Going on a Lion Hunt...


The LiON


The Fox And The Sick Lion


S. African Kevin Richardson: "The Lion Whisperer"

The population of lions has decreased from around 350,000 to about only 25,000 in a fifteen year period!. 
deidreelliott:

 Beast tamer - Kevin Richardson (another Steve Irwin!) 
 Kevin Richardson, zoologist and animal behaviouralist, raises and trains some of the most dangerous animals known to man. To do this he does not use the common methods of breaking the animal’s spirit with sticks and chains, instead he uses love, understanding and trust. Richardsone is based in a wildlife conservation area near Johannesburg, South Africa, where he works his unusual gift with wild animals. Animal behaviorists typically study the behavior of social groups of animals and the social structure within them. Kevin is so instinctively in tune with these beasts that volatile mother hyenas even allow him to hold their newborn cubs without leaping to the rescue in attack. But lions are his favorite. He lavishes them with unconditional love, he says, treating each individual differently, speaking to them, caressing them, and above all, treating them with respect, reports . With this unusual method of training he has developed some exceptionally personal bonds with his students. He sleeps with lions, cuddles newborn hyenas, swims with lionesses.
View many more of his photos  HERE
He hopes the media attention on his movies and relationship with wild animals can create public awareness on the necessity to protect and preserve Africa's wild fauna.
He runs "Kingdom of the White Lion" facility in Gauteng Province (South Africa) in an effort to persuade people from hunting lions, a big money business in this country.

The South African Lion: Species

Lion hunts in South Africa earn the country more than 90 million dollars (£60 million a year and foreign tourist sometimes pay up to $40,000 to kill it.
File:Durer lions (sketch).jpg
Albrecht Dürer, 1520
P. l. krugeri: The Transvaal lion is found in this region of SouthEastern Africa,  especially in the Kruger National Park.
 Lions at dusk.
P.I. melaochaita: The Cape lion, extinct in the wild around 1860; however DNA research doesn´t back up its status as a different subspecies.
Adult male lions can weight between 150–250 kg (330–550 lb) and females 120–182 kg (264–400 lb).

South African Dogs


AFRICANIS (top right) - This medium size, slender muscular dog, evolved in Africa. Its ears are naturally semi-erect or hanging and its coat adapts to the seasons! It´s very friendly and territorial.
RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK or AFRICAN LION HOUND (top left) - It´s origins are South Africa and Zimbabwe. It is used for big game hunting and to track, chase and confront  lions. It is gentle, rarely barks and can be trained to guide the blind.
BOERBOEL (bottom right) - This dog which originated in South Africa has a square head and a short smooth coat. It´s an outstanding good house dog that can be trained to hunt. 
BASENJI (bottom left) - This small dog appeared in the Congo and it was used to lead hunting game into nets. It can be recognized by its wrinkled forehead, curled tail and fine short coat.

Umbwa Wa Ki-Shenzi: AfriCanis Dog




Korah-Khoikhoi dismantling their huts, preparing to move to new pastures. 
Aquatint by Samuel Daniell. 1805

Obtain all the information by clicking:
http://www.africanis.co.za/history.htm

The Rhodesian Ridgeback: South African "Lion Dog"


The Rhodesian Ridgeback is nowadays the only registered breed native to South Africa. It's ancestry can be traced to the Cape Colony; a cross between the first pioneers' dogs and the semi-domesticated, Hottentot mountain hunting dogs. 

"Ridgebacks holding lion at bay" by Marilyn Farmer Rhodes
Hunting mainly in groups of two or three, the original use of the Rhodesian Ridgeback or "Lion Dog" was to track game (especially lions) and to restrain it until the arrival of the hunter.

Armadillo Girdled Lizard: South African Endemic Reptile

Armadillo Girdled Lizards for Sale
Also known as the Golden Armadillo Lizard, Armadillo Spiny Tailed Lizard or Armadillo Lizard is a desert reptile measuring only 16-21 cm (6.5-8.5 in).
This species does not lay eggs; it gives birth to one or two live young fed by the mother, something very unusual for a lizard.

South African Endemic Marine Fish: Two Eyed BLennY

This fish is found only from Saldanha Bay to Port Elizabeth and measures just 7 centimetres (2.8 in) in lenght.

Photos by Andrew Taylor (Southern Underwater Research Group)

Check out the tentacles (larger in males) above the eyes!

Pitika Ntuli: South African Sculptor


He is also a poet and a writer...

The ELEphanT and the SnaiL

Story by Toon Tellegen 
Animation Christa Moesker 
Music Fay Lovsky Voice Paul Freeman 
Soundeffects Bob Kommer Sound Studio's 2003