Safari Notes

The Kakapo Parrot If asked to choose which animal is their most favorite, most people's choice would be an animal that is common and known to most people. My choice is the elephant ; of all animals, for many reasons - I like and love elephants . ARkive , a charitable non-profit organization, recently asked people around the world to vote on and say what their World's Favourite Species is, and the result is surprising but very encouraging. Furthest from my thoughts, was a creature that very few people know of or have heard of; and even fewer, have seen: a critically endangered, flightless, heavy parrot found in the wild only in New Zealand. The Kakapo - scientific name Strigops habroptila . The magnificent kakapo stole 9% of the total votes. It’s a beautiful bird that cannot fly and is only found in New Zealand. But from the many thousands of creatures with which we share our precious planet, what made the kakapo stand out from the crowd? For most of you, tragically, it

Do you love penguins? Most of us do. And can there be a better way to express that love and support than helping in saving these very adorable creatures?  Right now there is an opportunity to protect these amazing animals by helping establish the world’s two largest sanctuaries at sea around Antarctica. Adding your voice will help protect countless penguins, whales, seals and nearly 10,000 other incredible species. *Despite the best efforts of the Happy Feet penguins, the Southern Ocean is not yet protected. That’s why Greenpeace is working with the  Antarctic Oceans Alliance , and lobbying governments to come together to protect areas like   the Ross Sea , which are vital for many penguins. You can help Greepeace, and the penguins, by  j oining their call for ocean sanctuaries around Antarctica , and by spreading the word about World Penguin Day.  Learn more  |  Sign the petition + Facts About Penguins: Defenders , World Wildlife Fund , World Conservation Society  and Liv

Not In My Country   Of all places, no where else is corruption as abhorrent as when it happens in institutions of learning and education. Any one who knows the workings of East African secondary and high schools, colleges and universities - would most likely know, too, how corrupt those working in them can be. Headmasters, principals and heads of colleges and universities are known to take bribes or ask for other forms of favours which can be: financial, material or even sexual. Many know how some one was admitted in a certain educational institution because he/she gave bribes or provided some form of favour  Many, too, know of favors being given to teachers or instructors or lecturers for the benefit of a student. I recall, years ago, while in a boys' boarding school of hundreds of students - there was this fat matron who used certain of us sexually for her to give us some favour or extra stuff. She would either aggressively cajole or bully and get her way. Then, I thought

So far, most, if not all of those wanted, indicted and punished by the International Criminal Court have been from Africa. It makes one wonder: is this international court for Africans only? Is the ' Peace Through Justice ' and its ' years of fighting impunity ' only meant for, and supposed to be enforced on, Africans? Even in Africa, the court seems to be selective: any leader who strongly opposes or chastises Western countries, the US in particular, will most likely end up on the ICC list. Mr. Robert Mugabe, maybe due to his age or his being very knowledgeable about the West, has been lucky; so far.  African leaders who have been friendly profitable to the West, however brutal and cruel they are, have been spared by the ICC. Case in point is the Equatorial Guinea's leader: Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who is the longest serving African leader (he has been in power for 34 years now); he is one of the most cruel and one of the most wealthy heads of state in

In Indonesia, behind the scenes, major international brands are conducting business with suppliers such as PT Gistex, helping to sponsor toxic water pollution and murky business practices. One of these brands is Gap - which has been linked to toxic water scandals before, and whose clothing items tested positive for hazardous chemicals in a previous investigation . How many more scandals need to break before Gap work with their suppliers in Indonesia and around the world to Detox their production processes and products, and help Detox our water? Around the world, over half a million fashionistas, activists, designers and bloggers have joined together, united by a belief that beautiful fashion needn't cost the earth. Join the movement and send a clear message to major brands and suppliers linked to this environmental destruction that we want clothes with a story we can be proud of. Take action: SIGN THE DETOX FASHION MANIFESTO + Polluting Paradise

Definition of marriage: 1. The formal union of a man and a woman, typically recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife. 2. The state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law. But in the so called 'developed' western countries, marriage is also defined as: the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage (same sex marriage). Meaning, a man and man or a woman and a woman can get 'married' and have a 'family'. Here are 10 reasons why this is wrong:

Almost 3,000 live great apes are stolen annually from the forests of Africa and South-east Asia in an illicit trade increasingly linked to organized crime and trans-boundary networks that move the animals in the same ways as drugs, arms and laundered money, according to a new United Nations report released today.  “Stolen Apes: The Illicit Trade in Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Bonobos and Orangutans,” produced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) through the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), estimates that at least 22,218 great apes have been lost from the wild since 2005 – either sold, killed during the hunt, or dying in captivity – with chimpanzees comprising 64 per cent of that number. “The current scale outlined in this report underlines how important it is that the international community and the organizations responsible for conserving endangered species remain vigilant, keeping a step ahead of those seeking to profit from such illegal activities,” UNEP Executive Direct