Good morning
@Uncle! I’ve been up since 6am too.
@clnire the end bow is my favorite part!
Here is a great site to park your TV for background viewing. (You need a smart TV with Youtube for this or you can stream from a PC. Just type african tau or african watering hole in the search.)
It's at the Tau Game Lodge in Madikwe Game Reserve in northern South Africa and it's such a success story for wildlife. For a long time several thousand acres in these parts were being farmed unsuccessfully because the soil is poor. Of course that meant people starved and wildlife lost their habitat. Their website describes it best: “Madikwe, a South African private game reserve created in 1991 from 75,000 ha of farmland, which had been extensively degraded by overgrazing, was chosen as the site of Operation Phoenix. The government-sponsored, biggest-ever game-relocation programme in Africa involved re-stocking and conserving flora and wildlife, which had long since disappeared from the region.
Ten thousand animals of 27 major species, including wild dog, cheetah, lion, white and black rhino, buffalo and elephant, have been re-introduced to the Madikwe Game Reserve over a six year period with animals coming from various reserves and breeding centres and game viewing is now at its prime.
Northwest Parks Board (formerly Bop Parks) has adhered to a strict policy of introducing only those species, which once occurred in the area). Madikwe is run as a
three-way partnership between the State, the local communities and the private sector.”
The country figured out they could make more money and feed its people from the tourists who pay big bucks to vacation in these lodges. A win-win for wildlife and people!
BTW around 10am almost daily a herd of 50+ Elephants come to the watering hole and stays for over an hour. Right now they have the cutest tiny babies!
what a great idea!
.. or, maybe I should get a dog sidekick ..
