BigOryx

Gorilla orphan an park ranger share a touching moment

2013-04-21T13:59:00.003-07:00

A shoulder to lean on

Patrick Karabaranga, a ranger at the Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, sits with an orphaned mountain gorilla on July 17 in the park's gorilla sanctuary in Rumangabo.

With more than 200 mountain gorillas, Virunga National Park accounts for about a quarter of the world's mountain gorilla population. The four orphans currently living in the sanctuary were brought there after their parents were killed by poachers or as a result of illegal attempts by traffickers to smuggle them out of the park.

New Tab: Wallpapers

2012-02-16T07:10:00.000-08:00

Today I've got a update of my Blog for you. From now on you can find my wallpaper collection, so far the most clicked posts, on the new tab on the top of the page next to "Friends".

I hope you like it ;-)

WWF program - Heart of Borneo beating strong on fifth anniversary

2012-02-15T13:20:00.001-08:00

Jakarta, Indonesia - A new report released by WWF to commemorate the Heart of Borneo (HoB) Declaration’s 5th anniversary shines a positive light on the environmental status of this iconic 220,000 km2 landscape.

The Heart of Borneo Declaration, signed five years ago on February 12, 2007, committed the governments of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia to the conserve and sustainably develop the 22 million hectare ‘Heart of Borneo’.

However until now, there was no baseline data from which to assess the environmental status of the region or monitor changes over time. That is about to change with a new report produced in consultation with a wide range of specialists and scientists who have been working on Borneo ecology for many years.

The new report: The Environmental Status of the Heart of Borneo, analyses the environmental health of the area via 13 key targets and more than 50 indicators. The targets include endangered animal species, such as the orang-utans, rhino and pygmy elephant and a selection of ecosystems such as lowland, heath and montane forests and river systems. Each key target has been given a rating of very good, good, fair or poor – depending on its current quality within the Heart of Borneo (HoB).

The good news
The good news overall, is that most forest types in the HoB are currently rated as good or very good. This is particularly important for lowland forest which is under severe threat across the rest of the island of Borneo. In fact, given that lowland forest is prime habitat for Pygmy elephant, orang-utan and Rhino, the HoB may be the last stronghold for the preservation of this type of forest on Borneo.

The bad news
The bad news is that the HoB still remains under serious threat from industrial conversion of natural forest to palm oil and other agricultural crops, as well as illegal logging and unsustainable rates of legal timber extraction. Forest fire, mining and over hunting of wildlife are also major threats which future versions of this report will serve to monitor.

The report was released by WWF’s Heart of Borneo Initiative. Its team leader, Adam Tomasek, highlighted the significance of the report.

“For the first time the environmental health of the HoB has been assessed using a series of scientifically derived biological and ecosystem indicators and the results have indicated the HoB is currently in good health,” he said.

“Just as importantly, now for the first time, the three HoB governments and key stakeholders will have a credible and easy to use tool to monitor progress in terms of improvements or degradation in key natural health measures for the HoB. It is a management tool which can be used to improve decision making on the sustainable use and conservation of this globally iconic landscape,” he said.

WWF encourages the three governments of Borneo to use the report to raise awareness of the high conservation values of the HoB and the major threats to its continued survival as an area of globally significant biodiversity.

African Wallpapers 7

2012-02-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

The long wait is over, finaly my African Wallpapers 7 post is here :-)

1400x900 widescreen wallpaper of a zebra herd in the Savannah in eastern Namibia

1600x1200: typical landscape in the north of South Africa

1'600x1'200 farmland and amazing mountains in Rwanda

1280x1024 buffalos in the green Savannah in rain season

1920x1200 lonely giraffe in the dry savannah

1600x1200 one leopard vs a impala herd

1920x1080 lone giraffe on the serengeti in Namibia

Panorama: Dunes at Sossusvlei

2011-12-23T10:02:00.000-08:00

This is an other amazing panorama pic I made in Namibia.
These are the dunes at Sossusvlei in the Namib desert.

click on the pic to see high resolution

Panorama

2011-12-22T01:36:00.000-08:00

Today I've got a special picture for you. Its a panorama view of the gemsbockpass. If you watch carefully, you can spot a zebra herd.

It has been a long time...

2011-11-24T16:34:00.001-08:00

...in fact nearly 4 months since my last Post. I was very busy in the last few months so I had no time to post on my blog. Only a short update today. Im still in africa and I'm working with a local Environment Research Group. We're staying a lot out in the wild so I got no Internet most of the time ;-) Here I got two pictures for you:

A normal road here

Sunset in the Serengeti

I hope I can post some more pics in the next days, so watch out ;-)

Hi from Windhoek!

2011-07-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

I promised you a surprise and here it is:

Today we (a friend and me) arrived in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia and hired a car with all the equipment we need. Tomorrow we will heading to the north, to the wild. It's dry season at the moment, so all animals are gathered at the few waterholes so we know where we can find them. Our destination is the Etosha National Park in the North of Namibia. There we will work togeter with the rangers on a research about the changing of the Migration with the climate change.

First impressions dor you:

Windhoek, a lovely City full of extremes

Our Car, we are sleeping in the tent on the roof of the car

Unfortunately there is no internet in the wild so you have to wait for about a week for the next Post/report from Africa...

Thanks for all your support, see you in a week ;-)

Desert snake

2011-07-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

Only a video today, but it's impressive, I promise you.

Sorry for the late post today, but I'm very busy at the moment. Why? I will tell you tomorrow, it will be a nice surprice :-)

Southern Africa by Air - Victoria Falls

2011-07-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders, and note that the 'i' is silent) is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The falls are the largest in the world.

Victoria Falls is one of the most famous falls, considered to be among the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. David Livingstone, the Scottish missionary and explorer, is believed to have been the first European recorded to view the Victoria Falls — which he did from what is now known as 'Livingstone Island' in Zambia, the only land accessible in the middle of the falls. David Livingstone gave the falls the name 'Victoria Falls' in honour of his Queen, but the indigenous name of 'Mosi-oa-Tunya' — literally meaning the 'Smoke that Thunders' — is also well known. The World Heritage List recognizes both names. While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, it is claimed to be the largest. This claim is based on a width of 1,708 metres (5,604 ft) and height of 108 metres (354 ft), forming the largest sheet of falling water in the world. The falls' maximum flow rate compares well with that of other major waterfalls.

National parks

The two national parks at the falls are relatively small — Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park is 66 square kilometres (16,309 acres) and Victoria Falls National Park is 23 square kilometres (5,683 acres). However, next to the latter on the southern bank is the Zambezi National Park, extending 40 kilometres (25 mi) west along the river.Animals can move between the two Zimbabwean parks and can also reach Matetsi Safari Area, Kazuma Pan National Park and Hwange National Park to the south.

On the Zambian side, fences and the outskirts of Livingstone tend to confine most animals to the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. In addition fences put up by lodges in response to crime restrict animal movement.

Vegetation

Mopane woodland savannah predominates in the area, with smaller areas of Miombo and Rhodesian Teak woodland and scrubland savannah. Riverine forest with palm trees lines the banks and islands above the falls. The most notable aspect of the area's vegetation though is the rainforest nurtured by the spray from the falls, containing plants rare for the area such as pod mahogany, ebony, ivory palm, wild date palm and a number of creepers and lianas. Vegetation has suffered in recent droughts, and so have the animals that depend on it, particularly antelope.

Wildlife

The national parks contain abundant wildlife including sizable populations of elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, and a variety of antelope. Lion and leopard are only occasionally seen. Vervet monkeys and baboons are common. The river above the falls contains large populations of hippopotamus and crocodile. Elephants cross the river in the dry season at particular crossing points.

Klipspringers and clawless otters can be glimpsed in the gorges, but they are mainly known for 35 species of raptors. The Taita Falcon, Black Eagle, Peregrine Falcon and Augur Buzzard breed there. Above the falls, herons, Fish Eagles and numerous kinds of waterfowl are common.

A panoramic view from the Zambian side near the Knife-edge bridge

Close Encounters of the Giant Kind

2011-07-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

Today I have something that is not from Africa but anyway very amazing:

Brian Skerry describes the exhiliration of an up-close encounter with a curious, 45-foot-long right whale.

Right whales are three species of large baleen whales consisting of two genera in the family Balaenidae of order Cetacea. Their bodies are very dark gray or black and rotund.

They are called "right whales" because whalers thought the whales were the "right" ones to hunt, as they float when killed and often swim within sight of shore. As such, they were nearly hunted to extinction during the active years of the whaling industry. Today, instead of hunting them, people often watch these acrobatic animals for pleasure.

Genetic evidence appears to have settled a long-standing question about whether to include the largest, the Arctic-dwelling bowhead whale, with the rest. All four are included in the taxonomic family Balaenidae, and all four are generally referred to as right whales. This article focuses on the three species of the genus Eubalaena.
The right whales' diet consists primarily of zooplankton, primarily the tiny crustaceans called copepods, as well as krill, and pteropods, although they are occasionally opportunistic feeders.

Drawing of a North Pacific Right Whale

As with other baleens, they feed by filtering prey from the water. They swim with an open mouth, filling it with water and prey. The whale then expels the water, using its baleen plates to retain the prey. Prey must occur in sufficient numbers to trigger the whale's interest; be large enough that the baleen plates can filter it; and be slow enough that it cannot escape. The "skimming" may take place on the surface, underwater, or even at the ocean's bottom, indicated by mud occasionally observed on right whales' bodies.

Book Review: The Wildlife of Southern Africa

2011-07-27T04:37:00.000-07:00

Today I have a book review for you of one of my favourite books:

The Wildlife of Southern Africa: A Field Guide to the Animals and Plants of the Region

This illustrated field guide to the animals and plants of southern Africa is updated with all the latest taxonomy and common names. It features over 2000 carefully selected plants and animals, large and small, that are likely to be encountered during a visit to any part of the region. More than 1200 species are illustrated and many more are identifiable from the text through reference to similar species. Each group is colour coded for easy reference; for quick identification, diagnostic features are in bold text within the concise descriptions. It would be hard to find a more useful field guide that covers all the major groups of plants and animals in the southern African region.

Each chapter has been written by a leading expert in the field, most of whom have published major works in their own right. Each group is colour-coded for easy reference:

• Lower invertebrates
• Spiders and other arachnids
• Insects
• Freshwater fishes
• Frogs
• Reptiles
• Birds
• Mammals
• Grasses, sedges, ferns and fungi
• Wild flowers
• Trees

This is the ideal companion for all who venture outdoors - visitors to game parks, hikers, holiday-makers, birders, game viewers and gardeners.

About the author:

Vincent Carruthers is a well-known environmentalist and author. In 1998 he was awarded the prestigious Stevenson-Hamilton Medal by the Zoological Society of southern Africa for his contribution as an amateur zoologist.

He co-authored South African Frogs - A complete Guide and was compiling editor of the highly successful The Wildlife of Southern Africa.

He is a Director of the North West Parks and Tourism Board, Delta Environmental Centre and the Sustainable Tourism Research Institute. He is a past Executive Director of the Wildlife and Environment Society and Chairman of BirdLife South Africa.

Africa Wallpapers 6

2011-07-26T04:44:00.000-07:00

I've got some more beautiful Wallpapers for you. Hope you like them.
Whats your favourite?

1600x1200 African Elephants at Masaai Mara Parc in Kenya

16000x1200 Sunset in Botswana

2000x1333 Giraffes grazing in the Savannah of Kenya

1600x1200 Jumping contest in Kenya

1920x1200 Zebras in Namibia

1920x1200 Elephant in the Okavango Delta, Botwswana

for more Wallpapers check:

Africa Wallpapers 5
Africa Wallpapers 4
Africa Wallpapers 3
Africa Wallpapers 2
Africa Wallpapers 1

South African troops fight back as poachers kill hundreds of rhino

2011-07-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA—They used to rely on snares, poison and shotguns to kill rhinos for their horns. Now international crime syndicates are arming poachers with night-vision goggles and AK-47 assault rifles as the price for rhino horn surpasses gold.

When the crackle of gunfire signals the death of yet another rhino, radios squawk to life here in South Africa’s flagship Kruger National Park and soldiers ready for pre-dawn patrols.

“They’ve become very aggressive,” Ken Maggs, head of the South African government environmental crime investigation unit, said of the poachers.

“They leave notes for us written in the sand, warnings. That indicates it is an escalating issue . . . They are coming in prepared to fight.”

The government of South Africa, home to 90 per cent of the rhinos left on the continent, is fighting back. Since more than 140 troops were deployed in April, the number of rhinos killed in Kruger has dropped from 40 in March and 30 in April to 15 in May and just two in June. Fifteen alleged poachers also have been killed this year, and nine suspects wounded in gunfights.

Still, rhino carcasses with mutilated faces are becoming a common sight in African wildlife parks. The hacked-off horns are destined to be smuggled to China and Vietnam, where traditional medicine practitioners grind them up for sale as alleged cures for everything from fevers to arthritis and cancer.

The horns have become so valuable that thieves this year started stealing rhino exhibits in European museums. The going rate is up to $93,000 Cdn a kilogram, according to the London Metropolitan Police department.

Conservationists have failed to persuade traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and consumers that rhino horn has no medicinal value. Some link the upsurge in rhino poaching to a 2007 Chinese government decision to promote traditional medicine as alternative medicine grows increasingly popular in the West as well. Until then, South Africa was losing about 10 rhinos a year to poachers.

Members of the South African National Defence Force walk through grasslands during a media visit to clandestine positions at the Kruger National Park, July 20, 2011. South Africa's military has deployed troops in the park near its border with Mozambique to cut down on rhino poaching, which kills several hundred of the animals a year, with their horns being sold on the black market for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Trophy hunting in South Africa is compounding the problem. More than 100 white rhinos were killed under permit here last year. The Department of Environment did not respond to questions about permits issued this year.

So tempting are the rewards that veterinarians and game ranchers — the very people supposedly dedicated to conserving wildlife — have been arrested in recent months for alleged involvement in the rhino horn trade.

and dont forget to add me on facebook and twitter ;-)

BigOryx is now on Facebook

2011-07-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

Happy day today!!!
You finally can find BigOryx on facebook!!! Now you can see all my updates on facebook AND twitter.
So dont forget to join the site on facebook and send invitations to all your friends :-D

The facebook site is still under construction, there will be more news on it in the next few days...

Also dont forget to join me on twitter:

I hope you like it and follow me on twitter and facebook! ;-)

CNN: Kenyan president sets 5 tons of ivory ablaze to push conservation

2011-07-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

(CNN) -- Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki set five tons of elephant tusks and ivory carvings ablaze Wednesday in the first national celebration of African Elephant Law Enforcement Day.

The president burned 335 elephant tusks and more than 40,000 ivory carvings, which were seized from smugglers in Singapore, according to a news statement by the Kenya Wildlife Service.

The president burned 335 elephant tusks and more than 40,000 ivory carvings from smugglers in Singapore.

According to the agency, 187 Kenyan elephants were illegally killed in 2010. Kibaki said he wants his country to be at the forefront of wildlife conservation.

"Through the disposal of contraband ivory, we seek to formally demonstrate to the world our determination to eliminate all forms of illegal trade in ivory," Kibaki said.

Hundreds of conservationists traveled to the country to highlight the ongoing fight against wildlife crimes, the statement said. The event marked the culmination of a week of conservation-themed celebrations that included the launch of a new African wildlife monitoring system.

Noah Wekesa, Kenya's minister for forestry and wildlife, said the country is also finalizing a bill that will severely penalize poachers to ensure illegal wildlife trade has no "haven within our region."

In May, Kenyan officials seized 115 pieces of ivory disguised as diplomatic baggage at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Kibaki said countries need to understand the effects illegal trade has on national economies.

"We cannot afford to sit back and allow criminal networks to destroy our common future,'' he said.

Desert Lions

2011-07-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

Today I have an other documentary for you, it's about Lions living in the desert in Namibia.
Many years ago, lions thrived in the Namib Desert along the Skeleton Coast, while they are not destroyed people. Six years ago, an independent biologist Flip Stander found their small population, the remainder in the nearby mountains, and began to study them. Eventually their numbers increased, and they began to return to the desert. But to the lions continued to live here, Flip has to convince local residents that these lions are more alive than dead.

hope you like it ;-)

edit: if you like it check out this post Elephants in the Namib desert

Southern Africa by Air - Okavango Delta

2011-07-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

The Okavango Delta, in Botswana, is the world's largest inland delta. It is formed where the Okavango River empties onto a swamp in an endorheic basin in the Kalahari Desert, where most of the water is lost to evaporation and transpiration instead of draining into the sea. Each year approximately 11 cubic kilometres of water irrigate the 15,000 km² area and some flood-waters drain into Lake Ngami. The Moremi Game Reserve, a National Park, spreads across the eastern side of the delta.

The Okavango is home to a prosperity of wildlife and attracts thousands of visitors a year. There are camps within the delta region that cater to these visitors.

The delta provides a seasonal habitat to numerous different species. Among these are African elephants, the African Buffalo, the Hippopotamus, the Lechwe, the Topi, the Blue Wildebeest, the Giraffe, the Nile crocodile, the Lion, the Cheetah, the Leopard, hyenas, wild dogs, the Greater Kudu, the Sable Antelope, both the Black and the White Rhinoceros, the water monitor, zebras, the Warthog and then chacma baboon. The delta also includes over 400 species of birds, including the African Fish Eagle, the Crested Crane, and the Sacred Ibis.

The Serengeti

2011-07-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

The Serengeti is a region of grasslands and woodlands in Mara Region in Tanzania.

It has more than 1.6 million herbivores and thousands of predators. Blue Wildebeests, gazelles, zebras and buffalos are the animals most commonly found in the region.

This area is most famous for the migration that takes place every year, which is considered to be one of the seven tourist travel wonders of the world and was named by the American television show Good Morning America and newspaper USA Today as one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World" in 2006.

Related Post: Wildebeest Migration

Africa Wallpapers 5

2011-07-19T04:01:00.000-07:00

It's Wallpaperday again!!!
All Wallpapers are in 1600x1200 resolution

Running Black Feathered Ostrich

Giraffes at Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Hornbill at Krüger Park, South Africa

Sprinboks at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Thirsty Giraffes at Etosha National Park, Namibia

Wildebeests and Sunrise at Masai Mara, Kenya

which one do you like most?

for more Wallpapers check:

Africa Wallpapers 4
Africa Wallpapers 3
Africa Wallpapers 2
Africa Wallpapers 1

Film: Saved by the Lioness

2011-07-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

“A newborn Wildebeest calf is saved from the jaws of a band of marauding Hyenas by an unlikely rescuer: a Lioness”

Wildebeest run the world’s most dangerous marathon: a million contestants, travelling almost 2,000 miles each year through the Serengeti, in the never-ending search for greener pastures.

Instead of following a million, Saved By The Lioness follows one extraordinary wildebeest calf on the Serengeti plains of Tanzania. Within moments of birth, she is seized by a lioness. Her life seems over before it has begun.

However, what should be the end of the story is just the start. Not knowing that lions are dangerous, her instinct drives the naïve calf to bond with the nearest warm body: the lioness.
Then, miraculously and so rare it has never been filmed before, the lioness bonds in return.

That’s just day one. A year of hazards follows: the epic drama of the Great Migration. Our young wildebeest runs a gauntlet of predators - cheetahs, leopards, hyenas and hostile lions - only to reach a crocodile-infested river that must be crossed.

Saved By The Lioness is a story of a mother’s bond, a species’ endurance and one extraordinary calf’s breathtaking survival.

Trailer

50 Posts - Oryx

2011-07-17T05:25:00.000-07:00

Hey my Friends!!!

This is my 50th Post on BigOryx, I think I should tell you a little bit about the Oryx now:

Oryx is one of four large antelope species of the genus Oryx. Three of the species are native to arid parts of Africa, with a fourth native to the Arabian Peninsula. Their pelage is pale with contrasing dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight. The exception is the Scimitar Oryx, which lacks dark markings on the legs, only has faint dark markings on the head, has an ochre neck, and horns that are clearly decurved.

The Arabian Oryx was only saved from extinction through a captive breeding program and reintroduction to the wild. The Scimitar Oryx, which is now listed as Extinct in the Wild, also relies on a captive breeding program for its survival, Small populations of several oryx species, such as the Scimitar Oryx, exist in Texas and New Mexico (USA) in wild game ranches. Gemsboks were released at the White Sands Missile Range and have become an invasive species of concern at the adjacent White Sands National Monument.

The Crazy Honey Badger

2011-07-16T05:27:00.000-07:00

The honey badger (Mellivora capensis), also known as the ratel, is species of mustelid native to Africa, the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. Despite its name, the honey badger does not closely resemble other badger species, instead bearing more anatomical similarities to weasels. It is classed as Least Concern by the IUCN due to its extensive range and general environmental adaptations. It is a primarily carnivorous species, and has few natural predators due to its thick skin and ferocious defensive abilities.

Honey badgers often become serious poultry predators. Because of their strength and persistence, they are difficult to deter. They are known to rip thick planks from hen-houses or burrow underneath stone foundations. Surplus killing is common during these events, with one incident resulting in the death of 17 Muscovy ducks and 36 pullets.

Because of the toughness and looseness of their skin, honey badgers are very difficult to kill with dogs. Their skin is hard to penetrate, and its looseness allows them to twist and turn on their attackers when held. The only safe grip on a honey badger is on the back of the neck. The skin is also tough enough to resist several machete blows. The only sure way of killing them quickly is through a blow to the skull with a club or a shot to the head with a powerful rifle, as their skin is almost impervious to arrows and spears.

Check out this video, it shows how badass the Honey Badger is:

Crazy Commercial

2011-07-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

Check out this crazy Vivident Blast commercial with an unexpected turn.

Africa Wallpapers 4

2011-07-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

More Wallpapers today!!!

2000x1333: Crowned crane in Masai Mara, kenya

2000x1333: African Elephants

2000x1333: Elephants in Amboseli National Park, Kenya

2000x1333: Lions in Masai Mara, Kenya

1600x1068: Young Elephant with mother

for more Wallpapers see:

Africa Wallpapers 3
Africa Wallpapers 2
Africa Wallpapers 1