Hi again
Herewith, some snippets from various sources.
I appeal to you to send me items to distribute to our members for the Cleft Stick, the Game Ranger magazine and to be posted on the web site. These are your magazine and website, so ensure it gets the news that you would like to see in it.
Please let me have any changes to your physical address, phone no. or e-mail address to keep the database up to date.
Thanks to all of you who have made the effort. Please will any of you who know of members who do not get this “electric” Cleft~Stick, & have access to e-mail, pass their address along to me.
Don Yunnie
7 Chalet Drive, Hilton, 3245, South Africa Local Tel & Fax (033) 343 1534 Int. Tel & Fax (+2733) 343 1534 cell 082 377 7562 E-mail dyunnie@xsinet.co.za.
If you do not wish to receive this e-mail newsletter please send a blank e-mail to me at the above address with the word “unsubscribe C~S ” as the message heading.
Raffle - fund raiser
Dear GRAA Colleagues and Friends,
Please, we need your support and help !!
The GRAA has been offered a hunt on Kia Ora Game Ranch as a fantastic prize (worth approximately R19,000.00), to raffle as a fund raiser.
We need your help to sell the 500 tickets.
See the Attachment for details.
As you know the GRAA is linking up with the SA Wildlife College and we need funds to meet our commitments - Selling raffle tickets will help!
If you don't know any hunters, ask friends, relatives and colleagues if they know anyone who hunts.
It's amazing how soon you will collect 4 or 5 names and addresses of hunters.
ALSO, The Ranch is also a wonderful birding venue. After the hunting season (which ends 31st August) this is also an option.
For more details on the birding option please contact Snowy, George or Marius. Contact details on the attachment.
Many thanks,
Snowy, George & Marius
GAME RANGERS ASSOCIATION OF AFRICA
AN OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME – Win a HUNTING TRIP to the 2,300ha Kia Ora Game Ranch - Ixopo KZN.
PRIZE is valued at R19,000.00 and includes:-
One trophy NYALA, one Bushbuck, one Blesbuck, one Impala and one Warthog. (additional animals may be purchased if available)
Plus, 4 nights accommodation for 4 persons in the fully equipped and serviced, beautiful “Thorns Bush-camp” on Kia Ora.
The assistance of 2 trackers, the skinning of the animals, and the use of a cold room.
Kia Ora is also a wonderful bird watching venue.
ALL FOOD AND DRINKS ARE FOR THE WINNER’S OWN ACCOUNT.
COST of the ticket : R150.00
ENTRIES CLOSE : 4 May 2007
DRAW: 11May 2007
GAME RANGERS ASSOCIATION OF AFRICA
AN OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME
– Win a BIRDING TRIP to the 2,300ha Kia Ora Game Ranch - Ixopo KZN. The PRIZE includes:-
4 nights accommodation for 10 persons in the fully equipped and serviced, beautiful “Thorns Bush-camp” on Kia Ora Game Ranch.
The assistance of 2 trackers to walk with you on the ranch.
Kia Ora is a wonderful bird watching venue in Spring and Summer. Opportunity to see upwards of 160 species including Crowned Eagle and Blue Swallow.
To find out more about the Kia Ora Game Ranch and the Thorns Bush-camp visit www.thethorns.co.za
ALL FOOD AND DRINKS ARE FOR THE WINNERS OWN ACCOUNT.
COST of the ticket : R150.00
ENTRIES CLOSE : 4 May 2007
DRAW: 11May 2007
THIS IS A FUND RAISING PROJECT OF THE GAME RANGERS ASSOCIATION OF AFRICA
The GRAA is a registered non-profit organization with the motto “may the roar of the African lion be heard by the children of our children’s children and forever.
”For information about the Game Rangers Association of Africa please go to our Web site :-
http://www.gameranger.org/.
Effective Protected Area Stewardship
An important current area of focus for the GRAA is the marketing of its’ capacity to provide expert services in the field of protected area management effectiveness; primarily the promotion of the tool (known as PAMS) for achieving and maintaining effective management in protected areas.
The Protected Area Management System (PAMS) addresses all conservation concerns, the achievement of goals and ensures verified progress and improvement. Third party PAS (Protected Area Stewardship) certification of outsourced tourism and / or hunting agents against acceptable standards is recommended as a complementary addition to the implementation of PAMS by conservation agencies. The attaining of PAS certification is a secondary consideration, but there are advantages of third party certification. In brief summary, PAMS is a risk management system, which will reduce liabilities, win stakeholder support and has potential commercial benefit.
The GRAA is also keen and able to assist conservation organizations with conducting objective Management Effectiveness Evaluations of protected areas and in compiling Integrated Management Plans for protected areas.
More information is available by contacting Ms Jan Phelan (mwplanit@mweb.co.za, +27(0)82 876 0003) or the GRAA Chairman (waynelotter@iafrica.com) who can by request, give a short presentation outlining the system.
A Success Story in the Kavango Region of Northern Namibia
The “Makena Ecosystem Protection and Environmental Education Club” (MEPEEC), is the first of its kind in the Kavango Region of Northern Namibia. It consists of 15 members from the Makena community of the Giriku area, all within the 16-25 year age and includes both genders. The club was formed and registered through the Ministry of Youth and Sport in December 2005.
It started in a very interesting way; I own and run Shamvura Camp on the Okavango River and we are situated within the Shamvura/Makena communities. We are regularly plagued by illegal poaching activities along the river and its adjoining floodplains. The use of firearms, snares, traps, etc. is common practice throughout this region, made easier because of the proximity of neighbouring Angola where firearms are a way of life. Although all the local people here are aware of the laws regarding the use of firearms against wildlife, they are also aware of the serious lack of control by the over-extended and unmotivated authorities. One afternoon I heard a shot from a nearby island full of breeding herons and other birdlife. Alone I went out by boat to investigate and found a wato (mokoro/traditional canoe) with a spent shotgun shell hidden nearby with no sign of the culprit. I towed the wato back to my camp where I knew I would get an indignant and aggressive reaction from one or more of the neighbouring community. I then telephoned the local Ministry of Wildlife (MET) Officer to report the incident, as always not expecting much more from this quarter.
As expected,I was visited by two men from the community enquiring about the wato in a surprisingly polite manner. One of these men was a school teacher from the Makena Pre-primary School who quite openly admitted to firing at a Spur winged Goose. As expected he denied knowledge that it was against the law and I, with some more phone calls to MET authorities, instigated a spot fine, and we parted company quite amicably. I was however quite dumbstruck when on the following day I was visited by the second man Shikerete Mushonga. He explained to me that he and a friend were as sick and tired as I was of the illegal misuse of wildlife and natural resources in the region and they wanted my help to form a club or organization to control this. I was quite astounded, as being seen as a measure of control here, I was by no means popular and this approach was quite unexpected. However, I said to Shikerete that two people are not enough to be an effective club and after some chat dismissed him and the thought as pleasant yet far-fetched memory. To my amazement some days later Shikerete and Faustinus Mashati (his friend) again visited with the news that they now were eight members. They were clearly now quite serious and I put my business operations aside for some weeks while we together formulated a constitution with goals and objectives and structured their club, with a Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Secretary. We then went through the long-winded bureaucratic quagmire of their club’s registration. I tried very hard not to get directly involved, yet more and more took on the role of supportive advisor using Shamvura Camp as their base for communications and other supportive activities. Since it’s inception, the club has obtained land and built their own club house. They have started an income generating vegetable garden. I have involved them in two successive Wetland Bird Counts for Wetlands International. I have initiated good working relationships between them and the Ministry of Fisheries and Ministry of Environment and Tourism and together they have conducted many river patrols using my boat. I have also coordinated meeting(s) with the Namibian Crane Working group and Every River Has Its People Project a transboundary CBNRM programme which has linked them with an Angolan Environmental Outreach Officer. The club subsequently conducted its own educational environmental awareness visits to numerous schools and local headman and communities. They also conduct regular river patrols using a “wato” which I donated to them to control illegal river activities. They are paying special attention to a nearby Carmine Bee-eater colony of approximately 1500 birds, the only one of its kind in the Okavango River in Namibia. They are now in the process of establishing small satellite groups to widen their area of control on the Okavango River. They have the support of many significant and progressive headmen which also seems to be encouraging them to widen their areas of control. So far they are doing this all on a purely voluntary basis with no form of remuneration. I have recently sourced some printed shirts for them with funds donated by Chevron Namibian (Pty) Ltd through Mr. Pieter le Roux as well as binoculars and books from friends and guests. I have also involved them in a bird guiding programme through Namibia Nature Foundation. They have also had front page exposure with the Namibian “Youth paper”. We are also implementing programmes whereby they will be taking “wato” trips with our guests and are initiating a means of obtaining funds for conducting productive and effective river patrols. Recently Charly’s Desert Tours made a cash donation and have pledged further support.
This proudly progressive and enthusiastic little group of young people are already starting to make a visible difference in only 10 months. They are taking up a tremendous challenge to control the illegal elements in their community, which are, after all, their elders, and even sometimes their authority figures. They are often assuming the role that their traditional leaders are unable or unwilling to take on and are facing the obvious negative impact from their community with an admirable degree of resolution and determination. What is even more admirable is they are still willing to do this with no promise of remuneration. That aspect in this country and in this day and age is truly worth a mention.
If any of you out there have advice or a way of helping their progress please fell free to contact me. There must be similar stories out there, let’s hear some good news? Mark Paxton email shamvura@iway.na
Seabirds at risk
Seabirds are some of the most abundant and wide-ranging of birds, with vast numbers gathering at islands to breed, and dispersing large distances in search of food. However, many species are at risk of extinction, because they face threats both at their breeding sites (e.g. introduced predators, human disturbance and exploitation, and habitat destruction or degradation) and at sea (e.g. killed by fishing gear, pollution). Globally, some 10% of bird species are listed as threatened, but almost one third of seabirds are threatened. In southern Africa, half of all globally threatened birds are seabirds. In part this is because of the large numbers of seabirds attracted to the productive waters surrounding the southern tip of Africa. More than 100 seabird species have been recorded in the region, but only 14 breed locally, mainly due to the shortage of breeding islands. However, 7 of these 14 seabirds breed nowhere else: African Penguin, Cape Gannet, Cape, Bank and Crowned Cormorants, Hartlaub¹s Gull and Damara Tern. All are closely linked to the Benguela upwelling region, and only Hartlaub¹s Gull is not threatened. Historical impacts include direct exploitation (e.g. penguin eggs, eating albatrosses and petrels) and disturbance/habitat degradation (e.g. guano collection). Breeding islands are now protected, but there have been problems with disease (e.g. avian cholera) and predation by Cape Fur Seals and, more recently, Great White Pelicans. Predation rates have been increasing, in part due to a shortage of other food sources. Initially, Fur Seal predation was mainly confined to fledglings leaving the islands, but a few seals have started coming ashore to target adult birds, causing complete desertion of one of only six gannet colonies. There are now also reports of Fur Seals killing adults roosting at sea. Predation is compounded by poor feeding conditions at sea, especially off the west coast, where stocks of Sardines and Anchovies, the main prey of several endemic species, have all but disappeared over the last few years. Several non-breeding visitors also are threatened by interactions with fishing vessels in southern African waters. Long-line vessels set thousands of baited hooks daily, and often kill albatrosses and petrels if they fail to follow prescribed mitigation measures. Trawlers also kill significant numbers of albatrosses, petrels and gannets when they are dragged under by the trawl cables or enmeshed in the net. Fortunately this cause of mortality can be reduced by simply keeping birds away from the danger area using bird scaring lines, and by managing the discharge of offal. BirdLife and WWF have a programme to ensure awareness among fishers, fishery observers and compliance officers.
One useful tool to monitor the health of seabird populations is to conduct regular patrols for stranded birds. All birds found should be identified, aged where possible, checked for bands and examined to identify the cause of death where possible. They should then be either removed from the beach, or dumped well above the strand line to prevent double counting. If any bird is found that cannot be identified, it should be photographed and measured, and ideally retained frozen until it can be examined by an expert. Specific points to check for are evidence of pollution (oiled plumage, entangled in fishing line or other litter) or broken off wings, indicative of birds being killed for food. Surveys should be conducted monthly (or more regularly) and cover the same length of coast each time. Data can be forwarded to Peter Ryan (peter.ryan@uct.ac.za).
All washed up
Apr 4th 2007, From The Economist print edition
As the evidence of global warming proliferates, so do the nasty consequences
WE WERE right, all along. That is the likely thrust of the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations body set up to pronounce authoritatively on the science of global warming. In 2001 it predicted that global warming would lead to many ills, including greater numbers of extinctions, growing shortages of water, higher incidence of tropical diseases, and lower yields from agriculture, fishing and forestry in some places. Now the scientists who write the reports say they have much stronger evidence that such calamities are indeed occurring—faster, in many cases, than they originally thought.
The previous IPCC report, in February, examined the evidence that the globe was actually warming. It called the trend “unequivocal”, and expressed “very high confidence” that it was largely man-made. The new report assesses the likely impact of global warming. It is due to be released on April 6th, after scientists and governments have finished haggling over the wording.
But the underlying research will not change, says Camille Parmesan, a professor at the University of Texas who has vetted part of the report. The findings of the chapter on current impacts alone rests on a review of over 1,000 academic studies, most of them already published—compared with about 100 last time around.
In a paper published in 2003, Professor Parmesan concluded that half of all species were already altering their behaviour or shifting their range in response to global warming. Others have found that some 26% of coral reefs have already died as a result of warming waters, and that the remainder will probably disappear if average water temperatures rise by another degree—along with the fisheries and tourism they sustain. In a synthesis of such studies, the report is likely to conclude that 25% of species face extinction by 2100.
This sort of finding suggests that the effects of global warming will be “non-linear”, says Paul Epstein, a Harvard University professor who has reviewed the entire report. For one thing, most projections of the
impact derive from estimates of changes in average temperature. But many of the ill effects hinge on changes in the minimum temperature, which has been rising twice as fast. This trend is particularly strong near the poles, where the climate is changing fastest. Winters no longer get cold enough in many places to kill off different pests and diseases. So noxious species of ants and bees are marching northwards across America, ticks carrying Lyme disease are proliferating in Scandinavia and tropical highlands around the world are witnessing an invasion of mosquitoes carrying malaria, dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis.
“The winter is the most wonderful thing that was ever invented for public health,” Dr Epstein says, “and we're losing it.”
Multiple factors will amplify the effects of global warming on agriculture and forestry. Warmer and drier conditions in many places will reduce yields. Meanwhile, pests such as tree-killing beetles and crop-killing fungi will both increase their range and breed more rapidly. And an increasing incidence of extreme weather, be it floods or droughts, will both damage crops directly and nurture species that prey on them.
The report is supposed only to inform policymaking, not to direct it. But the point of the frightening statistics about impending water shortages, epidemics and crop failures, says one of the authors, is to jolt politicians into preparing for the coming afflictions. In other words, the report intends to end the debate between those who think mankind's main effort should be trying to reverse climate change and those who would prefer to concentrate on adapting to its effects. Both strategies, it implies, are urgently needed.
----Original Message-----
From: sawac-request@geasphere.co.za [mailto:sawac-request@geasphere.co.za]
On Behalf Of owen, Sent: 09 April 2007 11:39 AM
To: sawac@geasphere.co.za
When bees disappear, will man soon follow?
Dear All
This is a fascinating article about CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) in the US.
Can anybody on this list report the status of bee colonies in S.A.?
The main causes of CCD is being attributed to: infestations of 'mites', the widespread use of herbicides, Industrial monoculture and the use of Genetic Engineering in agriculture - and now also possibly influences from Electro Magnetism (cell phone towers).
When bees disappear, will man soon follow?
Column: Shooting Dead Horses
Jean-Claude Gerard Koven
ReligionAndSpirituality.com
April 3, 2007
Last week I received an email from a friend reporting a sudden, devastating collapse in America's bee population. The message triggered an immediate unpleasant shiver through my body as I recalled the ominous quote attributed to Albert Einstein: "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man."
Being a bit skeptical, I assumed this was just another piece of alarmist misinformation finding its way onto Internet distribution lists.
http://www.ento.psu.edu/MAAREC/pressReleases/FallDwindleUpdate0107.pdf A few minutes' research not only confirmed http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33938.pdf the story, but made me realize that http://www.celsias.com/blog/2007/03/29/european-bees-taking-a-nosedive/
the problem is far from local. In official circles, the condition is called either Fall-Dwindle Disease or, more commonly, Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).
The communication I received stated:
"Honeybees are flying off in search of pollen and nectar and simply never returning to their colonies. During the final three months of 2006, a distressing number of honeybee colonies began to diminish from the United States, and beekeepers all over the country have reported
unprecedented losses. According to scientists, the domesticated honeybee population has declined by about 50 percent in the last 50 years.
Reports of similar losses to the honeybee population have been documented before in beekeeping literature, but are widely believed to have occurred at this scale previously only at a regional level. With outbreaks recorded as far back as 1896, this is regarded as the first national honeybee epidemic in U.S. history."
The topics grabbing headlines these days leave little room in the news for the plight of an insect. What we fail to appreciate is that without an abundance of bees to pollinate crops, the United States could lose as much as 30 percent of its food supply. According to Zac Browning, vice president of the American Beekeeping Federation, "Every third bite we consume in our diet is dependent on a honeybee to pollinate that food."
There is no doubt about what is happening - or its consequences if the situation is not rectified. What remains murky is the cause. According to Walter Haefeker, director of the German Beekeepers Association, CCD has four possible causes: the varroa mite, introduced from Asia; the widespread practice of spraying wildflowers with herbicides; the practice of monoculture (a single crop covering a large area); and the controversial yet growing use of genetic engineering in agriculture.
However, it is the thinking of one of the cell phone industry's former scientific hired guns that caught my attention. When George Carlo, M.D., the celebrated author of "Cell Phones: Invisible Hazards in the Wireless Age" and current chairman of the nonprofit Science and Public Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., weighs in with an opinion, we'd all be fools not to listen carefully.
On a recent conference call, Dr. Carlo laid the blame for the sudden demise (often within 72 hours) of entire bee colonies on the recent proliferation of electromagnetic waves (EMF). He cited the startling statistic that, at present, there are some 2.5 billion cell phone users around the world. While this (plus the explosive growth of cell phone towers) used to be the major concern, the problem has been significantly exacerbated by the recent introduction of satellite radio. Imagine being closeted in a confined environment filled with chain smokers; it would be impossible for you to get a breath of clean air. It is becoming equally difficult for you to avoid the now-measurable damage from EMF exposure.
Dr. Carlo commented that the constant electromagnetic background noise seems to disrupt intercellular communication within individual bees, such that many of them cannot find their way back to the hive. His conclusions are confirmed by
Andrew Weil, M.D., author of "Spontaneous Healing and 8 Weeks to Optimum Health," fully agrees: "Electromagnetic pollution may be the most significant form of pollution human activity has produced in this century, all the more dangerous because it is invisible and insensible."
In some countries, up to 10 percent of the population suffers from a serious EMF-induced condition that Dr. Carlo and others call membrane sensitivity syndrome.
The bees are the modern-day counterpart of the canaries that miners used to carry with them as they descended into the mine shafts. If the birds died, it was an early warning of a buildup of toxic gases in the mine.
When canaries die or bees disappear, we are being cautioned that we too are in immediate danger. It is time to listen to the message nature is telling us.
I shudder to think of what will become of humankind if we linger too long in stage two: "no more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man."
- - -
Jean-Claude Gerard Koven is a writer and speaker based in Rancho Mirage, Calif. He is a featured weekly columnist for UPI's (United Press International) ReligionAndSpirituality.com and the author of "Going Deeper: How to Make Sense of Your Life When Your Life Makes No Sense," recipient of both the Allbooks Reviews editor's choice award and the USABookNews.com award for the best metaphysical book of the year. For more information, please visit:http://www.goingdeeper.org
www.goingdeeper.org. C copyright 2007
Availability of Proposed N2 Wild Coast Toll Highway Final Scoping Report (FSR)
11 April 2007, Mrs. Valerie Payn, Save the Wild Coast Campaign, gpayn@mweb.co.za
Dear Sir / Madam,
Please find enclosed details on the Proposed N2 Wild Coast Toll Highway EIA: Final Scoping Report.
Please note that the FSR is also available on the websites www.ccaenvironmental.co.za and www.nra.co.za
An executive summary of the FSR is available upon request in English, Afrikaans, Xhosa and Zulu. You will need Adobe Reader to view the document. If you do not have Adobe Reader please visit the following website to download it for free: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
The letter attached gives details of where the full FSR can be viewed.
Regards,
Julian Drew
POSITION(s) AVAILABLE
1) Field manager position on 8,000 ha island off the United Arab Emirates. The project involves developing an island to a wildlife destination with free-ranging Arabian antelope species. A selecting of other charismatic species will be kept in large paddocks. This is very much a safari park situation rather than a pure conservation one. There is potential for the development of a marine protected area around the island as there has been an 8 mile no fishing zone for more than 10 years.
For details contact Jeremy Anderson anderson@ics-consulting.co.za or 013 751 1935.
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2) Volunteer positions available at Shamvura Camp:
Shamvura Camp is located 110kms East of Rundu on the Okavango River in North Eastern Namibia.
A couple who could cover all areas of assistance would be ideal, however anyone who is interested please email your CV to shamvura@iway.na and look at our website for background information it is www.shamvura.com
Contact people are Mark and Charlie Paxton, Shamvura Camp, P.O. BOX 183 Rundu Namibia, tel #294 66 686055, fax: 3264 66 686054, cells #264 (0) 812417473 and (0) 813142713.
3) SHAYAMOYA GAME LODGE
a) “ Reservationist/receptionist required by upmarket Game Lodge situated in the Pongola area on Lake Jozini. Experience essential in computers, e-mail and Internet. Accommodation provided. Fax C V to 034 435 1008”
b) “Game Ranger vacancy exists at Shayamoya Game Lodge. In addition to normal game ranger duties, an interest in fishing and indigenous plants would be an advantage. E-mail C V to shayalodge@saol.com.
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4) AVICULTURE INTERN FOR THE WATTLED CRANE RECOVERY PROGRAMME *,
*The WCRP is a member of the IUCN Reintroduction specialist group and branded by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Tailpiece-
Matter of Fact
In http://www.jerseymastconcern.co.uk/drcarlotranscript.html a recent address to the Health, Social Services and Housing Sub-Panel in the United Kingdom, Carlo explained: "Originally, this type of condition was the result of high chemical exposures; we used to call it chemical sensitivity. Now we have identified the same type of condition in patients who are exposed to various types of electromagnetic radiation. It is a medical problem. People who have membrane sensitivity syndrome have internal bleeding. They can be in a room where somebody puts on a cell phone, and they will end up having an immediate reaction; they will go home and they will bleed and in their stool they will have blood. This condition is very debilitating. It prevents these people from being able to work; they cannot earn a living, they have difficult relationships with their children, their spouses give up on them. ... It is a very, very serious medical problem."
Denial - the favorite ploy of those whose profits are being threatened - is no longer an option. As Arthur Schopenhauer said, "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."
Jean-Claude Gerard Koven
Nomi Muthialu & Associates
169 St. George's Road
Observatory
Johannesburg
2198
Tel: (011) 487-0550
Fax: (011) 648-3450
It is registered with Namibian Tourism Board as a permanent tented camp.
We are looking for volunteers, we can offer them free food and accommodation and a small wage.
Areas of assistance are:
o assistance when required in catering
o Training in guiding will be given on the job
P O BOX 784
PONGOLA 3170
TEL: 034 435 1110, FAX: 034 435 1008
e-mail: shayalodge @saol.com
Johannesburg Zoo, South Africa. Help save a species! Once numbering in the thousands, the Wattled crane population in South Africa has plummeted to just 235 individuals remaining in isolated pockets of the Mpumalanga Highlands and KwaZulu-Natal. With a 35% decline in population in the last two decades, these remaining populations are facing major threat as the result of wetland degradation, conversion of surrounding grasslands to agriculture, collisions with power lines and illegal removal of eggs and chicks for the international bird trade. The Wattled Crane Recovery Programme aims to reverse this trend buy maintaining a captive breeding flock to serve as a genetic reservoir in the case of catastrophic extinction of Wattled cranes in the wild and supplementation the wild population through the release of captive-reared fledglings into existing wild populations. Abandoned eggs are collected from nests in the wild and hatched in captivity. The resulting chicks are puppet-reared to ensure proper imprinting. Internship will run from early May-late Aug 2007. The primary duties will include all activities surrounding the puppet-rearing of Wattled cranes including feeding, cleaning, walking, weighing, manual restraint and environmental enrichment in the Johannesburg Zoo’s crane rearing facility. Additional responsibilities may include, behavioral observations of adult pairs, data entry, egg incubation and collecting and transporting hatchlings from KwaZulu-Natal to Johannesburg. Time permitting; interns will also participate in various aviculture activities within the zoo’s aviculture and/or veterinary department. Interested candidates will be given time off for a brief field trip to observe nest monitoring in KwaZulu-Natal at their own expense. Interns must be willing to work weekends and holidays on a rotational basis and conduct late evening and early morning feeds. This is a VOLUNTEER POSITION. Private/shared (maximum two interns per room) accommodation will be provided in the zoos three bedroom guest house (spacious living room, dining room and kitchen). Easy walk to parks and shops. Transport will be provided to and from Johannesburg Airport. Interns will be responsible for medical insurance, living expenses and travel costs to and from South Africa. Preference will be given to candidates with that have completed at least 2 years in a college or university majoring in zoology, biology, wildlife, or any other related field. If interested please send cover letter and resume to Jeanne Marie Pittman, hospital@jhbzoo.org.za or fax to +27-11-486-1784.
In January, Zara Jackson suggested we “take a dictionary word and change one letter to see how the new version appeals.” The Washington Post’s Style Invitational asked readers to do just this – alter one word, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supplying a new definition. Here are this year’s winners:
(1) Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding a stupid person that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little signs of breaking down in the future.
(2) Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
(3) Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.
(4) Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
(5) Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it.
(6) Inocularatte: To make coffee intravenously when you are running late.
(7) Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
(8) Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit).
(9) Karmageddon: It’s like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it’s like a serious bummer.
(10) Decafalon (n.): The gruelling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
(11) Glibido: All talk and no action.
(12) Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
(13) Arachnoloptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you’ve accidentally walked through a spider web.
(14) Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
(15) Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you’re eating.
(16) Ignoranus: A person who’s both stupid and an asshole.
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that one amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.
This is an electronic newsletter of the Game Rangers' Association of Africa. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Association, nor of the Editor. This is intended to be an exchange of news snips, ideas and communication between members. Newsletter content may be copied and re-distributed without authorisation. Correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at dyunnie@xsinet.co.za