These two young elephants were jousting near a water hole. As they pushed and shoved they often raised their trunks and twisted them together during their good-natured wrestling. Continue reading “Trunks playfully twisted”
My next-door neighbour told me about these mantids in a rose bush in his garden. Three of them have taken up residence in a pink-flowering rosebush and have been there for over a week. Continue reading “In the pink: Flower mantids in the garden”
Just like our dog, Rory, when being indoors feels confining, I’d rather be outside.
The story of survival depends on the strength of family bonds that endure, as epitomized by these Vervet monkeys, even in a hostile world. Continue reading “Family story”
These three kittens fell through a loose ceiling board into the computer room in an office block at a factory. Efforts to reunite them with their feral mother failed. Fortunately, they were of weaning age and we fostered them and when they were old enough we found them homes, saving them from the hard life of a factory cat. Continue reading “Feral foundlings”
Don’t get exotic goldfish for your pond, get indigenous Banded Tilapia, was the advice. And so we did. Continue reading “The tale of our Banded Tilapia: Freshwater fish in our garden pond”
Beloved by our hand-reared cat, Nougat, ever since he was tiny, are two soft toys: a teddy and a dog. When he was a kitten, these toys became his surrogate siblings and should one of our adult cats not be so obliging, his reliable sleeping companions. Continue reading “Beloved cuddly companions”
A pond or water feature can add liveliness to even the drabbest of backyards. No, I am not promoting a garden makeover, but thought I’d share something of the enjoyment I get from our garden pond, not least because a variety of wildlife get to enjoy it too. Continue reading “Just pondering: Reflecting on our garden pond”
Like this vervet monkey mom, all parents strive to protect and nurture their babies, and work to sustain their healthy growth. And this vervet mom, like so many parents, knows that the world can be a hostile place, even for babies. As this new year begins, hostility does not seem to be in retreat. Continue reading “Growth in these times”
