Samwise

I am so sorry to hear about Jin. Please let us know how it goes with the little guy, we are all holding thumbs for him over here.

KrisK, it’s not all bad out here, we do get great sunsets! Just kidding, Linda is right; it’s awesome to be able to live/work in such a wild area. It really is a privilege to live out here, even if it is in the middle of nowhere! At the risk of tempting fate, although we have certainly had adventures and close calls over the last 15 years involving lions, elephants and wild dogs etc, nothing has really paid too much attention to the dogs – long may that last! Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures of the dogs herding elephants , but I do have a few more photos (when something interesting does happen with the dogs, my camera is inevitably far away) that I will post in the gallery.

Hmm, hate this sort of list, it gives you sleepless nights and makes you wonder how the dogs survive a day. The truth is that most things around here subscribe strongly to the “Live and let Live” motto – thank goodness – this is not just good for dogs, its keeps us humans alive too. Potentially dangerous animals that move past my (all too flimsy seeming) wire fence many days include (in no particular order): Leopard – possibly the biggest threat, very little will keep him from snacking on a dog if he decided he wanted one badly enough. Lion – enough said. Cheetah – very unlikely to break in to take a dog unless it was starving. Caracal – a bit lynx or bobcat-like, a nasty customer to run into unexpectedly Hyena – the spotted chap is a potential hazard, seems very unlikely the brown would go for a dog, again unless it was starving Wild dog – (Painted wolf) formidable predators that, near a dog, I wouldn’t trust as far as I could throw. Black-backed Jackal – little and light, not really a threat to a medium size dog, but many carry rabies Baboon – larger canines than a lion and not afraid of dogs, bad combination Cape Porcupine – the largest African rodent with huge pin-sharp quills - again not something you want to run into unexpectedly. African Elephant – fortunately has no interest in dogs! (People can be another story) Rhino – As above, the white one is usually sleepy and fairly docile, the black one is near-sighted and short tempered, another bad combination. Hippo – as above, but very dim and very short tempered, these bad combinations are getting monotonous Warthog – energetic little pigs with big, sharp tusks, they are equipped to defend themselves from leopard and lions. A Border collie would be a walk in the park. Honey badger – someone else who can defend himself against lions. Small package of dynamite that needs to be kept far away from dogs. Nile crocodile – no swimming unless a lifeguard is on duty Those are the more obvious ones, but other potential threats include: Brown Button Spider -everywhere – they make their webs near to light each night Violin Spider – don’t get me started Scorpions - all shapes all sizes, all stings Centipedes – huge, slithery and multi-colored, not deadly but very uncomfortable Ticks – apart from the diseases, some species (Bont ticks) leave a large necrotic lesion that heals into a large, smooth bald scar on the dog. Puff Adder – slow, lazy and perfectly camouflaged, yes, another bad combination Mozambique Spitting Cobra – you don’t even need to get close to this guy, he sprays out a fine mist of venom from a hiding place that can cause blindness, the dogs have to be treated for this several times a year. Black Mamba – just in case you thought this was limited to nice, little snakes Monitor Lizard – not a threat, but his claws and whip-like tail are not something to take lightly. Banded Rubber Frog – almost all of the toads are toxic, but this pretty little guy is deadly if a dog is daft enough to pick it up. The many species of raptor are not a serious threat to most dogs but the Martial eagle – the largest African eagles - can take small antelope. Makes me think, doesn’t it. I’ve probably forgotten half the list, but right now, I’m off to check on the dogs.

Happy Birthday Chris! She shares her birthday with (amongst very significant others!) Shep (below) Eight years old on the 24th.

The gift that keeps on giving! Many, many happy hours ahead. Congratulations!

That is very sad news, I am so sorry to hear that.