[WPRESTO]

That's a colorful, handsome bird. Almost looks as if he knows it. No need to name this lovely avian.

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Last edited by WPRESTO; 01-25-2015 at 07:32 AM.

[noelcmn]

An animal that was in the news a day or two earlier, having attached a guy, who though fighting back, eventually succumbed to his injuries.

[WPRESTO]

People are gradually becoming aware that hippos are more dangerous than crocs.

[savoche]

Red-bellied brown lemur (not much red on the female, though).

[noelcmn]

Meerkat-unusual to have seen in Rietvlei Nature Reserve in Pretoria, as it is an animal associated with the arid western parts of Southern Africa, though there is also a colony in the Eastern Cape.

[WPRESTO]

I suspect Savoche is back from Madagascar with several thousand new images for us. Cool!!

[savoche]

I suspect Savoche is back from Madagascar with several thousand new images for us. Cool!!

Your numbers are a bit off, but yes, there will be some pictures from Madagascar. I have been a bit short of time so have just started going through what I brought home.

(Yes, thousands of images, but I would think 5-10 % might be good enough to show anyone.)

Some sort of small chameleon sleeping out on a branch/straw.

[WPRESTO]

Glad for any/all images you'll share with us. Clearly this is a captive dragon, but it's a great beast even when caged.

[noelcmn]

Cool Savoche! Look forward to seeing what you will share. Starting with that Chameleon. Madagascar is the haven for those critters.

[WPRESTO]

These look very similar to the critter posted by noelcmn.

[noelcmn]

Cuckoo Hawk

[savoche]

Here are two species of bamboo lemurs, the Greater and the Golden. The Greater bamboo lemur was believed to recently have gone extinct until it was rediscovered by Dr. Patricia Wright in 1986. In her search for the Greater she also discovered the Golden bamboo lemur, until then unknown to science. Both species are critically endangered due to habitat loss, there being less than 500 and 1000 of them, respectively. Dr. Wright managed to convince the government of Madagascar to form Ranomafana National Park to protect the remaining population, but the Greater bamboo lemur is now down to the last two individuals there and really gone from the park within a short time. The populations in other parts of the country have changed their diet from bamboo to agricultural crops and thus can not be reintroduced to Ranomafana - they have lost the ability to withstand the cyanide of the bamboo shoots and will die.

Quite a sobering experience seeing these animals and knowing they might soon be extinct.

Greater bamboo lemur


Golden bamboo lemur

[noelcmn]

That is very sad Savoche. You are deftly avoiding putting blame on the human race for the loss of habitat.

Swallow

[dadipentak]

Swallow

nicely done!

[WPRESTO]

That is very sad Savoche. You are deftly avoiding putting blame on the human race for the loss of habitat.

The real problem is TOO MANY PEOPLE. Human destruction of habitat is merely a side effect or symptom. Creating preserves and refuges is just a stop-gap measure that can be as ephemeral as the government that creates them. Unless the human population is controlled, in time people will start asking: "Do we want to save human lives or lemurs?" and the answer is foregone.

Oh, and white-browed sparrow weavers below.