrZWOiQ/Vttw_u_ES9I/AAAAAAAACWo/Eg4OEkjf220/s1600/J%2526J%2BLlao%2BLlao25.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
We arrived on the 25th of January, known
world-wide wherever Scots have ended up at <a href="http://www.robertburns.org/suppers/">Robbie Burns</a> day.<br />
<br />
We do not participate
that poet’s traditional haggis-based supper as it happens to be our wedding
anniversary. In this case the 47<sup>th</sup>.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PNVSEd9u4Ao/VttxCOzDmFI/AAAAAAAACWw/pmF5m4UuG7k/s1600/J%2526j%2Banniversary%2BLlao%2BLlao%2Bflowers20.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PNVSEd9u4Ao/VttxCOzDmFI/AAAAAAAACWw/pmF5m4UuG7k/s320/J%2526j%2Banniversary%2BLlao%2BLlao%2Bflowers20.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner with roses</td></tr>
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<br />
It was great to find that the
concierge had acted on my emailed request to have roses on our table at dinner-time.
Jo knew nothing about this arrangement. It was a special moment to see her reaction. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Next morning we began to explore.
There were interesting <a href="http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=393">Ashy-<u>headed geese</u> </a>, with their russet breast feathers grazing on the lawns and a
great view of lake <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nahuel_Huapi_Lake">Nahuel Huapi</a> below the hotel. </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FC0KWiQOte8/Vttxhcm1AKI/AAAAAAAACXQ/CHcE_dX9mnY/s1600/Good%2Bgoosde%2Bred%2Bbreastcrop25.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FC0KWiQOte8/Vttxhcm1AKI/AAAAAAAACXQ/CHcE_dX9mnY/s200/Good%2Bgoosde%2Bred%2Bbreastcrop25.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The spectacular view of the Andes, and the snow-capped peaks, gave us the opportunity to sit and relax on the lawn below the hotel beside the lake. It is huge. It </span> covers five hundred and thirty square kilometres
and its shore line stretches three hundred and fifty-seven km.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-70vPTwwW5iw/Vttxc9xwlCI/AAAAAAAACXM/l3qUpJNYGiI/s1600/Lake%2Bpan%2BLlao%2BLlaore72.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-70vPTwwW5iw/Vttxc9xwlCI/AAAAAAAACXM/l3qUpJNYGiI/s640/Lake%2Bpan%2BLlao%2BLlaore72.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
In Bariloche, to our dismay, car
rental is brutally expensive. $200 (US) a day for a very basic stick shift
Chevy! There wasn't much choice if we wanted to explore. Even at that price we decided to hire one and head north along the
seven lakes route. There were stunning views, good restaurants and interesting
things to do. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQLxsxDs5Ho/VttxVTCWu8I/AAAAAAAACXE/gdD1XQyE8jg/s1600/Sol%2BArrayn%2Bhotel25.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQLxsxDs5Ho/VttxVTCWu8I/AAAAAAAACXE/gdD1XQyE8jg/s200/Sol%2BArrayn%2Bhotel25.jpg" width="149" /></a> <br />
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From Bariloche we headed north to
<a href="http://www.interpatagonia.com/villalaangostura/index_i.html">Villa Angostura</a>, here we stayed at the <a href="http://www.solarrayan.com/hotel/">Sol Arrayan</a> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>hotel, again on the shores of lake Nahuel
Huapi, which is huge. The views of the
Andes from the hotel and the shore are spectacular. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8g2cPdxYrgs/VttxNcbkMuI/AAAAAAAACW4/8K-LvIcvN-4/s1600/Sunset%2Bsupper25.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8g2cPdxYrgs/VttxNcbkMuI/AAAAAAAACW4/8K-LvIcvN-4/s320/Sunset%2Bsupper25.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view form the 5th floor </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
By this time we had learned that
in Argentina the correct pronunciation of a double ‘L’ in any word is not, as we expected, a ‘yao’ sound. The two ‘l’s sound as ‘sha’. So, our next stop in
the trip was at ‘Visha’ Angostura.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uFvSRo1q1w0/VtuiQj9xcNI/AAAAAAAACXg/yME09256hgE/s1600/Coihue%2Btreesre%2B15.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uFvSRo1q1w0/VtuiQj9xcNI/AAAAAAAACXg/yME09256hgE/s200/Coihue%2Btreesre%2B15.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo in front of Coihue a tree stand. Ground up view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jZeXrv-NjYU/Vtuzhe0F3-I/AAAAAAAACX8/3psqEX44vN0/s1600/Yellow%2Btree%2B12.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jZeXrv-NjYU/Vtuzhe0F3-I/AAAAAAAACX8/3psqEX44vN0/s320/Yellow%2Btree%2B12.jpg" width="142" /></a> There were two interesting treespecies that we saw in Villa Angosturs. Right outside the hotel was an <a href="http://forestnation.com/magical-forests-of-arrayanes/">Arrayan tree</a>,
with its rust and yellow bark. It grows up to 15 metres. It is a member of
the myrtle family, is an evergreen with fragrant flowers and is limited
to the central Andes between Chile and Argentina. The other tree(s) were
a mass of <a href="http://www.chileflora.com/Florachilena/FloraEnglish/HighResPages/EH0358.htm">Coihue </a>standing
straight as an arrow, up to 45 metres tall. The largest one on record
had a girth of 8 metres. Their most striking feature is the absence of
any branch for the first twenty metres above ground. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KLiMaXar6VQ/VtukUqNk0lI/AAAAAAAACXs/G64y5etyLSc/s1600/%2B2%2Bibis%2Bgood25.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KLiMaXar6VQ/VtukUqNk0lI/AAAAAAAACXs/G64y5etyLSc/s320/%2B2%2Bibis%2Bgood25.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-faced ibis </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next morning my fascination with
birds and their photography was further excited when we saw a pair of black-faced ibis on the lawn. There are at least ten species of ibis in South America, but
this is the only kind we met.<br />
<br />
I was somewhat astonished to see
bronze or rock statues of red deer in the communities. This version is depicted in full rut, neck stretched, roaring his power and ardour to one and all. The real rut is in autumn, March in Argentina, so the hills may soon resonate with the grunts and gurgles. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-njnOV_slYDc/Vtu1fqfwHbI/AAAAAAAACYI/S0I9K2L-w5U/s1600/stag%2Bsculpture25.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-njnOV_slYDc/Vtu1fqfwHbI/AAAAAAAACYI/S0I9K2L-w5U/s320/stag%2Bsculpture25.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bronze stag bugling into the sky</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Have a <a href="http://sounds.bl.uk/Environment/British-wildlife-recordings/022M-W1CDR0001424-0200V0">listen to the sounds</a> that echo across the Scottish Highlands in September.<br />
<br />
I was aware that these creatures had been
exported to South America at some time early in the 20<sup>th</sup> century but
I did not realize that they had become iconic and more celebrated in art forms than the native deer. We saw candelabras concocted from interwoven antlers and the standard wall mounts in most hotels.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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One of the natives is the <a href="http://www.arkive.org/southern-pudu/pudu-puda/">pudu</a>, smallest member of the deer family
that stands, at most, fifteen inches (45 cm) at the shoulder and weighs 10 kg.
The other is the <a href="http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/resurgence-of-endangered-deer-in-patagonian-eden-highlights-conservation-success">huemul,</a> critically endangered throughout its range, mainly due
to human activity and competition for resources with those cervid foreigners. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">There are some signs of recovery of this situation, but they are not out of the woods yet.</span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br />
Thence to the town of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Mart%C3%ADn_de_los_Andes">San Martin de los Andes</a> (abbreviated as San Martin). It lies on the shore of the lake of the same
name. This lake is more or less
the same size as Nahuel Huapi. San Martin is a favourite destination for
skiers and has a good ski lift system just south of town up a winding
gravel road.<br />
<br />
The downtown area somewhat resembles a
European mountain resort, with many buildings of log construction and
window boxes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NDEv8K5CeYU/VttxWBsNxTI/AAAAAAAACXI/utkmQVzF6rg/s1600/St.%2BMartine%2Bpub15.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NDEv8K5CeYU/VttxWBsNxTI/AAAAAAAACXI/utkmQVzF6rg/s320/St.%2BMartine%2Bpub15.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pub with half a minibus through its front.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The architect of pub, no doubt tongue in cheek, has the
front end of a VW micro bus embedded in the upper front wall. Happliy this 'crash' did not
adversely effect the Warsteiner beer, a local brew.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br />
For the folks who do not speak Spanish here is a useful tip, an essential addition the vocabulary for the beer drinker. A craft beer, or one made in a micro brewery is <b><i>un cerveza artesanal.</i></b> <br />
<br />
<br />
It was time for dinner. We had
decided to double up and have a meal a restaurant advertising food and a tango
show. Jut inside the door stood a large rack of wines. As we stood there a
waiter told us that there would be no tango that evening. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iGmbHvd5MtQ/VttxNSnpCLI/AAAAAAAACW8/5Q519d_otX4/s1600/wine%2Bshop%2Bstack25.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iGmbHvd5MtQ/VttxNSnpCLI/AAAAAAAACW8/5Q519d_otX4/s320/wine%2Bshop%2Bstack25.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just one of three racks in the 'dinner and tango ' restaurant </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The atmosphere was ideal with low lighting. The menu looked
reasonable so we decided to have a meal anyway. Steak was on the menu and there were pasta dishes. <br />
<br />
Next came a surprise. Only one
small glass of water, from the tap, which we favour, was available. After that
it had to be bottled water.<br />
<br />
Ridiculous. We left.<br />
<br />
There were hitchhikers outside every town we passed through. One of the most interesting encounters was with an Australian couple in their thirties. They arrived at the same hostel as us and we fell into conversation. They are inveterate cyclists. One of their less adventurous trips had been a ride from Barcelona to Berlin. That does not sound too arduous for the dedicated, but these two were traveling with small children, a four-year old and a toddler of eighteen months! <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Our journey continued. Next stop a volcano with a history and a folk tale.</div>
</div>
Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-17961264609677567102014-09-19T17:30:00.000-06:002014-09-20T09:49:36.178-06:00A Container of Medical Supplies to Uganda<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In
2013 Dr. Christine Dranzoa, whose <a href="http://jerryhaigh.blogspot.ca/2013/12/christine-dranzoa-remarkable-person.html">remarkable history </a>I have blogged about a few
times, wrote to ask me if I knew anything about an organization in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hamilton, Ontario</b> who were able to send
medical supplies Uganda. </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iWWJWL082Fg/VBy08CXwk4I/AAAAAAAACM4/D_e22hrdlyw/s1600/Arua%2Bcampus500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iWWJWL082Fg/VBy08CXwk4I/AAAAAAAACM4/D_e22hrdlyw/s1600/Arua%2Bcampus500.jpg" height="197" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An artist's plan of what the new university campus will look like</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span> </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4mjdObOlBtY/VBy1HEll3SI/AAAAAAAACNU/JS-2nic0ydY/s1600/CD%2Band%2Bbuilders500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4mjdObOlBtY/VBy1HEll3SI/AAAAAAAACNU/JS-2nic0ydY/s1600/CD%2Band%2Bbuilders500.jpg" height="243" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christine talks to the builders</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J4l-qF220Vk/VBy08rdV68I/AAAAAAAACNA/taD-5g9ipnE/s1600/Arua%2Bclinci%2Bbuilding500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J4l-qF220Vk/VBy08rdV68I/AAAAAAAACNA/taD-5g9ipnE/s1600/Arua%2Bclinci%2Bbuilding500.jpg" height="204" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nursing station under construction</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">She was in the throes of organizing the construction
of a nursing station as part of the new university in her home district of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">West Nile</b> at the town of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Aura</b>. She has been appointed
vice-chancellor of the university and the recently sent me a photo of the early
construction of the station. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It
took but a moment to realize that we in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Saskatchewan</b>
could surely do something without going further afield. After all we have a
long history of philanthropic activity. It was time to put on my <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sherlock Homes</b> costume, the deer-stalker
headgear (minus the </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">meerschaum</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">pipe and the cape) and see what I could find out. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It
did not take long. I started out by contacting <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dr. Pammla Petrucka</b>, a nursing PhD based in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Regina</b> who has had a great deal of experience is this sort of
activity. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Those
exchanges eventually led me to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mr.
Lindsay Brucks</b>, who heads up the Saskatoon branch of the organization <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.fhcanada.org/?sc=15&category=4773">Canadian Food for the Hungry.</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">He
has shipped 295 such containers to many countries, including Uganda and its
neighbours Sudan and Southern Sudan. He in turn contacted <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Diane Larivee</b> who volunteers with </span>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region</span></b>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">and she too got involved </span>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I
had two other essential tasks. I soon found out that it would cost about
twenty-five thousand dollars to ship from Saskatoon to Arua.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was easy to contact all the students who
had accompanied my wife Jo and me to Uganda in the eight years up to my
retirement from the <a href="http://www.usask.ca/wcvm/research/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Western College of</b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Veterinary Medicine </b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> The
students quickly bought into the idea and we soon had enough money to cover
most of the costs. The funds were deposited with the <a href="http://www.hrf.sk.ca/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hospitals of Regina Foundation </b></a>under the watchful eye of<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Nora Yeats. </b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our
program involved in a study of the complex relationship between wildlife,
humans and their livestock. The <a href="http://jerryhaigh.blogspot.ca/2009/05/uganda-and-wcvm-primary-schools-report.html">rotation</a></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://jerryhaigh.blogspot.ca/2009/05/uganda-and-wcvm-primary-schools-report.html"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></a>lasted a month each year and we all learned a
great deal. Without Christine, who had been head of the</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Department of Wildlife and Animal Resource
Management at the </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Makerere University <a href="http://en.wikivet.net/Uganda_-_Makerere_University_College_of_Veterinary_Medicine,_Animal_Resources_and_Bio-Security,_Kampala">College of Veterinary Medicine</a></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> at the time the rotation
would never have taken place. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The other task was to find
out from Christine more about her exact needs. She quickly designated one of
medical staff to send me a list. At the last minute she wondered if we could help
with a supply of mosquito nets which are so essential in that environment. For
this part of the project I contacted our neighbour’s son who is a first year
medical student. He invited me to tell his class-mates about Christine and
before I knew it we had $468.51 in my hat. That went directly to Uganda as nets
purchased there would be a great deal cheaper than any we might find here
(about 10% of the cost). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-33yHSgzCmi8/VBy09yIsy9I/AAAAAAAACNM/nTkwVG82UIU/s1600/Books%2Bfor%2BUganda500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-33yHSgzCmi8/VBy09yIsy9I/AAAAAAAACNM/nTkwVG82UIU/s1600/Books%2Bfor%2BUganda500.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Books for Uganda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QVFMHW28RQ/VBy1LTm9I1I/AAAAAAAACN8/kDOCJULU3cA/s1600/Zeiss%2Bscope500.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QVFMHW28RQ/VBy1LTm9I1I/AAAAAAAACN8/kDOCJULU3cA/s1600/Zeiss%2Bscope500.jpg" height="200" width="149" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Lindsay lost no time in
finding everything that Christine needed, and a whole lot more. </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span>Jo and I made a
bunch of phone calls and were soon given about eighty fairly modern textbooks on
nursing and medicine by her former colleagues. The folks at the WCVM and St.
Paul’s Hospital gave us seven excellent microscopes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We then went to visit Lindsay
at his warehouse when the container was two-thirds full. We were astonished at
the quantity and variety of equipment ready to ship to any destination.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DalI88ckcxo/VBy1KkLQH0I/AAAAAAAACN0/JlnhP8PW4nQ/s1600/Wheelchairs%2B500.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DalI88ckcxo/VBy1KkLQH0I/AAAAAAAACN0/JlnhP8PW4nQ/s1600/Wheelchairs%2B500.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PWklpim1QRw/VBy54-DG3II/AAAAAAAACOI/A4cyRlsCrVY/s1600/FFTU%2Bcrutchesre%2B500.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PWklpim1QRw/VBy54-DG3II/AAAAAAAACOI/A4cyRlsCrVY/s1600/FFTU%2Bcrutchesre%2B500.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There were whole rows of
wheelchairs, crutches, beds, a baby incubator and an ultrasound machine and
anything else you can imagine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f7BA2YrE9ow/VBy1IiKcFCI/AAAAAAAACNk/BBoxXZw2If0/s1600/Final%2Bload500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f7BA2YrE9ow/VBy1IiKcFCI/AAAAAAAACNk/BBoxXZw2If0/s1600/Final%2Bload500.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The full container on Sept 15th 2014</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The
container was soon full and is now on its way to Kampala where it is has to
clear customs. With any luck it should reach Arua by Christmas. Wouldn’t that
make a great Christmas present?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xOKYQk0z2f4/VBy06V88ARI/AAAAAAAACMs/kqtp855oVkU/s1600/40%27container%2B500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xOKYQk0z2f4/VBy06V88ARI/AAAAAAAACMs/kqtp855oVkU/s1600/40'container%2B500.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to roll!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div>
Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-50281344469162731822014-07-23T06:51:00.000-06:002014-07-23T18:54:50.411-06:00The Toda of South India: Culture and Medicinal Plants <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In
1955 <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Joanne Van de Riet</b> was a bright
inquisitive teenager who was fascinated with the world around her. Two of her
major hobbies were painting and flower pressing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When an anthropologist visited the family
home in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">South Indian</b> town of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ootacamund (</b>Ooty) she was offered a
chance to visit some nearby <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Toda</b> people
who lived in small communities called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">munds
</i>near the town.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OT7PiPlUdzk/U8-n8bxcZrI/AAAAAAAACMM/48No8oJQOVo/s1600/plant+500.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OT7PiPlUdzk/U8-n8bxcZrI/AAAAAAAACMM/48No8oJQOVo/s1600/plant+500.jpg" height="400" width="310" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">During
that visit Joanne collected and pressed as many plants as she could,
particularly medicinal ones. She then sketched them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">After that she visited the
school library and found the taxonomic name of each plant. Three lines of
writing accompany each sketch: the taxonomic name, in most cases the Tamil name (in script)
and the plant’s use. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H_hnZGqo_kI/U8-obo1qteI/AAAAAAAACMQ/IOGnrJfLRzg/s1600/Plant+2500.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H_hnZGqo_kI/U8-obo1qteI/AAAAAAAACMQ/IOGnrJfLRzg/s1600/Plant+2500.jpg" height="400" width="310" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> All the sketches were scanned in 2013 by our daughter <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Karen</b> and posted to a <a href="http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/5103/guide/8699">website </a>
devoted to endangered languages. I have repeated the scan with only two
examples here as the lettering might be difficult to read on the endangered languages
site. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>According
to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toda_people"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wikipedia</b></a> </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Toda </i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">people</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> are a small pastoral community who live on the isolated </span></i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nilgiris_district" title="Nilgiris district"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nilgiri plateau</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
of Southern </span></i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India" title="India"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">India</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Much of the Wiki information is accurate, but not
all of it. Many of the old practises have been abandoned under the constant pressure
of modernization.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">At one time the Toda did indeed practice fraternal
polyandry with one woman marrying all the brothers of another family. Missing
from the Wiki report is that all the offspring of this relationship were deemed
to be children of the oldest bother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Furthermore female infanticide, which is now illegal was once routine.
Polyandry has largely been abandoned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Another remarkable fact is that the men were so
dominant in society that a morning greeting involved the wife kneeling with
head bowed so that the men could place a foot on her head. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_0L79LH8GCs/U8-nUMYQ3kI/AAAAAAAACLo/X4rQWaZQQWs/s1600/Rein%27s+pic+pf+Toda1square500.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_0L79LH8GCs/U8-nUMYQ3kI/AAAAAAAACLo/X4rQWaZQQWs/s1600/Rein's+pic+pf+Toda1square500.jpg" height="408" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kneeling wife and dominant husband in a morning greeting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The accompanying artwork by an unknown artist,
possibly a Toda man, was made at least 70 years ago and is still in the possession
of the Van de Riet family. It is a 3D piece, which does not show in the photo.
It was sculpted of raw and probably unfired clay that has been coloured and has
a somewhat abstract appearance.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There is also a theory that the Toda, who are very
much taller and robust in stature than any other peoples of South India, are
descendants of men who deserted from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Alexander
The Great</b>’s army. His campaign, which only took place in Northern India
began in 326 BC and ended at his death in 321. There is also an account that I
have tried to verify of a visit by Greek nobility, perhaps even <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">King Paul I </b>or his brother <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">George</b> to the area in the 1940s.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As the Wiki site states the Toda built their faith
around the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_buffalo"><b>water buffalo</b></a>. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">According
to the Todas, the goddess Teikirshy and her brother first created the sacred
buffalo and then the first Toda man. The first Toda woman was created from the
right rib of the first Toda man. The Toda religion also forbids them from
walking across bridges, rivers must be crossed on foot, or swimming and they
can't wear any shoes at all.</span></i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DFngcoCYQOY/U8-nUwRYtVI/AAAAAAAACL0/jnchql2zlFw/s1600/Toda+hut+500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DFngcoCYQOY/U8-nUwRYtVI/AAAAAAAACL0/jnchql2zlFw/s1600/Toda+hut+500.jpg" height="200" width="156" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toda dogie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There are interesting pictures of the dwellings,
called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dogies</i>, of the Toda on the
Wiki site, including a series showing how they are constructed. This photo taken in 1984 shows one such hut. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In recognition of the huts there is a concrete replica at
one of the main crossroads, known as Charing Cross, in Ooty. The name is
presumably a relic of former colonial days when The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nilgiri_mountains">Nilgiri mountains</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nilgiri_mountains"></a>(aka Nilgiri Hills or Blue Mountains) in South India was one of two hill stations
much loved by the British as a place to escape the heat. When we visited the
town in 1984 our taxi driver had no inkling of how to find the village and so
Jo had to guide him. </span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xt88AZFg7Es/U8-nVlWLoaI/AAAAAAAACMA/SO9cCLrYXOo/s1600/Toda+womenre500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xt88AZFg7Es/U8-nVlWLoaI/AAAAAAAACMA/SO9cCLrYXOo/s1600/Toda+womenre500.jpg" height="400" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern home and three women</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">However not all the villagers used these dwellings. As the
accompanying photo shows some of these huts have been replaced, at least in the
community we visited in 1984 by concrete buildings more like modern ones seen
all over the world. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The other feature that is clearly visible in the
photo is the long black hair of the women that is set in ringlets. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">However the Wiki site has it wrong on the matter of
the temples. It states that </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Toda
temples are constructed in a circular pit lined with stones and are quite
similar in appearance and construction to Toda huts. </span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The temples only resemble the dwellings in
that the upper parts above the rock base are
constructed of bamboo bound with rattan and have thatched roofs. The Wiki site</span>
also makes no mention of the fact that women were not allowed to enter the
temples or even go into the pit. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WRhj4zKIE0M/U8-nUnWl7ZI/AAAAAAAACLs/76vmuFL9WK4/s1600/Toda+temple+roofre500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WRhj4zKIE0M/U8-nUnWl7ZI/AAAAAAAACLs/76vmuFL9WK4/s1600/Toda+temple+roofre500.jpg" height="266" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toda temple surrounded by pit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
accompanying photo, taken in 1984, shows a temple that only remotely resembles
a dwelling. It does indeed have pit around it, as well as a heavy stone against
the tiny door. </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The temple also acts as the storage
place for the buffalo milk.</span> The building may only be entered by the priest. </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">No female may even touch a
buffalo and it is only the men who milk them that may do so. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q5cHEXdDm44/U8-sPQzVCmI/AAAAAAAACMc/jLaQLfTM2OI/s1600/Toda+tempe+doorre500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q5cHEXdDm44/U8-sPQzVCmI/AAAAAAAACMc/jLaQLfTM2OI/s1600/Toda+tempe+doorre500.jpg" height="200" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple door and rock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 35.45pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> A quote
from Sir <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">George James</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Frazer’s</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Golden Bough </i>(1922) gives an insight into the position of the
priest.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">…the holy milkman, who acts as priest of the sacred dairy,
is subject to a variety of irksome and burdensome restrictions during the whole
time of his incumbency, which may last many years. Thus he must live at the
sacred dairy and may never visit his home or any ordinary village. He must be
celibate; if he is married he must leave his wife. On no account may any
ordinary person touch the holy milkman or the holy dairy; such a touch would so
defile his holiness that he would forfeit his office.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The photos
of alleged temple and dwelling in the Wiki piece are oddly similar and are both
of a home, again with a tiny door that is said to be a means of protection from
wild animals. In older times this may well have been true, but decimation of
wild mammal populations, a feature by no means limited to India, has no doubt
reduced the risk from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">tigers, bears,
panthers</b> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhole"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">dhole</b> packs</a> </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the much feared and voracious wild dog of the sub-continent. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another factor
led to changes in agricultural practices for the Toda. It was the wide-spread planting
of exotic trees well suited to the mountain climate. There were eucalyptus forests,
the trees originally imported from<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">
Australia.</b> Joanne remembers that its gum was a useful <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus#Eucalyptus_oil">mosquito repellent</a>. The gum was prepared by piling up a huge mass of leaves and then starting a
very slow fire underneath so that the oils dripped into pan. Some gardens were
even surrounded by these trees on purpose. Another exotic tree, mimosa, was also grown in the area. It was a vital part of the <a href="http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Mimosa">film industry </a>before
the advent of digital technology. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></div>
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Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-15935228676707061642014-07-11T10:51:00.001-06:002014-07-13T06:11:39.374-06:00Indian elephant in Sri Lanka - The Good and the Bad. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In 2010 my wife, her sister and I visited Sri
Lanka as tourists and soon found ourselves going to many temples and Stupas
around the country. Inevitably we also ended up at places where we saw animals.
In some ways the most interesting was the elephant orphanage at Pinnawala where
we saw many rescued elephants and their offspring.<br />
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I learned a few interesting facts
from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinnawala_Elephant_Orphanage">Wikipedia</a> document about the sanctuary. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Pinnawala
Elephant Orphanage was first established by the Sri Lankan Department of
Wildlife Conservation in 1975 for feeding and providing care and sanctuary to
orphaned baby elephants that were found in the wild. The orphanage was first
located at the </span></i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilpattu_National_Park" title="Wilpattu National Park"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wilpattu National Park</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,
then shifted to the tourist complex at </span></i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentota" title="Bentota"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bentota</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
and then to the </span></i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehiwala_Zoo" title="Dehiwala Zoo"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dehiwala Zoo</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.
From the Zoo it was shifted to Pinnawala village on a 25-acre (10 ha) </span></i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut" title="Coconut"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">coconut</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
plantation adjacent to the </span></i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rivers_of_Sri_Lanka" title="List of rivers of Sri Lanka"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maha Oya River</span></i></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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We were intrigued and impressed
by some of the things they were doing. Perhaps the most impressive of all was
the care and attention devoted to the big blind bull named <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Raja. </b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2UpnEJGqxEA/U8AJtYorjLI/AAAAAAAACK8/tkQX5ARzwzk/s1600/Spray+Raja+++trunk+rest500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2UpnEJGqxEA/U8AJtYorjLI/AAAAAAAACK8/tkQX5ARzwzk/s1600/Spray+Raja+++trunk+rest500.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice spray in the heat of the day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gGR2GDvAdFs/U8AJbVGpPjI/AAAAAAAACKc/hbWdpoU25WY/s1600/ele+ele+pumewala+rests+trunkcu+500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gGR2GDvAdFs/U8AJbVGpPjI/AAAAAAAACKc/hbWdpoU25WY/s1600/ele+ele+pumewala+rests+trunkcu+500.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">another trunk rest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Here he is being sprayed down. Note the way he is resting
his trunk on one of his large tusks.He later switched sides for another rest.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y5B_hLsBBXM/U8AJcE0ad9I/AAAAAAAACKo/dVkK6vH1bN4/s1600/ele+&+trffic+hold+up500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y5B_hLsBBXM/U8AJcE0ad9I/AAAAAAAACKo/dVkK6vH1bN4/s1600/ele+&+trffic+hold+up500.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traffic hold up</td></tr>
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The elephants are taken for a daily bath
to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maha Oya</span></b> river that lies a couple of hundred
metres from the front gate of the sanctuary. To reach the river they have to cross a main road and while the procession marches the traffic is held up.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IjTMjLZSvIA/U8AJxnx7HmI/AAAAAAAACLE/tU8u9Tg9JRE/s1600/mahout+ele+pumewala+bathing+ele500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IjTMjLZSvIA/U8AJxnx7HmI/AAAAAAAACLE/tU8u9Tg9JRE/s1600/mahout+ele+pumewala+bathing+ele500.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An individual bath. ? Heaven?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are a few interesting YouTube videos of the bathing.
Here is one such 7 minute version posted by “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUHZiVQZptIs">Jonsy Boy</a>”</b>. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Some the elephants at the
sanctuary arrived as a consequence of the long war that finally resulted in the
subjugation of the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tamil </b>minority
who mostly live in the north of the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3m5Di_6UDZM/U8AJdh2RLwI/AAAAAAAACK0/-NCtUR9IzZY/s1600/ele+land+mine+victimrere500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3m5Di_6UDZM/U8AJdh2RLwI/AAAAAAAACK0/-NCtUR9IzZY/s1600/ele+land+mine+victimrere500.jpg" height="200" width="178" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sama and her problems</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
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<br /></div>
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One such victim <span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">was
a female, named <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sama</b>, who lost her
front right leg to a </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_mine" title="Land mine"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">l</span></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and mine. She can still walk
but inevitably her gait is slow and she has a huge upward curve to her spine and twisted left front leg,
presumably to shift the weight to her hind legs and thatc one forelimb. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Um-4cErLG2E/U8AJ3yVp-1I/AAAAAAAACLM/FagWAKYN3lg/s1600/Sama+walkstoriver.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Um-4cErLG2E/U8AJ3yVp-1I/AAAAAAAACLM/FagWAKYN3lg/s1600/Sama+walkstoriver.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sama is last to cross, but she makes it!</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However she joins the
river-bound group for her daily bath.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></i></div>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cD6pxVyfXpY/U8AJbucC-RI/AAAAAAAACKg/RDGvNBakbeU/s1600/General+view+++cocnuts500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cD6pxVyfXpY/U8AJbucC-RI/AAAAAAAACKg/RDGvNBakbeU/s1600/General+view+++cocnuts500.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breeding sucess</td></tr>
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The program at the orphanage
inevitably involves breeding (there are several males younger that <b>Raja,</b> so
biology 101 kicks in. This general scene show the results of such activity and
is back grounded by the coconut plantation where the herd was finally located. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>More
from the wiki site<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
first birth at Pinnawala was in 1984, Sukumalee, a female was born to Vijaya
and Kumar who were aged 21 and 20 years respectively at the time. The males
Vijaya and Neela and females Kumari, Anusha, Mathalie and Komali have since
then parented several baby elephants. More than twenty-three elephants were
born from 1984 to 1991. In 1998 there were fourteen births at Pinnawala, eight
males and six females, with one second generation birth in early 1998. Since
then till early 2012, 84 more were born at Pinnawala.</span></i></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What we did not know at the time of
our visit, and was of course not told us was the ugly story of what happens to
the results of all that successful breeding over the years. Again a quote from
the Wiki site. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Quality of care of elephants
who are donated or sold away from Pinnawala has been a big public issue. In
2012 The Sri Lanka Environment Trust spoke out against authorities who continue
to 'donate' tamed elephants to people who had 'poor' past records of taking
care of animals. "There are enough cases to show that the authorities are
releasing elephants from Pinnawala to the same group of people who don't take
care of the animals." Though officials boast that the animals are under
close surveillance, they don't do any monitoring once an elephant is released
to a private owner.</i></span></div>
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Those interested in the
conservation of elephants are well aware the most of the Facebook posts and
attention are devoted to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">African
elephant </b>which is undergoing massive destruction across the continent as
the price of ivory spirals almost of control mainly going to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">China</b>. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Paula Kahumbu</b> of<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Kenya </b>has
been a very active in the anti-poaching campaign and you can easily find her
many posts on Facebook. I have a few posts in this blog series about the <a href="http://jerryhaigh.blogspot.ca/search/label/ivory">ivory trade.</a></div>
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There have been a few posts about
the Chinese end of the marketing chain, but I have a suspicion that the
authorities in that country have no concern about this issue and with so many
ivory carving factories there they may even be actively encouraging it.</div>
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Will <b>Raja </b>and his huge tusks fall
victim to that greed? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nasty thought, but
it will come as no surprise if he does. The price of ivory has risen four-fold in four years. Tempting.</div>
Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-37919912032856858912014-06-17T17:51:00.000-06:002014-06-17T18:23:57.547-06:00A Storytelling Gig<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I have just been sent a poster that describes a gig I have upcoming in Halfax Nova Scotia. This event will be in supprt of the <a href="http://www.hopeforwildlife.net/"><b>Hope For Wildlife</b> </a>Society and I plan to share a few stories from my days in Africa, not just from the time I lived there, but a few research activities and more recent trips with students. This is the poster as it appears on the Storyteller of Canda - Conteurs du Canada <a href="http://www.hopeforwildlife.net/Images/EV_A%20Wildlife%20Vet%20in%20Africa%20poster.pdf">website</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are a few of the pictures I may use.</span></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yOW7hmVsII8/U6DNwdCn-ZI/AAAAAAAACIs/eiqAaRbFZmc/s1600/Giraffes+&+Mt.+K+500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yOW7hmVsII8/U6DNwdCn-ZI/AAAAAAAACIs/eiqAaRbFZmc/s1600/Giraffes+&+Mt.+K+500.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 1st wildlife patient was a giraffe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cKZBZvkrNHA/U6DNs5f5kxI/AAAAAAAACIc/NOjJuFmJwpc/s1600/1-Rx+white+rhino500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cKZBZvkrNHA/U6DNs5f5kxI/AAAAAAAACIc/NOjJuFmJwpc/s1600/1-Rx+white+rhino500.jpg" height="135" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 2nd wildlife patient was a white rhino</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LKxuSuPDra8/U6DQiLn3oII/AAAAAAAACJY/4QYIYNoWsB0/s1600/rhino+rectal100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LKxuSuPDra8/U6DQiLn3oII/AAAAAAAACJY/4QYIYNoWsB0/s1600/rhino+rectal100.jpg" height="400" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 3rd wildlife patient. A constipated rhino</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QtH8F40x6j0/U6DQgvhSUuI/AAAAAAAACJI/I5ljgzdQv2k/s1600/Rhino-Irisupgrade300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QtH8F40x6j0/U6DQgvhSUuI/AAAAAAAACJI/I5ljgzdQv2k/s1600/Rhino-Irisupgrade300.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottle feedig a <span style="font-size: x-small;">ba</span>by rhino</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_ZMnuBOlw70/U6DQLL2jaiI/AAAAAAAACI4/HOFPE3j_YF4/s1600/alarmed+rhino400.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_ZMnuBOlw70/U6DQLL2jaiI/AAAAAAAACI4/HOFPE3j_YF4/s1600/alarmed+rhino400.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An alarmed rhino</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S2PkE4yxTGs/U6DQeSzKa0I/AAAAAAAACJA/Q3fl26itWdc/s1600/grazing+hippo.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S2PkE4yxTGs/U6DQeSzKa0I/AAAAAAAACJA/Q3fl26itWdc/s1600/grazing+hippo.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of a hippo folk tale</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-37v1mwGP3Qs/U6DQiYMac4I/AAAAAAAACJc/UiNZu3UgFQ4/s1600/saddle-bill,+hippo500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-37v1mwGP3Qs/U6DQiYMac4I/AAAAAAAACJc/UiNZu3UgFQ4/s1600/saddle-bill,+hippo500.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another part of that hippo folk tale</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--QuXWiCpkQQ/U6DQgj9S13I/AAAAAAAACJM/7VLOLrOhEBc/s1600/loading+in+swamp120.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--QuXWiCpkQQ/U6DQgj9S13I/AAAAAAAACJM/7VLOLrOhEBc/s1600/loading+in+swamp120.jpg" height="271" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An elephant project in Rwanda</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IfQHuKtgWpw/U6DNv63JnII/AAAAAAAACIk/BNJU1jrLvTc/s1600/Equator+school400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IfQHuKtgWpw/U6DNv63JnII/AAAAAAAACIk/BNJU1jrLvTc/s1600/Equator+school400.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Equator Primary School, Uganda. A registered AIDS orhpanage. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-74604257953913117372014-06-14T06:31:00.001-06:002014-06-14T06:33:15.979-06:00An Unusual Hippo Case<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">It has been a couple of months since I
posted to this blog. This was not by intention but due to unexpected, and
un-wished for events in my life that seem to have been resolved. This post
takes me back thirty six and a half years to an unusual “consult” that I got
involved in. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">§§§§§§§§</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">The most unusual case I have ever dealt
with came not from the Forestry Farm zoo where I did the veterinary work as
part of my duties at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, but after a
1978 January Monday morning call from Calgary. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hello Dr. Haigh, this is Greg Tarry
from the Calgary Zoo. We met in the fall two years ago when you came to work
with Dr. Bim Hopf on that elk we got from Banff.” I at once saw in my mind’s
eye a dark-haired slim man who towered over my six feet. Dr. Hopf had been the
zoo veterinarian at that time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">“What can I do for you?” I asked.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We have a problem. Our hippo Foggy
needs some attention and Dr. Hopf is no longer here. Foggy’s canine teeth do
not meet properly. The lower one on the left has not worn as it should. It has
grown so long that it cuts into the inside of his upper lip and he has quit
eating. He can’t even close his mouth properly and the lip has a big nasty
looking ulcer on the inside. The ulcer is bleeding. We think the tooth needs
cutting off, but of course we can’t do that without sedating him. Can you get
here and see if you can do anything please?” </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">“I guess his canines are not wearing each
other down as per normal,” I replied. “Of course I’ll come – I assume you will
cover my expenses.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">I was able to get away the next morning,
but before that I headed to the well-stocked vet college library to put on my
thinking cap about the “how to” and dig into the scientific literature to see
what I could find. My results were not encouraging. Three reports mentioned a
variety of drugs but all cautioned that this was a species that is difficult to
deal with. If they are in water the difficulty is greatly increased because
they are likely to drown as the drugs take effect. One even mentioned the use
of a road grader to be driven into the water to push the patient out on to dry
land before it becomes fully immobilized. Another suggested the drug fentanyl
with which I was very familiar. I had that drug in my lock-up safe. I had
immobilized over a hundred rhino with it and a few dozen young elephants,
dozens of African antelopes and quite a number of Canadian animals. In almost
all of those cases I had used a well-known sedative to enhance the effects of
the fentanyl. This fellow weighed half as much again as my rhino patients at
something over two tonnes, so I adjusted the dose accordingly. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">The other important tip was that long
needles are essential.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">No report mentioned anything about teeth
and that would prove to be as interesting as the drug issue.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The flight to Calgary was uneventful
and I soon found myself looking over a high wall at the hippo, which had been
locked out of his pool and was standing quietly in a passage between his
daytime and night quarters and mouthing but not munching on some lettuce. A
stout steel gate confined him at either end of the passage. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My first worry had been dealt with. The
patient was not going to be able to get to water at any time until we deemed it
safe. Next we descended and went to the front of his pen so that I could see
his mouth. This was not so successful, even with the aid of a flashlight, but
the keepers assured me that he needed help and I would find his left canine
tooth embedded in his upper lip.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After my blowgun system failed because
the dart simply bounced off his hide as if was a tractor tire I had to work out
an alternative. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qUZp9RC52ls/U5w_QuThkPI/AAAAAAAACIM/ePMw5rP-_-M/s1600/fight+3+500.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qUZp9RC52ls/U5w_QuThkPI/AAAAAAAACIM/ePMw5rP-_-M/s1600/fight+3+500.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two bulls duke it out. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">Given hippos’ fearsome reputation for
aggression I certainly was not going to stick my arm through the cage bars to
give a hand-held injection.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">My wife and I had witnessed this
temperament when paddling on the Zambezi. Before we set out our whiplash thin
guide, named Christmas, admonished us to follow him carefully to avoid the home
territory of a known bad-tempered bull.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span> </span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C6Gl46eV_sk/U5w_PpSPLDI/AAAAAAAACIE/sFqx7QdOGnU/s1600/canoe+with+hippo+bite500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C6Gl46eV_sk/U5w_PpSPLDI/AAAAAAAACIE/sFqx7QdOGnU/s1600/canoe+with+hippo+bite500.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hippos can bite. Not good if you are in the canoe!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">To emphasize this he then took us past a canoe lying on the bank that
did not look exactly sound. Two jagged holes, each at least half a metre long,
had been ripped through the hull on one side. Christmas explained, “One of my
guests did not listen to me and went too close to a bull we know is bad. The
bull came up out of the water and bit the canoe. The man was very lucky. The
teeth went through the boat and missed his leg which was between those two big
teeth.” We had not needed a second warning.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For my challenging patient I rigged up a
syringe with a four-inch needle at its business end and attached it to the end
of a broom handle. I taped it in place with some duct tape, then climbed back
up to get a bird’s eye view of him. With a single thrust I pushed the jab stick
directly down into the back of his neck just right of centre.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Five minutes later I was at the front of
the passage, where Foggy had obligingly dropped to his haunches close to the
stout bars. It took only a moment to lift his lip and see the ugly infected
mess in his mouth and the spreading inflammation that readily explained his
lack of appetite. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Because the bull remained somewhat
aggressive, we waited ten minutes. I realized that he was not going to become
fully anaesthetised but was sufficiently sedated that we could proceed as long
as we got a rope onto his head to control him. All seemed well, so I asked the
keepers to fill up another big syringe with penicillin, which we stuck into his
shoulder region, again using a long needle.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: 25.35pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I began to saw his tooth.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">Angle grinders had not yet been invented.
If they had, it would have been the work of a few short moments to chop off the
top few inches of the offending tooth. In anticipation of the task ahead I had
packed a flexible wire used by veterinarians all over the world when they have
to do emergency obstetrical work to cut up a dead calf that is stuck in a cow’s
body. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">The Gigli saw was named after its
inventor, Italian obstetrician Leonardo Gigli, to make bone cutting easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Gigli </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">was also carried by
British secret agents during WWII.</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">Its main
feature is the very rough surface, a bit like a coarse file, that allows it to
cut through bone quickly and efficiently—</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">a
great asset when doing amputations.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> Dr. Gigli had surely never tried to
amputate a hippo tooth and I only just managed it. I used up the whole roll of
wire, all three metres of it. A few strokes back and forth and the wire broke,
naturally right in the middle where it had been grinding on the tooth. This
left two short pieces that I could not use. I quickly discovered that hippo
tooth is the hardest substance I had ever worked on. Thirty-six years later it
still is. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Eventually, by using ever-shorter pieces
of wire, and holding the ends in my hands<s>,</s> rather than attaching them to
the handles that come with the equipment and require extra lengths for
attachment, I was able to get the job done<s>.</s> It took almost an hour. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All along I had been trying to keep an
eye on his breathing to see if my anaesthesia was working properly. I did not
want him to wake up prematurely or or perhaps to not wake up ever again. One of
Greg’s staff helped me by calling out the breathing rate and writing it down on
the medical record every now and again. Those papers I had read in the vet
college library had not filled me with enormous confidence.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">There was one more potential problem. The
scientific articles had all warned that veins are difficult to find due to the
layers of fat all over a hippo’s body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Either luck or instinct kicked in because the first place I tested was
his foreleg just below the bend of his elbow. That is the spot where nurses and
doctors, whether of humans or animals, have drawn blood from me and millions of
other patients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I located a nice fat
vein, as big around as a ballpoint pen. It was an easy hit.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">A minute after the antidote began to
circulate in his body the hippo was standing and seemed none the worse for
wear.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We agreed to keep Foggy out of his pool
overnight and I headed home on the evening flight. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dr. Doug Whiteside who very kindly sent
me medical records to refresh my memory, confirmed that after this event the
zoo staff took the very wise step of training Foggy to come to the cage bars to
trade goodies for good behaviour —in the form of lettuce and other favourite
foods. This enabled them to spend a few minutes every day gently grinding down
the other lower incisor tooth that threatened to create the same problem. This
was <s>s</s>urely a much more elegant and risk-free approach.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Foggy lived on until 2010 when the zoo
staff took the reluctant but humane step of euthanatizing him because his
advanced arthritis no longer responded to treatment. He was 47 years old when
he died. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-56277281288736792232014-04-19T08:06:00.000-06:002014-04-19T08:06:23.268-06:00Sable Island - Graveyard of the Atlantic
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This is the first part of a new chapter in my book <i>From Polar Bears to Porcupines. </i>In 1978 I traveled to Sable Island off Canada's east coast to start a research program on seals. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
beauty of working as a half-time zoo veterinarian was that it gave me the
opportunity to pursue the free-ranging wildlife side of my university post. It
gave me, as it were, some free rein. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Apart
from the amazing opportunity to get involved in moose research with Bob Stewart
and his team I had had to make most of the overtures myself. When a call came
in from Ottawa and the man identified himself as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Rowsell">Dr. Harry Rowsell</a> I was at first
confused. He quickly put me at ease by telling me that he had been a member of
our own faculty as a pathologist and was now working in the medical school in
the national’s capital in the same capacity. He named several of my colleagues
who worked downstairs and referred to my interest in wildlife. From there he
quickly segued into an interesting pitch.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“I
am the current chair of the Canadian Council on Animal Welfare and for this
year, while the actual chair is on sabbatical I am also the chair of the
Committee on Seals and Sealing, handily known as COSS.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Of
course I was at once interested, if a little puzzled as to the reason for the
call. I half mumbled an Mh-Hh.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He went on. “Would you be free to join me and
<a href="http://www.muskoka.ontariospca.ca/media-centre-muskoka/media-releases-muskoka/820.html">Mr. Tom Hughes</a> from the Ontario SPCA on a trip to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sable_Island">Sable Island</a> to find out how
we can help with some seal research?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">You
can no doubt imagine my very enthusiastic reply, although I did warn Dr.
Rowsell that I had never worked with seals. I did not tell him that I had
hardly ever seen one and that I had no idea where Sable Island was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
basic need centred around the fact that the summer</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>grounds of the
hooded seals that pupped near the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalen_Islands">Magdalen Islands</a> were unknown and the COSS folks wanted to know more about their
ecology and lives in order to protect them. It was known that they pupped and
bred in spring in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, but where they got to after that
was a complete mystery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 40.5pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt 378.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The plan, as Dr. Rowsell outlined, was
to go to Sable Island and test systems on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_seal">grey seals</a> that have their pups
on the sandy beaches there. If we could develop a good technique then we could
apply that to the hooded seals. The critical factor was the date for our trip.
It had to take place in the very short period between Christmas and early
February when the seals would be on land. They would either be about to pup,
feeding a newborn, or breeding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon
as the pups were weaned and the males had done their thing the seals would be
back out to sea and feeding on fish. The narrow window had everything to do
with the remarkable life style of the pups. They weigh about 15 kg at birth and
for the next three or four weeks they put on weight at a furious rate as they
suckle five or six time a day for up to ten minutes. The milk is rich in fat
and by a month or so they have at least tripled their weight!</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> As soon as
the pups are weaned the adults get on with propagating the next generation. </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 40.5pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt 378.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The flights from Saskatoon to the east
coast were uneventful and as we had all met at the Toronto airport I had a
chance to get to know Dr. Rowsell, or Harry as he insisted I call him, a little
better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">He was one of the most charming and
gentlemanly people I have ever met and we shared a common interest in many
things related to the environment and conservation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tom Hughes was a bluff Yorkshireman and we
shared a common bond as my parents had lived near the City of York for four
years after my dad retired from the Highland Light Infantry and learned the
ropes as a salesman for King George IV whisky, a Distillers Company Ltd product.
My first student job had involved injecting gelatin into pork pies in a factory right opposite the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rowntree%27s">Rowntree’s chocolate</a> headquarters on the northern edge of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 40.5pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt 378.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After an overnight stay in Halifax we
headed to the airport and I was astonished to see that we were to travel to Sable
Island in a three-engine plane known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britten-Norman_Trislander">Trislander</a>. The engines are not where
you might think. There are one on each wing and the third is near the rear on a
rocket-like projection just in front of the tail. The island part of the name
refers to the <a href="https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.671194,-1.3307552,11z">Isle of Wight</a> off England’s south coast. My amazement took me
back many years in a flash to family connections. Both of my grandmothers had
lived on the IOW for many years. Granny Haigh had moved there from Scotland after
her husband, my naval captain grandpa, had died. My Wall grandparents moved to
the town of Cowes where granddad, a naval architect and a naval engineer (a
rare combination) lived out the last ten years of his life. The two grannies
lived half an hour apart by road, but when I was a lad that was too far to go
on the island’s narrow twisting roads for just one meal. It had to be lunch and
tea or tea and supper. The Trislander had been developed in the town of
Ventnor on the island’s southern coast a mere half-hour drive from either
grannie. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 40.5pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt 378.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The pilot explained that the big
advantage over other aircraft was that the plane could both land and take off
in a very short distance which was a good thing because Sable Island did not
have an airstrip and we would have to put down on the northern beach at low
tide. This gave us a narrow window for arrival. We had almost 250 km to go and
conversation, other than at high volume, was not really an option. I drifted
off into snooze and woke when we began our descent. </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n3BDJ2-NTfk/U1J9goBSkaI/AAAAAAAACHw/_YxPqPf9Xck/s1600/Sable+Is+&+sealsre500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n3BDJ2-NTfk/U1J9goBSkaI/AAAAAAAACHw/_YxPqPf9Xck/s1600/Sable+Is+&+sealsre500.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seals dot the beach just left of centre at left.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I was too late to take a snap of the
whole island, which seemed to stretch in a long lazy curve a long way to the
east. I later learned that it is about 40 km long, but beneath me all I could
see was a stretch of sand with what I assumed to be seals dotted along it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 40.5pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt 378.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A taciturn elderly staff member picked
us up from the beach and drove a short distance in a battered old Ford half-ton
to the main station. He explained that the island had been continuously
occupied since 1801 and was now principally a government weather station. Part
of his attitude was probably due to the fact that he was one of the last people
to have been born on the island. I suspect that he resented our presence and
did not like what he may have seen coming in the way of a tourist invasion. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sable Island only became a National
Park in 2013, thirty-five years after my visit. Before that it had been a
rescue station for mariners (which it still is), a Coast Guard Station and had
the dubious distinction of having two light houses, one at each extremity of
its long crescent, because its other name is The Graveyard of the
Atlantic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There have been at least 350
shipwrecks there so the name is well earned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 40.5pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt 378.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gx2n_rDeJQs/U1J9YslL3vI/AAAAAAAACHo/BS7wZqD5UDc/s1600/Two+sable+Is.+Ponies500.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gx2n_rDeJQs/U1J9YslL3vI/AAAAAAAACHo/BS7wZqD5UDc/s1600/Two+sable+Is.+Ponies500.jpg" height="232" width="400" /></a><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One consequence of those many wrecks,
especially ones in the days of the sailing ships was the establishment of a
thriving population of horses. As we had arrived at midday there was no chance
to get to work right away so I took the chance for a late afternoon walk over
the dunes beyond the buildings. </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I soon saw the descendants of those unfortunate
beasts. Whatever the horses had looked like when they left Europe they were now
ponies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were all much of a size and
almost uniform in colour, from dark to light brown.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 40.5pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt 378.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E-x7dxRzvVE/U1J9VMMdKBI/AAAAAAAACHg/17kU4o02fDM/s1600/Sable+Is.+ponies+on+beach500.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E-x7dxRzvVE/U1J9VMMdKBI/AAAAAAAACHg/17kU4o02fDM/s1600/Sable+Is.+ponies+on+beach500.jpg" height="244" width="640" /></a> </span>I saw them in procession along the
beach and closer up, as they had no fear of man. In late February their heavy
winter coats made them look scruffy, but smart was not what they needed to be.
Warm and windproof was the order of the day as the winter gales swept in from
the open Atlantic.</span></div>
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Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-26555942481654815632014-04-06T09:09:00.001-06:002014-04-06T13:05:02.777-06:00Fostering a bear cub<style>
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<span lang="EN-CA">I have started on a new book with the working title of <i><b>From Polar Bears to Porcupines. </b></i>I'm far from certain of a finishing date, but here is one of the chapters that may end up there, no doubt altered by editors and writers group colleagues, but it is at least a start. I'm calling it <b><i>A Bear Cub and a Dog. </i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><b><i>‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡</i></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><i><b> </b> </i>One could almost
set one’s calendar to predict that every spring there would be a call from the
provincial Department of Tourism and Renewable Resources (DTRR) about some
orphan black bear cubs being found somewhere up north. The year 1980 was no
exception but the timing was a lot earlier than usual and we got no call. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Black bears breed in mid-summer</span><span lang="EN-CA"> and usually deliver their cubs in late January or early February,
when the cubs are quite tiny and almost unable to walk. They stay in the den
for some time, nursing as needed and gradually growing stronger until they are
ready to go exploring with mum. They stay with her until they are about a year
and a half old. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">This mother bear
cannot have known what the terrible noise she could hear actually was. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">No doubt the growling diesel engine would
be a sound she knew, but probably did not associate with danger. What she
cannot have known was that this particular diesel was a huge earth mover
clearing an area around where she had denned up to prepare it for a mining
camp.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA">Next thing she
had been crushed to death by tonnes of a mix of earth, rock and trees. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">The earth mover’s
driver must have been right on the ball because he was quickly out of his cab
to see what he had wrought. There were two tiny cubs nestled against her chest.
Both were alive and would almost certainly have been mewling. I never met the
man, but I can certainly imagine his horror at the scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">It was mid
January 26 and bitterly cold, with daytime highs hovering around the minus 20
Celcius mark, while at night it dipped below minus 30. For an adult bear,
spending much of her time in the den where she could develop a real cozy fug—that
warm, smoky, stuffy atmosphere so favoured by the British— this would be no
sort of challenge, and she could easily keep a cub warm and snuggled up as it
lay between her front legs or on her chest where it could easily get some
nourishing milk from one of her two teats, which like a human’s are level with
the armpits. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">These orphan cubs,
which would have looked so tiny and helpless against their mother’s breasts
probably weighed no more than a couple of pounds (as he would have gauged it in
those pre-conversion days) with their eyes still closed and their umbilical
cords hardly dry, would have no chance of living for a full day. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">He must have
acted right away, no doubt on the radio installed in his cab (no cell phones in
1980). With admirable speed someone on the crew bundled the cubs up in a warm
blanket and headed to Saskatoon, some 400 km away.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">I was out walking
my morning rounds, thoroughly cloaked in winter boots, insulated trouser layer,
parka and warm mitts all topped with a hood and toque when I heard the zoo
truck behind me. Brent the foreman was driving and invited me to hop in. As I
peeled off the headgear he explained that two tiny cubs had arrived and would I
please come and look at them. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">It was obvious
that we had a challenge on our hands. The smallest cub was moribund, hardly
responding and making no noise. It died within a couple of hours. The larger
cub, a male, still had its eyes closed and a 10 cm length of dried umbilical
cord was attached to it belly. It weighed just under a kilogram, so the driver
had been right on, even without benefit of a scale. Perhaps he was from the
north and an experienced fisherman, which would have been no surprise given
that Saskatchewan has over 100,000 lakes, most full of fish. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">If my reference books
were correct this meant that the cub might have than doubled its birth weight
and could have been as much as two weeks old, a very early arrival indeed.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">We had had to
bottle raise bear cubs several times in past years, but they had been further
along on their development and weighed two or three kilograms by the time they
reached us. Two </span><span lang="EN-CA"><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ESJybnftnH4/U0Flg-ybJ-I/AAAAAAAACGA/Pp_NDfvqmVU/s1600/bear+cubs+and+family+500.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span>years before this little guy arrived I had even helped out with
the bottle raising and had taken two little cubs home.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ESJybnftnH4/U0Flg-ybJ-I/AAAAAAAACGA/Pp_NDfvqmVU/s1600/bear+cubs+and+family+500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ESJybnftnH4/U0Flg-ybJ-I/AAAAAAAACGA/Pp_NDfvqmVU/s1600/bear+cubs+and+family+500.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In the basement with Karen,
Charles and our new tenants.</span></div>
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">In the
late 1970s sideburns were “in”.</span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sC5OjlibYgg/U0FlWVzrQkI/AAAAAAAACFY/sVclFTZkIpc/s1600/Ch+carries+bear+cub+may+78500.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sC5OjlibYgg/U0FlWVzrQkI/AAAAAAAACFY/sVclFTZkIpc/s1600/Ch+carries+bear+cub+may+78500.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><style>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Charles lifts a heavy burden as his
dad feeds one of the cubs. </span>
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<span lang="EN-CA"> </span><span lang="EN-CA"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L1OT-3ADTdI/U0FlYxwVVlI/AAAAAAAACFg/zbDigQNi1xo/s1600/cat+and+bear+cubs+may+78re500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L1OT-3ADTdI/U0FlYxwVVlI/AAAAAAAACFg/zbDigQNi1xo/s1600/cat+and+bear+cubs+may+78re500.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new playmate for Puss-in-Boots, or is that the other way round?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">There
our family, including our new kitten that we named Puss-in-Boots, got into the
act right away, although we did restrict them to the basement, or rumpus room
as it was called in those days. The term fitted well once the kitten and the
cubs got going.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My
wife Jo had returned to her medical career after two years of being a
stay-at-home mum to raise our children, Karen, eight, and Charles nearly three.
Jo’s work hours as a junior member of staff were pretty crazy, on duty every
other night, but she had to get back into the system. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CgGx0P4JOP8/U0FlZ6c3WPI/AAAAAAAACFw/vmrirgxUDqw/s1600/celia+and+bear+cub+apr+78500+copy.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CgGx0P4JOP8/U0FlZ6c3WPI/AAAAAAAACFw/vmrirgxUDqw/s1600/celia+and+bear+cub+apr+78500+copy.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celia cuddles the cubs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celia
had joined the family from England to help out with the children and she took
to the task of feeding the cubs with enthusiasm. It is not every <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">au pair</i> girl from the English midlands
who gets to feed bear cubs from a bottle every few hours! Of course the kids had
joined in, Karen having no trouble, but Charles a tad too little to actually
hold both bottle and bear. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Even
before I came to Canada the zoo staff had had experience raising bear cubs and
so they got into the act right away. An evaporated milk product was diluted
with some water and fed in small amounts every three hours. Every time, right
after the feed, a damp cloth was used to help him eliminate and all seemed
well. The new cub showed a real tenacity and was obviously going to survive if
nothing went wrong. Celia had gone back to England and with the kids in school
and kindergarten we could not take this little guy home.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA"> It was soon
obvious that, in terms of being able to function, especially sleep, was a major
challenge for the keepers, most especially for Sharon who had more or less
adopted the cub but began to look distinctly jaded over the next few days. On
top was the little matter of overtime, the care of many other creatures that
needed her attention, work hours and so on. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA">Then I had a light
bulb moment: I knew from something that Jo had told me when we were first
married that white elephant calves were greatly revered, even worshipped, in
some oriental and Indian cultures. Such a calf would be raised by a team of
human wet nurses. My imagination and knowledge of the milk intake required by a
150 kg elephant calf, as opposed to a 3 or 4 kilo human baby could only create
a line-up round the room with a gorgeous rainbow-coloured array of sari-clad mothers,
like butterflies in a tropical garden doing a tag-team act. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA">One of the most
remarkable examples of this particular form of cross fostering used to occur in
Siam (now Thailand). In his 1931 book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Siamese
State Ceremonies: Their History and Function: With Supplementary Notes</i> <a href="about:invalid#zClosurez">HoraceGeoffrey Quaritch Wales </a>documented the </span><span lang="EN-CA">god-like position held by the king and
described in great detail the reverence afforded to any white elephant and the
rewards given to any person who found one and brought it to his majesty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.0cm; margin-right: 49.55pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span class="st"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">… I may add that it was
formerly the custom to provide young White </span></span><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Elephants</span></i><span class="st"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
with a large number of </span></span><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">human wet</span></i><span class="st"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-</span></span><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">nurses</span></i><span class="st"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. I
have in my possession a photograph, taken about a dozen years ago, of a
Siamese woman suckling a young elephant, probably a white one.</span></span><span lang="EN-CA"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA">There are other
similar accounts from Burma. </span><span lang="EN-CA">
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</style></span>Shelby
Tucker in the book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://books.google.ca/books?id=TCdZ44gxDvcC&pg=PA166&lpg=PA166&dq=elephant+human+wet+nurse&source=bl&ots=xGUWswrs2U&sig=__gDmwmlzzezxFUaQnNa3JEHNdY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=utINU5DpCuHI2AWmp4CACA&ved=0CE8Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=elephant%20human%20wet%20nurse&f=false%20.">Among Insurgents:Walking Through Burma</a> </i>records the reverence afforded white elephants and
stated that the Burmese ladies competed for the privilege of being a wet nurse.
Other human / animal <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human%E2%80%93animal_breastfeeding">wet nurse stories</a> come to mind. There are plenty of
records of such a practice. For instance, as reported by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human%E2%80%93animal_breastfeeding#CITEREFRadbill1976%20%20">Samuel Radbill in 1976</a>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">t</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ravelers
in Guyana observed native women breastfeeding a variety of animals, including
monkeys, opossums, pacas, agoutis, peccaries and deer. </span></i><span lang="EN-CA">I have seen pictures of women nursing monkey and pig youngsters.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA">When it comes to
bears, I was told during my first visit to Pond Inlet on the northern tip of
Baffin Island to work on a polar bear project that women sometimes wet-nurse
abandoned polar bear cubs. I have written about this to the folks at the Nunavut
Arctic College in they have left no stone unturned in contacting a host of other
helpful people from many northern communities. A flood of emails arrived, but
no one has any record of such an activity, although almost all knew of polar
bear cubs that had been bottle raised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Either I misunderstood my informant or it may have been a leg-pull. On
the other hand it might be true but forgotten due to the action of the sands of
time, as bear cubs have been nursed by women of the Ainu people of far northern
Japan and by the Itelmens of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA">There are other
unusual wet nurse and cross-fostering stories. These days it is simple to mine
the archives of Google, which will open up all kinds of accounts of such
activity. The story of the founding of Rome by the brothers Romulus and Remus,
nursed by a she-wolf, is a classic. Dogs seem to be commonly used, and there
are accounts of them nursing piglets, and both tiger and bear cubs (not at the
same time). Many species, including human babies, have been nursed by goats,
which seem to be a sort of “universal donor” at least for animals with hooves. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA">For the little
bear cub at the zoo it was just a case of trying to find a suitable lactating
female (not a human) to be the milk donor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA">In those
pre-laptop, pre-Google days of 1981, but having some knowledge of this practice,
I said to Brent “Let me call Dr. Olfert at the animal resource centre at the
university and see if we can get some help.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA">We were in luck. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Olfert told me that a Terrier-cross bitch
had just whelped and that we could borrow her for the unusual task of raising a
bear cub. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA">The zoo van was
quickly on its way to the campus, and an hour later the little family was
safely settled in the barn, with plenty of straw bedding. I was unsure if the
bitch would accept the newcomer to her cute litter of four mainly white pups,
with the only black on them being around their heads and ears. </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9C9VyC2-w2Y/U0FlY11-D5I/AAAAAAAACFk/MOqVG_8feEE/s1600/Cub,+pups+&+bitch+re500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9C9VyC2-w2Y/U0FlY11-D5I/AAAAAAAACFk/MOqVG_8feEE/s1600/Cub,+pups+&+bitch+re500.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The milk bar is open</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Although I have later learned that dogs
will often accept such newcomers without the aid of drugs I decided to sedate
her and try to fool her into thinking that nothing unusual had happened when
she woke. I gave her an injection that knocked her out and then took a cue tip
and smeared some of her faeces over the little cub to try and fool her into
thinking that he was one of hers that needed a clean-up. When I put the cub at
her belly he at once latched on and began to suck as if there was no tomorrow. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">When she awoke the bitch at once began to check
on her litter, and it was obvious that she considered the cub to be just one of
the gang. He took no notice of the attention, but of course he had quickly
fallen asleep after his feed. He soon perked up and within a week was mixing with
the pups, rolling, play-growling and so on, although in a slightly different
language and generally having a good time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA">All went well
for about four weeks, but on my daily check-ups I began to notice that her
udder looked sore and on closer examination I thought that the needle-sharp
claws of her foster child might be causing the problem. She seemed to be uncomfortable
as soon as he began to feed and I needed to do something before she rejected
him outright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA">I doubt that an
almost five-week-old bear cub has ever had his toenails clipped before, but
that is what we did. While Sharon held the little guy I used a set of human
clippers to do the job. He struggled a bit, but the process went smoothly,
unlike some dog clipping wrestling matches I engaged in during my general
practice days in Kenya.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then wrapped
the ends of his feet in sticky tape to try and further protect the udder and
put him back with his buddies. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA">This worked for only
two more days and then she simply turned off the taps. One day the pups and the
cub were nursing: the next she would have nothing to do with them. I suspect
that the cub’s tiny needle-sharp teeth may also have led to this dismissal. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA">We had weighed
the cub every three days and he had made great progress, now stretching the
spring to over two kilograms. I considered that he need more milk for a while
and so we went back to the same evaporated milk as before, but at a lesser
dilution, and only three times a day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA">He did lose
weight for three days, but then the scale began to stretch every day. Within a
month he was up to five kilos. The pretty little bitch went home with all but
one of her charges. We hung on to him for about another month as he and the cub
had formed a bond and seemed to spend their days roughhousing, eating or
sleeping curled up together.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7kBj61m_m40/U0FlhsTmnnI/AAAAAAAACGI/GnK7hWcqqfQ/s1600/bear+cub+&+pup+playing500+copy.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7kBj61m_m40/U0FlhsTmnnI/AAAAAAAACGI/GnK7hWcqqfQ/s1600/bear+cub+&+pup+playing500+copy.jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Play time for the odd couple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA">Within a coupe
of weeks he was losing interest in the milk as he had found a much more
enticing diet in the bowl full of milk, fruit and ground meat on offer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-CA">The buddies stayed indoors for another six
weeks, the cub leaving the pup in the dust both literally when they played and
weight–wise. On April 15, two and half months after he arrived, he weighed
fifteen kilos, almost as much as the bitch had weighed when she adopted him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA">By now the
weather had warmed up and we had two more cubs in the outside run (with a good
shelter attached). They had arrived from a logging camp where their unfortunate
mother had taken to terrorizing the staff as she raided the kitchen area in
early March, a much more “normal” time and so the now not-so-little guy joined
them. It took him only five days to become “top dog’. First to the food-bowl,
and as he weighed a few kilos more than his pen mates, generally bossing them
around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA">There is a true
but sad ending to this and other bear events at the Forestry Farm zoo during
the time I served as the veterinarian there. Each year, as soon as the children
went back to school in early September, the now half-gown cubs were disposed
of. Many went to a hunt ranch in the USA, but when that operation no longer
wanted them they were simply shot. My protestations fell on deaf ears. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA">Perhaps I was
being unrealistic. First of all, the pen was quite unsuitable for anything
larger than a six-month old bear. Second they had been brought in on
compassionate grounds, and to excite the children. Now there were no small
visitors. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA">Even today, in
early 2014, zoos struggle with the successes of their breeding programs. A world-wide
Facebook campaign about the culling of a giraffe at the Copenhagen zoo that
garnered 30,000 signatures within a few days highlighted the problem of surplus
animals. What is one going to do with creatures that cannot be kept, either for
economic reasons, or because they are no longer able to contribute to the
genetic pool that so many responsible zoo managers work with? Keeping a giraffe
in captivity is an expensive business. Many dollars a day are required on food
supplies alone. On top are keeper’s wages, barn heating, veterinary work, and
so on and so on. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In a Time.com online </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span>article </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">of Feb10 2014,
titled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://time.com/5793/marius-the-giraffe-not-the-only-animal-zoos-have-culled/">Marius The Giraffe Is Not The OnlyAnimal Zoos Have Culled Recently</a><b> </b></i>Lisa Abend opens with this
statement: <b>“</b>The killings of animals including zebras and pygmy hippos
are necessary for conservation, zookeepers say, leading to mandatory
euthanization in an effort to ensure there's room for other species, especially
ones that need special protection<b>.”</b></span><span lang="EN-CA"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA">The article is
accompanied by the remarkable picture of a big male lion tearing at the carcass
of a reticulated giraffe. Abend adds more species to her list and these come
from European zoos. They include </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Zebra, antelopes, bison, pygmy hippos, and tiny Red River
hog piglets.</span><span lang="EN-CA">” Leopard cubs and other pig species are
also listed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA">At the Forestry
Farm, in these much more enlightened times, the only bears in the collection
are a pair of orphaned and fully human-habituated grizzlies, and they live in a
brand new enclosure that provides as much space as is feasible. They are fed a
balanced diet and would probably have no clue how to survive in the wild. They
would also be a real hazard if released as they would terrify and possibly
attack any person who might have the misfortune to encounter them.</span></div>
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Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-66108680817222315302014-03-23T10:35:00.000-06:002014-03-23T16:31:37.929-06:00Teenage Youth: Elephant and Human Parallels<style>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Teenagers rebel against
parental controls, right?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Well, most in human societies they do, to some extent at least. It is all a matter of degree. At the mildest end of the scale they may stay
out a tad later than an imposed curfew time or chitchat, text or tweet about
parents. I grew a beard. It did not last
long because it was truly an eyesore, tricoloured (red, white and brown) and
straggly. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">At the other end of the scale
things can get pretty ugly. Gang warfare, extreme violence, even murder.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">A report in the <b>Los Angeles Times </b>of Dec 16 last year,
passed on to me by my daughter, who has a teenager of her own, made me dive
into my memory banks as she reminded me of its parallel to things I had
witnessed in elephant society. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was titled <a href="http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-men-youth-violence-20131216,0,7027413.story"><b>Michigan study: Fewer men around? Expect more youth violence.</b></a><b> </b>Of course I had a look at the
links and was struck by the fact that the author’s name was <b>Daniel Kruger</b>. He was quoted by the <b>Times </b>as follows:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>A </i><i>new study
that zeroed in on a single city in Michigan found that where men are scarce,
youth were more likely to commit assaults.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“Male
scarcity is actually a driver of conditions,"... "It’s the most
powerful predictor.”</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.sph.umich.edu/iscr/faculty/profile.cfm?uniqname=kruger">Dr. Kruger</a>
is a research assistant professor at the <b>University
of Michigan </b>and one of the authors of the study, originally published in the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcop.21597/abstract"><b>Journal of Community Psychology</b></a><a href="http://./">.</a> Other media outlets picked up the story
and there are similar studies reported elsewhere.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">None of these studies picked up on
the great similarity they have to events in elephant society that I first
learned about in <b>South Africa</b> in
1997. I was with my wife on a study leave from the <a href="http://www.usask.ca/wcvm/"><b>Western College of Veterinary Medicine</b> </a> and by sheer
chance, or maybe an alignment of the planets we were visiting a former student
and friend, <b>Bob Keffen</b>. Bob had been
determined to work as a wildlife vet in Africa even before he graduated. He had
had to settle for a job as a park ranger and was employed in <a href="http://www.pilanesbergnationalpark.org/"><b>Pilansberg NP</b></a>. He managed to wangle an
invitation for me to sit in on a meeting about a major elephant problem.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The problem was all to do with
teenage elephants and the lack of big bulls in the population (sounds like Dr. Kruger's study in Michigan). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the 1970s and 80s elephant
numbers had grown out of proportion to the capacity of the <a href="http://www.krugerpark.co.za/krugerpark-times-2-1-elephants-18960.html"><b>Kruger NP</b></a>, South Africa’s largest, to feed them and the park’s
vegetation was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Kruger_National_Park">taking a hammering.</a> </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RmDxTrHM4W0/Uy8GDHN-q_I/AAAAAAAACEM/qpd-w5OsrNU/s1600/day+1+deads+and+calf500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RmDxTrHM4W0/Uy8GDHN-q_I/AAAAAAAACEM/qpd-w5OsrNU/s1600/day+1+deads+and+calf500.jpg" height="217" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cull, this one in Rwanda in 1975. The young went to the Akagera NP</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was thought that a humane way of dealing
with problem in park was to cull adults, capture juveniles and transfer them to
other locations. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"> Pilansberg had been one such
destination and several young elephants, all under the age of ten, had been
shipped there. At first all seemed well and of course the new animals drew
plenty of tourists. It was not only the elephants that were new. Plenty of
rhino, mostly white rhino, had been taken there as well. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The elephants grew up, but of course
had no parental guidance and a complete loss of social and family history. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Such history is vital to elephant
society and it comes as no surprise, after the work of<b> <a href="http://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=zunYrumtsR8C&oi=fnd&pg=PA331&dq=joyce+poole+elephant+communication&ots=3ABzPWri3s&sig=80OCUwcMm3MjC2HsZQ_yk1ScMSA#v=onepage&q&f=false">Joyce Poole</a></b><a href="http://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=zunYrumtsR8C&oi=fnd&pg=PA331&dq=joyce+poole+elephant+communication&ots=3ABzPWri3s&sig=80OCUwcMm3MjC2HsZQ_yk1ScMSA#v=onepage&q&f=false"> </a>and others like <b>Cynthia Moss</b>, that events in Pilansberg did not follow the normal
path. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Male elephants reach sexual maturity
at about age 17 but get little chance to breed until they are much older. Their
most aggressive activities take place during musth, when testosterone levels go
sky high and various externally visible changes rake place. Secretions from the
pre-orbital gland drip down the side of their faces and a green secretion drips
from the penile sheath. Before she had worked out what was happening Dr. Poole
had even called it “Green Penis Syndrome.”
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In a moving speech at the 22<sup>nd</sup> <a href="http://www.elephants.com/j_poole.php">AnnualElephant Managers Workshop</a> Dr. Poole said <i>Young males coming into musth for the first time… are unsure of their
new selves, apparent slaves to their raging hormones.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In “normal” elephant society mature
bulls, that can detect the smell of a female in heat from up to 10 km away, will
quickly suppress any musth tendencies in these teenagers. Dr. Poole saw this
happen as quickly as twenty minutes after an encounter. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In Pilansberg there were no big
bulls to control the youngsters, and the females had no chance of doing so, not
even if they formed coalition groups and talked to one another in their subsonic
language. By their late teens the bulls
were larger and heavier than any female, even the few rescued from circuses
that had arrived as adults. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZblwRx8LC70/Uy8GEUZHP7I/AAAAAAAACEY/XUqdgiBH75A/s1600/dead+rhinolake+500.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZblwRx8LC70/Uy8GEUZHP7I/AAAAAAAACEY/XUqdgiBH75A/s1600/dead+rhinolake+500.jpg" height="217" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">In the early 90s some strange things
began to happen. White rhinos were found dead, and without doubt elephants had
attacked many of them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UO03AXIeScU/Uy8GRpO_TUI/AAAAAAAACFA/1pt2-5GGAho/s1600/injured+rhino+neck+hole500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UO03AXIeScU/Uy8GRpO_TUI/AAAAAAAACFA/1pt2-5GGAho/s1600/injured+rhino+neck+hole500.jpg" height="248" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rhino that survived attack, but has a serious hole in his shoulder</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Trampling around
the kill site, footprints and most compelling of all, large holes in the sides
of the rhinos that can only have been created by tusks. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Then
the evidence chain became absolutely certain when rangers in helicopters saw
single male elephants chasing rhinos. There is even photographic evidence of
one such encounter. An unnamed tour bus operator watched as an elephant
encountered a rhino and attacked it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q7FpxD6P9Mk/Uy8GFFV9mxI/AAAAAAAACEg/JfKdPkvME7s/s1600/ele+and+Rhino+river+close500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q7FpxD6P9Mk/Uy8GFFV9mxI/AAAAAAAACEg/JfKdPkvME7s/s1600/ele+and+Rhino+river+close500.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Into the river</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C6cQV_YZG-E/Uy8GOlu4VMI/AAAAAAAACEw/vtK9GkE2J_c/s1600/ele+and+rhino+bush+pilansberg500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C6cQV_YZG-E/Uy8GOlu4VMI/AAAAAAAACEw/vtK9GkE2J_c/s1600/ele+and+rhino+bush+pilansberg500.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First encounter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">I</span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">n this series of photos to you can see the
attack and its outcome, which had a happier ending than many as the rhino
escape</span>d. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hw3A_IX4TZk/Uy8GO7yIQAI/AAAAAAAACEs/DLNWBpUFHHs/s1600/ele+and+rhino+escape500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hw3A_IX4TZk/Uy8GO7yIQAI/AAAAAAAACEs/DLNWBpUFHHs/s1600/ele+and+rhino+escape500.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unwilling partner. Escape maybe?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YWMozU3JcXw/Uy8HA6E4-cI/AAAAAAAACFE/XYvab3xCLsQ/s1600/ele+and+rhino+final+escape500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YWMozU3JcXw/Uy8HA6E4-cI/AAAAAAAACFE/XYvab3xCLsQ/s1600/ele+and+rhino+final+escape500.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made it! Not all were so lucky</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">The photos were shared with me by one of Bob Keffen’s ranger
colleagues, <b>Gus Van Dyk</b>. The quality
is not great, but they were taken with a small camera and then I got copies of
what were probably already copies. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In
all, during the period 1992-96 some 49 rhino deaths could be attributed to
elephant aggression. When known culprits were identified they were shot, and
periods of lull in rhino deaths followed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Of
course this does not answer the question of why? Why rhinos? One can only
speculate, but one possible explanation is that the young males, like young males
of many species, were going through puberty, or had just gone through it, and
were looking for some sex. The only thing they recognized as being about the right size and that were standing around were the rhino. On top of that the Joyce Poole phrase about them
being <i>apparent
slaves to their raging hormones </i>during
musth may have played a role. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In
human terms there was one terrible ending when a musth elephant attacked a
parked vehicle and the family’s father was killed. Two male elephants were
culled after that incident. You can read many more details here in an article
published in 2001 in the South African wildlife journal <a href="http://www.koedoe.co.za/index.php/koedoe/article/viewFile/188/172"><b>Koedoe</b></a><b>.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">My participation in the meeting with
Dr. Poole, Bob and other park staff was minimal, although one ranger did ask
about the possibility of elephant castration. On this subject I was able to
tell them that the process took a long time and was quite complicated because
an elephant’s testes lie inside the abdomen, close to the kidneys and are
difficult to reach because of the animal’s sheer size. As far as I know the
first such surgery was performed by my friend and colleague Dr. <a href="http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/20094196?uid=3737720&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21103552961901"><b>Murray Fowler</b> </a>
and took about three hours. Everyone at the table realized at once that this
was not an option in Pilansberg. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was very soon obvious that Joyce
Poole had the solution. She urged the park authorities to bring in a few mature
bulls, that she called “super bulls” to suppress the juveniles quickly and
create a more normal breeding environment for the entire elephant and rhino
societies. The obvious place to source them was the Kruger NP. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQCs-zFGEq0/Uy8GP2sEyjI/AAAAAAAACE4/qCPckmO7bU4/s1600/ele+boma+big+bulls+1500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQCs-zFGEq0/Uy8GP2sEyjI/AAAAAAAACE4/qCPckmO7bU4/s1600/ele+boma+big+bulls+1500.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elephant boma with lots of power</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was also obvious that she had
made this suggestion quite some time ahead of the meeting because after lunch
we were taken out to see the newly built pen into which these super bulls would
be placed. It was tiny, perhaps only 40 metres on a side, but fully rigged with
several high voltage lines, each on a different circuit. As Gus explained, “we
have to teach them to respect fences, which they have never had to do in the
Kruger.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CQDh2N7ZwJg/Uy8GDPstQLI/AAAAAAAACEQ/9g0ogYoML_o/s1600/Super+bulls+Pilansberg+500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CQDh2N7ZwJg/Uy8GDPstQLI/AAAAAAAACEQ/9g0ogYoML_o/s1600/Super+bulls+Pilansberg+500.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Super bulls" solved the problem, but created some new ones.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Bob later told me that the results
were a resounding success, with one interesting wrinkle. The big bulls soon changed
the vegetation in the park as they knocked down and ripped up trees.</span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">I wonder how many readers of this post have
spotted the odd coincidence of the name of the park in Africa where the
elephants were sourced and the name of the lead author of the report about the
human youth problems in Michigan. Both are <b>Kruger</b>. </span>
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Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-82223909259949693472014-02-16T11:35:00.001-07:002014-02-17T10:07:02.554-07:00Inca buildings and Machu Picchu<style>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uB-n7Vdcogw/UwDwoKz316I/AAAAAAAACD0/Wu0s_X08yfI/s1600/Taj+and+water500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uB-n7Vdcogw/UwDwoKz316I/AAAAAAAACD0/Wu0s_X08yfI/s1600/Taj+and+water500.jpg" height="204" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> A shrine to enduring love- a world's wonder</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our trip to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Peru</b>
had many highlights. Of course the reason we went was to fulfill one of my
wife’s lifelong ambitions, to see the ancient site at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Machu Picchu</b>. She was born and raised in India and we had visited
the <b>Taj Mahal</b> together in 1985. One can read about Shah Jahan’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal">shrine </a>to his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal and look at many pictures, but actually being
there takes the experience to a new level. The pictures simply do not do its
ethereal beauty any kind of justice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had of course heard of Machu Picchu and knew that it had
been built by the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Incas</b> and not
discovered and destroyed by the Spaniards. I had also seen pictures of the
site, mainly the famous one shown on tourist material that gives a view from a
high point, with a sharply peaked mountain in the background. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was time to do some reading and as usual before a big
trip we took out a <a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lonely Planet</b></a> book from
our local <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Saskatoon Public Library</b>. Their
picture shows how complex and amazing the site really is.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before we headed to what is probably Peru’s most famous spot
we had the good fortune to spend a few days in the city of Cuzco. The main
reason I had been pleased that our itinerary with the excellent <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.intrepidtravel.com/ca/the-intrepid-experience/our-trips?gclid=CO7A5v_g0LwCFZFrfgodHmcA3A">Intrepid Company</a>
</b>made this stop was the matter of altitude. The elevation at Machu Picchu’s
high point is 2430 m (almost 8,000ft). That was going to be hard enough for
prairie dwellers. For the last five years of our Kenya days we had lived in a
small cottage on the weirdly named <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lunatic
Lane</b> in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Nanyuki</b> at 1905m (6250 ft.).
While there my doctor wife had seen a number of cases of <a href="http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/altitude-sickness-topic-overview"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">altitude sickness</b></a>
some of them fatal, mainly in young, very fit military men who had ascended <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mt. Kenya</b> all too quickly and been
overcome. I had seen a couple of cases of the same thing in cattle living
around the 2500m mark. Cuzco is quite a bit higher at 3400m (11,200ft). If we
could acclimatize to that, even a little bit, then Jo’s main goal should /
would be no problem. </div>
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<br />
We were in for a surprise. Our guidebook mentioned that Cuzco is the ancient
capital of the Inca kingdom and indeed we saw many fascinating things, both in and
around the city. What struck me, more than anything else, was the stonework. It
was explained to us by our charming and excellent guide <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Patricia</b> who took five years of university to become a registered
guide.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8gv_fgZ7IuU/UwDvVnQ4mGI/AAAAAAAACCs/GuBgWplHlLE/s1600/Sacsaywaman+Stonejoins+c-ucrop500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8gv_fgZ7IuU/UwDvVnQ4mGI/AAAAAAAACCs/GuBgWplHlLE/s1600/Sacsaywaman+Stonejoins+c-ucrop500.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of stone joints</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GePL7-TDw1g/UwDvYlPqdTI/AAAAAAAACC8/TUYq_fKUIpE/s1600/Sacsaywaman,+Jo500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GePL7-TDw1g/UwDvYlPqdTI/AAAAAAAACC8/TUYq_fKUIpE/s1600/Sacsaywaman,+Jo500.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacsaywaman, aka "SexyWoman"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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While the huge rocks at sites like<b> </b><a href="http://archaeology.about.com/od/archaeologica6/fl/Sacsaywaman.htm"><b>Sacsaywaman</b></a>
are amazing both for their sheer size and the fact that they must have been
fitted after months or maybe years of shaping (you could not hope to slide a
credit card between them, and there is no mortar), it was the intricate
moulding and shaping in the <b>Qorikancha</b> church, which lies in the city centre,
that really caught my eye. Maybe that is because I am a sometime woodworker and have some idea of the challenges, say in making a <a href="http://www.jerryhaigh.com/pdf/chess_table_article.pdf">chess table</a>. I have lots of fancy tools to make things fit. Seven hundred years ago the
artisans who built these things did not have quite as much :) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iyrjKWEc_94/UwDvg7GLi2I/AAAAAAAACDc/o1IsyRn8l98/s1600/loose+stones+for+church500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iyrjKWEc_94/UwDvg7GLi2I/AAAAAAAACDc/o1IsyRn8l98/s1600/loose+stones+for+church500.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Qorikancha has several types of stone lock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4t-8s8ILxcU/UwDvdmwSgTI/AAAAAAAACDU/I7hdiW5w95g/s1600/loose+stone+single500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4t-8s8ILxcU/UwDvdmwSgTI/AAAAAAAACDU/I7hdiW5w95g/s1600/loose+stone+single500.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One type of lock </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you can see from the photos they used several different patterns to make the
stones both fit and lock. Again no mortar. If the archaeologists and historians
are correct, the stonemasons used <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hematite">hematite</a>
to grind the granite-like rocks. Wow! Is probably the least one can say. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UA2ko5ChN6o/UwDvZfagXjI/AAAAAAAACDE/aAGrjd_W0A0/s1600/Stones+in+wall500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UA2ko5ChN6o/UwDvZfagXjI/AAAAAAAACDE/aAGrjd_W0A0/s1600/Stones+in+wall500.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A partly opened wall showing diffefrent locked stones</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of
course the church is sadly more famous for what is missing than for what
remains. The Spaniards removed many tonnes of solid gold sheets and sculptures,
melted them down and shipped them back across the Atlantic via what is today
Panama. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Patricia explained the likely reason for this intricate
work. It was to earthquake-proof the buildings. There have been many (at least
40) such<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earthquakes_in_Peru"> seismic events</a>
since the first recorded one in 1586. Patricia mentioned the 7.0 Richter scale
one in 1950 that occurred right in the Cuzco region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Long before that the Inca builders had worked out that the
interlocking stones and trapezoid doors and windows protected their buildings
against the hearth’s shakings. Indeed, where the conquering Spanish had
destroyed all but the bases of the old temples their newly built churches
sometimes collapsed, leaving the older walls intact. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, with excitement and anticipation we headed off by bus and
train to Jo’s dream site. There we saw more amazing stonework. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-144-fih24rY/UwDvSENRNzI/AAAAAAAACCU/y_bzh881808/s1600/MP+temple+of+sun500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-144-fih24rY/UwDvSENRNzI/AAAAAAAACCU/y_bzh881808/s1600/MP+temple+of+sun500.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple of the sun – east and south-facing windows</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The detail at
the most important religious spot, the temple of the sun, is just as intricate
at that at Qorikancha, as is the work at the House of the High Priest. At most
other spots it is less crafted but just as robust. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The terraces for agriculture and their retaining walls all lie
facing towards the rising sun. All those workers, for all those years, needed
food. A real example of home-grown! Patricia told us that recent work has shown
that most of the structure, some 60%, lies underground in the foundations. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e2awvxkfLPc/UwDvSzEg9RI/AAAAAAAACCk/iNXTD5znJyU/s1600/MP+water+tanks500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e2awvxkfLPc/UwDvSzEg9RI/AAAAAAAACCk/iNXTD5znJyU/s1600/MP+water+tanks500.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descending tanks, all feedng one another</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Hq165xK5Fs/UwDvSbqk7pI/AAAAAAAACCY/Q3wOJkMP0MM/s1600/J&J+MP+Intihuatana+500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Hq165xK5Fs/UwDvSbqk7pI/AAAAAAAACCY/Q3wOJkMP0MM/s1600/J&J+MP+Intihuatana+500.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Intihuatana - see the hitch at right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An important part of the structures is the <b>Hitching Post of the Sun </b>(Intihuatana) which was used by astronomers to
predict solstices. Water too was a vital part of the complex - the tanks at right all feed one another.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anno domini, dodgy knees and rain-soaked stones forced us to
adopt the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">discretion is the better part
of valour </i>approach to the last steep climb up to the hut of the caretaker of the funerary rock at the
very top of the ancient site where those iconic photos are taken. Luckily group
member <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Arran Smith,</b> a newly minted
vet (qualified almost 49 years after me!) shared his own pictures. He caught
this one just before the clouds descended and obscured the wonderful view.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OlNIbp4Jj-0/UwDvVm9ZhoI/AAAAAAAACCw/9Kx6N2KClVg/s1600/Machu+Pichu+top500.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OlNIbp4Jj-0/UwDvVm9ZhoI/AAAAAAAACCw/9Kx6N2KClVg/s1600/Machu+Pichu+top500.jpg" height="494" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arran’s view - thanks Arran!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just like the Taj, none of the pictures does any sort of
justice to the experience of being there.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-74927010663037647692014-02-12T11:46:00.000-07:002014-02-12T15:33:22.912-07:00Moray – an Agricultural Research Centre From the Ages. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My wife Jo and I have just returned from a memorable trip to
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ecuador</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Peru</b>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We organized our trip with the <a href="http://www.intrepidtravel.com/ca/the-intrepid-experience/our-trips?gclid=CK6Zs7Kgx7wCFYqPfgodGDEArA"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Intrepid </i></a>company and they looked after us very well. Of course our
main objectives were to visit the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Galapagos
Islands</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Machu Picchu</b>. They
were indeed stunning, fascinating and thoroughly worthwhile. There was more
that we had not expected. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On an outing near <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cusco"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cuzco</b></a>, in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Peru</b>
our charming and very well informed guide, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Patricia</b>,
gave us the option of taking a side-trip to an extraordinary site that dates
back at least 2,000 years. It is called <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Moray</b>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once you leave the excellent tarred road the track to the
site is a bit dodgy, but there were crews working on the mud and potholes with
heavy machinery and we got through. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7Uyx5gHfxtY/Uvu_YtT5PwI/AAAAAAAACB8/JPQ5Dj044EM/s1600/Moray+crop500.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7Uyx5gHfxtY/Uvu_YtT5PwI/AAAAAAAACB8/JPQ5Dj044EM/s1600/Moray+crop500.jpg" height="258" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The extraordoinary 2000 year old site at Moray</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are three amphitheatre-like depressions in the natural
contours of the hills, and each has been developed into what looks, at first
sight, like an enormous set of bleachers. If the archaeologists have it right
they had nothing to do with sport or performance art, but everything to do with
agriculture and ag research. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The best preserved of them, the main one shown to tourists, has
over twenty terraced levels. The most remarkable feature is that the
temperature range between the top and bottom of the structure is 15<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Lucida Grande";">°</span></b>C (about 59<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Lucida Grande";">°</span></b>F for the
unconverted). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LDCEfIaE00I/Uvu_W4KQXJI/AAAAAAAACB0/xcn_teMibyo/s1600/Moray+steps500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LDCEfIaE00I/Uvu_W4KQXJI/AAAAAAAACB0/xcn_teMibyo/s1600/Moray+steps500.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steps for right and left foot climbers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That is not all. At every level the ancient builders made sure that
workers with bad knees, like me, could get up an down to till the land using
steps set in the walls. They also thought about irrigation. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oJG6N41smvw/Uvu_UpAUDjI/AAAAAAAACBs/Kh9kmx7rzsA/s1600/Moray+water+++arrow500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oJG6N41smvw/Uvu_UpAUDjI/AAAAAAAACBs/Kh9kmx7rzsA/s1600/Moray+water+++arrow500.jpg" height="320" width="188" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My arrow shows the top water channel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A line of water
courses, set one above the other, descends throughout the structure. If you
take a close look at this picture on the left you can see a rectangular ruin at the bottom.
This is not an old and mis-shapen tennis court, but the foundation of what was
almost certainly a storage house. Patricia had never had a guest suggest the
tennis idea, but it was fun to see her double take.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lqpY-if-2mw/Uvu_aNGOhkI/AAAAAAAACCE/bf3uY4M94ac/s1600/Moray+bird+crop500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lqpY-if-2mw/Uvu_aNGOhkI/AAAAAAAACCE/bf3uY4M94ac/s1600/Moray+bird+crop500.jpg" height="320" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checking me out - but I don't know his name.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I sat and admired the view this little character, about
the size of a house sparrow or a chickadee, came and sat on the adjacent agave
plant no more than a couple of metres away. I could not resist! I have scanned
through the first ten <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Google</b> sites
on the query “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Birds of Peru</b>”, but
maybe this fellow is simply too “normal” to get mention or take up disc space.
Any expert birders out there? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our June 2013 <a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/peru"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lonely Planets</b></a>
guidebook has a brief description of the Moray site and tells us that the entry
fee is $10. By February it had risen to $15. Still a bargain at the price. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What an amazing place. Thank goodness we took that side trip.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-73443258149514699302014-02-08T08:18:00.000-07:002014-02-09T14:29:28.937-07:00Bushmeat and the African Trade to Europe<style>
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</style><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Last week I
was in Peru and met an experienced airline steward who has flown with major
airlines for many years into, and more to the point, out of several West
African capitals. We got chatting about the bushmeat situation, something I
have written about in books and on <a href="http://jerryhaigh.blogspot.ca/search/label/bushmeat">blogs</a>
for several years.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zlmDhUPKIv4/UvZDTuwFsoI/AAAAAAAACBY/RTVuI6LqEus/s1600/suitcase.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zlmDhUPKIv4/UvZDTuwFsoI/AAAAAAAACBY/RTVuI6LqEus/s1600/suitcase.jpg" height="210" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">One of Amman's many pictures of the bushmeat trade </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;">Of course
writers with bigger followings, like the remarkable <a href="http://www.karlammann.com/about-site.php#.UvT39PaQzFk)">Karl Amman</a> have written and photographed bushmeat and poaching stories to a wide audience.
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;">He also graciously allowed me to use some of his images in my book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.jerryhaigh.com/book/">The Trouble With Lions </a>.</i></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;">The late
<b>Anna Mertz</b>, who worked as an engineer in <b>West Africa </b>for many years reported on
the horror show of truck loads of dead and badly injured antelopes appearing almost in
food markets in <b>Ghana </b>long before the bushmeat trade issue reached a wider
global audience. </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;">My steward acquaintance
told me that loads of bushmeat continue to come out of Africa bound for the UK
with every flight. It is packed in passenger luggage, and the security officers
who check bags before departure have no interest in, and probably no
jurisdiction over it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are concerned
with weapons. </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;">The airplane
staff can do little about it either. They do try to curtail the excess baggage
situation, but even that is a hopeless task, as the routine response from
Nigerian passengers is that a white-skinned staff member is picking on a black
person. Inevitably some of the bags leak their contents and many planes end up
with bloodstains and bad smells. </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;">In <b>Kenya</b>
<b>Ann Olivecrona</b> told me how she chanced to witness a bushmeat import at
London’s Heathrow airport. As I wrote in 2008:</span></h2>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h2>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“in May 2004 she witnessed an
amazing interchange involving bushmeat at London’s Heathrow airport. Her plane
happened to arrive at more or less the same time as a flight from Lagos. During
the time that she watched the procession, customs officials stopped every one
of the Nigerian passengers and asked for the huge suitcases to be opened.
Almost all were packed with smoked bushmeat.”</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;"></span></i></h2>
</blockquote>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;">The bushmeat
trade poses serious risks at both ends. </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;">In Africa it
is leading the rapid depletion of wildlife populations. Many species are
involved. While primates are the most evocative for most people, the most
popular species is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_rat">cane rat</a> of the genus </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thryonomys</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;">, known locally as </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">cutting grass</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;">.
They can weigh as much as 10 kg in the wild and in most West Africa countries efforts
have been made to rear them for the meat market. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></h2>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lhhqfBrLl6M/UvZDSLeXsyI/AAAAAAAACBE/u4vocKbYu_8/s1600/Greater-Cane-Rat-Thryonomys-swinderianus-375x500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lhhqfBrLl6M/UvZDSLeXsyI/AAAAAAAACBE/u4vocKbYu_8/s1600/Greater-Cane-Rat-Thryonomys-swinderianus-375x500.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Credit: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Grand_aulacode_male.jpg">Aurélia
Zizo/Wikipedia </a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Here is a picture from the <b>Wiki</b> of one such rat, a male </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Greater Cane Rat (<i>Thryonomys
swinderianus</i>) in a breeding station in Owendo, <b>Gabon</b>. </span></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Many tribes in the region
have long held certain species taboo. Not any more. Anything goes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One example is the African buffalo, long
deemed off limits to one clan in Ghana. In October 2001 Ghanaian journalist <b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Vivian Baah</span></b> wrote a series of articles
under the title “<i>Guess What’s Cooking for Dinner?</i>” in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Evening News</i> of Accra. She related how in parts of Ghana:</span></span><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"></span> </h2>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“among the Ekona clan of the Ashanti's, it
is a taboo to kill the Ekuo (buffalo). But these days, the members of this clan
themselves are the worst offenders. Having turned their backs on the taboo,
they now butcher the Ekuo with cheeky ease.” </i></span></div>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kd0-2rzZSHo/UvZDTrQEfbI/AAAAAAAACBU/WgTHDhqXcvU/s1600/buff+bull+Nakuru+Best500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kd0-2rzZSHo/UvZDTrQEfbI/AAAAAAAACBU/WgTHDhqXcvU/s1600/buff+bull+Nakuru+Best500.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cape buffalo - aka <i>Ekuo </i>in Ghana</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;"> </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;">Of course
this process will inevitably lead to the law of diminishing returns. Species
will simply disappear or become rare.</span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;">In Europe
there are serious disease risks. Much of the continent has an endemic
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot-and-mouth_disease"><b>foot-and-mouth disease</b></a> status. If the disease gets into <b>UK</b>, for instance, it
will cause billions of dollars worth of economic damage. All it needs is for
some improperly preserved meat to carry the virus to destination. A little bad
luck or carelessness and the explosion would take place. If this seems unlikely
one only has to look at my home province of <b>Saskatchewan</b>, where, in 1952,
illegally imported smoked meat from <b>Poland</b> led to the last outbreak of FMD.</span></h2>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q5TnVwwyWI8/UvZDTKW8dQI/AAAAAAAACBM/vJXYPbrLoUc/s1600/Fruit+bat+cu+2500.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q5TnVwwyWI8/UvZDTKW8dQI/AAAAAAAACBM/vJXYPbrLoUc/s1600/Fruit+bat+cu+2500.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fruit bats roositng in Uganda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;"> </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;">It is not
just livestock diseases. <b>Ebola</b> and the closely related and equally deadly
<b>Marburg</b> virus can infect humans who handle primate and fruit bat carcasses
(fruit bats are a popular bushmeat item).</span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;"> <b>HIV/Aids</b> came to humans via
chimpanzees and sooty mangabeys. No doubt there are other examples. </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;">In a TTWL chapter
titled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bushmeat and Bureaucrats </i>I
tried to make the point that thousands of words on paper would achieve nothing
much. One example of such verbiage came from the <b>European parliament</b>. A tome
from that body that took four years to reach </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Provisional
Edition” status came out in 2004. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;"></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;">Bureaucrats
the world over are famous for producing complex, usually lengthy documents
about almost any subject one can think of. The more pen pushers involved the
more complex the end product. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Only this human sub-species could
have come up with the title <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=2003/2078%28INI%29"><b>EuropeanParliament resolution on Petition 461/2000 concerning the protection andconservation of Great Apes and other species endangered by the illegal trade inbushmeat (2003/2078(INI)</b></a>.” </span></i></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The material has ten </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“<i>Having regards to</i>” clauses, fifteen appearances of “<i>Whereas</i>,” and
twenty-one “<i>Urges</i>” and the like, a few with sub-clauses. There are no teeth to
the document, just urges. </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It is obvious, from my airline steward’s account, that the teeth are
either absent or false.</span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-27639563036574392932014-01-10T13:17:00.001-07:002014-01-11T16:51:34.674-07:00Elephants, Ivory, Africa and China #2<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">This posting may have better
news on the ivory crisis. Hope so.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Let’s start with this from
the online group <a href="http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/a-huge-positive-step-china-to-finally-criminalize-poaching/"><b>One Green Planet</b></a><b>. </b>It opens with</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many never thought they’d see the day come, but
it finally has – China, one of the world’s largest importers of ivory, has
announced, that it, along with 29 other nations, will help protect the world’s
elephants by criminalizing poaching.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now, that’s
something to celebrate.</span></i></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">A<b> Space For Giants </b>newsletter
of December <a href="http://spaceforgiants.org/?q=newsletter%2Fnewsletter-december-2013">rejoices</a> in the growing tide of goodwill and scale of responses to
the elephant/ivory story. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UmUDCTioFH0/UtBN5Y3XdTI/AAAAAAAACAg/x4Tc1bnEiDw/s1600/Parker+bookre72.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UmUDCTioFH0/UtBN5Y3XdTI/AAAAAAAACAg/x4Tc1bnEiDw/s1600/Parker+bookre72.jpg" height="200" width="155" /></a>Three days ago I posted on a
small part of the ugly mess of the <a href="http://jerryhaigh.blogspot.ca/2014/01/elephants-ivory-africa-and-china.html">current ivory </a>crisis (not the first) as this 1983 book title indicates. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uRa_cRUtk9A/UtBN_0VACnI/AAAAAAAACAw/3WTJBSsKMUg/s1600/3+times+is+true72.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uRa_cRUtk9A/UtBN_0VACnI/AAAAAAAACAw/3WTJBSsKMUg/s1600/3+times+is+true72.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">For good reviews of this
very long-standing issue get hold of either this book by Ian Parker and the late Mohamend Amin or Ian Parker’s more
recent <i>What I Tell You Three Times is
True. </i>The latter is a really in-depth examination of the subject.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">There has been a considerable
amount of social media traffic on many aspects of it. I have picked up some
thirty postings in the last month alone. Like the two I opened with about half
of them take a slightly different and hopefully more optimistic view of the
situation, many of them reporting seizures of ivory, either as raw tusks or
worked items. Others deal with criminal trials.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">In South Africa, where rhino
poaching is a major concern, they are preparing for the elephant war with
publicity</span><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiWlGjKwEA0&feature=youtu.be">. This video</a></b> is well
worth the watching. Indeed if you have time for nothing else do spend the ten
minutes with it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Namibia is also being
pro-active and investing in <a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/201312050815.html?viewall=1">technology</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">that includes drones,
infra-red cameras, tagging with GPS, and the latest software.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">There have been recent
reports from other African countries such as <a href="http://en.gabonews.com/environment/items/arrest-of-a-notorious-poacher-and-ivory-dealer-in-minvoul.html">Gabon,</a> Kenya, Republic of <a href="http://newsroom.wildlifedirect.org/2013/12/04/major-ivory-trafficking-operations-halted-haul-includes-elephant-tusk-and-sculpted-ivory-republic-of-congo/">Congo </a>(2
<a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/06/world/africa/congo-poacher-camp-bust/index.html?eref=edition">reports</a>) and <a href="http://newsroom.wildlifedirect.org/2013/12/03/the-chinese-ivory-smugglers-in-africa/">Mozambique</a>. </span>
</div>
<h1>
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">Tanzania </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">has a real battle on its hands, as indicated by the actions that have
recently been taken. They include ivory seizures in <a href="http://www.ifaw.org/united-states/news/tons-ivory-seized-zanzibar">Zanzibar</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25590669">Dar esSalaam</a> </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">The dismissal of many allegedly <a href="http://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00028301.html?aa_source=useful-column">corrupt wildlife department staff</a></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">and several
other columns in the on-line </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">allAfrica</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"> news that
include a call to deal with the
so-called <a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/201401020069.html?aa_source=useful-column"><i>Poaching Barons</i></a></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;"> </span></i><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: normal;">as well as
a call for tougher <a href="http://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00020468.html?aa_source=useful-column">poaching laws. </a></span></span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Kenya also seems to be taking
things more seriously, not only with the new laws I mentioned in the blog of
Jan 7 but in catching <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/defence-force-kenyas-poacher-hunters-8989711.html">offenders</a> (again two <a href="http://newsroom.wildlifedirect.org/2014/01/09/kenya-local-found-with-ivory/">reports</a>.) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In that Jan 7 post I
mentioned that a new law, if signed by <b>President
Uhuru Kenyatta</b>, will make it possible to punish poachers with life
sentences. A remarkable public admission was made on Jan 3 by a former employee
of the <a href="http://www.lewa.org/"><b>Lewa Conservancy</b></a><b>. </b><a href="http://www.254lately.com/news/isiolo-poacher-surrenders-to-kws-confesses-crimes-in-public">Keleshi Parkusaa</a>, 39, said he has
been a poacher even when he was employed there for three years. He obviously
admitted his crimes before the law comes into effect in order to avoid that
sentence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B9_ibu36h9I/UtBN5G7P-uI/AAAAAAAACAc/FaUM0ki0Ggo/s1600/USA-IVORY.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B9_ibu36h9I/UtBN5G7P-uI/AAAAAAAACAc/FaUM0ki0Ggo/s1600/USA-IVORY.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a>Other countries that have
taken action are <a href="http://www.english.rfi.fr/africa/20131206-france-stepping-fight-against-poaching-and-ivory-trade">France</a> where 3 tonnes of ivory are to be burned. This picture by Reuters/Keith
Bedford shows some of the items. Also <a href="http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/15970/smugglers-of-24-tons-of-elephant-tusks-sentenced">Vietnam</a>, where a court <b><span style="font-weight: normal;">has sentenced a company
director and his deputy to 3 years in jail each for smuggling 158 pieces of
ivory tusks weighing more than 2.4 tons</span>.</b></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">And the <a href="http://newsroom.wildlifedirect.org/2013/12/06/three-years-in-prison-for-ivory-smuggler/">USA</a> where a <i>New York City antiques dealer who pleaded
guilty to conspiracy for smuggling artifacts made from rhinoceros horns from
the U.S. to China and Hong Kong has been sentenced to three years in prison,
plus three years’ supervised release.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The key, as everyone realizes,
is <b>China</b>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Basket ball star Yao Ming has
been actively campaigning about conservation issues for quite some time and his
efforts to publicize the <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/yao-ming-anti-shark-fin-soup-crusader-showing-185128028--nba.html">shark’s fin</a> soup issue has yielded encouraging results. He has been similarly active
on the ivory front and his and other peoples efforts may be changing the way
that folks in China think about these issues. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This<a href="http://newsroom.wildlifedirect.org/2013/12/03/the-blood-ivory-behind-the-largest-ivory-smuggling-cases-in-china/"> anti-elephant poaching</a> story filed from Kenya and Mozambique by <b>Yuan Duanduan</b>
titled <b><span style="color: black;">The Blood Ivory:
Behind the Largest Ivory Smuggling Cases in China </span></b>has gone viral. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In
it he wrote</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">China has become the
largest illegal ivory consumer market in the world, but 2 /3 of the Chinese
people do not know ivory is obtained through killing the elephant.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The ivory trade has
become a source of capital for African terrorist groups, forming a tight
secretive network of poachers, small and big middlemen.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">In recent news on November 5, 2013, Xiamen
Customs announced the largest ivory smuggling cases uncovered in recent years,
two cases of which ivory added up to 11.88 tons, worth 603 million yuan. If it
hadn’t been seized, the ivory from Africa would have infiltrated China ‘s
secretive “black market”, to be eventually sold into private collections</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">As of Dec 20 t</span><span style="font-size: large;">he story had
over 10 million <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://news.mongabay.com/2013/1220-china-viral-elephant-story.html#9OZG4dQ2dmIuxH7e.99">Tweets and Retweets</a> on Weibo (China’s
Twitter/Facebook hybrid) </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: black;">"The
article was reposted on 24 online discussion forums or Bulletin Board Systems
(BBS) including Mop and Tianya, two of the most popular in China. Thousands of
comments were generated on the Tianya BBS forum alone. Overall over 5,000
comments on the article were posted on Weibo, BBS fora, and other
websites."</span></i><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EvYjIKcJKm0/UtBN_XQ4sSI/AAAAAAAACAs/tmzvEb4-PAM/s1600/1029.2b-Protect-the-pandas-of-Africa---elephants.-When-the-buying-stops-the-killing-can-too.400.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EvYjIKcJKm0/UtBN_XQ4sSI/AAAAAAAACAs/tmzvEb4-PAM/s1600/1029.2b-Protect-the-pandas-of-Africa---elephants.-When-the-buying-stops-the-killing-can-too.400.jpg" height="320" width="245" /></a><span style="color: black;">A
very clever ploy was to merge the image of China’s iconic panda with the shape
of an elephant. This poster, courtesy of
WildAid reads<i>: Protect the pandas of Africa - elephants. When the buying
stops the killing can too.</i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Then came the Jan 6 report of
the <a href="http://newsroom.wildlifedirect.org/2014/01/06/china-publicly-crushes-ivory-with-the-message-we-do-not-need-ivory/">crushing of 6 tonnes of ivory</a> in Guangzhou and on the same day a senior government
administrator's answers to questions from
reporters Liu Yang Yang, Wang Xi, Han Qiao about <a href="http://newsroom.wildlifedirect.org/2014/01/09/taking-practical-action-to-boost-wildlife-conservation-globally-zhang-jian-long-the-deputy-director-of-the-state-forestry-administration-answered-questions-by-a-reporters-on-the-destruction">that destruction</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I fear that only very
cautious optimism should be felt. One of the several concerned groups <a href="https://www.facebook.com/elephantadvocacy?ref=stream"><b>Elephant Advocacy </b></a>had these thoughts about the
ivory crush.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"> <b> </b></span></div>
<span class="textexposedshow" style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">While it's
encouraging to see China, the world's key consumer of ivory, taking such a
step, there would be even more grounds for celebration if it didn't attempt to
isolate 'illegal' ivory as the problem while actively promoting a deeply flawed
parallel trade in 'legal' ivory which serves to confuse consumers, boost demand
and provide a laundering mechanism for illegal ivory. It's difficult, too, to
see beyond today's event as a PR exercise when considering that the 6.2 tonnes
of ivory crushed represents a small fraction of what we know has been seized in
China.</span></i></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The future?</b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the problems is that
nobody really knows the real number s of elephants in Africa. <b>CITES</b> reports probably give the most
reliable figures, but even they are inevitably fraught with estimates and
inaccuracies. The news that <b>Paul Allen</b>,
the <b>Microsoft </b>billionaire has
announced that he will fund a <a href="http://blog.africageographic.com/africa-geographic-blog/news/microsoft-billionaire-to-fund-elephant-survey/">pan-African survey</a> is a huge step in the right direction. The will aim <b><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">to calculate how many actually remain, where they are found, what threats
they face and whether their total population numbers are in fact increasing or
decreasing.</span></i></b></span></div>
Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-38582300791096805612014-01-07T14:04:00.001-07:002014-01-07T16:11:04.458-07:00Elephants, Ivory, Africa and China #1<style>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Warning! This is not a good
news posting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Anyone who follows Facebook,
Linkedin or Twitter links that cover wildlife issues cannot fail to have seen
the remarkable number of posts since December 1<sup>st</sup> about the utter
disaster that is going on across all African states where elephants are found.
Indeed, in some cases one can probably write <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">where elephants used to roam. </i>What a mess! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TMtfzdONCwo/Usxoy-lkiiI/AAAAAAAACAM/Or_vbtlBy7g/s1600/_775.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TMtfzdONCwo/Usxoy-lkiiI/AAAAAAAACAM/Or_vbtlBy7g/s1600/_775.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> The news has gone well
beyond the social media scene and this scanned-in report in the Guardian, that I picked up in UK last week, may
have brought it to the attention of many others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly that is very unlikely to make a jot of
difference to those who are engaged in the slaughter elephants and the use of
their teeth for human pleasure.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A really authoritative 19-page report by a team from three
main conservation groups (CITES Secretariat, IUCN / SSC African Elephant
Specialist Group and TRAFFIC International <a href="http://www.cites.org/eng/news/pr/2013/20131202_elephant-figures.php">sums it up nicely</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It is titled: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Status of African elephant populations and
levels of illegal killing and the illegal trade in ivory. </b></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The report deals with the 2012 situation and a few
years prior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A key sentence in the
executive summary tells the sorry tale of the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">why? </b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"Poverty and weak
governance in elephant range States, together with demand for illegal ivory in
consuming nations, are the three key factors identified by repeated MIKE
analyses, including this one, as being most strongly associated with observed
poaching trends." </i></span></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Of the many reports in
December 2013 that fit this picture I suppose the ones out of Tanzania are as
good an example as any. The Prime Minister <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jakaya
Kikwete</b> sacked four of his cabinet for what was reported as overzealous use
of control measures in the so-called <a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/africa/2013/12/21/tanzanian-president-sacks-4-ministers-over-poaching-abuses"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Operation Tokomeza.</b></a> <a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/africa/2013/12/21/tanzanian-president-sacks-4-ministers-over-poaching-abuses"></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"></span></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Within two days the operation was restarted after a
<a href="http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=63311">container load of ivory</a> reputedly destined for China </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">was seized at the Dar
es Salaam port. </span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It may be that
the situation in Tanzania is the worst in Africa. A posting by Richard Conniff
of Dec 18 is titled </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Elephant Poaching: The Disaster
in Tanzania </span><a href="http://strangebehaviors.wordpress.com/2013/12/18/elephant-poaching-the-disaster-in-tanzania/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">says a lot.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Conniff’s post is either
terrifying or beggars belief. He states that “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Apparently, managing the media
means keeping these results as quiet as possible</span></i><b>.” </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So he quotes from none other than the
<a href="http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/12/16/elephant-declines-a-view-from-the-field/">National Geographic</a><b>
</b>about the number of elephants in the Selous Game reserve alone. <span style="color: red;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The latest, recently announced population
estimate is 13,084. This indicates an unprecedented decline of nearly 80
percent over the last six years</i>.</span> For the mathematically disinclined that is
a drop from 55,000 since 2007<b>.</b></span></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The numbers of elephants poached throughout Africa in
2012 are telling enough. The report, which is based on sound studies, gives an
estimate of some 15,000 animals but acknowledges that: </span></div>
<div class="Default">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Monitoring of
elephant populations, apart from at a few well-monitored sites, is sporadic and
inconsistent. The low precision of most estimates makes it difficult to detect
any immediate repercussion on elephant numbers in the short-term but this does
not mean there are no changes.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">That is just 2012. There are
no properly monitored figures for 2013, but none of the many claims gives a
figure lower than 25K. The most dire claim comes from the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">International Fund for Animals Welfare</b> who suggest that up to
“50,000 elephants a year are now being slaughtered.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In <a href="http://www.politics.co.uk/opinion-formers/international-fund-for-animal-welfare-ifaw/article/2013-a-dismal-year-for-elephants-glimmer-of-hope-for-2014">this post</a> on Dec 20
they stated that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">more than 41 tonnes of
elephant ivory have been seized in 2013, the largest quantity in 25 years.</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Whether the
situation has really “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shocked world
leaders out of their ennui and into action to halt poaching and ivory trafficking</i>”
is real or hoped for is more questionable.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Other postings mention
numbers like 25 or 30,000 but all these numbers exceed any possible replacement
numbers and all are horrific. Of course the use of cyanide at salt licks is nasty,
but the wholesale mowing down of the sentient, intelligent creatures with
automatic weapons is probably nastier. In the cyanide case, the affected
animals will have died quickly and probably known little of what was happening
to their herd mates. With a hail of bullets smashing into bone, lungs, hearts
and brains many of the elephants will have been very well aware of what was
happening. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Having written this last
paragraph from the heart I am horrified to think that I could opine that
cyanide was a better way to die than by gunfire. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The Kenya
government seems to have lifted themselves off their collective backsides and
taken action. If the <a href="http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/lifestyle/article/2000100251/bill-proposes-life-sentence-for-elephant-poachers">new</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Wildlife Conservation and Management
Bill 2013</b> is signed into law by the president a life sentenced may be handed
down for anyone convicted of rhino or elephant poaching. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">At the other end of the trade
chain a <a href="http://newsroom.wildlifedirect.org/2013/12/22/jail-term-and-fines-for-smugglers-too-lenient/">Dec 22 post</a> from the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">South China
Morning Post</b> makes it clear that the Chinese do not seem to share the
opinion of the Kenyans. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Wildlife conservationists slammed a
four-month jail term and fines of up to HK$80,000 for five ivory smugglers
from the mainland as “too lenient”, saying it will do little to stop the
illicit trade. (HK $<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>= 0.13 US$).</span></i><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">“It is way too lenient because Chinese people
buying illicit ivory in Africa know that if they are caught, at most they
will just lose the ivory and get a puny fine,” said <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Grace Ge Gabriel</b>, Asia regional director for the
International Fund for Animal Welfare.</span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">“</span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tom Milliken, of
the wildlife group TRAFFIC, said while he welcomed the jail term as a
deterrent, fines could be written off as “the price of doing business”.”</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></i><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">He is probably right. Another
<a href="http://newsroom.wildlifedirect.org/2013/12/22/ivory-prices-in-hong-kong-stores-rise-50-fold-in-a-decade/">post of Dec 22</a>, this one by <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Simon Parry</b> <span class="MsoHyperlink"></span>tells us that the price of ivory in Hong Kong has
risen 50-fold in the last 10 years. Not surprisingly big tusks sell at a
premium. Parry gives an example of a 65kg pair of mounted tusks is on sale for
HK$15 million [almost US $ 2 million] at Chinese Arts and Crafts in Wan
Chai.<span class="MsoHyperlink"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">As described in this post of
Dec 13 by <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Emily Matchar</b> what the
rest of the world knows as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">illegal</b>
ivory is called <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/hong-kongs-legal-ivory-trade-thrives-on-folk-beliefs-and-chinas-rising-wealth-9004200.html">white gold</a> </b>in Hong Kong. With an increasingly wealthy Chinese middle class seeking
status symbols does the elephant have a chance?<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Then of course there are the 270 odd Chinese billionaires (that
is not a typo; It is B, not M).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I could go on, as I have only
mentioned a small proportion of the December posts, but this one should give
some flavour to those who have not been following the situation closely. Anyway,
I have just gone over my one thousand word limit. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-33599233219519185082013-12-04T14:47:00.001-07:002014-02-16T21:03:07.967-07:00Christine Dranzoa - a remarkable person.<style>
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I’d like to share a story from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Africa</b> that is very much linked to a small slice of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Saskatoon</b> life. <br />
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AC2De_K6KJ0/Up-cX37_4RI/AAAAAAAAB_A/CIor7kzq-W4/s1600/01+CD+portrait.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AC2De_K6KJ0/Up-cX37_4RI/AAAAAAAAB_A/CIor7kzq-W4/s320/01+CD+portrait.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chrsitine Dranzoa outside the Faculty of Vet Med, 2002</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I have a long history in Africa and for the last eight years
of my career as a wildlife veterinarian I took Canadian students from the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Western College of Veterinary Medicine </b>to
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Uganda</b>. We would not have been able
to carry out this program if it had not been for the head of the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Department of Wildlife and Animal Resource
Management</b> at the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Makerere
University</b> veterinary school. Her name is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Dranzoa"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Christine Dranzoa</b></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Dranzoa"></a>
and through several exchanges of letters and email she laid on a tour for me in
2002 to see what was what before I actually took students there. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIRQT7TXH80/Up-ctoL6mvI/AAAAAAAAB_w/H4vWICkJuJQ/s1600/02+WARM+sign.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIRQT7TXH80/Up-ctoL6mvI/AAAAAAAAB_w/H4vWICkJuJQ/s320/02+WARM+sign.jpg" height="169" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After that introductory tour it was relatively simple for me
to convince the powers-that-be in Canada that there was a really worthwhile
opportunity for Canadian students to learn a huge amount about veterinary
medicine, and much more, in a new setting.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also found out that Christine has a remarkable history,
which I will compress (and which does not appear on any website). She was born
in West Nile, the region of the country where <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Idi Amin</b> came from. When he was ousted the equally gruesome despot,
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Milton Obote</b>, targeted everyone in
West Nile. Christine, aged 12, fled to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sudan
</b>as a refugee. She managed to get out of that nightmare and finished high
school, got her BSc and went on to her PhD work. At age 27 she spoke to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the dean at the vet school about the lack of
a wildlife department and soon found herself not only founding one, but also
becoming its head! We worked with her near the end of that tenure as this rather grainy old footage, shot with an early version of a digital camera, shows.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwD6jQdtao9c2XDEkAiG3nPLV0oyZWCHc_sf_gNHUCs2Djz1tEK6cQmrf9PdU_sZze1Jb59lKATNDipJ5pEiA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div>
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For the first three years Dr. Dranzoa traveled with us in the field and worked with
the students on her specialty, which is birds. Her thesis work had been on the
nesting ecology of birds in partially logged forest fringes. We visited <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.kibaleforestnationalpark.com/">Kibale National Park</a> </b>where Christine did her studies and used mist nets to capture
birds, ring them, and collect blood samples for disease studies. We even found
a couple of cases of avian malaria.<br />
<br />
We were also able to secure funding at the WCVM to bring
Christine to Saskatoon to deliver a moving talk about issues related to
wildlife in her country. When my wife and I took her to one of our favourite
places, <a href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/sk/princealbert/index.aspx"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prince Albert National Park</b></a>,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we
were lucky enough to see a huge swirl of snow geese above a slough near the
appropriately named town of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Duck Lake</b>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3NqVfqDXqvo/Up-exnNiVvI/AAAAAAAAB_8/InxDR7UFmfw/s1600/snow+geese.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3NqVfqDXqvo/Up-exnNiVvI/AAAAAAAAB_8/InxDR7UFmfw/s640/snow+geese.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow goose cloud. Photo by Trudy Janssens, Photogrpahy One2One</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When her eight years as department head were up Christine
was promoted to the post of<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
Deputy Director of the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">School of Postgraduate Studies</span></b></span>
for the entire university (30,000 students, 3,000 graduate students) at age 35!</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vh42gPmmcOA/Up-cZdOOyhI/AAAAAAAAB_I/L2YbTfVfIYA/s1600/Arua+campus.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vh42gPmmcOA/Up-cZdOOyhI/AAAAAAAAB_I/L2YbTfVfIYA/s320/Arua+campus.jpg" height="197" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artist's impression of the new campus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Dr. Dranzoa has gone on to meet new challenges. Two years
ago (in her forties) Christine was tasked as one of the team founding a new
university in her home region, in the district of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Arua </b>in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">West Nile</b> sub-region. This was after elders in the community petitioned Uganda’s president, <span class="kno-a-v"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yoweri Museveni.</span></b></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was
founded in 2012 and has now been registered as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muni_University">Muni University</a></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">. </b>Christine is the current Vice
Chancellor. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It comes as no surprise to learn that Christine has been
active in other fields, especially in ones related to women’s issues in Uganda
and beyond. Although we came to know her well and enjoyed our many visits with
her, she never told us that she co-founded and is Chairperson of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw64W4IRHCo"><b>Nile Women Initiative</b></a> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></i>an NGO which aims to address gender
disparities in her home region. She is also Honorary Secretary of the pan-African <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_for_African_Women_Educationalists" title="Forum for African Women Educationalists"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Forum for African Women Educationalists</span></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s3Zz_aCNp2o/Up-ccevJJDI/AAAAAAAAB_Y/jwH4Y6Hx9D4/s1600/Alice,+Fifi,+CD750.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s3Zz_aCNp2o/Up-ccevJJDI/AAAAAAAAB_Y/jwH4Y6Hx9D4/s320/Alice,+Fifi,+CD750.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christine (r) with Fifi in 2003 and Angela, Chrstine's sister</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Over and above these remarkable achievements she has now
raised 18 children, none of them her own (she has never married). Most are kids
of her siblings who were either killed in Obote’s pogroms or died of AIDS. The
youngest, Fifi, is about to finish high school. A few are not even relatives,
but just orphan children who are friends of her extended family. When we
visited Christine’s home we discovered that the bedrooms were set up as
dormitories – boys and girls. How could it have been otherwise? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7nIp_Iqbbnk/Up-cZh9FEWI/AAAAAAAAB_M/UQutoNvd4DQ/s1600/Arua+clinci+building.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7nIp_Iqbbnk/Up-cZh9FEWI/AAAAAAAAB_M/UQutoNvd4DQ/s320/Arua+clinci+building.jpg" height="204" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nursing clinc is under construction</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Christine has written to me seeking help with equipment for
a nursing station, a small but much needed part of the campus, especially
during the construction phase when not only builders but also the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>general public, will have it handy. She had
heard that there were organizations in Canada who could ship containers of
stuff to needy areas. After a bit of sleuthing I met (so far only by phone and
on line) a Regina-based nursing PhD who has shipped 79 containers to 19
countries in the last 10 years. Her name is <a href="http://www.weseeyou.ca/index.php?page=Team_Detail&id=1"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pammla Petrucka</b></a>. Dr. Petrucka has a well-oiled system and access to a large warehouse in Regina.
She can also get hold of a full array of medical equipment ranging from bangages to bedpans, tilt
beds to tubing and walkers to wheelchairs. On top of that she has a team of
volunteers who can fill a container in a single day. All the equipment is
donated, in good condition, and free. The problem is the shipping. It costs
about $25,000 to ship a container. This covers the cost of the container, the
physical act of transport, and the paperwork. The container is not returned and
is likely to end up being a useful addition at the destination. I have even
heard of containers being fitted with air conditioning before shipment.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My wife and I, and several of those former students have
managed to raise part of the funds needed to get one container to Uganda, but
cannot reach the full $25,000 needed to complete the shipment. We are
channeling our funds through the <a href="https://www.hrf.sk.ca/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Hospitals of Regina </span></i></b></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Foundation</span></i></b><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-language: JA;">, </span></i>which has NFP charitable status so that
our donors will receive tax receipts.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Apart from being an author and retired professor I am a
storyteller and have told stories about my career as a wildlife vet on 4
continents. The Africa stories often have threads about Christine in them. I
hope that this comes as no surprise. </div>
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<br /></div>
Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-24881368548949572082013-11-17T13:06:00.000-07:002013-11-17T14:36:02.116-07:00The War on Wolves - an Animal Welfare Issue<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Predators occupy quite a
space in the human psyche. Humans have been “at war” with many of them since
the earliest days of livestock domestication. While the lion occupies the
imagination people everywhere, in North America no predator is more symbolic of
this war than the wolf. Our attitudes are ever fluctuating. There are websites
and social media gatherings where the full range, from “kill them all” to “full
protection” is on display.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">These two very opposite views
about them were written about another pack-hunting wild canid, in this case the
African wild dog. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In 1914, one </span><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-language: JA;">R. Maugham</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-language: JA;"> wrote: <i>"Let us consider for a
moment that abomination - that blot upon the many interesting wild things - the
murderous Wild Dog. It will be an excellent day for African game and its
preservation when means can be devised for its complete extermination." </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">These words could easily be
used by the anti-wolf crowd in 2013. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bMRn9z2srTM/UokbPKfdKAI/AAAAAAAAB-g/wDmfI79TrL4/s1600/wild+dog+packcrop72.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bMRn9z2srTM/UokbPKfdKAI/AAAAAAAAB-g/wDmfI79TrL4/s400/wild+dog+packcrop72.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Kobus Raath's ;picture of wilfe dogs in Kruger N P</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-language: JA;"> </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-language: JA;">The other view, also resonates for many folks. They
were written in 1997 by <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>David
MacDonald</b> of <b>Oxford University</b>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>“To nominate one sight as the most
beautiful I have seen might, in a world filled with natural marvels, be
considered disingenuous. Yet, of images jostling for supremacy in my memory, it
is hard to better the bounding form</i>s of <i>African wild dogs, skiffing like
golden pebbles across a sea of sunburnt grass at dusk.”</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-language: JA;">A group of concerned, but
balanced individuals has recently <a href="http://www.wolfmatters.org/">launched a website</a> that examines some of the
many issues </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-language: JA;">. They are particularly concerned about some of
the aspects of wolf management in Alberta, and by extension elsewhere in North
America. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m3umkkG8P2Y/UokbI_sWG3I/AAAAAAAAB-A/mwXa-YHsUgI/s1600/Myrna%27s+wolf+pic.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m3umkkG8P2Y/UokbI_sWG3I/AAAAAAAAB-A/mwXa-YHsUgI/s640/Myrna%27s+wolf+pic.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myrna Pearman's beautiful picture is one of the site's headers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As
you skull around the site you will find links and articles by people who have
had an enormous amount of experience with wolf management and are concerned
with the way that things are developing. </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Among them are </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Dr. Lu Carbyn</b>, noted world wolf
authority, who has expressed deep concerns and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>published an article critical of the
province's wolf bounty program in
the <a href="http://www.wolfmatters.org/uploads/2/4/0/2/24020064/carbyn_lu_article_in_cseb_fall_2013_newsletter.pdf">Journal of the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists</a>. </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There are very obvious animal
welfare issues at hand. <b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dr. Jose Diaz</span></b>
of the <b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">University of Calgary</span></b>, who is
an accredited specialist in animal neurology examines the effects of snares in
his piece in the <a href="http://www.wolfmatters.org/articles.html"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gallery of Shame</i></span></a> </span><a href="http://www.wolfmatters.org/articles.html"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">http://www.wolfmatters.org/articles.html</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> - </span></span>
</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Dwight Rodtka</b>, who worked
with wolves for his entire career has contributed pieces to the site.
Dwight expresses deep concern not only about the Alberta government’s <a href="http://www.wolfmatters.org/the-issues.html">whole wolf program</a>
but very specifically about snares, which he states in his piece </span><a href="http://www.wolfmatters.org/the-truth-about-snares.html"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Truth About Snares</span><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">are “</span><i><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">archaic and torturous devices which should have been banned
years ago.”</span></b></i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c4WzGm10nKQ/UokbNtSgqMI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/rqwmVAReDck/s1600/Patrick+&+snared+lion+72.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c4WzGm10nKQ/UokbNtSgqMI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/rqwmVAReDck/s400/Patrick+&+snared+lion+72.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Garcia examines the damage. The lion died as he arrived on scene.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I have seen the aftermath of
snaring in several African countries but perhaps the most dramatic one was of a
dying lion in Tanzania’s Serengeti. The animal’s end was witnessed by friend
and former student <b>Dr. Patrick Garcia. </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Gruesome fits the scene well. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It is much more than just
snares and traps. My own contribution to the debate is also from an animal
welfare perspective. It is about <a href="http://www.wolfmatters.org/the-horror-of-strychnine.html">poisoning</a>
and comes straight from things I witnessed in <b>Kenya</b> 45 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">You can read the piece at the
link above, but if your time is short here is my opening: </span><i><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The debate, seldom polite,
often vigorous, about the wolf and its presence among us often becomes a “to
poison or not to poison” matter. The subject waxes and wanes, but today, in
parts of Alberta and British Columbia, indeed in many parts of North America,
it is indeed the question, and strychnine is the apparent sling and arrow.
</span></i><i><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<br />
<i>I suspect that most people who espouse the poisoning route have never seen
the effects of this deadly substance on any animal. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Unfortunately I have.</i></span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIqT3C4JCvU/UokbtZyNCfI/AAAAAAAAB-o/uRQbA2tWZik/s1600/Hayes+book.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIqT3C4JCvU/UokbtZyNCfI/AAAAAAAAB-o/uRQbA2tWZik/s320/Hayes+book.jpg" width="209" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In the body of the article I
quoted wolf biologist <b>Bob Hayes</b> about the “by-catch” effects of strychnine.
They are horrific. </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Bob worked in Canada’s Yukon for many years on wolf control.
His 2010 book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wolves of the Yukon</i> is
a very worthwhile read. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I closed with this:</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">If the rancher who cannot prevent wolf attacks by
other methods (which do exist) and has to use this deadly substance to “take
arms against a sea of troubles” caused by livestock predation then we are in a
sorry state.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Strychnine poisoning is very definitely an animal
welfare issue. Its use is inhumane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3GQYtsWGEO4/UokbKNk0MfI/AAAAAAAAB-I/uOD-G-jOboQ/s1600/Wolf+tyranslocn+papers500.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3GQYtsWGEO4/UokbKNk0MfI/AAAAAAAAB-I/uOD-G-jOboQ/s400/Wolf+tyranslocn+papers500.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I am by no means alone in
this view and I hope that other veterinarians feel the same. If they do, rather
than write to me I hope they will <a href="http://www.wolfmatters.org/contact.html">comment on the Wolf Matters page</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Of course poisoning of predators is nothing new. I photographed this Calgary Herald page in 1995.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dWsReOAbUhs/UokbGt4lAYI/AAAAAAAAB94/dmL_DnKKHiA/s1600/FacebookphotoOfWolfhunters.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dWsReOAbUhs/UokbGt4lAYI/AAAAAAAAB94/dmL_DnKKHiA/s320/FacebookphotoOfWolfhunters.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scary, or what?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">An interesting view is taken
in the <a href="http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/elist/eListRead/sorry_but_wolf_slaughter_is_not_american/">Earth Island Journal</a>, which heads its piece with this extraordinary
picture that first appeared on Facebook. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">You can read the rest of the
article at the link and of course find links within that that take one further.
It reminds me of a video scene I witnessed during the emotional times of the
translocation of wolves from Banff National Park in Canada in 1995 to
Yellowstone and Idaho. A witness at a hearing in Wyoming said: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The wolf is The Saddam Hussein of the animal
kingdom</i>.” She was serious. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/elist/eListRead/sorry_but_wolf_slaughter_is_not_american/"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></div>
Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436878270535434755.post-40465141150375591512013-11-02T11:41:00.000-06:002013-11-06T22:03:57.463-07:00Stories about Moose and a Wildlife Vet in Africa in British Columbia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">We have
just finished up another storytelling and book tour. Eight libraries, one
sporting goods store and a wind-up at the University of Northern British
Columbia. All<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in 7 days. I tried to find
a map to show all the communities, but could not quite manage it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JGJDodl-EAQ/UnUuA--DDUI/AAAAAAAAB9M/vNs2VYwqaGc/s1600/Norht+BC+Map750.tif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JGJDodl-EAQ/UnUuA--DDUI/AAAAAAAAB9M/vNs2VYwqaGc/s640/Norht+BC+Map750.tif" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">This one shows
8 of the 10 spots. I added Granisle and Fraser Lake and each place has an
italicized number, showing the order of the events. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nc_QvLmcGpU/UnUuALfV2UI/AAAAAAAAB8o/tBXmsgGDhHU/s1600/McBride+hydrant+372.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nc_QvLmcGpU/UnUuALfV2UI/AAAAAAAAB8o/tBXmsgGDhHU/s320/McBride+hydrant+372.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">We
started in McBride where the folks enjoy decorating anything you can think of,
including their fire hydrants. Why not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our total distance on the road, including the leg from home was just
over 4500 km.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DxXSPBQrAos/UnUt__dKdwI/AAAAAAAAB8g/MvPvP07PG_w/s1600/Fraser+lake+library72.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DxXSPBQrAos/UnUt__dKdwI/AAAAAAAAB8g/MvPvP07PG_w/s200/Fraser+lake+library72.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fraser Lake, after the session. Thanks </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nSIfyWf9M5A/UnUt_6uaHyI/AAAAAAAAB8k/ecgCV_cmpnQ/s1600/Miake+&+JCH+72.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nSIfyWf9M5A/UnUt_6uaHyI/AAAAAAAAB8k/ecgCV_cmpnQ/s200/Miake+&+JCH+72.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miake Ellott and me outside the Houston store</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Just as
in our trip to Yukon I offered one of two sets of stories, with pictures.
Either <i><span style="color: red;">A Wildlife Vet in Africa</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>or <i><span style="color: #3366ff;">Of
Moose and Men Around the World. </span></i>This time there was a split. The
folks in Granisle, (at the very top left-hand corner of the map) and Houston went with the moose set.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Everyone else chose Africa. In only one case, for
the students at UNBC, did I know ahead of time which one it would be.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YJ_2Hlhvt_U/UnUuCpNXxAI/AAAAAAAAB9U/evpivCqfEhE/s1600/tea+break+BCre72.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YJ_2Hlhvt_U/UnUuCpNXxAI/AAAAAAAAB9U/evpivCqfEhE/s320/tea+break+BCre72.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The odd tea break was an essential element </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">We had
a great reunion <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Williams Lake</b> with
one of the students who joined Jo and me in Uganda. Dr. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ross Hawkes</b> practices there and we reminisced a bout a whole bunch
of things after the talk. </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YeE1OKDcqAM/UnVx6ZQepxI/AAAAAAAAB9o/xpOk4D28Suc/s1600/07+equator72.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YeE1OKDcqAM/UnVx6ZQepxI/AAAAAAAAB9o/xpOk4D28Suc/s400/07+equator72.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ross (the redhead 2nd from left back row) classmates & Ugandan students 2007</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">It was Ross and his class-mate <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Kevin Oomah</b> who came up with the novel, some would say crazy, idea
of subjecting themselves to a full bikini-wax hair strip of the hair above
their waists in order to raise money for the schools that we have supported in
Uganda over the years. In 50 minutes their generous “donation” generated $1800
!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had not known, until Ross delved
into his files, that there was video evidence of this event. If he and Kevin
will allow it I would like to show that in a future post.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Most of
our audiences were adult, but in Quesnel we had a surprise. A group of
home-schooled children and their parents showed up. They were the only audience
– the session was set for 10.00 am and it would have been tough for adults to
get away from work. This meant that I had to change on the fly and luckily this
was not too difficult. After telling them a little about my background, I began
with stories about my own experiences with giraffes, which gave me the entry
into the folk story about why giraffes are so tall. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxBfC7VWgqXTqtSBdwr0LvVlp7T7Xikk3PmmqV3hIEN0zDJAw8Xegi_RGDtfP9GCcL-xrE5Jd2CpPkY7Egl9w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">A couple more folk stories,
with the little ones involved and with grins, and we had a happy crowd. I ended
with a food-chain account of why hippos are so important for the health of the
great lakes of Africa. This one resonated with one of the older boys who
happens to be studying the food-chain right now! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jxPG8NH5_Q0/UnUuAzYvYJI/AAAAAAAAB8w/KFX4upfJV4k/s1600/Quesnel+bakery500.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jxPG8NH5_Q0/UnUuAzYvYJI/AAAAAAAAB8w/KFX4upfJV4k/s200/Quesnel+bakery500.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">After the Quesnel set we needed a lunch break. Luckily we found a local bakery, and had soup like your mother made it. Yum!</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PSL_vbfGeaA/UnUuBOQUzEI/AAAAAAAAB9E/JyxZDR4gSRo/s1600/UNBC+crowd72.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PSL_vbfGeaA/UnUuBOQUzEI/AAAAAAAAB9E/JyxZDR4gSRo/s320/UNBC+crowd72.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Philippe Henry's snap of the audience before the start</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The
largest crowd was at Prince George’s University of Northern British Columbia,
where student <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Gabrielle Aubertin </b>and
faculty member <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Philippe Henry</b> had
done a fine job of getting the news out. I told stories about work with rhinos, lions, elephants and a run-in with safari ants. The stories were for an adult audience,
but included two folk tales. The first was about why wild dog’s wife got very sick
and why they now hunt in packs, the second about the hippos again. I used two
famous quotes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The first from one <b>R. Maugham</b> in 1914, which one might think was
being recycled for the attitude of some towards wolves a hundred years on. Here
it is:</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Let
us consider for a moment that abomination - that blot upon the many interesting
wild things - the murderous Wild Dog. It will be an excellent day for
African game and its preservation when means can be devised for its complete
extermination</span></i><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">."</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-07YNztAXEqY/UnUuBh5JMvI/AAAAAAAAB9A/9_oQhfYfNG0/s1600/Wild+dogs+72.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="419" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-07YNztAXEqY/UnUuBh5JMvI/AAAAAAAAB9A/9_oQhfYfNG0/s640/Wild+dogs+72.jpg" width="640" /></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The
other from <b>David MacDonald</b> of <b>Oxford University</b> which sums up my own thinking. </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“To
nominate one sight as the most beautiful I have seen might, in a world filled
with natural marvels, be considered disingenuous. Yet, of images jostling for
supremacy in my memory, it is hard to better the bounding forms of African wild
dogs, skiffing like golden pebbles across a sea of sunburnt grass at dusk.”</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">I was
delighted with the reactions from the folks, which came on FB.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gabrielle </span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">wrote<b> </b><i><span style="color: blue;">“Thank you for the great talk, I have
only received positive comments, so I think everyone enjoyed it. How could they
not. I thought it was a great mix of facts to stimulate the scientist brain, of
beautiful images that would make anyone dream of having career like your and it
was also funny!"</span></i></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes;">Philippe</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes;"> wrote: </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<span style="color: blue;"><i>I kept getting comments in the hallway
yesterday: beautifully told stories with real value for the conservation of our
living world, thanks again for taking the long trip here:)</i></span></span></div>
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Jerry Haighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276901551047524363noreply@blogger.com0