Oct

15

Members Only – October 2009

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Shot of the Month – October 2009

The harbinger of success for some is acceptance into an exclusive club.  Perhaps it is membership at an expensive golf course or getting the nod from the man with no neck to jump the line at that by-invitation-only nightclub.

Based on a news story I read in 2002 about devastating wildfires in Borneo I decided to fly to Borneo to try and see orangutans in the wild.  Successful in my venture I became a member of a very exclusive club indeed.  There is no salary quota, or star power fame required to join the club, simply the effort needed to journey up the Sekonyer River in the Tanjung Puting National Park in southern Borneo.

So what makes this club so special?  Well, I may be among the last small group of humans to ever see an orangutan outside of a zoo.  Orangutan means “man of the jungle” in the Malay language.  In the last 20 years, we have destroyed 80% of all the forests they live in.  On the island of Sumatra, the orangutan population has dropped 86% from what it was just 100 years ago and they are listed as “critically endangered.”  The next status after critically endangered is “extinct.”

No jungle, no orangutan.

In Borneo, the orangutan is doing better and is only “endangered.”  These two Malaysian islands are the last refuge of the only great ape not found in Africa.

The forests are being razed and cleared at an astonishing rate to provide the hardwoods we like for our furniture and to make way for palm oil plantations.  We use palm oil in our cosmetics, in more and more processed foods, and increasingly, to make fuel for cars.  People also like to have baby orangutans as pets so many are captured and killed in that pursuit.

Orangutans are the most intelligent creatures on the planet after humans (though given our behavior, I demand a recount).  Of all the apes orangutans are the most arboreal – they spend most of their lives in the trees and rarely put a foot on the ground.  Unlike most apes, orangutans do not live in social groups and spend the majority of their lives in solitude.  Their arms are twice as long as their legs and they have opposable thumbs and opposable big toes so they can grasp with their feet as well.

Despite their lanky proportions, superhuman strength (at least 8 times stronger than man), and nifty opposable toes, I don’t think orangutans will be able to hang on much longer given our determined onslaught.

Our consumption here directly drives the loss of habitat there.  If you want to learn more about how you can help, follow the link: http://www.mongabay.com/take-action/orangutans.html

Planet Earth Club
Members Only
(Non-Humans Need Not Apply)

Sep

15

Flights of Fancy – September 2009

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Shot of the Month – September 2009

I have to admit that I am a bit shallow when it comes to my interest in birds – photographically, I am most interested in the pretty ones.  True birders seek out all avian sizes and shapes and can be enraptured by a rare, but very dull, brown species of sparrow.  I, on the other hand, only seek out colorful cranes, resplendent rollers, brilliant bee-eaters, or other alliterative combinations of bright-colored fowl.

While I admire the majestic nature of eagles and hawks most are hues of tan and browns and would look equally well in a black and white photo as well as one in color.  There is one eagle however that makes a brilliant exception to this rule –the Bateleur Eagle.  The Bateleur’s black head is strikingly offset by a red face and bill and the banded tan, white, and black body is accentuated by brilliant red legs and feet.  For years I would often spot the bright red feet signaling from high up in a tree but invariably I could not get a shot as the rest of the body was hidden behind leaves and branches.  I couldn’t believe my luck when I found this fellow with his mate, they pair for life, in a dead tree in Botswana.  They were gracious enough to sit there for over an hour as I shot hundreds of images with nary a leaf or branch obstructing my view!

“Bateleur” is a French word that means “tightrope-walker” — in flight the Bateleur tips its wings from side to side, looking like a high-wire acrobat catching his balance.  The eagle has a very short tail so this motion assists in making turns.  The short tail however allows the Bateleur to do sideways barrel rolls and other spectacular aerobatics.

The eagle can spend eight to nine hours a day in the air searching for food and can cover up to 250 square miles looking for snakes, mice, birds, and carrion.

The Bateleur eagle has it all – noble in stature and form with striking crimson highlights — now that’s my kind of bird.

 

Aug

15

Lost Relative? – August 2009

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Shot of the Month – August 2009

I can say unabashedly that you haven’t fully lived until you have hiked through a misty, vine-covered jungle and gazed into the eyes of a Mountain Gorilla.

First, the setting is surreal.  The jungle is an explosion of all things green.  Every shade, hue, and likeness of green that you imagine surrounds you.

Jade.  Olive.  Pea.  Pine.  Kelly.  Lime.  Malachite.  Sage.

Everything you encounter is a variation of green and whatever doesn’t move is padded in some form of emerald vine, plant, or moss.  Rain is ever present as a downpour, a light drizzle, or as a misty shroud as passing clouds snag onto the mountain canopy.

Second, you cannot make eye contact with the mountain gorilla without a sense of awe.  We share much of the same DNA and you cannot help but feel – see – experience, the intelligence of this creature.  The gaze from an equal that is looking back at you with as much intrigue and awareness as might be found in any member of your group.

We are, in fact, two members of an exclusive group.  The Hominidae, or “Great Apes” include chimpanzees, gorillas, humans, and orangutans.  Sadly, only about 700 Mountain Gorillas remain in the world – all live in a shrinking area of forest found in the Virunga Volcanic Mountains at the intersection of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Their jungle is being cut down as humans encroach to take the trees for firewood or to make space for farming.

Soon there will be simply no space left on this planet for one of our closest family members.  Can humanity find a way to live in balance with other beings on this planet?

If not, our existence will be much poorer because of it.

Jul

15

Consider Yourself Warned – July 2009

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Shot of the Month – July 2009

If you peruse my website you may notice that I do not have a large number of photos of elephants.  It’s not that I don’t like elephants, it’s just that I seem to have a hard time taking interesting photos of them.  Elephants are large.  And elephants are, well, grey.  My images rarely seem to improve much on those basic facts.

This image is one of the rare exceptions.  Here we have a bit of drama.

See those ears that have been flayed forward?  This is a clear warning signal.  He is telling us that he is not happy that we are in his space.  He shook his head and flapped his ears again to make his point.

See that raised right foot?  He is stepping forward, then back in a rocking motion — another signal that he would like us to go away.

We stayed a few minutes as I took some pictures and allowed my friends to see an elephant up close and personal.  The elephant finally started moving in our direction and we had to back up and leave.

Ears out is polite elephant speak.  If he pins them back, that is a signal that he is done with warning, and he is about to charge and you are about to become cartoonishly flat.

 

 

 

 

Elephants are among the most fascinating creatures on the planet.  A few facts you can use at the next dinner party:

  • Elephants are the largest land animals.  Ok,  everyone knew that, but did you know that the largest elephant ever recorded was shot in Angola in 1956 weighed 26,000 pounds, and stood 14 feet at the shoulder?  Elephants typically weigh 7,000 to 13,000 pounds and stand about 3 feet shorter than that Angolan giant.
  • Elephants are right or left-tusked.  Their preferred tusk (the master tusk) will be shorter and more rounded at the end than the other.
  • Elephants are the only mammal that can’t jump.
  • Elephants can’t run either.  They always have at least one foot on the ground.  That being said they can still reach speeds of 25 mph!
  • The elephant’s trunk has over 40,000 muscles.  Yes, read that one again.  With this remarkable tool, the massive beast can delicately pick up a single blade of grass.  Or, it can rip off the branch of a tree.

We’ve only scratched the surface.  Elephants have other amazing physical attributes, are incredibly intelligent, and live in very complex social structures.  All to be explored in future shots of the month.

Now I need to get out there and get some photos that do these extraordinary creatures justice.

Until next month…:-)

Jun

15

Greetings Earthlings – June 2009

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Shot of the Month – June 2009

I have a collection of photos on my wall at home and at work.  At times visitors or friends come by and walk along the wall and review the collection.

Some of the images provoke “ooohs and ahhhs.”  Others make people laugh or smile.  Some get an “eewwh” – well, some lion shots can get a little bloody, for example.

When people discover this image it tends to induce a small skit:

  1. Slowly walking, glance at the photo.  Small recoil followed by a double take.
  2. Walk back and get in close for a good look.  Squint a bit.  Peer from the right.  Now from the left
  3. Turn and look back at me: “What in the world is that?” or “Is that real?”

Yep, it is indeed real, and no, I did not shrink his head using some software tricks.  It is all genuine and it is a Gerenuk.

Gerenuks are a type of antelope that lives in the arid regions of East Africa, typically found in eastern Kenya and Ethiopia, and parts of Somalia.  The word Gerenuk comes from the Somali and means “giraffe-necked.”

What we have here is another example of keen adaptation to one’s surroundings.  Changes in their spine, muscles, and bone structure allow the Gerenuk to stand up straight on its hind legs.  This unique behavior, and that long neck, allow the species to exploit a very precise feeding niche.  Giraffes have the tops of trees covered, while shorter antelopes and gazelles like Dik Dik, Thomson’s Gazelle, and Impala eat at the bottom half of bushes.  Gerenuks saw an opportunity and adapted – by standing up and stretching their necks they can reach leaves that are six to eight feet off the ground – a feeding zone that few others can reach.

Gerenuks live in arid regions where water is scarce.  Turns out that they can go months without drinking water by being very selective about what they eat.  Gerenuks only eat the newest shoots and most succulent leaves of bushes and trees, often reaching into the middle branches to find the finest morsels.  They also eat buds, flowers, and fruit, but they do not eat grass.  This fastidious diet allows them to get all the moisture they need without drinking water and thrive in habitats where few animals can.  Smart (and tasty).

While many are shocked to learn of such a beast, it seems that they have been around for a long time.  Although European scientists did not discover the Gerenuk until 1898, drawings of these otherworldly creatures can be found in Egyptian art from 5600 B.C.

Hmmn, alien-looking creature.  Found in Egyptian art.  Some people think the pyramids could only have been built with the help of aliens.  Do you think that maybe Gerenuks were, well, you know…..ok, never mind.  Forget I mentioned it.

Be like a Gerenuk – find your niche and prosper.