Safari Notes

They have have been called the grandest living flying machine on Earth . No wonder: the Albatross has a wing span of 3 meters and a body mass of up to 12 kilograms. They can live for up to as long as 60 years. But as they have one of the lowest reproductive rates of any birds and as they are being hunted and killed, they may become extinct. Biologists have discovered that swordfish, tuna and other fishing fleets, are catching these birds while fishing, and are killing more that tens of thousands of these birds every year. In a couple of decades many species may be wiped out unless urgent action is taken . More: British Antarctic Survey , Save The Albatross , Endangered , National Geographic , WWF , Facts , petcaretips , Earthlife , antarcticaconnection , coolantarctica , Wikipedia , Encarta , Ecuador Travel , Books

Have you watched the movie ' MARCH OF THE PENGUINS '? Watch it and you will understand why these animals are unlike no other creature on Earth. You will be left in awe and wonder at how any living thing can be so extraordinary, persistent and enduring as these heroic penguins. And you will never forget the amazing Emperor Penguin. A penguin and an animal that is undoubtedly one of the few greatest living wonders and miracle of our Planet. More on the Emperor: emperor-penguin.com , National Geographic , Enchanted Learning , Penguin World , Anatarcconnection , Animal Diversity , coolantarctica , BBC , Whale Times , Nature.ca , Books , Scholar Image: esf.edu

Few animals are as graceful, and as strikingly beautiful and spectacular to look at, as the African Sable. Of which, there are four recognized species:  the Zambian ( Hippotragus niger kirkii ), Common or Southern ( Hippotragus niger nige r), Eastern ( Hippotragus niger roosevelti ), and the Giant or Angolan ( Hippotragus niger variani ). All are endangered, some are on the IUCN red list of the critically endangered animals . If poaching for these antelopes continues at this fast rate, they may one day be extinct in the wild. More on the Sables: Wild-about-you , AWF , sav-venues , Suite101, bluewaterbiggame , wildwatch.com , africawildlifeguide , Wildlife Africa , Thinkquest , Africanconservation , National Geographic , Flickr Photos Wildcaster's photostream

The great egret, is a large white heron found in most parts of the world: from southern Canada southward to Argentina, and in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. It's the largest egret in the Old World, and thus has garnered the name Great White Egret. But in the Americas, the white form of the Great Blue Heron is larger and warrants that name. In the United States, the Great Egret used to be called the American Egret but that was hardly appropriate, since the species range extends beyond America and indeed farther than other herons . More on the Great Egret: All About Birds , Assateague , Amonline , Naturia , nhaptv , Nature-wildlife , Enature , USGS , Whatbird , National Geographic

The General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park is, by volume, the largest tree in the world: an incredible 103 feet in circumference around its base and over 270 feet tall; it aslo holds the record of being the most massive living thing on Earth. It is over 2,000 years old and is named after Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman . The tree and other trees around it, have protection from the US government park system. More on General Sherman: nps.gov , Think Quest , werc.usgs , the Examiner , Hikes Peak , Virtual Travel ,  Trip Advisor , Via Magazine , Facts General Sherman Googled: Books , Video

The Monarch Butterfly. It is the King of the insect world. It is poisonous and are indeed very beautiful. Most incredible and amazing of all about these butterflies, is that: they migrate, traveling great distances flying 3,000 to 5,000 kilometers across Canada and the USA where they breed and to Mexico during winter for the warmth there. And then again fly back to their breeding grounds. It is this stupendous migration cycle that makes these butterflies so extraordinary and awesome. More reading: enchantedlearning.com , monarch-butterfly , Insecta Inspecta , Monarch Watch , gpnc.org Image from: Learner

Honey Bees . More have been written about these wonderful, extraordinary creatures than has been written on any other insects. Of creatures, they are the most beneficial to mankind. About a third of all the food that we humans eat, is the result of their pollination. Without them, humans might most likely cease to exist. So tiny and yet so decisive for our existence here on Earth. No wonder all sacred scriptures mention Bees. "In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful And your Lord inspired the bee: build homes in mountains and trees, and in (the hives) they build for you. Then eat from all the fruits, following the design of your Lord, precisely. From their bellies comes a drink of different colors, wherein there is healing for the people. This should be (sufficient) proof for people who reflect . The Noble Quran ~ [16:68-69] Read: Islamic Perspective On The Bees , National Geographic , Ezine Articles , Benefits of Honeybees , Honeybees , Facts   Image: Robert Silverwo

Found all across Africa, it is the continent's most magnificent tree. The tree, that seems to appear as if upside down. It is the African Baobab Tree (Adansonia digitata). Due to its very remarkable structure, it survives in the most arid of places. The baobab can grow to a maximum height of about 23 metres (75 feet); its barrel-shaped trunk can be as thick as more than 5 metres (16 feet) in diameter. It can live for thousands of years: a baobab tree in Egypt, is reportedly 6,000 years old, which makes it older than the Giza Pyramids. More: Ezine Articles, Suite101 , Botswana Tourism , Facts , Baobab Solutions , National Geographic ,

Very few animals are as adorable and pleasing to watch as dolphins. " Dolphins have a universal appeal, symbolizing freedom, joy, grace and serenity , uplifting the spirits of many people all around the world ." There are 30 or so different species of dolphins. Did you know that the Orca is classified as a dolphin? The dolphin's greatest predator and danger, as with most life forms on Earth, has been and is Man. About: Dolphin-World , Dolphins , Facts , The Dolphin Place , General Info , Defenders Image: National Geographic

" The elephant is a friend to man More than the dog, it's constant. And now indeed our turn has come to be the Friend of the elephant. " From the song, Friends of the Elephant, composed by Paul Hippeau, for the Society of the Friends of the Elephant at their 1906 banquet. " The elephant's a gentleman ." Rudyard Kipling in Oonts " The elephant, not only the largest but the most intelligent of animals, provides us with an excellent example. It is faithful and tenderly loving to the female of its choice, mating only every third year and then for no more than five days, and so secretly as never to be seen, until, on the sixth day, it appears and goes at once to wash its whole body in the river, unwilling to return to the herd until thus purified. Such good and modest habits are an example to husband and wife. " St. Francis De Sales, 1567–1622, French churchman, devotional writer. Introduction to the Devout Life, pt. 3, ch. 39, 1609 "There is