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Friday, 29 July 2011

Graphic footage of an Elephant resuscitating a baby elephant the first ever elephant birth filmed in Bali, Indonesia.

Graphic footage of the first ever elephant birth filmed in Bali, Indonesia. 
The founder of the Elephant Safari Park at Taro, Bali, Nigel Mason talks us through the experience. You won't regret watching this. Message from Nigel: For all the kind people who have watched this video and asked various questions, particularly, how is the mother and baby doing. Here is a little bit more information. The mother Nicki and her baby are both doing extremely well and Riski has turned out to be quite a character. This is 18 year old Nickis first baby, Nicki herself being one of the group of nine elephants that were first rescued from the island of Sumatra in 1997 and brought to Bali. She was then an orphan of four years old and is now part of the herd of 30 elephants that live at the Elephant Safari Park & Lodge. Nicki has turned out to be a very caring and protective mother to her new very cheeky baby, who is now almost one month old. Riski has now joined the other two babies in our Nursery Area and enjoys playing with them and swimming twice a day in one of the parks lakes. 

To answer the question, were we going to help the mother the answer is of course yes. However I felt that under the situation it was best to let nature take its course first, as often babies taken from mothers at birth are later rejected by them. I had allowed for three minutes for Nicki to sort it out before we intervened. However she brought the baby to life herself in just under 2½ minutes after the birth. Of course all elephants would be best left in the wild in a perfect world, but in the case of the lesser known sub-species of Sumatran elephant, this is far from reality. Massive deforestation has depleted their island of jungle and the few highly endangered remnants of the thousands that originally lived their are in big trouble. 

When they roam onto the newly cultivated land areas that were originally their home they are killed usually be poisoning or by cruel traps that give them a slow and painful death. The government tries to help by capturing them before this happens and putting them into camps, but the life expectancy there is not good, as they lack funds for food, medicine and other care needed for the captives. Its from these camps that we rescued twenty seven elephants when we first created the Elephant Safari Park, at Taro village in Bali. This being documented in the acclaimed TV film Operation Jumbo, which has been aired on the Discovery Channel. Although the park cannot be a re-creation of their former jungle homes, it is a tropical environment where they are looked after very well, (or we wouldnt have had three babies born this year), and they can live out a comfortable and full life, by helping to support themselves as part of a tourism and educational facility. For the people who want to know more about where Riski was born let me explain. 

The park was created in 1997 and is a full elephant experience where guests can get to know all about Sumatran elephants. Tourists can hand feed, touch and even ride the elephants and watch daily elephant talent shows and generally get up close and personal with them, unlike zoos where you can only view elephants from a distance. The park also includes many facilities for guests and elephants alike. For instance there are two lakes set in botanical gardens, shade houses and a laboratory amongst other elephant facilities and for guests there is an elephant museum, restaurant, shop, arena and even a 25 room 5 star lodge (hotel) to stay at overnight with the elephants. Guests can either visit in the daytime or come for a Night Safari ride with dinner. For information regarding this please go to our website www.elephantsafariparklodge.com or www.baliadventuretours.com I hope this answers some of the questions asked or others that people are wondering about. Nigel Mason, Managing Director, Elephant Safari Park & Lodge.

Wednesday, 27 July 2011

The African Elephant 6 Major muscle unit and the Nile Crocodile Jaws


October 25, 2011 for the latest animal attacks news on the link  below




Wild animal greatest wits in nature along the African Savannah
African Elephants and  the River Nile crocodiles have co existed in the rich Savannah grass lands of the African continent. Both these animals have long history of  being on the top in terms of hunting for their tusks as far as the elephant is concerned while the Nile crocodile and the rest of the species have been a delicacy to and a source of food for those living around the swamps, lakes and navigable rivers of the continent. Their products have ended up into the world's unending lucrative markets while the supply keeps on changing with the global and policies due to the love of such wild animals. Although there is little data about the African elephants and the African crocodiles fatalities and information about their numbers, deforestation, land encroachment and loss of habitat has paved way for such animal species to be endangered by humans

In the light of the above it might be very interesting to note that elephants with all their brains which are a second to none from humans can be put in such strange situations. Despite the fact that the elephant trunk has 6powerful major muscles, one would think that just as we humans we always want to gamble with the lives our families instead of insuring them. The elephant's trunk as a grasping tool can lift loads of up to 250kg as far as a grown up elephant is concerned. The elephant trunk being the most important part of the elephant and is used for smelling and a tool to resuscitate its young ones when they are not breathing, One would wonder and concur that curiosity really killed the cat.

Our dear Nile crocodile while waiting for the wildebeest migration to pass through the Mara River at the Masai Mara National Par kin Nairobi Kenya or for any other easy pick on prey to come along after a long waiting, the Nile crocodiles will wait for the amazing parade of the zebras and the wildebeest to come found it right to pick on the elephant. The months of July have seen major bookings in all hotels along the Masai Mara river as people from all walk of life flock these beautiful animal habitat to share what nature has to offer. As the saying goes every visit has its own experience no matter how many times you go and see the wildebeest animal migration.    No matter the size, crocodiles will always want to grab and bring down their prey in the water. The crocodile will them role  in the water with its prey clinging to the mouth and for such a powerful elephant, the odds were turned and the crocodile became the one being rolled. The Nile crocodiles will always  hold whatever goes into their mouth until they find or sense that there is harm coming their way. Just as people tend to stick to things without changing their ways and vies as circumstances changes. The baby elephant knows that there is only one mother she can trust on.  In the simple essence trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the fundamental principle that holds all relationships.

The only good reason why the Nile crocodile was subdued by the baby elephant was just the old animal instinctive trick which has been grind over and over into our complex brain unknowingly. The baby elephant poked its baby trunk with its two finger like structures at the tip and with that simple manoeuvre, the mother elephant was able to move for safety bellowing and perambulating with a cloud of water showering the ground after being denied the fundamental right of breathing. People like to share good stories and good animal pictures but the bottom line is we should all share information educate   and communicate with one another in keeping these wild animals alive.  For all the tourist and nature loving people,  animals can stop to be endangered if we only stop buying items in the local shops. If the buying stops the poaching decreases hence the preservation of more wild and rare species.

Wednesday, 6 July 2011

The Serengeti Natural Wonder Wildebeest Animal Migration Highway


October 25, 2011 for the latest animal attacks news click on the link  below


July 7. 2011. The Serengeti Natural Wonder Wildebeest Animal Migration Highway: A Win Win! Situation For Tanzania, Kenya, Africa, Humanity and the Wildebeest at long last.

Peace loving animals come together a show of Gratitude to animals of Africa
When the Tanzanian Government stated that it wanted to build a superhighway from the shores of the Indian Ocean cutting across the Serengeti plains to t he Lake Victoria vicinity, there was a huge hue and cry. This was not from the Animal Rights, Green Peace Movement or the local and international tours and travelers association but humanity as a whole. When the Tanzanian Government announced that it had done away with the construction of the highway which would cross the Serengeti, this was one area where peace was being achieved piece by peace on settling the conservation and halting of the African rich wild animals species along the mount Kilimanjaro, Serengeti and Masai Mara National Parks. This giant step also saved a great biodiversity of both natural and human events that would have changed African Safari and tour loving people.
Why was such a move important?
With a bounty of the best animal safaris in the world the Serengeti and Masai Mara plains are places where someone has to visit if they wanted to have a safari of their lifetime. The news of wanting to change the ecosystem of these beautiful wild animals roam free in their natural habitat would have upset many a generation to come.  The timing was just perfect as this would have been the Last Migration of African Wildebeest. Would have the movie industry make a movie out of it?
Well there have been many already made about the last of this and the end of that. If we go to the time line, Money would have been poured, the Road would have been built,  Money would have been a blessing to the constructors, the local workers and all the supporting staff. That’s just a part of the picture. What’s the end result? If we mean to build roads, see that what we wanted to accomplish. Here is the other side. If I were a wildebeest and my cousins the Zebras, We wildebeest would have to sit, No! Stand and think of making our own road across the Serengeti highway for our generations to come. We would have to call the African elephant to come and clear the land with its huge elongated tusk and trunk, Monkeys would have too be deployed to keep on checking for incoming traffic while the rest of the small animal and insect species will have to relocate to sis and places and in the end bring about the extinction of their species as well as the flora and fauna.

The Masai art of brushing shoulders with the Big Five
The wildebeest  natural cycle migration  along the Kenya Tanzania border as simple and un known to many  brings natural  harmony  with within itself and  it has some cross border effects between the two countries. Masai of Kenya and Tanzania a pastoral tribe have been living for decades in these African wilderness along with the Africa lions,  the giant African elephants, the African Crocodiles  and any dangerous animals along these plains. It would have been a new era for this cultured tribe to start stopping blending with these animals they have been brushing shoulders with for ages but also from all those African holiday makers around the world. Its not only the wildebeest which were saved but the African crocodiles, the African ape species and the rest of the diverse animals in Africa.
African tourist and safaris way forward
For all those animal loving souls, good memories are always made when one has a great time. Good pictures and animal attacks in their natural habitat will continue to be forthcoming,  there will be a conglomeration of future bodies of thoughts geared to heisted such ventures from escalating out of hand while in the whole people will keep on enjoying animal safaris without being endangered as it would have happen when animals are reared in captivity as has been the story in many parts of the world. The conservation of The Serengeti Natural Wonder  Wildebeest Animal Migration Highway: A Win! Win! Situation For Tanzania, Kenya, Africa, Humanity and the Wildebeest at long last.