In Touch With Nature – the difference between African and Asian Elephants #Elephants #wildlife

Posted: August 28, 2024 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Africa, Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Wildlife | Tags: African Wildlife, Elephants, In Touch With Nature, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, South Africa, Writing to be Read | 49 Comments

A couple of years ago, my family visited an elephant sanctuary near the Cradle of Humankind. For those of you who don’t know the Cradle of Humankind, it is an area in South Africa where many fossils, tools, and other traces of early humans have been found.

We also visited the Sterkfontein Caves where the 2.3 million year old fossil of Mrs Ples is on display, but this post is about the elephants.

We participated in a guided tour of the elephant sanctuary and one of the discussions with the guide revolved around the differences between African and Asian elephants. I thought it was quite interesting.

Picture caption: Two large African savannah elephants. Picture by Robbie Cheadle

The above photograph is of African elephants. There are two species of African elephants, the larger being the African bush elephant (or African savannah elephant) which is the one I’m most familiar with, and the smaller being the African forest elephant. The above picture is of African savannah elephants.

Picture caption: this is an Asian elephant. Picture by Niels Baars from Unsplash

Can you spot the differences. They are as follows:

Size: African elephants are much bigger than Asian elephants. African savannah elephants weigh approximately 8,000 kg or 9 tons and are between 3 and 4 metres tall (10 and 13 feet) at the shoulder. Asian elephants weigh approximately 5,500 kg or 6 tons and are not taller than 3,5 metres at the shoulder.

Ears: African elephants have much bigger ears and they are shaped like the continent of Africa. Asian elephants have smaller, round ears. African elephants have larger ears because they dissipate heat through their ears and Africa is hotter than Asia.

Head shape: African elephants have rounded heads and Asian elephants have a twin-domed head.

Tusks: Both male and female African elephants can have tusks, but only Asian male elephants have them. Not all elephants grow tusks.

A lot of people have romanticised ideas about elephants and think they are cute like Dumbo. This is not true. African elephants are very territorial and highly protective of their young. They can be exceptionally dangerous. I wrote a poem about this recently which you can read here: https://roberta-writes.com/2024/08/17/roberta-writes-song-parody-for-dverse-open-link-night-dverse-elephants-poetry-art/

Picture caption: African elephants at the waterhole at Tau in the Makikwe Game Reserve

Picture caption: this male African elephant has broken his tusk

Picture caption: This big boy walked right past the vehicle. I could have touched him without stretching my arm.

Elephants playing in the river at Madikwe (this is at Thakadu Tented Camp)

A very grubby elephant (taken at Makikwe Game Reserve – Madikwe Hills Lodge)

I adore this video of a herd of elephants walking in line:

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.

Roberta has two published novels and a collection of short stories and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).

Roberta is also the author and illustrator of sixteen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of three poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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In Touch With Nature – The role of the Oxpecker bird in nature #oxpeckers #giraffes #rhinos

Posted: July 24, 2024 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Animals, Books, Collection, Nature, Poetry, Wildlife | Tags: African Wildlife, Codependency, Cohabitation, Girraffes, In Touch With Nature, Oxpeckers, Rhinos, Writing to be Read | 39 Comments

Picture caption: Banner for In Touch with Nature including oil pastel artwork by Robbie Cheadle

When I go on safari into the Southern African bush, I frequently see oxpecker birds. When I spot them, they are nearly always sitting on the heads, necks, or backs of a giraffe, buffalo, or rhino. This is because oxpeckers, either the yellow-billed or the red-billed species, feed almost exclusively on ixodid ticks, dead skin, saliva, blood, sweat and tears that they collect from the skins of large African mammals. The behaviour of oxpecker birds keeps the birds well fed and reduces the parasite load on the animal. Parasites such as ticks can pass on deadly diseases as well as causing anemia in their mammal host making the animal more susceptible to illnesses.

Oxpeckers are not all good news for their animal hosts as they are sanguinivores which means that blood comprises a large part of their diet. They eat ticks for the blood they provide and a wound on an animal is an enticing blood meal. Oxpeckers peck at wounds on their hosts and can reopen them in an effort to access fresh blood.

Picture caption: a row of oxpeckers on a giraffe’s long neck

Picture caption: oxpeckers sitting on a giraffe’s head

Oxpeckers also serve as an alarm system for mammals. Their Swahili name, askari wa kifaru, means the rhino’s guard. Rhinos have very poor eye sight which puts them at a severe disadvantage when it comes to poaching. Research has show that rhinos who act as hosts to oxpeckers are less likely to be shot by poachers because the oxpeckers create a commotion when they see danger approaching. They also warn herbivores about the approach of predators like lions or hyenas.

Picture caption: a mama and baby rhino with their oxpecker friends sitting on mama’s back

Picture caption: When I took this picture of a dark giraffe in the Pilanesberg National Park in March this year, I didn’t even see the oxpecker on its head

If you look carefully at this video, you’ll see the oxpecker on the giraffe’s head. There is also one near the shoulders.

The following poem may disturb sensitive readers!

The following poem is extracted from my poetry book, Lion Scream.

Rhino Dilemma

Near-sighted eyes observe
Through tall, swaying grass
Yellowish curtain hides heavy-set body
But, camouflage fails him
The poachers close in
***
Small bird cries a warning
Animal reacts
Stands upright, facing the wind, ready for flight
Tranquiliser gun fires
Ground shakes when beast falls
***
Savage men move quickly
Hack out valued horn
Animal left bleeding; awakes to sure death
Tears of pain and anguish
Slide from fading eyes

About Rhino Dilemma

At the start of the 20th century, there were over 500,000 rhinos living in the wild. Today, that number has dropped to less than 30,000 and they are critically endangered. The main threats to rhino today are poaching and loss of habitat.

Rhino Dilemma is about the brutal slaying of rhinos for their horns. I wrote this poem after a visit to a national park in North West Province. The rhinos in the park are all dehorned.

The guide told us a horrific story about a male southern white rhino weeping in pain after poachers hacked off his horn and removed part of the bone in his skull in a South African game reserve.

On my return home, I researched this incident and found this article about a rhino crying tears after being brutally attacked and injured by a poacher. It makes me cry too: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10152157/Heartbreaking-mages-Southern-White-rhino-weeping-pain-poachers-hacked-horn.html

I wrote “Rhino Dilemma” to share the plight of the rhinos to readers in my community.

Picture caption: Cover of Lion Scream, Syllabic Poetry about Southern African Wildlife by Robbie Cheadle

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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This segment of “In Touch with Nature” is sponsored by Midnight Roost: Weird & Creepy Stories and WordCrafter Press.

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June 15 – August 31,2024

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In Touch With Nature – African killer bees, friend or foe? #intouchwithnature #Africankillerbees

Posted: June 26, 2024 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Uncategorized | 38 Comments

A landscape with the words: In Touch With Nature, "The Earth is a fine place and worth fighting for." Ernest Hemmingway

African honeybees, and their relatives Africanised honeybees, have gained the nickname “killer bees” due to their aggressive behaviour. A BBC article entitled Flying threat: Why are killer bees so dangerous? (by Jon Kelly) stated the following:

“They surround you in their multitudes – hundreds, maybe thousands of them, swooping and stinging and injecting venom into your flesh.

They might go for your eyes. Or fill up your mouth, nostrils and ears. You will have to run hundreds of yards to escape, if you can see where you are going.

And the air fills with the pheromone that tells the bees to protect their colony. Apparently, it smells like bananas.”

This article referred to Africanised honeybees which came about as a result of human intervention resulting in the mating of Brazilian honeybees with Southern African honeybees.”

Having witnessed an attack by African honeybees on my family’s dogs, I can vouch for the truth of these comments. This incident occurred when I was a teenager and both dogs had to have blood transfusions. They only survived because they jumped into the swimming pool. It was a traumatic event for me, and I’ve written a few poems, paragraphs and a short story about killer bees.

Picture caption: My photograph of an African bee. They look pretty innocuous, don’t they?

African honeybees are a lot more hostile than other bees due to their natural environment having far more predators looking to destroy their hives for honey. Some of these predators are ants, anteaters, armadillos, honey badgers, and bee eater birds. African honeybees attack in far greater numbers than Europeans bees which makes them dangerous to humans. When disturbed, they will also chase humans far further than European bees and remain agitated for much longer. However, it should be noted that the venom of African honeybees is no more toxic than European bees.

Picture caption: My photograph of a small bee-eater bird

African honeybees occur in the natural veld of South African and Central Africa and is an important pollinator of flowering plants, including many thorn trees such as acacia trees (the favourite food of giraffes). Without African honeybees, southern Africa would not have many of the fruit and vegetables that grow in this region.

South African cultural stories about African honeybees

In the Xhosa culture (Madiba clan), visitation by a swarm of bees is presumed to be a message from the ancestors who would like the family to do something for them (e.g. the brewing of traditional African beer (umqombothi) and/or the slaughtering of a goat). If the bees produced honey while they were visiting, all honey combs will be removed by a member of the family and placed on small branches before being consumed. But most importantly, words of respect will be said to the bees as they are being persuaded to leave.

In the Pedi culture, a swarm of bees in the yard is always taken as a symbol of the ancestors bringing luck to the family. One needs to then prepare some kind of African beer, but it should not ferment like umqombothi. It is called mashifa, and the sorghum should still be strong and prevalent in the water. You then summon the ancestors accordingly and acknowledge their presence and let them know that you anticipate the good wishes or blessings. The bees are never chased away or killed, and are left in peace to leave of their own accord.

Also in the Pedi culture, the queen bee is used in traditional strengthening. The queen bee is alive when she reaches the traditional healer, but is then respectfully killed and mixed in with a concoction that is applied to the face daily or weekly. This is to subdue your enemies and command respect from those around you – just like the queen bee does in the colony.

This information is from the South African National Biodiversity Institute here: https://www.sanbi.org/animal-of-the-week/african-honeybee/

BBC Earth Youtube video of an African killer bee hive:

Invasion

The colonization of much of the western hemisphere by the African honey bee (Apis mellifera scutellata) in the last 60 years is one of the most rapid and impressive biological invasions in recent history (Schneider et al 2004). Originally, African honey bees were thought to displace European honey bee subspecies through hybridization and to give rise to “Africanized honey bees” in Latin America. However the incredible success of African bees that have invaded European populations, has led to much of the European characteristics to be lost and existing honey bee populations to remain essentially African in their nesting behavior (McNally and Schneider 1992), swarming and absconding behavior (Otis et al 2002; Rubink et al 1996; Schneider 1995; Schneider and McNally 1992 and 1994; Sousa et al 2002), foraging and diet selection (Fewell and Bertran 2002; Schneider and Hall 1997; Schneider and McNally 1993), and maternal DNA characteristics (Clarke et al 2001 and 2002; Hall 1999; Segura 1989).

This information is extracted from this article: https://bee-health.extension.org/africanized-bees-better-understanding-better-prepared/

I’m closing with this extract that should serve as a lesson to humankind about interfering with nature. But it won’t!

Below is a poem duo I wrote about African bees. The poems are extracted from my book, Lion Scream.

Searching for a Home

An overcrowded hive
Results in a split
The old queen and her maids prepare for a move
Some drones are invited
To join their party
***
Scouts take off in a group
Searching high and low
For a safe and secure place to make their own
The swarm waits patiently
In a nearby tree
***
Under a wooden floor
The best place is found
The scouts return and perform their waggle dance
Giving clear directions
To the nesting site

Eviction

Prepped for occupation
The bees move in fast
Much to the chagrin of the resident dogs
Who attempt to drive off
The enemy force
***
The warriors line up
Ready for action
Their gold and black attire carefully designed
To strike fear into hearts
Ensuring respect
***
Unified bombardment
By the deadly cloud
Sends the dogs running, desperate to escape
Useless resistance
Swiftly overcome

Picture caption: Cover of Lion Scream featuring a lion with its mouth open in a roar.

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Award-winning, bestselling author, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.

Roberta has two published novels and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).

Roberta also has thirteen children’s books and two poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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__________________________________________

This segment of “In Touch with Nature” is sponsored by Midnight Roost: Weird & Creepy Stories and WordCrafter Press.

On sale now for only $4.99

June 15 – August 31,2024

https://books2read.com/MidnightRoost

In Touch With Nature – The difference between hyenas and wild dogs #hyena #wilddogs #Intouchwithnature

Posted: May 22, 2024 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Africa, Animals, In Touch With Nature, Poetry, Wildlife | Tags: African Wild Dogs, Hyenas, In Touch With Nature, Lion Scream, Painted Dogs, Poetry, Robbie Cheadle, Wildlife, Writing to be Read | 56 Comments

My In Touch With Nature post last month was all about wild dogs. You can read that post here: https://writingtoberead.com/2024/04/24/in-touch-with-nature-highly-endangered-african-painted-wild-dogs-africanwildlife-africanwilddogs/

Several readers questioned the relationship between hyenas and wild dogs. I didn’t realise that there was confusion between these creatures because I’ve grown up knowing the differences (or some of them at least). This month, I am providing some insights into those differences.

First and foremost, wild dogs are canines and hyenas are Hyaenidae. Hyenas are considered to be ‘cat-like’ carnivores and are evolutionarily closer to felines than canines.

Appearance

Wild dogs have large, rounded ears that stand up on their heads as if perpetually listening. The African painted wild dog has a pattern on its coat that resembles paint splashes in white, ochre, and black. Wild dogs are the largest of the African canine and measure between 60 and 75 centimetres tall at their shoulders. They weight between 18 and 36 kilograms and have long, slender legs.

Picture caption: African painted wild dog with large, rounded ears and long slender ears.

Hyenas have smaller ears that they draw back towards their heads. The spotted hyena has a brown-coloured coat with small dark brown spots scattered all over it and a main of longer hair. Spotted hyenas have short hind legs and longer front legs. They are larger and stronger than wild dogs having a height of up to 92 centimetres at the shoulder and a weight of up to 86 kilograms.

Behaviour

Wild dogs

Wild dogs are always on the move as they are threatened by bigger, stronger predators. They live in packs ranging from approximately 7 to 15 members and roam huge territories in search of food. Male wild dogs stay with their birth packs and females leave and find another one to join.

Packs are usually led by a dominant pair, although every member plays a valuable role. Team players, wild dogs care for other members of their pack and never leave a pack member behind.

Wild dogs are known for their endurance and can run long distances to wear down their prey. Wild dogs can reach a top speed of approximately 60 kilometres per hour (44 miles per hour).

Wild dogs are primarily diurnal like cheetahs, meaning they hunt during the day. Wild dogs are excellent hunters with an 85% hunting success rate, making them one of the most successful predators in the world. Working as a team, they can wear down animals like zebras, wildebeest (gnu) and large antelope like kudu. During a hunt, each member assumes a role as follows: subordinate males separate the target, the pack leader runs down the prey, and the others fan out to cover escape routes. Wild dogs nip and tear at their prey with their teeth as it continues to run away from them.

Hyenas

Hyenas live in groups, or clans, of between 6 and 100 individuals. Their complex social hierarchies are dominated by the larger and more aggressive females. They are much more aggressive than wild dogs and spend a lot of time fighting among each other. Despite this behaviour, the members of the pack work together to raise their young. Juveniles eat first at kills and the older females tend to sick and elderly pack members, even regurgitating food for them.

Opportunistic hunters and scavengers, hyenas have a reputation for stealing food from other predators. Hyenas are nocturnal meaning they hunt at night. Although they look ungainly, spotted hyenas can pursue prey for several kilometres without tiring. They can reach a top speed of approximately 60 kilometres per hour (37 miles per hour) and their heart is, proportionately, twice as big as a lion’s. Spotted hyenas often hunt alone but they can take down larger prey if they hunt as a pack. However, if the opportunity presents itself, they will steal from other predators including cheetahs and wild dogs.

Picture caption: Juvenile spotted hyena in the sunlight

Picture caption: Juvenile hyena with its brown coat covered in small darker markings and its mane of longer hair.

YT video of a young spotted hyena in the wild:

YT video of an adult spotted hyena:

The poem below, from my book Lion Scream, is about the unusual genitalia and birthing process of spotted hyenas. I wrote a guest post about which featured on my lovely blogging friend, Meeks’, blog. If you missed it, you can read it here: https://acflory.wordpress.com/2023/03/19/the-hyena-natures-feminist/

Nature’s Trick

My gender is obscure
One of nature’s tricks
I have the same appendages as my mate
I am also bigger
Much more aggressive
***
Birthing is difficult
My babies – stillborn
After suffocating in my birth canal
Only the strong survive
To continue my line
***
When my pack makes a kill
I get my share first
When all females have fed, and

then our offspring
Then, and only then
Do the males partake

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Roberta also has thirteen children’s books and two poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Want to be sure not to miss any of Robbie’s “In Touch With Nature” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you found it interesting or entertaining, please share.

In Touch with Nature – Highly endangered African painted wild dogs #Africanwildlife #Africanwilddogs

Posted: April 24, 2024 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Africa, Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Wildlife | Tags: African Wild Dogs, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Robbie Cheadle, Wildlife, Writing to be Read | 77 Comments

The African wild dog, also called the hunting dog or African painted dog, is currently listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. According to the African Wildlife Foundation, only 6,600 African wild dogs remain in the wild across the entire African continent. The main reason for their endangerment is habitat fragmentation (the most common reason for wildlife endangerment) which causes conflict between these predators and humans. Throughout Africa, wild dogs have been shot and poisoned by farmers for loss of livestock, even though these losses are frequently due to other predators including hyenas and leopards. In addition, African wild dogs also suffer from endemic disease outbreaks.

African wild dogs have a mottled coat comprising of yellow, black and white patches. They have long legs with flat, broad heads, a short black muzzle, and large round ears.

Wild dogs have strong social bonds and live in packs of two to twenty-seven adults and yearling pups.

Wild dogs are excellent hunters. They hunt in packs of six to twenty individuals and catch their prey by chasing them to exhaustion. Wild dogs can run at speeds of up to 66 km/h (41 mph) for between 10 to 60 continuous minutes. They have an 80 percent kill success rate with is higher than bigger predators like lions and leopards.

Observers have noticed that prior to setting out to hunt, the wild dogs’ populations in the Okavango Delta of Botswana rally to determine whether they should depart. Departure is more likely when more individual dogs sneeze, a short sharp exhale through the nostrils. If a dominant dog initiates by sneezing, around three additional sneezes guarantee departure.

Sighting a pack of African wild dogs in the wild has been on my bucket list for a long time. I was lucky enough to see a pack of wild dogs at the Bthongo Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve but they live inside a relatively small enclosure and are fed.

Picture caption: Wild dogs at the Bthongo Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve

Obviously, seeing wild dogs in captivity is not quite the same as seeing them in a national park or game reserve. I was, therefore, delighted when we saw wild dogs at Madikwe Game Reserve not once, but two days in a row. We were fortunate enough to observe, the hunt (chase), devouring of a kill, and wild dogs relaxing and having fun.

Picture caption: Wild dog in the road. A pause before the chase began.

Picture caption: Wild dog getting into his running stride.

Picture caption: After feeding, this wild dog is sated.

Picture caption above and below: Two wild dogs picking over the remaining carcass.

The poem below, Dog Vote, is extracted from my poetry book, Lion Scream.

Dog Vote

They yelp and growl at play
Then sleep in a mass
Of black fur, overlapped with yellow and white
They are invisible
Among the shadows
***
Having strong social bonds
Wild dogs live in packs
Dominated by a single breeding pair
But they all have a say
Conveyed as a vote
***
Before leaving to hunt
The adults rally
Sneezing to express a preference to hunt
The majority rules
All members comply

This is my YT video of African wild dogs playing:

My YT video of a juvenile African wild dogs rolling:

African wild dogs in a gathering:

Wild dogs fighting over a kill:

With their numbers continuing to drop, I may never see wild dogs in the bush again.

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Roberta also has thirteen children’s books and two poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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In Touch With Nature – Lionesses, the queens of the savannah #lionesses #wildlife

Posted: March 27, 2024 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Writing to be Read | Tags: Animal Kindom, In Touch With Nature, Lions, Robbie Cheadle, Writing to be Read | 58 Comments

Last month, I discussed the role of male lions in the pride. If you missed it, you can read it here: https://writingtoberead.com/2024/02/28/in-touch-with-nature-the-vulnerable-life-of-male-lions-wildlife-lions/. This month I’m talking about female lions.

Lionesses are the primary hunters within the pride. They hunt in groups of three to eight females, all of whom are usually related. Lionesses display exceptional teamwork during hunts, deploying strategic hunting techniques, such as coordinated flanking and ambushing, to outmaneuver their prey. Their synchronized approach increases the likelihood of a successful kill. Lionesses, working together, are able to take down a target twice their size. Lion prey includes zebra, wildebeests, buffalo, antelope and other grassland animals.

*Picture caption: Lioness patrolling the area around a zebra kill. Picture by Robbie Cheadle*

Lions will kill other predators including leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and African wild dogs. They do not eat them as the flesh of other predators is not nutritious. Lion predator kills are purely to remove competitors for food and territory, as well as threats to the lions young. In particular, lions actively kill leopards as leopards kill and eat their cubs.

*Picture caption: Lioness tucking in to her kill. Picture by Robbie Cheadle*

This is my video of this lioness kill:

Lionesses are known to be excellent mothers and will go to great lengths to ensure the survival of their cubs. Lion mating is polygamous and takes place all year round. The dominant male will copulate with multiple females within his pride. Lionesses are receptive to mating for three or four days within their variable reproductive cycle and during this time they will mate frequently, up to fifty times per day. Female lions have the ultimate say in deciding which lion they will reproduce with. Lionesses observe the males carefully, accessing their physical condition, strength, and overall fitness, before committing to a partnership. Lionesses are also not monogamous and can mate with multiple lions during their estrous cycle, although it has been observed that approximately two-thirds of these mating events occur with the primary male, with the remaining third being distributed among multiple males from the peripheral coalitions of that primary male. This means that a single litter can have cubs from different fathers. Lionesses in the same pride often breed around the same time and the resultant cubs are raised together.

My video of lions mating:

Lionesses are pregnant for 105 to 112 days, during which time her belly will grow larger, and her nipples will enlarge and darken. Just before giving birth, the lioness will begin to look for a safe and secure place to give birth. Once she has found a suitable spot that is hidden from predators and close to water, she will start to build a den using grass and other materials. The actual birth is relatively quick, approximately 1 hour, and between two and four is the usual number for a litter.

The cubs are born blind and helpless and rely on their mothers to protect and care for them. During the first few weeks of their lives, the cubs feed on their mother’s milk and she only leaves them for short periods to hunt.

My video of lion clubs:

Last month I said that male lions commit infanticide and can kill the cubs of other males. Given that lionesses are fiercely protective of their cubs, why do they not defend their cubs from lions? The answer is simply that male lions are much bigger and more aggressive than lionesses. Challenging a male lion is risky for a lioness as it could lead to the serious injury or death of the lioness, as a result, in this situation the lioness will prioritise her own survival and the wellbeing of the rest of the pride over the survival of her cubs.

If you are interested in seeing more of my photographs, videos and artworks relating to Cats, please enjoy this stunning post created by the talented Resa McConaghy. Resa and I share a love for wildlife and a passion for conservation.

Robbie’s Cats

Lion Lust by Robbie Cheadle

Sidling up beside her
He strokes her shoulder
In a gesture of affection for his mate
He quickly mounts her
For the eighteenth time
***
She walks quickly away
He meekly follows
Lying down face-to-face in her chosen spot
A short period of rest
Before the next round
***
They will stay together
For twenty-four hours
Mating every twenty to thirty minutes
Despite his high demands
She lovingly purrs

This poem is from my book Lion Scream, Syllabic Poetry About Southern African Wildlife.

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Roberta also has thirteen children’s books and two poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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In Touch With Nature – The vulnerable life of male lions #wildlife #lions

Posted: February 28, 2024 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Animals, In Touch With Nature, Poetry, Wildlife | Tags: Animals, In Touch With Nature, Lions, Robbie Cheadle, South Africa, Wildlife, Writing to be Read | 74 Comments

Lions live in groups called prides. Each pride is comprised of related lionesses and one or more adult male lions will also be present with the dominant male being the pride leader. Female lionesses are loyal to their pride and not to their family members, and this often means that they don’t keep related males in their pride.

Male lion cubs are frequent victims of snake bits, hunting hyenas, and male lions that aren’t their father or uncle. One in two male lion cubs will die in their first year of life. The greatest single cause of male lion mortality in the first year of life is infanticide by unrelated male lions.

*Picture caption: Lion cubs at Ukutula Lodge & Game Reserve*

At approximately three years of age, male lions are pushed out of their pride by their fathers. Alternatively, they may be forced to leave the pride when a new coalition of male lions takes over the pride. For a period of two or three years after leaving their prides, young male lions wander on their own, trying to avoid confrontation with older, stronger male lions. Frequently, single males find other males of a similar age and join them to form a coalition. Coalitions typically comprise of two to four male lions and are often made up of brothers or cousins although some include unrelated males. The main purpose for male lions forming coalitions is to compete with other male lions for mates.

When the males in a coalition reach four to five years of age, they will challenge other male coalitions for access to a pride of lionesses. When a new coalition takes over a pride, the new males seek out and kill the cubs of other males or drive them away. The purpose of the killing of cubs is to accelerate the return of the lionesses to a reproductive state thereby allowing the new males to raise their own cubs. The dominant male or pride leader generally gets first mating rights but lionesses do mate with other pride males. The lesser males usually get their opportunity when several females are in heat at the same time and if the dominant male losses interest while the lionesses are still in heat.

The dominant male is usually the largest, strongest male lion. Dominant males usually only retain that position for a few years and then they are challenged by a younger male or an outside coalition. During their time as pride leader, the male is responsible for defending the females and their cubs from predators such as hyenas.

When a battle for leadership takes place within an existing pride, the battle is usually fierce but not deadly. If an outside coalition challenges the leader, the battle will be to the death.

Brothers, a 99-sylable Double Ennead poem by Robbie Cheadle

*Picture capt*ion: Two lion brothers resting in the shade

Dry, yellow grass stretches
To the horizon
Just there, under a scrub tree, lie two brothers
Within slumbers embrace
They soak up the sun
***
The colour of ripe wheat
They blend with the bush
Male lions resting peacefully
Enjoying blissful dreams
Concerning fat buck
***
One starts gently stirring
Rolls over and sighs
His underbelly unintimidating
But then he yawns widely
Showing great long teeth

This poem is included in Lion Scream, Syllabic Poetry About Southern African Wildlife

Lion brothers walking on the road:

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Roberta also has thirteen children’s books and two poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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In Touch With Nature – Giraffes chew bones and lions eat grass #animalkingdom #natureconservation

Posted: January 24, 2024 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Wildlife | Tags: In Touch With Nature, Predators and Prey, Robbie Cheadle, Wildlife, Writing to be Read | 107 Comments

Kaye and I are starting a new series this year entitled “In Touch With Nature”. We will be sharing information about the natural environment, and I will include some of my nature videos, artworks, and photographs.

For any writers, poets and authors who have an interest in nature conservation and our natural environment, I have joined the Society of Environmental Authors and Journalists. You can find out more about it here: Society of Environmental Authors and Journalists – Robbie Cheadle

For this first post in this series, I am discussing the topic of herbivores and carnivores.

The Oxford dictionary defines a herbivore as an animal that feeds on plants.

National Geographic expands on this to say that a herbivore is an organism that mostly feeds on plants. Herbivores range in size from tiny insects such as aphids to large, lumbering elephants. You can read more on this topic here: Herbivore (nationalgeographic.org)

Conversely, Oxford defines a carnivore as an animal that feeds on other animals.

National Geographic says: “A carnivore is an organism that eats mostly meat, or the flesh of animals. Sometimes carnivores are called predators.” You can read more here: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/carnivore/

*Picture caption: Male kudu in the bush. Photograph by Robbie Cheadle.*

With the above in mind, did you know that many herbivores chew on bones? It’s true. Giraffes, red deer, reindeer, camels, wildebeest, kudu, gemsbok, and sable antelopes, as well as domestic cows and sheep, are not the strict vegans we think they are. They have all been observed to consume bones in a practice called osteophagy.

These animals do not actually eat the bones or break them open to eat the marrow inside, they only chew on dry bones and only when they are mineral deprived. Chewing bones provides herbivores with essential nutrients, phosphorus, and a bit of sodium.

Phosphorus is an essential mineral for all animals. This mineral plays an important role in the formation of the skeletal system and is necessary for certain biological processes including energy metabolism, protein synthesis, cell signaling, and lactation. A lack of phosphorus results in delayed growth and failure to regenerate new bone as well as problems with the reproductive system.

Another way herbivores obtain essential minerals and other elements they need is natural licks, also called salt licks. These licks can be natural but many are artificial and created by humans for the animals. You will see deer, moose, elephants, hippos, rhinos, tapirs, woodchucks, fox squirrels, mountain goats, porcupines and frugivorous bats all making use of natural or artificial licks to obtain phosphorus and biometals (sodium, calcium, iron, zinc, and other trace elements).

*Picture caption: Old male Cape Buffalo at a salt like. Photograph by Robbie Cheadle*.

A further surprise is that lions sometimes eat small amounts of grass to extract certain nutrients they need. As their digestive system is designed to digest meat, they cannot digest the grass fully and often vomit soon after eating it.

Some of the reasons a lion may eat grass are as follows:

It helps provide them with a source of water;
It helps maintain their body weight;
It helps keep them cool in hot weather;
It helps settle stomach aches; and
Its an easy way for a lion to get nutrients.

Lions are versatile. This means that if they are hunting in dry regions like the Kalahari Desert, lions may eat plants and fruits as an alternate source of water. Lions don’t drink very much.

*Picture caption: Male lion in the bush. He looks like he is chuckling. Photograph by Robbie Cheadle.*

*Picture caption: My teeth are bigger than your teeth! Male lion in the bush. Photograph by Robbie Cheadle.*

Domestic dogs and cats also sometimes eat grass for the same reasons as lions. Just like lions, they usually vomit after eating it.

Animals are adaptable and find ways to meet their dietary needs. There are few perfect examples of herbivores or carnivores in the wild.

Here are a few of my YouTube wildlife videos:

Young kudu (short taken at Madikwe Game Reserve in January 2024)

This black maned lion walked right past our vehicle:

This is a short of the old male Cape Buffalo at the salt lick.

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Roberta also has thirteen children’s books and two poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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Dark Origins – Letters to Santa #DarkOrigins #Christmas

Posted: December 27, 2023 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Uncategorized | 52 Comments

Picture credit: Cake art by Robbie Cheadle. Santa and a Christmas Elf packing books into Santa’s toy sack.

Thomas Nast, an illustrator and cartoonist for Harper’s Weekly between 1857 and 1887 can be credited with kickstarting the process of sending letters to Santa. Nast’s depictions of Santa Clause largely shaped the way we now view Santa Clause. Even Santa’s backstory of being from the North Pole was influenced by Nast, who used his Santa illustrations to spread cheer to both the young and the old.

Picture credit: https://recollections.biz/blog/thomas-nast-santa-claus/. The image shows Santa seated at his desk and going through his mail. He is sorting letters into stacks labeled “Letters from Naughty Children’s Parents” and “Letters from Good Children’s Parents”.

This is an extract from a work in progress of mine titled Silly Billy goes to England. It’s all about Christmas letters.

“I was worried. Willy and I had only just written our Christmas letters and it was noon on the 24th of December. What if Father Christmas didn’t get them? I was sure his elves were busy the day before Christmas. It was all Dad’s fault. He shouldn’t have cancelled the plane tickets he’d booked in France. We would have gotten back to England much quicker if he hadn’t relied on the free flights provided by Eurostar. Mind you, when the trains were cancelled due to the snow, I thought we’d be stuck in Euro Disney over Christmas. That would have been awful. I’d had enough of the crowds and dirty toilets in the park.

Mom helped us write our letters as soon as we woke up. I had a list of ten books that I wanted on mine and a Star Wars Lego playset. Mom was pleased when she heard my wish list and smiled at me.

Willy didn’t have any books on his list. Willy wanted a Star Wars light sabre, the knights costume he had seen in Euro Disney, a police lego set, a wooden sword and shield, a big tin of chocolates (all for him – no sharing) and ten knights and a dragon. Mom looked less pleased about Willy’s list. He had no books on it and Mom said he was being greedy. She wrote three books on Willy’s list and didn’t add the last three items on his list.

Mom decided that now was the time to teach us boys a life lesson about being greedy at Christmas. She opened her laptop computer and Googled “letters to Santa through the ages”. A list of letters written by children from long, long ago came up in response to her search. Mom read them to us.

The first letter was written by a boy who lived in a place called Sumter in South Carolina. Mom said that South Carolina is in America. I want to go to America. I want to visit the Disney Land in America.

This letter was written in December 1883. Mom read the following:

“Dear Old Santa Claus

I call you old, because Papa says, you are the same “Santa Claus” that lived when Grandpa was a little boy, and he is over 75 years old now. Papa says that you are either at the North Pole, or in Norway or Russia today, he don’t know exactly where, but if I write you through the Watchman and Southron you will be sure to get my letter, as it is a very popular paper and goes everywhere.

Dear Santa, please come and see us once more next Monday night. Papa says times are so hard and money so scarce, that he is afraid you won’t be able to come and make us have a “Merry and Happy Christmas.

You mustn’t buy and bring us expensive presents, but only some little trifle to make our hearts glad.”

This letter made me feel a bit sad when I thought about all the things I had put on my wish list. The next two letters were even worse, and I felt tears coming into my eyes when I thought about the children who wrote these letters so long ago.

“Dear Santa

I hope you will enjoy your Christmas, as I intend to enjoy mine. O, how glad I am that Christmas is so near and that the dear child Jesus was born so many years ago when laid in a manger. I hope we will enjoy our Christmas better than the last one, as our dear good father die the 14 of Dec. We have miss him very much and will miss forever. I hope I will see him once again not in this world; but in heaven. Teresa Riedmiller Mom said that this letter was published in a newspaper called The Chicago Tribune on 22 December 1895.

The next letter that Mom read was from a time she called “the Great Depression”. Mom said that this was a time when all the people in the world were very poor. There were no jobs and lots of families were homeless and hungry. Mom said that throughout the Great Depression, which lasted for more than ten years, children wrote to Father Christmas, who these children called Santa Claus. Many of the letters asked Santa Claus for jobs, money or schoolbooks instead of toys and games. Some of the

children posted their letters to the White House in Washington D.C. Mom said that this is where the America president lives. The children hoped that the American president at that time, President Roosevelt, who cared so much about the American people, could somehow get their Christmas wishes to Santa Claus. Mom read that one letter to Santa Claus during the Great Depression was address as follows: Santa Claus in the Happy Land where there is no depression. The letter said the following:

“Dear Santa Claus, State street: I am a little girl, 7 years old, and I’m afraid that you won’t call at our house, because we are so poor. Father has to work hard all day and mother is sick and says we needn’t expect anything. Please when you are on the west side if you will just call and leave a little book or something I will be much obliged. You can’t come down the chimney, because it is too small, but I will open the door if you knock.”

Willy did not appreciate the life lesson Mom was giving us. He started to wriggle and kick the back of the settee.

Mom ignored him and read us a story that she said was written by a man acting as Father Christmas when he visited a boy in a Children’s Hospital on Christmas Day in 1960. This is what she read:

In the hospital was a boy called Bobby. When I met him he had tubes running every which way and had been in the hospital most of his life. Bobby looked up at me and said “Santa, what do you do with pain?”

I replied: “Well, because of my crooked fingers, I can’t even point straight to the North Pole, so I have to take Advil. What do you do with pain?”

Bobby said “I take pain and put it in a box and wrap it with tissue paper and bright ribbon and throw it away.”

“Why” I asked.

“I can’t show pain” said Bobby.

“Why not?” I asked.

“It hurts my Mother’s heart,” he replied.

Mom stopped there thank goodness. I had tears streaming down my face and Willy was standing on the floor jumping up and down, wanting to get going.

We put our letters on the counter and got ready to go shopping. There was no food in the house as we had eaten everything before we left for France. It was still snowing outside, and it was very cold. Dad didn’t want to drive far in the bad weather, so he said we would shop at the nearby city of Canterbury.”

Picture credit: Cake art by Robbie Cheadle. A Bible and white arum lilies.

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Roberta also has thirteen children’s books and two poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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Dark Origins – Remembrance Month edition: War book quote quiz #DarkOrigins #Warnovelsquiz

Posted: November 22, 2023 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Uncategorized | 40 Comments

I am not going to discuss the dark origins of war today. We all have our own views on what those are and they are all correct.

Last year I did a few book quiz posts on my home blog, Roberta Writes. I shared quotes from a number of famous books and readers (without using google) guessed which books they were from. I thought for this November post of Dark Origins, I would share quotes from a number of well know books about war. I will give you a clue to help you with your guesses.

This book is set in Asia and was written by an Australian-born British writer, screenwriter, director and World War II veteran and prisoner of war.

Quote 1: “Leave the problems of God to God and karma to karma. Today you’re here and nothing you can do will change that. Today you’re alive and here and honored, and blessed with good fortune. Look at this sunset, it’s beautiful, neh? This sunset exists. Tomorrow does not exist. There is only now. Please look. It is so beautiful and it will never happen ever again, never, not this sunset, never in all infinity.

Lose yourself in it, make yourself one with nature and do not worry about karma, yours, mine, or that of the village.”

Quote 2: “Love is a Christian word, Anjin-san. Love is a Christian thought, a Christian ideal. We have no word for ‘love’ as I understand you to mean it. Duty, loyalty, honor, respect, desire, those words and thoughts are what we have, all that we need.”

Quote 3: “Patience means holding back your inclination to the seven emotions: hate, adoration, joy, anxiety, anger, grief, fear. If you don’t give way to the seven, you’re patient, then you’ll soon understand all manner of things and be in harmony with Eternity.’ ”

This author was an English writer and philologist. From 1925 to 1945 hew was the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon and a Fellow of Pembroke College, both at the University of Oxford.

“A hunted man sometimes wearies of distrust and longs for friendship.”

“The way is shut.
Then they halted and looked at him and saw that he lived still; but he did not look at them. The way is shut, his voice said again. It was made by those who are Dead, and the Dead keep it, until the time comes. The way is shut.”

“It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not. It is wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope.”

The title of this book means it is an impossible situation because you cannot do one thing until you do another thing, but you cannot do the second thing until you do the first thing

“The enemy is anybody who’s going to get you killed, no matter which side he is on.”

“What is a country? A country is a piece of land surrounded on all sides by boundaries, usually unnatural. Englishmen are dying for England, Americans are dying for America, Germans are dying for Germany, Russians are dying for Russia. There are now fifty or sixty countries fighting in this war. Surely so many countries can’t all be worth dying for.”

“When I look up, I see people cashing in. I don’t see heaven or saints or angels. I see people cashing in on every decent impulse and every human tragedy.”

This American author’s legacy to literature is his style

“Dying was nothing and he had no picture of it nor fear of it in his mind. But living was a field of grain blowing in the wind on the side of a hill. Living was a hawk in the sky. Living was an earthen jar of water in the dust of the threshing with the grain flailed out and the chaff blowing. Living was a horse between your legs and a carbine under one leg and a hill and a valley and a stream with trees along it and the far side of the valley and the hills beyond.”

“This was the greatest gift that he had, the talent that fitted him for war; that ability not to ignore but to despise whatever bad ending there could be. This quality was destroyed by too much responsibility for others or the necessity of undertaking something ill planned or badly conceived. For in such things the bad ending, failure, could not be ignored. It was not simply a possibility of harm to one’s self, which could be ignored. He knew he himself was nothing, and he knew death was nothing. He knew that truly, as truly as he knew anything. In the last few days he had learned that he himself, with another person, could be everything. But inside himself he knew that this was the exception. That we have had, he thought. In that I have been most fortunate. That was given to me, perhaps, because I never asked for it. That cannot be taken away nor lost. But that is over and done with now on this morning and what there is to do now is our work.”

“He smelled the odor of the pine boughs under him, the piney smell of the crushed needles and the sharper odor of the resinous sap from the cut limbs. … This is the smell I love. This and fresh-cut clover, the crushed sage as you ride after cattle, wood-smoke and the burning leaves of autumn. That must be the odor of nostalgia, the smell of the smoke from the piles of raked leaves burning in the streets in the fall in Missoula. Which would you rather smell? Sweet grass the Indians used in their baskets? Smoked leather? The odor of the ground in the spring after rain? The smell of the sea as you walk through the gorse on a headland in Galicia? Or the wind from the land as you come in toward Cuba in the dark? That was the odor of cactus flowers, mimosa and the sea-grape shrubs. Or would you rather smell frying bacon in the morning when you are hungry? Or coffee in the morning? Or a Jonathan apple as you bit into it? Or a cider mill in the grinding, or bread fresh from the oven?”

This author was an English Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse, writer, feminist, socialist and pacifist

“How fortunate we were who still had hope I did not then realise; I could not know how soon the time would come when we should have no more hope, and yet be unable to die”

“When I was a girl . . . I imagined that life was individual, one’s own affair; that the events happening in the world outside were important enough in their own way, but were personally quite irrelevant. Now, like the rest of my generation, I have had to learn again and again the terrible truth . . . that no life is really private, or isolated, or self-sufficient. People’s lives were entirely their own, perhaps–and more justifiably–when the world seemed enormous, and all its comings and goings were slow and deliberate. But this is so no longer, and never will be again, since man’s inventions have eliminated so much of distance and time; for better, for worse, we are now each of us part of the surge and swell of great economic and political movements, and whatever we do, as individuals or as nations, deeply affects everyone else.”

“When the sound of victorious guns burst over London at 11 a.m. on November 11th, 1918, the men and women who looked incredulously into each other’s faces did not cry jubilantly: ” We’ve won the war! ” They only said: ” The War is over.”

Let me know your guesses in the comments. I will share the answers in the comments a few days after the post goes live.

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Roberta also has thirteen children’s books and two poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.