Life as a Ranger

25/01/2017

Be inspired by the journeys you've travelled, and the ones yet to come.

30/12/2016

Today I got to remove this beautiful Puff Adder.Such a stunner!

28/12/2016

Nice little catch and release this morning.Male Boomslang Raymond Simmons

22/11/2016

15/11/2016

Dehorning of Africa's Rhinos.

Namibia was the first country in the world to use dehorning to protect rhinos from poaching. Between 1989 and the early 1990s not one rhino was lost after dehorning commenced.

After white and black Rhinos were dehorned in recent years in countries such as Zimbabwe and Lowveld conservancies there has been a decrease in poaching and rhinos now have a 29.1% higher chance of surviving than horned animals.

If a white or black Rhino is dehorned without cutting into the skull, it can grow back to full size after three years. However, if the rhinos skull is cut into while being dehorned, it could complicate the re-growth of the horn.

Quick facts

-A Rhino’s horn’s structure resembles a horse’s hooves. The outside is composed of soft keratin

-For the ancients, the rhino horn was thought to hold magical properties, such as the ability to purify water or be used to detect poisons in drinks.

-An adult rhino’s skin can be as much as 5 cm thick.

-Price per kg of rhino horn currently $90000.

-Average weight of fully grown horn 10-12kg.

-South Africa alone is loosing 3 Rhinos a day on average to poaching.

11/11/2016

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154752843891204&id=778516203

07/11/2016

06/11/2016

African rock Python(Python sebae)
-One of 11 species in genus Python.
-Non Venomous.
-Kills prey by constriction.
-Africas largest snake.
-Lays between 20-100 elongated hard shelled eggs.
-Hatch 90 days later.

26/10/2016

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=920918781376296&id=195153390619509

Sabi Sands Lions are suffering of mange. The situation is critical, several cubs died and the adults are... (313 signatures on petition)