The Spotted Wind

I’ve always been partial to cats. Growing up we had a family cat and as an adult I’ve had 3 feline friends to date. When it comes to their wild relatives I don’t have a favourite really – they are all amazing in their own way – but there’s no denying how absolutely fascinating I find the cheetah. During my visit to Tanzania in 2008, I was fortunate enough to see wild cheetahs; I saw them in both the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. And wow, are they ever beautiful!



Cheetah in Serengeti National Park ©Lenore N



Unlike lions or leopards that are built for strength, cheetahs are built for speed. They are the fastest land animal on the planet reaching speeds of about 110 kilometres per hour (70 MPH)! A few weeks ago I wrote an entry on animal adaptations. I talked about the difference between generalist species and specialist species. Cheetahs are most definitely specialists. But what is it that makes the cheetah so fast? It’s their amazing structural and physiological adaptations that allow this cat to move as fast as it does.

They have a flexible spine allowing all four paws to be off the ground at the same time, long legs to propel them forward, semi-retractable claws for gripping the ground as they run, a long tail that acts as a rudder for balance as they turn on a dime, a big chest cavity for their large lungs and heart to pump the amount of oxygen and blood needed to run at those speeds, small dentition (especially their canines) allowing for an enlarged nasal passage for taking in oxygen and small head and ears for aerodynamics.

This short video from BBC Nature Collections illustrates some of these adaptations:

Cheetahs are diurnal, meaning that they are most active during the day. Their spots provide excellent camouflage in the long African grasses as they wait for the perfect opportunity to ambush their favourite prey, Thompson’s gazelle. And because they hunt during the day, their black under-eye 'tear' markings help to reduce the glare of the sun. What, you didn’t think the NFL came up with that on their own did you?

Unfortunately, no matter how fast they are, they can’t outrun how quickly their numbers are dropping – the cheetah is endangered. At one time, these cats ranged throughout Africa and Asia. Now there are only an estimated 100 remaining in Iran and somewhere between 10,000 to 12,500 in sub-Saharan Africa; its last true stronghold is Namibia with about 3,000 individuals. Loss of habitat and conflict with livestock farmers who indiscriminately trap and kill them are severe threats to the cheetah. Add to that a decline in prey and competition with larger predators like lions and hyenas who may steal their kills and it equals big trouble for these incredible cats.  

One of the world’s leading cheetah conservation organizations is The Cheetah Conservation Fund, founded by Dr. Laurie Marker. They focus on conservation and management strategies outside of protected parks and reserves and their overall objective is to secure the survival of cheetahs in suitable African habitats. For more information on their work and for everything you could ever want to know about cheetahs, visit their website: http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=home.

It would be a tragedy to loose such an amazing and beautiful cat, one of nature's 'record breakers'. I hope to one day visit Namibia and maybe even spend some time volunteering for the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Until then, I have great memories of my time viewing wild cheetahs and I hold them close to my heart.

In The Shadow Of Giants

I fell in love with African wildlife as a kid and my dream was to one day visit the continent and see all its animals. When I got a little older and learned just how large and diverse a continent Africa actually is, I figured I’d start with the Serengeti and go from there!

In 2008, my dream finally became reality and I embarked on a 28-day trip to the land of sun. There are many, many stories to share about this trip and the three countries I visited – Tanzania, South Africa and Madagascar – but today, this story is about elephants.

Being the largest land animal on the planet, it’s hard to imagine anyone not being impressed by an elephant. An average male African elephant weighs around 6, 364 Kg (14,000 pounds) and stands about 4 M (over 13 feet) tall. Seeing one at a zoo is impressive, but seeing one in the wild is a whole different experience. I’m not sure I can accurately describe what that was like for me. Whenever I see an animal in its natural habitat, especially for the first time, I feel both excited and at peace...and I’m usually a little teary-eyed to boot. And when it’s a large animal like an elephant, the wow factor is big!

On my very first day of safari, I couldn’t wait to finally see the animals I had been waiting to observe in the wild my whole life. And I wasn’t picky; I didn’t have a check list, I wanted to see it all! I was travelling with a friend who felt the same way and we were SO excited to get going. We arrived at the first place on our tour in Tanzania, Tarangire National Park. Our guide went to check us in and I decided to use the bathroom before our drive. While in there, I heard zebras in the distance through the open window and at first it was so surreal it was like I was hearing a recording playing on a PA system rather than actual wild zebras in the park beyond the bathroom. Oh my god...I was in Africa!

The first animal we saw was a giraffe, but it was far below us in a valley and although we were ecstatic, our guide promised we would see animals much closer then that as we drove on. We then came upon an African fish eagle sitting in a large tree and again were thrilled because we weren’t sure how many birds of prey we’d end up seeing during our visit. It wasn’t too long after we’d said goodbye to the eagle that it happened – we saw our first elephant!

Bull elephant in Tarangire National Park © Lenore N

 It was a male and he was alone walking through the tall grasses. He saw our jeep stop and he watched us calmly as we scrambled for our cameras all the while whispering excitedly. He was magnificent and beautiful and yes, I got a little teary. For such a large creature, he was amazingly quiet. The thing I find challenging when seeing a wild animal is the desire to capture as many pictures as I can while balancing that with just sitting and observing. But since this was my first wild elephant encounter ever, the camera won out and I snapped picture after picture – gotta love digital! Fortunately, we had many opportunities as the trip went on to sit and observe these amazing giants.

Mom and baby in Serengeti National Park © Lenore N

Over our planet’s history, there have been 252 identified species of proboscidea (the taxonomy order to which elephants belong) which includes the prehistoric woolly mammoth. Today, there are only 2 species of elephants left, African and Asian. As I’m sure you’re well aware, those 2 remaining species have been driven to the brink of extinction for their ivory tusks. And although the trade is illegal, it continues to thrive. Add habitat destruction and human-elephant competition for space to the mix and these animals have got huge odds stacked against them. They are large, far roaming species that need lots of space to survive. The elephant population in Africa is not as low as that in Asia, where they only number somewhere between 25,000 to 35,000 wild individuals. There are about 600,000 African elephants across 37 countries – and this number is largely due to vast conservation efforts over the past 30 years. But while they may be stable in certain areas where protected, they are far from being safe with all the pressures on them. 

One organization doing amazing work is the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/) in Kenya. They take in young orphaned elephants whose families have been killed by poachers or have ended up affected by some other human-elephant conflict that has left them alone. Regardless of the reason, these young elephants wouldn’t stand a chance without the help of the Trust. The individuals who work there are truly some of the most caring and compassionate people on the planet. They spend day and night with these orphans nursing them back to health with the goal of one day releasing them back in the wild. 60 Minutes and The Nature of Things have both run programs on this organization so if you think it sounds familiar, that could be why.  Please visit their website and learn more about their work. It’s very expensive to care for these animals and they have a great foster program you might be interested in. I fostered an elephant in the past and loved getting photos and updates; it was very rewarding to hear about her progress.

© David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust 

 Everyone has the power to help elephants whether by avoiding products made from ivory, donating to an organization working on elephant conservation and/or educating other people about the issues threatening these amazing animals.   

The experience of spending some time with wild elephants in Africa is one for which I am eternally grateful and one I will remember forever. 

Breaking The Ice

I thought I would share a story about bars and pickup lines because I think this one is very funny. You may be wondering, “What could this have to do with wildlife and conservation?” Read on and you’ll see the connection.

In May of 2007, I went to Halifax for a few days. The organization I was with at the time has an office there and I was promoting our new teacher resources by visiting a couple of schools and talking to elementary children about wildlife conservation.

This was my first visit to Halifax and I was really excited. First, because I LOVE to travel and second because two colleagues from Toronto had gone to work at our office in Halifax for a year and I was going to hang out and explore the city with them.

If you’ve ever been to Halifax, you’ve no doubt been to the Lower Deck. As I learned, it’s THE pub to visit and have a pint or two while listening to one of Nova Scotia’s many fantastic local bands. We had a great night with lots of laughs, but what made this night particularly memorable for me was an exchange that took place between me and some random guy. Apparently, there is a pickup line that goes like this:

Guy: Do you know how much a polar bear weighs?

Girl: No

Guy: Neither do I, but it’s enough to break the ice!  

Now if you’ve been following my blog entries, you’ll know that one of the species I’ve been lucky enough to work with is the polar bear. So in my mind - because I hadn’t yet heard this line - this guy had been chatting with one of my colleagues, found out what we do and decided to talk to me about polar bears. Poor guy! And keep in mind that the music is loud so we’re yelling over it. Here’s how the exchange went:

Guy: Can I ask you a question?

Me: Sure.

Guy: Do you know how much a polar bear weighs?

Me:  Yes, do you want that in pounds or kilos?

Pause...

Guy: (looking at me like I’m crazy) What?

Me: What?

Guy: Never mind.

Me:  (confused): Wait...what?

Guy: Nothing. (tries to walk away)

Me: (still confused): What just happened here? Did one of my colleagues tell you to ask me that question?

Guy: (still looking at me like I’m crazy) No. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Me: Well then why would you ask me that question?

Guy: (slightly annoyed) Well why would you answer it like that?

Me: Because I work for a conservation organization and polar bears are one of the key animals I work on.

Guy: Oh, that’s weird.

Me: So, what response were you looking for?

So then the poor guy goes on to tell me about the pickup line, completely embarrassed by this time. Needless to say, he left abruptly after that while I was laughing – at the situation, not him...well ok, maybe a little at him for trying that line in the first place – and looking for my friends to tell them what had just happened. I mean, what are the chances of that?

And that is by far the BEST line I’ve had used on me! I often wonder if that guy ever got the nerve to use it again. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the weight of a polar bear depends on age, sex, the season and which subpopulation we're talking about (especially for those fasting during their time on land). There's a wide range, but on average an adult male bear weighs around 400 kilos or 880 pounds – some weigh more and some weigh less. Females usually weigh about half of what males weigh.

  

Polar bears have the amazing ability to displace

their weight evenly so they can walk across ice

that wouldn't even hold the weight of a human

© Lenore N