Safari Notes

Off Africa's southeast coast in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island after Greenland, New Guinea, and Borneo. A stunning diversity of plant and animal species found nowhere else evolved after the island broke away from the African continent 165 million years ago. It has a mountainous central plateau and coastal plains. The first settlers were of African and Asian origin, and 18 separate ethnic groups emerged, derived from an African and Malayo-Indonesian mixture. Asian features are most predominant in the central highlands people, and coastal people tend to show features of African origin. Most of the population depend on subsistence farming, based on rice and cattle, with coffee, vanilla, and seafood being important exports. French colonial rule began in 1896; independence came in 1960. In 1990, after almost 20 years of Marxism, Madagascar lifted a ban on opposition parties, and a new president was elected in 1993. Elections in 2001 resulted in a p

A moth that flies during the day time; one of the very few moths that do so. Is the Madagascan sunset moth the most beautiful insect on Earth? Most people say it is. Spectacularly and brilliantly colored. They are native to that wonder island: Madagascar; and South America. Some people, due to its appearance, mistakenly believe the colorful moth to be a butterfly. That is what it was categorized in 1773 but years later, in 1831, it was correctly classified as a moth. More on the Sunset Moth: Wikipedia , Butterflies ,  Top 10 Most Beautiful Moths , Its Nature , Helium , Botanical Arts , Wings in Motion , stat.wisc.edu

Uganda: the land of plenty? Uganda is indeed the land of plenty of food and water. I write this, with Uganda that was in the 60s and 70s - in mind. Growing up in Uganda then, I never knew what hunger was, till the age of about 12, when - as a Muslim - I started fasting during the month of Ramadhan. Other wise, there always was plenty to eat. Fruits of various kinds, seemed to be every where: mangoes, oranges, papayas, guavas, grapefruits, bananas and berries were then in abundance. As for food served as meals, daily, there was so much (even through all those difficult 70s) that now when I look back and think of those days, I realise how very lucky I was to have had all that abundance surrounding me at that age. And such beauty and peace. The kind of staggering natural beauty that is Uganda, is one of a kind. Now when I read or watch on the news, all the problems and misery that seems to continually be a part of Uganda - I am deeply saddened. Uganda, being a country of many lakes, river

"President Jakaya Kikwete, the latest addition to a growing list of Tanzania’s admirable statesmen, has just done that. His apprenticeship spanned two decades with tutelage under three heads of state, among them Julius Nyerere. It is coincidental that when Kikwete was retiring from active military service and exchanging his military uniform for civilian political outfit, a guerrilla fighter was on the verge of shooting his way to State House in Uganda. Now, 20 years later, two presidents have retired in Tanzania and a third one elected with the biggest majority in East Africa’s election history; nine million votes! And as we witnessed this democracy at its best, attended by the highest number of Heads of State in Africa, fifteen in all, Museveni who took power at the time of Kikwete’s induction was still clinging to power beyond his sell-by-date." Ippmedia More on Kikwete: Jakayakikwete.com , Wikipedia , Google News , GoogleBooks , Google Scholar  Image: kikweteshein.c

Located in the northern highlands of Tanzania, beneath the twin peaks of Mt. Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro, Arusha is the safari capital of the country. Guests embarking on the popular northern safari circuit all stop in the ‘Geneva of Africa’ to prepare for their journeys into the African bush. From is two-lane streets, the dramatic crater of Mt. Meru stands over the town like a majestic sentinel, it’s crater strewn with thick clouds, it’s slopes dark with verdant forest. Arusha’s ideal location near the major national parks and it’s highland setting make it a peaceful idyll of relaxation before the start of an exciting journey. Built by the Germans as a centre of colonial administration administration in the early 20th century, Arusha was a sleepy town with a garrison stationed at the old boma and a few shops around a grassy roundabout. From its backwater status amidst the farmlands and plantations of northern Tanzania, today Arusha is one of the country’s most prosperous towns. The sit

Few countries are as well positioned as Australia is, in protecting and saving such an extraordinary, World natural treasure as the Coral Sea off the coast of Australia which extends east-south, east of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Australia has the resources and due to its remote, isolated location - it can and should grant protection to 300,000 square miles of unspoilt tropical ocean . "WWF and the tourism industry are very concerned that illegal fishers will raid the Coral Sea reefs - mainly for shark fins for the Asian market," said Richard Leck, WWF's marine policy manager. "The Coral Sea presents us with a unique opportunity to safeguard one of the world's few remaining pristine marine regions." The tropical ocean, between Australia and the south-west Pacific, was also under threat from future plans for undersea oil and gas extraction, WWF Australia said. Telegraph.co.uk WWF's Richard Leck says the Coral Sea reefs are still pristine and need

It lived 200 million years ago; with. It has outlived dinosaurs. It still is here and still walks the Earth. Even the deadliest and most dangerous predator on Earth: Man, has not been able to endanger their survival. We hunt them for their skins and teeth. And meat. Yes: we eat them. But, crocodiles still live on. They thrive. More on Crocodiles: Crocodilian , Planet-Pets , Nile Crocodile , WWF , Animal Planet , iprimus.com , chevroncars.com ,   Wikipedia , Google Books , Google Scholar , Google Video Image: Britannica

It seems certain now, that Polar Bears might become extinct by the end of this century; the few, if any, that will be there - will most probably be in zoos or in private hands. Not in the wild. We, Mankind, now call ourselves civilised and responsible. WE, by our actions and doings, are furthest from both. Apart from killing and destroying each other, continuously; we have been and are mercilessly destroying other creatures and life forms. A time will come, when some thing has to give: either a very large part of us will be destroyed (Earth, already seems to be over populated) or - we, too, will become extinct. A few excerpts on the present plight of Polar Bears: Two-thirds of the world’s polar bears will disappear by 2050, even under moderate projections for shrinking summer sea ice caused by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, government scientists reported on Friday. The New York Times Global warming could cause polar bears to go extinct by the end of the century by eroding the sea

Shaka (sometimes spelled Tshaka, Tchaka or Chaka; ca. 1787 – ca. 22 September 1828) was a Zulu leader. He is widely credited with transforming the Zulu tribe from a small clan into the beginnings of a nation that held sway over the large portion of Southern Africa between the Phongolo and Mzimkhulu rivers. His military prowess and destructiveness have been widely credited. One Encyclopædia Britannica article (Macropaedia Article "Shaka" 1974 ed) asserts that he was something of a military genius for his reforms and innovations. Other writers take a more limited view of his achievements. Nevertheless, his statesmanship and vigour in assimilating some neighbours and ruling by proxy marks him as one of the greatest Zulu chieftains. Wikipedia More on Shaka: Google Books , Google Scholar , southafricatravel.net , essortment.com , CN , zar.co.za Image: Capetown.at