Rhinoceros

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Tuesday-PC-Wk135_ Memories

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It was a toss-up but decided to stay in Africa

for my memories post

Scuba diving in Botswana.

 

The longest Rhino horn my eyes have sighted

Our first close encounter with lions.

Not sure who got the biggest shock…our driver or the lioness.

‘Limpy’ as she was known was on the track around a corner

and very nearly was run over.  But she settled

about 15-20 feet away and posed for photos.

A zebra crossing in Kruger National Park.

And last, but by no means least…the cubs.Meet Nosy and Rosy…my name for these two cubs.

Their mother, Limpy, shooed  them down to  watch the strange tourists

on the condition they sat on the elephant dung

which was about 10-15 feet from us.

This was an unexpected, last night, game drive.

We sat in near silence, our cameras clicking away madly.

After about twenty minutes we had to leave as the sun was going down.

A memory we will never forget as we had

an African artist convert one image to a drawing

for our living room wall, so the memory lives on.

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One Word Photo Challenge-Rhinoceros

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My rhinoceros photos are not zoo pics…

They were taken in a Sanctuary in Africa which is

guarded twenty-four hours a day,

365 days each year.

Signs of poaching a dealt with on a

‘shoot first ask questions later‘ basis.

 

It would be ice to think that if this

beautiful specimen has gone to rhino heaven

that passing was of natural causes

and not due to a poacher.

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One Word Photo Challenge: Rhinoceros

owpc1

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THURSDAY’S SPECIAL-November-Words

November Words

Two dormant pups.

       I think salubrious would be

a great adjective to describe

the Burj Al Arab.

       An earmarked rhinoceros.

       

Schönbrunn Palace was certainly owned by influential people of the era.

      A fun-loving… 

Red Headed Weaver from our

Botswana travels.

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Thursday’s Special: November-Words

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Weekly Photo Challenge-Pedestrian

 

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My contribution for this week’s challenge…

Pedestrian

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When I think of pedestrian I think of people

that I need to give way to if I am driving.

Or something may move at a pedestrian pace…slowly.

In Africa the animals are the pedestrians which

often move at a pedestrian pace.

 It is far better to wait for some, such as this rhino,

until they have crossed the road.

Similarly a good idea not to upset

the gentle giants of the land.

Some small impala you think you could bluff…

DC Photography

until, he who never looks comes

bounding out of the scrub

Then there are pedestrians who cause traffic chaos

with their sit down strikes.

This lot even sent out a parking inspector to

make sure we were all doing the right thing.

A post about pedestrians would not be complete

without a zebra crossing image.

 Zebras will never die of high blood pressure.

On this day, they even took time out

to gawk at the tourists.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Pedestrian

(dailypost.wordpress.com)

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One Word Photo Challenge-Glue

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Glue.

Towards the end…

of our first African Safari…

we all agreed… that it was sights like these…

which held Africa’s tourist trade…

in place.

In essence, these sights were the ‘glue’…

for without these sightings to see and photograph…

Africa’s tourist trade would fall dramatically.

Which is why poaching of any description,

or trade in the products of these animals, must cease.

In my opinion and that of others as well.

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 One Word Photo Challenge: Glue

owpc1

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Weekly Photo Challenge-Signs

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My contribution for this week’s challenge…

Signs

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The Khama Rhino Sanctuary was our second stop in Botswana.

khama sign_0277As the sign states, the Rhinoceros population here is being watched over….

if fact cared for by a military guard.

sign_0010Signs indicated…

where to eat,

the most important place of all on a hot day,

and of course that swimming was available.

khama sign_0549This sign was self-explanatory.

khama sign_0011I just love the placement of this sign…

khama sign_0014in the background is a temporary canvas restaurant, and bar, and…

khama_0017

to the left are the beginnings of the new restaurant,

the previous restaurant having burned down,

This photo is a sure sign of better things to come.

khama sign_0282Rule number three states: ‘Driving  is not allowed after dark’.

We were told that this because the sanctuary is guarded twenty-four hours a day

by members of a nearby military camp…

khama_0113and to re-enforce this statement we had noted these towers,

during our drive around the sanctuary.

Another sign of poaching problems.

Poaching Rhinoceros for their (keratin-fingernail) horn is so bad that in

excess of 1,000 rhinoceros were killed in South Africa alone, in 2013,

…just for the horn.

That is nearly 3 rhinos shot dead

EACH & EVERY

day during 2013.

I did hear that even a foetus had its horn removed

The policy here, is ‘shoot first ask questions later’.

I  was not about to test the policy!

 Rhino

Graph 1, data published by South African Department of Environmental Affairs (2014)

http://www.savetherhino.org/rhino_info/poaching_statistics

By my calculations, the 2013 figure of

1004 deaths

will be

exceeded

this year

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Signs

(dailypost.wordpress.com)

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A-Z Challenge-SSS

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My contribution this week’s SSS challenge.

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Rhinocerous_0293a

… a scratching Rhino …

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Lions_0884b

Sun baking lions.

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Sunset_0020a

A setting sun.

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Leopard_0691b

Finally, a slumbering leopard.

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S-S-S-challenge

image

by frizztext

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