Lion Dog African Safaris

AFRICAN JEWELS SAFARI NEWSLETTER February 25, 2012 ISSUE # 72

Mike Donovan — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:01:30 +0000

AFRICAN JEWELS SAFARI NEWSLETTER February 25, 2012 ISSUE # 72

What’s Up ; Tip Of The Week ; Featured African Animal ; Did You Know ? ; Wit and Humour ;Swahili Term Of The Week ; Upcoming Events

WHAT’S UP

Kondoa Rock Art Sites

Kondoa Rock Art

In the Kondoa district in Tanzania, there is a World Heritage Site containing an impressive collection of between 150-300 sites of rock art dating back 3000 years . The paintings vary greatly in style, size and colour, reflecting the changing nature of the peoples inhabiting the area over the millenia (from hunter-gatherer to agro-pastoralist) and their livelihood and belief systems. Some of the shelters are still considered to have ritual associations with the people who live nearby. Day visits to the Kondoa District can easily be incorporated in our clients programs for those who indicate an interest.

TIP OF THE WEEK

MISCELLANEOUS THINGS TO DO BEFORE DEPARTING

If your home is vacant while travelling, there are a few things to consider doing.

You do not want to tell too many people that you are going away and you do not want to leave tell tale signs that your house is vacant. For instance, suspend any newspaper subscription, put up a “No Flyers Please” sign on your mailbox, arrange to have your grass cut or snow shovelled, and leave a few lights on. Call the postal service to have them hold your mail

Just before leaving, flush all your toilets, turn your hot water heater to its lowest setting and turn the main water supply valve off to the house to prevent any leaks and floods from occurring while away. Turn the thermostat down, and secure all the doors and windows.

Some house insurance policies require that the house be checked every 3 days by a reliable person while it is vacant.

FEATURED AFRICAN ANIMAL

The Crested Porcupine

Crested Porcupine

The crested porcupine is the largest and heaviest of African rodents. The head is roundish and rather domed, with a blunt muzzle and small eyes and ears. The legs are short and sturdy, and each foot has five toes, all equipped with powerful claws.

The porcupine is, of course, easily recognized by its most notable feature—its quills. Quill length on different parts of the body varies, from 1 inch up to 12 inches on the back. Usually the quills lie flat against the body, but if danger threatens, the porcupine raises and spreads them. Scales on quill tips lodge in the skin like fishhooks and are difficult to pull out. New quills grow in to replace lost ones.

Habitat

Porcupines are most common in hilly, rocky country, but they can adapt to most habitats. Excessively moist forests and the most barren of deserts seem to be the only exceptions. They have even been found on Mt. Kilimanjaro, as high up as 11,480 feet.

Behavior

Natural shelters among roots and rocks are modified by porcupines to suit their needs. They will inhabit holes made by other animals but also dig their own. These burrows are most commonly occupied in family units.

The porcupine warns potential enemies of its defense system when alarmed. It will stamp its feet, click its teeth and growl or hiss while vibrating specialized quills that produce a characteristic rattle. If an enemy persists, the porcupine runs backward until it rams its attacker. The reverse charge is most effective because the hindquarters are the most heavily armed and the quills are directed to the rear.

Not much is known about the breeding habits of porcupines in the wild, but the gestation period of the African crested is about 112 days. Between one and four young are born in a grass-lined burrow. They are well-developed and have their eyes open at birth. The young leave home for the first time at about 2 weeks of age as their quills, soft at birth, begin to harden. They are quite playful and, outside the burrow, they run and chase one another. The young are suckled for 6 to 8 weeks, when they begin to eat vegetable matter. Porcupines readily adapt to captivity and become quite tame, some living as long as 20 years.

When porcupine populations close to cultivated areas surge, they can become serious agricultural pests. They are smoked out of their burrows and hunted with spears, nets or dogs, practices that have eliminated them from densely settled areas.

Diet

Porcupines primarily eat roots, tubers, bark and fallen fruit but have a fondness, too, for cultivated root crops such as cassava, potatoes and carrots. Sometimes porcupines will take carrion back to the burrow to nibble on.

Predators and Threats

Especially in heavily settled areas, porcupines can be serious agricultural threats and porcupines can do a lot of crop damage in a single night. They are hunted using dogs, spears or nets, or smoked out of their burrows.

excerpt from AWF website

DID YOU KNOW ?

Rock Art paintings are available for purchase at Rock Art Prints http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.racctz.org%2Fpage11%2Fpage11.html&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHFqjmP6pKpibqpw48TiEU8cx00dg

WIT AND HUMOUR

Rock Art Cartoon

SWAHILI TERM OF THE WEEK

Artwork- “Sanaa “

UPCOMING EVENTS

A) Victoria , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 5 , 2012

B) Vancouver , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 6, 2012

C) Kelowna , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 7, 2012

D) Dallas/Fort Worth , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 25, 2012

E) Denver/Castlerock, How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 26, 2012

To Unsubscribe , click here http://goo.gl/P1DUp

AFRICAN JEWELS SAFARI NEWSLETTER February 18, 2012 ISSUE # 71

Mike Donovan — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 19:50:00 +0000

AFRICAN JEWELS SAFARI NEWSLETTER February 18, 2012 ISSUE # 71

What’s Up ; Tip Of The Week ; Featured African Animal ; Did You Know ? ; Wit and Humour ;Swahili Term Of The Week ; Upcoming Events

WHAT’S UP

This is a link to an interesting BBC Nature article titled Zebra Stripes Evolved To Keep Biting Flies At Bayhttp://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnature%2F16944753&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGnYZ-oYCT5vJjXvwSZVmkitq87og

TIP OF THE WEEK

Neutral , khaki , non-contrasting colours are best to wear on safari for not attracting flies.

FEATURED AFRICAN ANIMAL

Zebra

Zebra

Physical Characteristics

Zebras, horses and wild asses are all equids, long-lived animals that move quickly for their large size and have teeth built for grinding and cropping grass. Zebras have horselike bodies, but their manes are made of short, erect hair, their tails are tufted at the tip and their coats are striped.

Three species of zebra still occur in Africa, two of which are found in East Africa. The most numerous and widespread species in the east is Burchell’s, also known as the common or plains zebra. The other is the Grevy’s zebra, named for Jules Grevy, a president of France in the 1880s who received one from Abyssinia as a gift, and now found mostly in northern Kenya. (The third species, Equus zebra, is the mountain zebra, found in southern and southwestern Africa.)

The Burchell’s zebra is built like a stocky pony. Its coat pattern can vary greatly in number and width of stripes. The stripes are a form of disruptive coloration which breaks up the outline of the body. At dawn or in the evening, when their predators are most active, zebras look indistinct and may confuse predators by distorting distance. Their shiny coats dissipate over 70% of incoming heat.

Habitat

Burchell’s zebras inhabit savannas, from treeless grasslands to open woodlands. They sometimes occur in tens of thousands in migratory herds on the Serengeti plains. Grevy’s zebras are now mainly restricted to parts of northern Kenya. Although they are adapted to semi-arid conditions and require less water than other zebra species, these zebras compete with domestic livestock for water and have suffered heavy poaching for their meat and skins.

Behavior

The Burchell’s zebra’s social system is based on a harem of females led by a stallion. Stallions establish their harems by abducting fillies who have come into their first estrus. These fillies advertise their condition with a peculiar stance: straddled legs with raised tail and lowered head. All the stallions in the area will fight for a filly in this condition, as she will permanently stay with whichever stallion succeeds in mating with her. The newest female in a harem assumes lowest social status and is often received with hostility by the other females. Once a female has bonded to a stallion, she will no longer advertise herself when in estrus.

When a foal is born, the mother keeps all other zebras (even the members of her family) away from it for 2 or 3 days, until it learns to recognize her by sight, voice and smell.

While all foals have a close association with their mothers, the male foals are also close to their fathers. They leave their group on their own accord between the ages of 1 and 4 years to join an all-male bachelor group until they are strong enough to head a family.

Diet

The zebra, though water dependent, is a very adaptable grazer, able to eat both short young shoots and long flowering grasses. It is often a pioneer in the grassland community, the first to enter tall or wet pastures. Wildebeests and gazelle follow once the zebras have trampled and clipped the vegetation shorter.

Predators and Threats

Zebras are important prey for lions and hyenas, and to a lesser extent, for hunting dogs, leopards and cheetahs. When a family group is attacked, the members form a semicircle, face the predator and watch it, ready to bite or strike should the attack continue. If one of the family is injured, the rest will often encircle it to protect it from further attack.

Like many species of East Africa’s grazing animals, the Burchell’s zebra is most in danger of habitat loss and competition for water with livestock.

excerpt from AWF website

DID YOU KNOW ?

At first glance, zebras in a herd might all look alike, but their stripe patterns are as distinctive as fingerprints are in man. Scientists can identify individual zebras by comparing patterns, stripe widths, color and scars.

WIT AND HUMOUR

Zebra Cartoon

SWAHILI TERM OF THE WEEK

How do you say in swahili ? – “ Je unasema kwa kiswahili ? “

UPCOMING EVENTS

A) Victoria , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 5 , 2012

B) Vancouver , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 6, 2012

C) Kelowna , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 7, 2012

D) Dallas/Fort Worth , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 25, 2012

E) Denver/Castlerock, How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 26, 2012

To Unsubscribe , click here http://goo.gl/P1DUp

AFRICAN JEWELS SAFARI NEWSLETTER February 11, 2012 ISSUE # 70

Mike Donovan — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 19:17:05 +0000

AFRICAN JEWELS SAFARI NEWSLETTER February 11, 2012 ISSUE # 70

What’s Up ; Tip Of The Week ; Featured African Animal ; Did You Know ? ; Wit and Humour ;Swahili Term Of The Week ; Upcoming Events

WHAT’S UP

This is a link to a brief video on one technique for Drip Irrigation In Africa http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thewaterchannel.tv%2Fen%2Fvideos%2Fcategories%2Fviewvideo%2F381%2Fscarcity%2Fthe-gathering-storm-drip-irrigation&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFZp2Qy_FfVMaZTcRxtE5UioCErRg

TIP OF THE WEEK

A great website for finding out how to phone abroad is http://www.howtocallabroad.com/.

FEATURED AFRICAN ANIMAL

Hyrax

Rock Hyrax

Physical Characteristics

The hyrax is so unlike other animals that it is placed in a separate order (Hyracoidea) by itself. It is said to be the elephant’s nearest living relative. This is true to a certain extent, but misleading since the relationship stems from a remote ancestor common to hyraxes, sea cows (dugongs and manatees) and elephants. These three are unlike other mammals, but they share various if disproportionate physiological similarities in teeth, leg and foot bones, testes (that do not descend into a scrotum) and other more obscure details.

The hyrax, also called rock rabbit or dassie, is a small furry mammal. It looks like a robust, oversized guinea pig, or a rabbit with rounded ears and no tail. Hyraxes have stumpy toes with hooflike nails, four toes on each front foot and three on each back foot. The longer, clawlike nails on the inside toes of the back feet are used for grooming and scratching. The bottoms of the feet have a rubbery texture to assist in climbing steep rock surfaces and trees.

Of the three hyrax species, two are known as rock (or bush) hyrax and the third as tree hyrax. In the field it is sometimes difficult to differentiate among them.

The rock hyrax has the widest distribution in East Africa. Its coat is yellowish or grayish-brown, and the dorsal spot (a bare scent gland on the back covered with longer hair) is covered with black or yellow hair. Its head is more rounded than other types of hyraxes, and the nose is blunt.

The yellow-spotted hyrax, or rock rabbit, is smaller in size and has a more pointed, rodentlike nose. Generally it has a conspicuous white patch above the eye, and its dorsal spot is whitish or yellowish. It is sometimes seen in company of other types of hyrax, but species do not interbreed.

Tree hyraxes, unsurprisingly, spend a lot of time in trees. In some areas they are hunted for their thick, soft, long hair. They have a white or yellow dorsal spot.

Habitat

Hyraxes are very adaptable. In East Africa they live at sea level and up to altitudes of over 14,000 feet and in habitats ranging from dry savanna to dense rainforest to cold Afro-alpine moorland.

Behavior

Rock hyraxes do not dig burrows. They live in colonies of 50 or so in natural crevices of rocks or bolders. They regularly use “latrines” and in areas they inhabit, conspicuous white deposits from their urine form on rock faces. They are active in the daytime and can be seen feeding or sunning themselves near the entrances to their shelters.

Hyrax vocalizations include twitters, growls, whistles and shrieks. One group will answer the contact calls of another group. The raucous nocturnal shriek of the tree hyrax is most impressive, starting as a squeak or whistle, then rising to a piglike squeal and finally to a child’s scream. Hyraxes do most of their screaming as they ascend or descend trees during the night.

The tree hyrax is nocturnal and not as social as the rock hyraxes. They are often found in pairs and do not form much larger groups.

Although naturally shy, hyraxes in captivity become quite tame. Their habits of using latrines and eating a variety of vegetative material make them easy to keep. They have been recorded as living as long 12 years.

Rock hyraxes bear two or three young, which are so fully developed they can run and jump about an hour after birth. Although suckled until 3 months old, the young begin to eat vegetation by their second day. The young of all females in a family group often gather in a nursery group. The tree hyrax has fewer young (one or two at the most) than rock hyraxes, but they have many similar behaviors traits, such as always defecating and urinating on the same spot.

Diet

Rock hyraxes spend several hours sunbathing in the mornings, followed by short excursions to feed. They eat quickly with the family group facing out from a circle to watch for potential predators, feeding on grasses, herbage, leaves, fruit, insects, lizards and birds’ eggs. After biting off a mouthful of grass or leaves, the hyrax looks up and cautiously checks the vicinity. If the territorial male gives the shrill shriek of alarm, the hyraxes jump or scuttle to cover where they remain frozen, without moving, until the danger has passed. They can go a long time without water, apparently obtaining enough moisture from their food. Tree hyraxes feed on leaves and fruits.

Predators and Threats

Hyraxes are preyed upon by leopards, pythons, large birds, caracals, servals and civets. They protect themselves from smaller predators by biting, but escaping to hiding places among the rocks is their best defense.

DID YOU KNOW ?

Fossil remains indicate there were once hyraxes the size of oxen. This may explain its gestation period of 7 or 8 months, unusually long for an animal of its size.

WIT AND HUMOUR

Not Today Bitch

SWAHILI TERM OF THE WEEK

My name is …… – “Jina langu ni …….. “

UPCOMING EVENTS

A)Calgary , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , February 12, 2012

B) Edmonton , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , February 15, 2012

C) Victoria , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 5 , 2012

D) Vancouver , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 6, 2012

E) Kelowna , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 7, 2012

F) Victoria , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 5 , 2012

G) Vancouver , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 6, 2012

H) Kelowna , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 7, 2012

I) Dallas/Fort Worth , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 25, 2012

K) Denver/Castlerock, How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , March 26, 2012

To Unsubscribe , click here http://goo.gl/P1DUp

January 21 ISSUE # 67

Mike Donovan — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:30:06 +0000

AFRICAN JEWELS SAFARI NEWSLETTER

January 21 ISSUE # 67

What’s New ; Tip Of The Week ; Featured African Animal ; Did You Know ? ; Wit and Humour ;Swahili Term Of The Week ; Upcoming Events

WHAT’S NEW

African Economic Growth

The Economist recently did an article covering the positive economic growth in Africa ( http://www.economist.com/node/21541008 Economist Article on Africa’s Growth ) in all the 50 + countries (except for Zimbabwe ruled by Robert Mugabe) with comparisons made to the Asian continent of yesteryear. It is very refreshing to see a positive article written about Africa amongst all the doom and gloom news that the mainstream media perpetuates about Africa.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Connecting Flights

Regarding international flights, although it is desirable in most instances to have connecting flights close together in time ; luggage is more prone to get lost when the flights are too close together not allowing enough time to transfer the luggage from one flight to the other. It often takes lost luggage one to three days, if ever, to catch up to travelers. Keep this in mind when arranging all connecting flights.

As a pre-caution, it is a good idea to pack your carry-on luggage presuming that your check-in luggage might not arrive with you.

Excerpt from African Adventure Guidebook

FEATURED AFRICAN ANIMAL

African White-backed Vulture

African White Backed Vulture

The African White-backed Vulture has a bald head, broad wings and short tail . It needs 4 to 6 years to reach adult plumage. At maturity it has the following biometrics; Length: 89-98 cm; Wingspan: 210-220 cm; Weight: 4,2-7,2 kg and can live up to 19 years.

The African White-backed Vulture utters a croaking when at nest or near carcasses but it may make a squealing noise when disputes occur for food. It is common in wooded areas which support populations of large grazing mammals and can also be found along streams.

The African White-backed Vulture may be the most numerous of African vultures and it feeds mainly on carrion. These birds are adapted to feed on soft tissues, and cannot rip open large carcasses with thick skin. The African White-backed Vulture searches its food by soaring high above the ground locating food with its keen eyesight. When one bird finds a freshly killed animal, it wheels in the sky to signal other vultures to come and eat.:

The African White-backed Vulture makes its nest in trees which is small in size for these larger birds.

Excerpt from www.oiseaux-birds.com

DID YOU KNOW ?

The African White Backed Vulture is very tame, sometimes venturing into towns, searching for food.

WIT AND HUMOUR

Vulture Humour

SWAHILI TERM OF THE WEEK

I am from …. – “Ninatoka …….”

UPCOMING EVENTS

A ) Winnipeg , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 6:30 pm February 8, 2012 (New ! )

B ) Regina, How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 6:30 pm February 8, 2012

C) Saskatoon, How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 6:30 pm February 9, 2012 .

D)Calgary , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , February 12, 2012

E) Edmonton , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , February 15, 2012

F) Calgary, Fig Tree Travel Initiative Presentation, 4 pm, February 26. Details to follow.

To Unsubscribe , click here http://goo.gl/P1DUp

January 14 ISSUE # 66

Mike Donovan — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:21:30 +0000

AFRICAN JEWELS SAFARI NEWSLETTER

January 14 ISSUE # 66

What’s New ; Tip Of The Week ; Featured African Animal ; Did You Know ? ; Wit and Humour ;Swahili Term Of The Week ; Upcoming Events

WHAT’S NEW

I am back from a 5 week tour of many points in Africa that we focus on and look forward to resuming this weekly newsletter. I have posted a number of blogs from Africa on the website, many of them short videos, if anyone wishes to check them out

During the tour , I discovered a few more side tours worthy to offer to our clients which I will discuss in upcoming newsletters and presentations. I also met a few new suppliers, and strengthened ties with many existing suppliers. Its amazing how much the product changes over time and why it is so important to keep in touch.

Even though Africa is advancing in leaps and bounds, hiccups are still prevalent such as power and internet outages, and airlines cancelling flights at the last moment . There is an acronym, “TIA”, short for “This is Africa”which is the attitude that one must adopt there to stay sane .

Despite the hiccups, I am still of the opinion that there is no better place to visit on earth , than the Jewels of Africa.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Things To Buy

Watch Video Here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkKN1PEZIew

FEATURED AFRICAN ANIMAL

Wildebeest

The Wildebeest

The Wildebeest are found in many parts of Africa but it is their mass migratory behavior in the Serengeti of Tanzania and the Masaai Mara in Kenya for which they are best known. The wildebeest in this part of Africa is an extremely common antelope found in open grassland and lightly wooded regions where it gathers in enormous herds during its migration in a continual search for fresh grazing. The migration covers a distance of some 800 km and columns of wildebeest have been measured to be 40 kilometers in length. The females synchronize their calving so that 80 % of all calves ( 8000 per day ) are born in a 3 week period sometime in January and/or February. This is an excellent time to witness this portion of the migration.

DID YOU KNOW ?

Newborn wildebeest are able to stand up within 3-7 minutes of being born

WIT AND HUMOUR

Wildebeest Cartoon

SWAHILI TERM OF THE WEEK

We will see each other later- “Tutaonana baadaye”

UPCOMING EVENTS

A ) Winnipeg , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 6:30 pm February 8, 2012 (New ! )

B ) Regina, How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 6:30 pm February 8, 2012

C) Saskatoon, How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 6:30 pm February 9, 2012 .

D)Calgary , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , February 12, 2012

E) Edmonton , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , February 15, 2012

To Unsubscribe , click here http://goo.gl/P1DUp

November 26 , 2011 ISSUE # 65

Mike Donovan — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:11:13 +0000

AFRICAN JEWELS SAFARI NEWSLETTER

November 26 , 2011 ISSUE # 65

What’s New ; Tip Of The Week ; Featured African Animal ; Did You Know ? ; Wit and Humour ;Swahili Term Of The Week ; Upcoming Events

WHAT’S NEW

New Sample Tours On Website

Several new interesting sample tours have been uploaded on the Website of Lion Dog African Safaris on the Sample Tours page with gold colored links for additional information. A couple of them involve horse riding in superlative settings. These sample tours are good examples of our custom private tours. Let us design a tour for you today !

Lioness Saves Cub

Check out video ; Lioness Saves Cub

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0Sh6Bvh_Eg

Pipe Stone Travel Store Sponsoring Travel Blog

Pipe Stone Travel Store is sponsoring my travel blog as I journey across Africa commencing December 3 , 2011. During the 5 weeks I am in Africa , Pipe Stone Travel Store is giving all subscribers to this newsletter, 5 % off all merchandise.Simply print off a copy of the newsletter for proof.Pipe Stone Travel Store has 3 stores in Calgary however they also have a mail order business. Go to their website www.TravelStoreCalgary.com and they will send you an electronic copy of their catalog. Pipe Stone has terrific products, very knowledgeable staff, and I suggest you check them out.

Travel Blog

Following is the link to my travel blog. Bookmark it and follow me on my African journey starting December 3 , 2011. http://liondogafricansafaris.com/category/travel-blog-20112012/

Business Trip

While I am away on business, I may still be reached by email mdonovan@LionDogAfricanSafaris.com or google phone with voice mail at 1-510-239-7504. While away I will continue to work with existing clients and unfortunately will not be taking on any new clients in my absence.

Jen will be here in my absence to assist those wishing to make plans to visit Africa for 2012 and she may be reached at jlubey@LionDogAfricanSafaris.com

TIP OF THE WEEK

Staying hydrated on tour is recommended however it is important to avoid drinking the local water unless you personally treat it. Otherwise drink only bottled water and bottled beverages which are sealed. Avoid ice cubes, juices, food or drink of suspect origin. Avoid dairy products that may contain un-pasteurised milk. Only eat well cooked foods, fruits that are peeled, vegetables that are peeled or are well cooked. Take a folding pocket knife with you in your checked luggage or purchase one upon arrival for peeling purposes. When brushing teeth, use bottled water to wash and rinse.

FEATURED AFRICAN ANIMAL

Ostrich

Ostrich

Physical Characteristics

The ostrich is the largest bird in the world. It is flightless and relies on strong legs with two clawed toes used for running and kicking. Males are black with white wing and tail feathers, while females are brownish gray.

Diet

Ostriches are very adaptable grazers—they will feed on grasses, shrubbery, berries, seeds and succulents. They also eat insects and small reptiles, which they chase in an awkward zigzag pattern. For short periods of time, ostriches can rely on the vegetation they eat for water, but they need open water sources for long term survival.

Behavior

Though often spotted singly, the ostrich is quite gregarious, and has a fairly complex social structure. Generally ostriches are polygamous—a male will escort a flock made up of one “head female” and a couple subordinate females. Courtship is very ritualized and synchronized. All females lay their eggs in the same nest, though the head female usually drives the others away after laying. The male plays a large part in the raising of the young, from helping construct the nest, to guarding the eggs, to chasing off predators.

During the dry season, large groups (up to 700 birds) will congregate peacefully at a water source, though flock identity remains intact. Sometimes one flock will adopt the young of another, and sometimes groups of sub-adults will form.

The male ostrich has a booming “boo-booo-boooo” warning call which sounds like a lion’s roar.

Threats

In the 18th century, ostrich feathers were so popular in ladies fashion that the ostrich disappeared from all of northern Africa. If not for ostrich farming, which began in 1838, the ostrich would probably be extinct. Today, ostriches are farmed for feathers, skin, meat and eggs.

From AWF website

DID YOU KNOW ?

Ostriches can only kick forward and can kick hard enough to disembowel a human and kill them with a single kick.

WIT AND HUMOUR

Ostrich Cartoon

SWAHILI TERM OF THE WEEK

Help- “Saidia”

UPCOMING EVENTS

A ) Regina, How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 6:30 pm February 8, 2012

B) Saskatoon, How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 6:30 pm February 9, 2012 .

C)Calgary , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , February 12, 2012

D) Edmonton , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , February 15, 2012

To Unsubscribe , click here http://goo.gl/P1DUp

November 19 , 2011 ISSUE # 64

Mike Donovan — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:03:55 +0000

AFRICAN JEWELS SAFARI NEWSLETTER

November 19 , 2011 ISSUE # 64

What’s New ; Tip Of The Week ; Featured African Animal ; Did You Know ? ; Wit and Humour ;Swahili Term Of The Week ; Upcoming Events

WHAT’S NEW

Pipe Stone Travel Store Sponsoring Travel Blog

Pipe Stone Travel Store has 3 stores in Calgary however they also have a mail order business. Go to their website www.TravelStoreCalgary.com and they will send you an electronic copy of their catalogue.

Pipe Stone has terrific products, very knowledgeable staff, and I suggest you check them out.

Travel Blog

Following is the link to my travel blog. Bookmark it and follow me on my African journey starting December 3 , 2011. http://liondogafricansafaris.com/category/travel-blog-20112012/

Feedback From Someone Who Opted Not To Use Us

I recently encountered a person who had contemplated using our services last year to tour Africa however he opted to make most of the arrangements through other avenues in the end. I asked him how it all worked out. Here are a couple of excerpts taken from his email reply.

“……very stressful to organize though our local agent.” “ Flights were one of the trickier parts.”

Business Trip

Jen will be here in my absence to assist those wishing to make plans to visit Africa for 2012 and she may be reached at jlubey@LionDogAfricanSafaris.com

TIP OF THE WEEK

Packing a roll of duct tape comes in handy for patching up ripped luggage etc, and also for wrapping up souvenirs for the trip home .

FEATURED AFRICAN ANIMAL

African Fish Eagle

African-Fish-Eagle

The African Fish Eagle is a large species of eagle that is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water occur that have an abundant food supply. As its name implies, the African Fish Eagle’s main staple is fish however it does prey on other smaller animals as well. The African Fish Eagle is a large bird, and the female, at 3.2-3.6 kg (7-8 lbs) is larger than the male, at 2-2.5 kg (4.4-5.5 lbs). Males usually have a wingspan of about 2 m (6 feet), while females have wingspans of 2.4 m (8 feet). The body length is 63–75 cm (25–30 in).

DID YOU KNOW ?

The African Fish Eagle has structures on its toes called spiricules that allows it to grasp fish and other slippery prey.

WIT AND HUMOUR

Eagle Cartoon

SWAHILI TERM OF THE WEEK

Bird or airplane-”Ndege”

UPCOMING EVENTS

A ) Regina, How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 6:30 pm February 8, 2012

B) Saskatoon, How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 6:30 pm February 9, 2012 .

C)Calgary , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , February 12, 2012

D) Edmonton , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , February 15, 2012

To Unsubscribe , click here http://goo.gl/P1DUp

November 12 , 2011 ISSUE # 63

Mike Donovan — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:53:08 +0000

AFRICAN JEWELS SAFARI NEWSLETTER

November 12 , 2011 ISSUE # 63

What’s New ; Tip Of The Week ; Featured African Animal ; Did You Know ? ; Wit and Humour ;Swahili Term Of The Week ; Upcoming Events

WHAT’S NEW

Are You Game For Safari School ?

There is an interesting article , http://www.thestar.com/travel/africamideast/article/1069940–are-you-game-for-safari-school Are You Game For Safari School ? , on how to become an African safari guide.

Although the above article deals with anyone becoming an African safari guide, we feel the best African safari guides are made up of Africans.

An African safari guide can mean the difference between a good or a mediocre safari as anyone who has been on a African game safari can attest. A good safari guide will keep you safe, be able to see things that the normal person will not, know where to go and when, and should be able to explain what you are looking at.

Travel Blog

Follwing is the link to my travel blog. Bookmark it and follow me on my African journey starting December 3 , 2011. http://liondogafricansafaris.com/category/travel-blog-20112012/

Business Trip

Jen will be here in my absence to assist those wishing to make plans to visit Africa for 2012 and she may be reached at jlubey@LionDogAfricanSafaris.com

Price Increase

Please note that Lion Dog African Safaris will be increasing tour prices 4 – 8 % by November 15, 2011. Any tours booked with a deposit before that date will not be affected by the increase.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN KILIMANJARO TREKKING OUTFITS

All trekking outfits are to have a TALA mountaineering certificate in order to take groups up the mountain legally. All trekking outfitters agree to pay the porters an established amount and treat them fairly. The wages of the guides, cooks and porters are supplemented by tips that all the trekkers pay above the tour price.

All the guides are to be certified however the better outfits typically have the best guides and porters reflective of their experience and training. As part of their training, all guides are taught to recognize and deal with the effects of AMS, HACE and HAPE. Some of the up market outfits provide Gamow hyperbaric bags and/ or oxygen tanks to treat serious AMS,HAPE and HACE although rapid descent is often the most efficient remedy under the circumstances. Most of the better outfits also provide access to a Flying Doctor service for rapidly flying medical emergencies to Nairobi.

The better outfits provide better food which is also a very important factor in determining the success rate of the trekkers. The better outfits also provide better sleeping bags and mats although some trekkers prefer to bring their own. Some trekkers prefer to bring their own cold temperature sleeping bag however these items can often be rented at the mountain.If you decide to rent a sleeping bag, some trekkers bring along a sleeping bag liner to provide not only more warmth but to provide a layer between them and the rental sleeping bag.

The Marangu route provides shelter for the trekkers in dormitory style huts. The other 4 routes rely on tents for shelter. Tenting does provide a measure of privacy compared to the huts. There usually is a big difference in the quality and condition of the tents and gear between the budget and up market outfits. As a tip, rubbing candle wax on the tent zippers makes them operate more smoothly.

The better outfits will often have the eating table inside a separate tent whereas others will have their clients eat at tables set outside. Up market outfits may haul portable toilet screens up the mountain for their clients while others use the facilities of the great outdoors and/or the public outhouses situated along the routes.

There are unscrupulous outfits operating on all the routes.Some outfits incessantly pester clients for tips and/or allow their clients to ascend too quickly where they invariably succumb to AMS, HAPE or HACE forcing these clients to cut their climb short without any refund whatsoever.Some outfits will only take the clients up to Gilman’s point when Uhuru Peak is actually the highest point. Just like most things in life, you get what you pay for in a trekking outfit.

Standard Trek versus Upscale Trek :

Lion Dog African Safaris generally steer our clients to a standard trek with the better outfitters where the guides are qualified Tanzanians and the water drinking source is the mountain streams which the clients purify themselves with no health problems to report thus far. More upscale treks on the other hand, may be guided by Caucasian guides; all staff may have matching coats etc; and provide bottled drinking water, oxygen bottles, hyperbaric gamow bags, and portable toilet screens , all which are hauled up the mountain for the clients’ added privacy ,convenience , and perceived safety. The cost difference between a standard and upscale trek can be quite substantial without any reported difference in enjoyment or success rate in summiting the mountain. For those clients who wish any or all the extras of an upscale trek , Lion Dog African Safaris can also accommodate those requests.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Sports sandals made of of synthetic materials are great all purpose footwear for Africa. You can even wear socks with them on cool nights.

FEATURED AFRICAN ANIMAL

Colobus Monkey

black-and-white-colobus-monkeys

Physical Characteristics

Their beautiful black fur strongly contrasts with the long white mantle, whiskers and beard around the face and the bushy white tail. The Eastern black-and-white is distinguishable by a U-shaped cape of white hair running from the shoulders to lower back, whereas the Angolan black-and-white has white hairs flaring out only at the shoulders.

Habitat

Two types of black and white colobus monkeys are found in Kenya ;those that inhabit coastal forests and those in inland high-country areas. Red colobus monkeys are also found in East Africa, but are quite rare. Two other types of colubus monkeys in Africa are the black and the olive.

The colobus lives in all types of closed forests, including montane and gallery forests. Bamboo stands are also popular dwelling spots for the colobus.

Behavior

The colobus is the most arboreal of all African monkeys and rarely descends to the ground. It uses branches as trampolines, jumping up and down on them to get liftoff for leaps of up to 50 feet. They leap up and then drop downward, falling with outstretched arms and legs to grab the next branch. Their mantle hair and tails are believed to act as a parachute during these long leaps.

Colobus monkeys live in troops of about 5 to 10 animals—a dominant male, several females, and young. Each troop has its own territory which is well defined and defended from other troops. Adult troop members, especially males, make croaking roars that can be heard resonating throughout the forest.

Fighting over mates rarely occurs. There is no distinct breeding season although most mating probably occurs during rainy season. Because a female suckles her infant for over a year, an average of 20 months passes before she gives birth again. Other troop members often handle very young infants. In the first month when the infant still has a pink face, it may be handled three to five times an hour in resting groups. Infant mortality is high even though the young are carefully tended.

The newborn colobus monkey is covered with white fur, and at about 1 month gradually begins to change color, finally gaining the black and white adult coloration at about 3 months. The infant monkey is carried on the mother’s abdomen, where it clings to her fur. As it matures it spends a lot of time playing with its mother and certain other adults and at about 7 months begins playing with other juveniles. The games they play exercise their bodies, and as they get older, these develop into wrestling matches and mock displays.

Diet

Colobus monkeys are strictly leaf-eaters and spend most of their time in treetops, preferring to eat the tender young leaves found there. However, complex stomachs enable them to digest mature or toxic foliage that other monkeys cannot.

Predators and Threats

At one time the colobus was hunted excessively for its beautiful fur, leading to its extermination in some areas. Its skin has been used to make dance costumes, hats and capes. Today, the greatest threat to its continued existence comes from loss of habitat as forests are cut down.

DID YOU KNOW ?

The name colobus derives from a word meaning “mutilated one” because unlike other monkeys they do not have thumbs.

The monkeys communicate with a songlike call, a warning call and a mating call. Local tradition says they are good weather forecasters because they become silent when bad weather is coming.

SWAHILI TERM OF THE WEEK

monkey-”tumbili”

UPCOMING EVENTS

A ) Regina, How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 6:30 pm February 8, 2012

B) Saskatoon, How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 6:30 pm February 9, 2012 .

C)Calgary , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , February 12, 2012

D) Edmonton , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , February 15, 2012

To Unsubscribe , click here http://goo.gl/P1DUp

November 5 , 2011 ISSUE # 62

Mike Donovan — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:36:09 +0000

AFRICAN JEWELS SAFARI NEWSLETTER

November 5 , 2011 ISSUE # 62

What’s New ; Tip Of The Week ; Featured African Animal ; Did You Know ? ; Wit and Humour ;Swahili Term Of The Week ; Upcoming Events

WHAT’S NEW

Travel Blog

I am off to Africa on business for the month of December and first week of January, and this newsletter will be discontinued during that time. In its place will be intermittent travel blogs posted on the website for viewers to follow my trip progress. Feel free to join me as I travel and report from the countries of South Africa , Botswana, Zambia, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania including Zanzibar. I hope to include some pictures and videos with my blogs provided I can get all the technology to work. Comments to my travel blogs are also possible.

Here is the link to my travel blog:

http://liondogafricansafaris.com/category/travel-blog-20112012/

Business Trip

Jen will be here in my absence to assist those wishing to make plans to visit Africa for 2012 and she may be reached at jlubey@LionDogAfricanSafaris.com

African Tours For 2012

January and February are excellent months to visit east Africa and there are now 16 private parties thus far lined up with us to visit Africa this upcoming January and February , compared to 6 parties last January and February. Obviously the word is getting out that we provide high quality African tours at great prices !

March, April and May are the heavy rainy seasons in the parts of where the Jewels of Africa are located and we do not recommend visiting Africa at that time. However the weather clears up from June to October and this is also a cooler time to go for those who do not like it too hot. You should be contacting us now if you are planning to visit Africa in 2012.

Go big, Go Africa, Go with Lion Dog African Safaris !

Price Increase

Please note that Lion Dog African Safaris will be increasing tour prices 4 – 8 % by November 15, 2011. Any tours booked with a deposit before that date will not be affected by the increase.

TIP OF THE WEEK

When getting your immunizations shots at the travel clinic, also ask for a prescription of Ciprofloxacin for treatment of traveller’s diarrhea.

FEATURED AFRICAN ANIMAL

Going To Zanzibar

DID YOU KNOW ?

Some lions mate over 50 times a day.

Elephants are the only animals that cannot jump.

An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.

SWAHILI TERM OF THE WEEK

Cold-“Baridi”

UPCOMING EVENTS

A ) Regina, How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 6:30 pm February 8, 2012

B) Saskatoon, How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 6:30 pm February 9, 2012 .

C)Calgary , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , February 12, 2012

D) Edmonton , How To Best Safari Africa Presentation 7:00 pm , February 15, 2012

To Unsubscribe , click here http://goo.gl/P1DUp

Dar es Salaam City Tour

Mike Donovan — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:12:58 +0000

This blog brought to by the great people at Pipestone Travel.