Safari Notes

Do you like carnivals? What is a carnival? A carnival can mean many things . Most of us know of the spectacular, yearly, Brazilian carnivals. We very rarely hear of African carnivals. Well, a few days from now, 4th to the 6th of March, the very beautiful island nation of the Seychelles is holding the Carnaval International de Victoria and the islands will turn into a place for celebration and entertainment. And, it is attracting many from other parts of Africa . The 1972 Carnival was a great success, with Seychellois from all the islands assembling in Victoria for the celebrations alongside the visitors to the country. The 2011 Carnival will take place on a bigger scale and with an international flavor as Carnival Floats will this time be welcomed to Seychelles from the four corners of the world. Experience Seychelles Many other countries from around the world have been invited; and many, will attend. Seychelles, is renowned for its stunning beauty and very welcoming people. It is als...

Some species of the giant tortoises are now extinct, but in some places, especially islands in Africa, some still exist. These gentle, lovable creatures, can live for more than 100 years; one, in Australia, was said to have lived for 176 years, and another in Kolkata, India, reportedly lived for about 250 years. They sometimes weigh up-to over 300 kilos and can be over one-and-a-quarter meters long. In the UNESCO World Heritage Site - Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles, they thrive. Read more from: UNESCO , the BBC , FM , Fox News , Aldabra Tortoise , Aldabra Atoll , Destination360 , Galapagos Online , Discover Galapagos , Wikipedia , Geo Cornell

The Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher or the Vev in Creole ( Terpsiphone corvina ) can never be found any where else on Earth in the wild, except in the Seychelles. Even in this stunningly, beautiful island nation, the bird which was once common in Praslin and other nearby islands, is now restricted to La Digue Island, especially in the Veuve Nature Reserve. This beautiful bird, is one of the world's rarest bird and is under immense threat; and although, great care has been taken by the Seychelles government to increase their numbers, human activity and animals like cats, still threaten the survival of this very rare bird.  More reading: Nature Seychelles , Arkive , Wildlife Vets International , Bird Watch Image: Birdlife

Does the stunningly beautiful Seychelles really need man made islands? Regarded by many as the most beautiful and most exotic group of islands in the world, Seychelles has one more island. Now. An artificial one called Eden. And several other developments, catering mostly for the super rich, are being undertaken - to attract more cash to the Islands: The Seychelles is one of those tropical paradise destinations that attracts wealthy holidaymakers and ultrahoneymooners. Located in the Indian Ocean, 1,000 miles off Africa’s east coast, this otherworldly archipelago of 115 islands – some made of low-lying coral and reef atolls, others of ancient granite – offers textbook ­white powder sand, aqua waters and a balmy climate with temperatures rarely lower than 24ºC nor higher than 32ºC. It is more remote and rugged than Mauritius or the Maldives, yet it has regular flight connections direct to the capital of Mahé from Dubai (four hours away) and the UK (10 hours). It also sits in a time zo...

What a tiny frog: reaching a maximum length of 11 millimetres (0.4 in) only; even on a finger nail, it looks very small. The frog is found only in Seychelles - mainly in Mahe; and its status is classified as 'vulnerable': forest fires, invasive species, agricultural activities, expanding human settlement, the logging of timber and the expanding tourism industry have all been destructive to the frog. Due to it being very rare, very little information is available on the frog. The animal is one of ten species selected by the organization for conservation attention as part of the newly announced EDGE Amphibians program . More on the Frog: National Geographic , IUCN Red List , Animal Info , Arkive , Island Biodiversity , Biodiversity-Mongobay , Mongobay , World Lingo , Edge of Existence , Yahoo News , The Telegraph , The Scotsman , Books , Scholar