Mt Kilimanjaro Climb Raises $10000 for Rhino
bookmark this at :: del.icio.us
:: Digg
it
|
|
October 30, 2007 |
CONGRATULATIONS
to Evelyn on achieving her goal of raising $10000 for rhino conservation. She is a dedicated committee member of the Save Foundation of Australia which has been raising money for 20 years to fund rhino conservation projects primarily in Zimbabwe.
Labels: Mt Kilimanjaro, Rhino |
posted by Miriam @ 7:03 PM  |
|
|
|
Mt Kilimanjaro Climb for Save Foundation
bookmark this at :: del.icio.us
:: Digg
it
|
|
October 23, 2007 |
Perth, 19 October 2007
Dear Friends and Supporters,
I write to thank you for your support of my climb of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for black rhino conservation. I am glad to report that on 21st September at sunrise, all five hikers in our party, Joy, Martin, Valerie and Mike and myself reached the summit successfully! A total of $8,500 has been generously donated to date, and these funds will now be used to support the SAVE FOUNDATION of Australia’s rhino work in Zimbabwe.
Here’s a brief summary of how we made it to the top, “pole pole” (Swahili for “slowly, slowly”) by Evelyn Wong.
The start of the Machame Route is at nearly 1500 metres altitude, and the first day is a six-hour walk through rainforest, up to 3000 metres.
 
Labels: Mt Kilimanjaro, Rhino |
| posted by Miriam @ 5:23 PM |
|
|
|
Mt Kilimanjaro at 3600m and Hungry
bookmark this at :: del.icio.us
:: Digg
it
|
|
|
 The morning of the second day was glorious, affording us our first view of the mountain. Unfortunately the weather did not hold and by lunch time, it was pouring so much that we missed lunch altogether. We reached the camp at 3600 metres hungry and, in my case, suffering from the first effects of altitude sickness. Labels: Mt Kilimanjaro |
| posted by Miriam @ 2:37 PM |
|
|
|
Mt Kilimanjaro Hot Ginger Tea Helps Altitude Sickness
bookmark this at :: del.icio.us
:: Digg
it
|
|
|
After nice hot ginger tea and a good night sleep and we all fell good again on the third morning. We walked all the way up to 4300 metres, seeing spectacular changes in scenery along the way, before going back to 3900 metres to camp.
We could see Mt Meru the second highest mountain in the background. Labels: Mt Kilimanjaro |
| posted by Miriam @ 2:34 PM |
|
|
|
Baranco Valley
bookmark this at :: del.icio.us
:: Digg
it
|
|
October 22, 2007 |
The following day, day 4, was again spent going up and down getting our bodies used to the altitude. A spectacular stretch had us walk through a valley called Baranco, then up the wall towards our new camp. A line of hikers and porters can be seen walking up the Baranco wall. |
| posted by Miriam @ 2:32 PM |
|
|
|
Mt Kilimanjaros Stella Point
bookmark this at :: del.icio.us
:: Digg
it
|
|
October 21, 2007 |
 
Day 5 was a short one and although we got off to a late start from Karanga Camp we reached the camp at Barafu Hut before lunch. Finding flat camping grounds was a challenge. At 4600 metres altitude, the air is noticeably thinner and even a short walk would make us breathless.
This was to be our base camp for the final ascent. Just before midnight on the same day, we were awakened by our guides: a bowl of porridge, and it’s climbing time again, this time in the dark. We started as a group but in the steep rubble and loose rocks, we soon each adopted our own pace. This part, zigzagging towards Stella Point on the rim of the crater at sunrise, I found the most difficult. It was great to see the famed snow of Kilimanjaro. |
| posted by Miriam @ 2:30 PM |
|
|
|
The Roof Top of Africa
bookmark this at :: del.icio.us
:: Digg
it
|
|
October 20, 2007 |
 It took me seven hours to get to the rim of the crater and another half hour to the summit, the rooftop of Africa - Uhuru Peak - 5895 metres. Best of all, we all made it!
Because we got there at different times and could only stay at the top for minutes due to the bitter cold and wind, we could not take a group photo but Mike and I did manage to take one with the rhinos!
|
| posted by Miriam @ 2:27 PM |
|
|
|
Mt Kilimanjaro Climb for Black Rhino
bookmark this at :: del.icio.us
:: Digg
it
|
|
October 19, 2007 |
I have been asked how the climb was and now you know: it was hard work, and it took much determination, perhaps even more than physical fitness. However, we made great memories and raised $8,500 so far, only a little short of my target of $10,000!The full amount will be donated to the SAVE FOUNDATION of Australia. The committee, of which I am a member, will be spending all of it for black rhinoceros conservation, as it has for the past 20 years. We could not have made it without the guides and porters. Once again, I thank you for your generous sponsorship. Please consider supporting the Save Foundation by becoming a member or with a little extra tax-deductible donation to help me reach my original target. |
| posted by Miriam @ 5:16 PM |
|
|
|
Tikki Hywood Trust rescues injured Serval
bookmark this at :: del.icio.us
:: Digg
it
|
|
October 14, 2007 |
 A day in the life of Lisa Hywood and the Tikki Hywood Trust, Harare, Zimbabwe 
Wednesday 3rd October 2007 The Tikki Hywood Trust responds immediately to a call about a serval that has been hit by a car in a nearby suburb. The serval cat is limping badly. Lisa Hywood contains the injured animal with a net and blanket, puts it in a transport crate and takes it to a veterinary surgery as the injuries appear serious. Drs Lisa Marabini and Keith Dutlow attend to the serval, sedating it and inspecting the extent of its injuries. Both its thighs have been completely scraped of skin and bare muscle is exposed. X-rays confirm it also has a break in the humerus just above the elbow joint of a front leg and it has been broken for some days. The animal is male, less than a year old and in very poor condition. His fur is pale and matted due to malnutrition. He is cleaned up as much as possible while sedated. It is decided that his leg requires an intra-medullary pin (a pin literally inside the bone holding the two broken ends together). This will be done the next day as it is too late to perform the surgery and the vets want to see if he can use his back legs. He is brought to the Trust's Headquarters where the vets observe his recovery from the sedation. Whilst sleeping peacefully he is named “Frodo”, another Tolkien character, to add to the Trust’s growing family. Once Frodo starts coming around from the sedation Keith & Lisa do the necessary tests to determine if there is any spinal injury. Thankfully Frodo has sensation in his feet which means that he does not have any serious spinal trauma and his chances of recovery are good. If he had not, it would have indicated grave injury to the spine and then euthanasia would have been the only option.
He is then declared ready for surgery the next morning.
|
| posted by Miriam @ 4:22 PM |
|
|
|
Tikki Hywood Trust operates on Servals leg
bookmark this at :: del.icio.us
:: Digg
it
|
|
October 13, 2007 |
Thursday 4th October 2007
Frodo's broken leg is pinned by vets Lisa & Keith and the operation goes smoothly. Afterwards at the Trust’s headquarters, Frodo seems to know he is in caring hands. Within hours he is feeding from a small pair of forceps and taking it all remarkably well considering he is a wild animal that has never been close to humans. Frodo has touched the lives of everyone at the Trust. This wild orphan seems to know that they are all working on his behalf. During the next few days Frodo displays an incredibly serene nature and allows carers to touch and feed him. He begins to take food willingly off a plate and is drinking from a bowl. Unfortuneately his broken leg starts to swell so Lisa & Keith decide to sedate him and inspect it thoroughly.
The pin has moved slightly so the dressing will remain off to reduce swelling and the pin can be monitored. X-rays at the surgery confirm everything is still in place but he has a bad tapeworm infection which needs to be dealt with if he is to benefit from feeding during convalescence.
Thursday 11th October
The pin pushes through his skin at the top of the shoulder. Lisa & Keith whisk him to the surgery and find that due to healing, the bone has compressed and this is why the pin has moved up and through the skin. They shave a few millimeters off the top of the pin and stitch up the exit wound. After checking his thigh wounds they find there is a muscle separation exposing the sciatic nerve. This is incredibly painful, however natural healing is the only option.
Sunday 14th October
The pin has pushed through the stitches and now protrudes 3-4 mm out from the skin. Frodo is in pain and his left leg is hanging limp from the elbow down. X-rays confirm the pin has moved out completely and now the site of the break is even more shattered and splintered. There are at least three bone fragments “floating” in his leg. The team is demoralized, as the possibility of reconstructing the leg now seems far more daunting. Despite all this, Frodo has put on weight, his coat has improved and he is a beautiful young cat! The pin is removed immediately so that it does not create more damage to his leg. Lisa and Keith are passionate and want to find a workable solution to help this young animal. They will attempt to bind the bone fragments together with a metal plate and screws. The problem they now face is that the materials required for this type of operation are not readily available in Zimbabwe. It is rare that this kind of operation is performed due to expense, lack of equipment and degree of difficulty. Monday 15th October Frodo goes back into surgery – the outcome will determine his life.  If the leg is irreparable, he has no future as a wild serval. Frodo could never be released as other serval would try to kill him – weakness of any type is not accepted in the wild. No female would allow him to cover them. To stay in captivity he would have to be castrated as without castration Frodo would become aggressive and carers could not interact with him. As it is the belief of the Trust that every wild animal should have the opportunity of being free, they would not be able to condemn Frodo to a life of captivity and never being able to experience being wild.
On opening up Frodo’s leg, the damage is exposed – things do not look good. Fragments of bone are visible and the two broken bones do not seem very strong or provide much to work with. Lisa and Keith proceed with the operation and work with whatever they can. After three and a half hours of intense surgery the very skilled and dedicated Drs Lisa & Keith have worked a miracle screwing a plate onto the bone to hold the break together and have removed all the floating bone fragments. Frodo was unable to regulate his own body temperature during his operation and was given a blanket and beanbags to keep him warm. The Trust would like to thank ZESA (Zimbabwean electricity) as there was power which allowed them to warm the beanbags. Frodo will be heavily sedated for the next five days because of his pain and the importance of him remaining as still as possible. These next few days will be critical to the outcome of the leg healing. We at the Trust would like to sincerely thank Keith and Lisa for their dedication and passion. Thank you to Paul and Kim Wolfe and Buddy Mockford who have donated towards covering the costs of Frodo’s first operation. During a time like this we have to question whether we are doing the right thing by spending such a huge amount of money on one animal. The outcome of that deliberation is that every life has the right to the best opportunities on offer. Frodo is by no means out of the woods as yet, however we can all feel content in the fact that nothing has been spared to ensure that he one day will be as his name sake intended – WILD! |
| posted by Miriam @ 3:54 PM |
|
|
|
Aspire African Safari
bookmark this at :: del.icio.us
:: Digg
it
|
|
October 12, 2007 |
 This was an unforgettable African experience for 19 adventurous people from Perth with a common interest in real estate: Aspire co-founders Craig Turnbull and Michelle Carden, ten Diamond Masters and partners and two youngsters, Olivia Hood, 15, and Kennedy Logan, 12. Thank you to Nicholas Duncan from Save Foundation and Maree Wrack for creating this fabulous trip for us.
As a group we all visited Imire Safari Ranch, The Hide, and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Camp Okuti on the edge of the Okavango and Moremi wildlife area in Botswana. Some of us stopped over in Mauritius, some discovered Chobe and some stayed with friends in Harare.
These are their most memorable moments in their own words.
Shirley Hood – “Each place we visited was a different and unique experience which made this trip so special. I loved the Victoria Falls Hotel and the feeling of going back in time.”
Jenny Hough – “being charged by an elephant in Chobe while on my first ever game drive! It eye-balled me! It was terrifying but exciting and I couldn’t wait to go out on my next drive.”
John Dumancic – “seeing my first leopard in a tree near Main Camp and seeing how it was as interested in us as we were in it…after more than 20 game drives throughout Africa the leopard had remained elusive and now I had seen all of the ‘Big Five’ in the wild. Unforgettable!”
Chay Egan – “the openness, the freedom to be out in the wilderness, to jump in the back of a vehicle and view animals is so different than driving to and from work. I absolutely loved it.”
Kate Egan – “sitting near an anthill watching a herd of buffalo in the field, the stillness… experiencing the rugged, natural beauty was really special. It’s not a normal experience in my life to be free from all distractions and to experience that moment in time.”
Sandro Bombardieri – “when I went on an early morning walk with five others and Andy (guide) and we followed lions…. there was a massive roar and they were behind us…a huge adrenaline rush and an experience and a half.”
Kim Radbourne – “the school kids… seeing the looks on their faces… seeing them face to face. When I give a dollar it will be for the education of the kids so they’ll learn about looking after their animals and the environment.”
 Jon Edenburg and Kennedy – “that night at The Hide…the buffalo stampeding and the lions roaring. At Okavango when a lion approached the vehicle and Shirley ended up on the guide’s lap! The lion got up, came over to the vehicle, pulled the dragging stick out from under the vehicle and took it back over to the wheel ruts where it went back to sleep. We were in the back row and in front of us Michelle was nearly on top of Olivia and she was nearly on top of Craig! Time slowed down considerably during this event!” |
| posted by Miriam @ 10:40 AM |
|
|
|
Aspire Inspired by Save
bookmark this at :: del.icio.us
:: Digg
it
|
|
October 11, 2007 |
Safari adventures are life changing experiences. In their own words, travellers on the Aspire African Safari organised by the Save Foundation share their favourite memories
Olivia Hood – “all the game drives, the elephants, Okavango and the lions, being at The Hide and going walking, the staff, the giraffe room where I stayed, the night drives, and hearing, from my room, the buffalo stampede.”
Craig Turnbull – “experiencing the rawness and primeval nature of Africa… coming back to nature and a real feeling of freedom. My fist sighting of a leopard I called Princess Di and the night of the buffalo stampede at The Hide…. extraordinary!”
Rob Oliver (spent his childhood in Zimbabwe) – “thoroughly enjoyed my time at The Hide…walking with Andy (guide) was sensational, especially the early morning encounter with the lions. And the night when the buffaloes stampeded… that was my best ever night!”
 Kaye Ruttledge – "what a night it was at The Hide waterhole… the lions and cubs came down for a drink, as did a couple of leopards, the elephants were play fighting in front of us and then they got serious.”
Declan Ruttledge – “the buffaloes charging beyond the waterhole… I thought the whole place would be destroyed, they’d do so much damage but in the morning there was hardly a trace, a couple of broken branches although I couldn’t really see where they’d been. I remember it so vividly.”
Brenda James – “the night at The Hide when the buffaloes were stampeding… the mere sound of it and being part of it…hearing the lions roaring and a buffalo wailing… it was surreal - you’re there but you’re not there. Being so close to animals and flying in small planes put me outside my comfort zone.”
Michelle Carden - "outstanding!" |
| posted by Miriam @ 11:12 AM |
|
|
|
Priceless
bookmark this at :: del.icio.us
:: Digg
it
|
|
October 10, 2007 |
"In the end we will conserve only what we love
and we will love only what we understand."
Baba Dioum, African ecologist.
Quote from 'Priceless' by Bradley Trevor Grieve In 1972 there were 65,000 black rhinos roaming the plains of Africa; in 1993, the numbers were down to 2,300, and with good management and international interest, they have now built up to about 3,600 - a 95% decline in just over 30 years. |
| posted by Miriam @ 3:42 PM |
|
|
|
|
Sign up to receive
Conservation Conversation Newsletter
|
|
|
|
| Previous Posts |
|
|
|
| Archives |
|
|
|
|
| 272 Central |
|
|
|
| Affiliates |
|
|
