In Touch With Nature – Wildebeeste, the Clown of the Veld

Posted: November 26, 2025 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Africa, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Wildlife | Tags: #InTouchWithNature, #poetry, #RobbieCheadle, #Wildebeest, #wildlife, Nature, South Africa, Wildlife | 47 Comments

Last month I wrote about warthogs, one of the Ugly Five animals of Southern Africa. This month I have written about another Ugly Five animal, the wildebeest. I have written a poem using the format and rhyming scheme of another very famous poem. Can you guess which poem it is?

Wildebeest, Clown of the Veld

In the game park we’d just arrived, after a long and difficult drive

Despite being fatigued, my eyes were quick and eager to see

The animals I love, anything and everything from lion to dove

I happened to see a mom and calf, running along wild and free

“Look,” I cried, “a baby wildebeest, running along wild and free”

The calf sighting filled me with glee

***

It was early summer, and the temperatures couldn’t be hotter

When we had this chance encounter with the “clown of the veld”

Also known as gnu, these ones were black not East African blue

Such a funny looking creature, not sophisticated and svelte

Even its erratic and playful behaviour was far from svelte

The joker of the veld

***

A joy to watch, they looked like they’d had a go at the scotch

As the vehicle approached, they pranced, leaping up and down

Kicking their heels into the air, an entertaining dancing pair

Running in circles for no reason, the world was their playground

Suddenly stopping, looking back, over their world and playground

Amusing and fun veld clowns

***

Wildebeest, the name, means wild beast, although on grass they feast

Unlike their blue Eastern relatives, black wildebeest don’t migrate

They have a long, horse-like tail, and the darker ones are always male

These creatures must drink water daily or they’ll quickly dehydrate

As a result you’ll find them near waterways so they don’t dehydrate

During droughts, death their fate

***

Driving further down the road, several more gnu became exposed

Many more adults and calves grazing with zebra in a mixed herd

My camera was quickly snapping, so fast my pictures overlapping

On their backs and heavy forequarters feasted the ox-pecker bird

Wildebeest have a symbiotic relationship with the ox-pecker bird

Although this pairing looks absurd

***

Often a gnu’s life depends, on hanging around with its zebra friends

This relationship heightens their awareness of any potential carnivores

In the bush the cats must also eat, the only escape being quick and fleet

This is the way of life in the wild and animals comply with the bush laws

One creature must die to give another life in terms of the bush laws

Part of experiencing the great outdoors

Picture caption: Two adult wildebeest and three calves

Picture caption: Mom wildebeest and two calves on the move

Picture caption: Close up of a mom wildebeest and her calf

You can see my Youtube videos of wildebeest here:

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Picture caption: Robbie Cheadle author photograph 2025

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 seventeen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of four 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

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social

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 the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Roost-Kaye-Lynne-Booth-ebook/dp/B0CL6FPLVJ

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In Touch With Nature – Meet Pumbaa the Warthog and a treat #southernafricanwildlife #intouchwithnature

Posted: October 22, 2025 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Africa, Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Nature writing, Poetry, Wildlife | Tags: In Touch With Nature, Photography, Poetry, Robbie Cheadle, South Africa, Warthogs, White Giraffe, Wildlife, Writing to be Read | 40 Comments

Disney was as kind to warthog’s as it was unkind to hyenas in its movie, The Lion King. Pumbaa the Warthog is a well-known Southern African cartoon figure among many people, young and old. This is intriguing to me as warthogs, together with poor unloved hyenas, are both part of the Southern African ‘Ugly Five’ group of animals.

I always laugh when I see warthogs running about in the veld. I immediately think of ‘pigs in blankets’ and they are definitely ‘bush snacks’ for many carnivores. So, let’s learn a bit more about these funny looking creatures.

Warthogs are day animals and spend most of their time foraging for food. Socially, they are found in three groups: solitary boars, bachelor groups, and matriarchal groups which consist of adult sows with their young and yearlings. Outside of mating, the boars seldom associate with the sows and play no role in rearing the piglets. Did I mention that warthogs are a member of the pig family? Warthogs are the only pigs that have adapted to living and grazing in savannah like habitats.

A few interesting features of warthogs are that they kneel on their front knees while feeding and foraging and they shelter in (frequently borrowed) burrows at night which they enter tails first. Although they like more dry surroundings, warthogs enjoy wallowing in muddy water every day. This wallowing process is how they stay cool on hot days in the same manner as elephants and buffalo.

Picture caption: a solitary male warthog

Warthogs tend to breed and give birth at the beginning of the rainy season in regions where the seasons are defined. In other environments, warthogs can breed all year around. Warthogs generally have two to three piglets in a litter.

Although I said these creatures are bush snacks for lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and painted dogs, they have longer legs than most pigs and can run very quickly. They are difficult to catch and also difficult to photograph.

Interesting warthog facts

Warthogs have two pairs of tusks
Warthogs trot with their tails in the air
Warthogs can run up to 55 kilometres per hour (35 miles per hour)
Warthogs fight in a ritualistic way and use their heads and tusks to try to push their opponent over.
Warthogs have warts on their faces which act as a cushion for blows from their adversaries. Large warts also help protect their eyes during fights.
A group of female warthogs with young is called a sounder
Mama warthogs like orderly behaviour and the piglets always run in a fixed order in a line and not in a disorderly group.
Warthogs are attentive mothers; they leave the sounder when about to give birth and find their own burrow or hole. Mama remains in this hole with her young for the first six to seven weeks after birth, only leaving for short periods to graze.
Warthogs are hunted for their tusks which are carved for the tourist trade in eastern and southern Africa (don’t buy these!)
Warthogs communicate using a variety of different noises including loud grunts, growling and squeals. Clacking noises are used by males to entice females.

Picture caption: warthog foraging and grazing.

Picture caption: Close up of a male warthog

My Youtube video of a sounder having breakfast:

Poem about warthogs

This poem is extracted from my favourite of my own books, Lion Scream.

Home Thief

I am not beautiful
My head is too big
My face is covered in wartlike protrusions
To protect it during fights
I have four large tusks
***
I prefer to trespass
On ready-built homes
It’s easier if aardvark does the digging
Creating a safe hole
And I just move in
***
My babies enter first
I have up to four
Backing in leaves me prepared to protect them
From many predators
Who view us as snacks

Lion Scream is available from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Lion-Scream-Syllabic-Southern-Wildlife-ebook/dp/B0BXP5N766

White headed giraffe – a special sighting

During a trip to Babanango Private Game Reserve we had the good fortune to come across this giraffe with large white patches on its face. Very unusual. The guide was very patient and waited for me to get my shots.

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

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social

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 the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

In Touch With Nature – Leopard Tortoise, one of the Small Five #Africanwildlife #leopardtortoise

Posted: September 24, 2025 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Africa, Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Poetry, Wildlife | Tags: In Touch With Nature, Leopard Tortoise, Robbie Cheadle, South Africa, Wildlife, Writing to be Read | 23 Comments

This month, I am featuring the leopard tortoises. One of the small five African animals, along with the elephant shrew, ant lion, rhinoceros beetle, and buffalo weaver.

Leopard Tortoise

One of the ‘small five’

whose names relate to the big five

the leopard tortoise

with its distinctive patterned shell

is a signature animal

of the African savannah.

Lacking a nuchal shield

this tortoise is the only member of its family

that can raise its head

and is thus, the only tortoise

that can swim. It can also stay under water

for up to ten minutes.

It’s sex is determined by

the temperature at which

the egg is incubated. Amazing!

And, this incredible creature

can climb. It uses its strong toenails

to manoeuvre over rocky terrain.

Living up to one hundred years

you can tell its age by counting

the scutes or ridges on its shell

just like counting rings on a tree.

If you find one in South Africa

you may not keep it without a permit

as they are a protected species.

Should you manage to get a permit

do not hibernate it in the refrigerator

as leopard tortoises do not hibernate

but rather enter a state of reduced activity

called brumation which is similar

to deep sleep. They require supplemental

heating during the winter months

as they are not adapted to cold.

Picture caption: Leopard tortoises at Madikwe Game Reserve

my video of a leopard tortoise that came into the lodge grounds.

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

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social

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 the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

In Touch With Nature – Nyala antelope #southernAfricanwildlife

Posted: March 26, 2025 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Africa, Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Wildlife | Tags: In Touch With Nature, Nyala Antelope, Robbie Cheadle, South Africa, Writing to be Read | 88 Comments

The Nyala is a spiral horned antelope native to southern Africa. It is the antelope with the highest sexual dimorphism (differences between male and female of the species). This is easy to see in the photographs and videos I’ve shared in this post so look out for the rusty or rufous brown coats of the females and juveniles and the dark brown or slate grey coat of adult males. Females and juveniles also have ten or more white vertical stripes on their sides which the stripes are greatly reduced or completely absent in the adult males. The males are significantly larger than the females.

Picture caption: Female Nyala with vertical white stripes

Picture caption: Above and below are pictures of a male Nyala

The Nyala is a shy animal and is usually seen in the early morning and the late afternoon when it browses, feeding on foliage, fruits, and grasses. They live in thickets within dense and dry savannah woodlands and are usually found in single-sex or mixed family groups of up to ten animals. These antelope are not fast runners, and their camouflage is their main defense against predators.

The main predators of the Nyala are lions, leopards, African wild dogs, and humans. The males are highly prized as game animals, and they are often victims of poaching. Human settlement is also encroaching on their habitat resulting in a declining population although they are classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Nyalas have a special relationship with the baboons and vervet monkeys with whom they share the woodlands. They eat any fruit dropped by these primates and also react to any alarm calls made by primates from their advantageous viewing points in the trees. The baboons and monkeys also benefit from the relationship as Nyala have exceptional hearing, smell, and sight. When a Nyala spots danger, it gives off a striking alarm call sounding a bit like a barking dog. This warning also serves the primates and other creatures sharing their habitat.

Interestingly, Nyalas are not territorial. They wander about in groups and do not try to protect any areas from other creatures.

Nyala buck have an aggressive way of breeding. Firstly, the males fight for dominance, crashing into each other with their sharp horns acting like swords. The horns often draw blood. The bulls fight until one backs down by walking away as a sign of submission. These battles can be fatal if the wounds become infected or if the bull is concussed. The winning bull then slowly dances within the group of females, using strange, stuttering movements and raising its head to show off its white underfur.

When a female is on heat, the male follows her on foot, pushing his nose between her legs. He gets excited and buts her hindquarters right off the ground. If the female is interested, she stops walking. The male then walks around her and presses her head down before he mounts her. Gestation is 220 days and ewes can conceive from the age of 14 months.

Picture caption: Close up of a young male Nyala

Picture caption: Close up of a female Nyala

YouTube video of Nyala herd comprising of young males and females:

Male Nyala licking his legs YT video:

YT video of a Nyala male feeding:

The Fire Part 1

Flamboyant performer
Sun takes final bow
Pitch black curtains descend; concealing the stage
Campers assemble fire
Restraining darkness
***
Wood ignites, flames crackle
Illuminating
Nocturnal animals materialise
Skulking in deep shadow
Bright eyes glittering
***
Feeding ravenous blaze
An essential task
Stopping potential diners from helping themselves
To a convenient
Snack of arms or legs

The Fire Part 2

Dawn makes her grand entrance
Painting the sky red
Men prepare to depart, water smothers fire
Murky vapour billows
Dark ashes sodden
***
Everything orderly
The campers move on
Single flickering coal smolders unnoticed
Mutely clinging to life
Nurtured by the breeze
***
Dry leaves fall stealthily
Embracing ember
Sustenance provided; leaves burst into flame
Cunningly building strength
Destruction ensured

These poem duo is from my book, Lion Scream, Syllabic Poetry About Southern African Wildlife, available from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Lion-Scream-Syllabic-Southern-Wildlife-ebook/dp/B0BXP5N766

Picture caption: Promotional banner for Lion Scream

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

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

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social

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 the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

In Touch With Nature – African’s most unusual bird of prey – Ode to a Secretary Bird #southernafricanwildlife #birds #poetry

Posted: January 22, 2025 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Africa, Birds, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Poetry, Writing to be Read | Tags: African Wildlife, Birds, In Touch With Nature, Photography, Poetry, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Secretary Bird, Video, Writing to be Read | 68 Comments

During our recent trip of Babanango Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, we had a good sighting of a secretary bird roosting in a tree. That sighting prompted the creation of this poem which tells you all about this fascinating bird.

Ode to a Secretary Bird

My mouth smiles, a grin spreading from ear to ear

When I spy the Secretary Bird perched in a tree

It looks around, hoping its favourite food will appear

A slithering snake its equivalent of scones and tea

An eagle type body perched atop legs like a crane

Giving it a height of up to 1.3 meters; tall for a bird

Crazy feather spikes surround its face – a bad hair day

Or does it think it’s a lion with a shaggy black mane

During a courting ritual, its frog-like call is heard

The rest of the year, a calm silence holds sway

Picture caption: Secretary bird with its black crest up. Picture by Robbie Cheadle

***

Breeding usually takes place once in a year

During spring and summer when food is plentiful

The male helps to incubate the eggs, he’s quite a dear

Mating with one female for life, he’s also faithful

Preferring to stay grounded, it will fly if it must

Legs sticking out behind it in a ridiculous way

Outside of mating or nesting, it does its thing alone

When it needs to run, you only see a cloud of dust

With a wingspan of two metres, it creates a great display

Living out its life within a fifty square kilometre zone

Picture caption: Secretary bird stretching in an acacia tree. Picture by Robbie Cheadle

***

Grey tailcoat and dark knee-length pants its claim

To male secretary status – it even has goose-quill pens

Carried behind its ears, the combined cause of its name

Also called ‘Devil’s horse’ by its traditional African friends

In honour of the great speed at which it hunts its prey

Including reptiles, amphibians, and mammals like rats

And venomous snakes which it beats to death on the ground

Popular due to their diet, people encourage them to stay

At keeping land free of vermin, they’re better than cats

Once they were numerous, but they no longer abound

Picture caption: Secretary bird in an acacia tree. Picture by Robbie Cheadle

***

This bird’s endangered classification mankind’s great shame

Along with its relatives, buzzards, vultures, and harriers

The fault of human greed and selfishness, nothing else to blame

I’m grateful some are protected behind fences and barriers

An important feature in the South African coat of arms

It’s chest a protea, also endangered or vulnerable to extinction

Powerful legs formed by a crossed knobkierie and long spear

Symbolism as the protector of the nation one of its many charms

You’d expect its status to afford it a measure of distinction

The loss of this messenger of the heavens not something people fear

A fascinating YT video featuring a secretary bird (not my video):

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

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social

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 the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

In Touch With Nature – Christmas Special: Japanese Macaque (Snow Monkeys) #snowmonkeys #Japan

Posted: December 25, 2024 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Photography, Travel | Tags: In Touch With Nature, Japan, Robbie Cheadle, Snow Monkeys, Writing to be Read | 47 Comments

Picture caption: Snow monkeys in the thermal spa

For my final In Touch With Nature post of 2024, which happens to fall on Christmas Day, I am taking you 17 hours of flying time away from South Africa to Nagano in Japan (yes, the same place where the 1998 Olympic Winter Games were held).

Nagano is a very beautiful place and it is home to the Japanese Macaque or snow monkeys.

According to Wikipedia, snow monkeys are a terrestrial Old World monkey (primates in the family Cercopithecidae) species that is native to Japan. They live in areas where snow covers the ground for a significant part of the year. Snow monkeys are the only species of monkeys found in Japan and they are one of the big reasons I wanted to go to Japan when the opportunity arose (TC was offered a lead reviewer position in Tokyo for two weeks and I was expensive luggage – haha!).

We visited a wild snow monkey park in Jigokudani Yaen-koen (altitude 850 metres), located in the Valley of Yokoyu River in the northern part of Nagano. This is the only place in the world where monkeys bathe in hot springs.

These are pictures of Jigokudani Yaen-koen:

Snow monkeys have brownish grey fur, pink to red faces, and short, stumpy tails. The males weigh about 11.3 kg (25 lb) and the females weigh about 8.4 kg (19 lb). They generally move on all fours.

Snow monkeys are omnivorous and eat a variety of foods including approximately 213 species of plants, insects, bark, and soil. During the winters with heavy snowfall, the monkeys rely heavily on bark (the same as elephants during the Southern African winter which is quite interesting).

These are some of my photographs of the snow monkeys in the thermal spring:

Gallery photo caption: These are all snow monkey pictures I took with my iphone.

These are a few of the pictures I took with my camera. They are better, I think.

If you are interested in using any of my snow monkey or Mount Fuji photographs, they are available for free download from Unsplash here: https://unsplash.com/@r_cheadle

Two YouTube shorts of the snow monkeys:

Kaye and I wish you happy holidays and if you celebrate Christmas, may it be very merry.

A few pictures of the tree lights in Japan.

Picture caption: Tokyo tree lights street scene (I really like this picture)

Picture caption: Tokyo tree lights street scene

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 the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

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’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.

20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare.

On sale now for only $4.99

June 15 – August 31,2024

https://books2read.com/MidnightRoost

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.

On sale now for only $4.99

June 15 – August 31,2024

https://books2read.com/MidnightRoost

A Day at the Lake

Posted: June 17, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Animals, Bird Watching, Nature, Writing to be Read | Tags: Bird Watching, Ducks, Geese, Kaye Lynne Booth, Storks, Waterfowl, Writing to be Read | 2 Comments

Three storks perched in the middle of the lake. — Visiting Storks

I always enjoy going places where I can see different birds from those that visit my yard. Recently I visited a lake in Salida, Colorado, where ducks and geese frequent. I spent a pleasant afternoon walking around the lake and I was fortunate to be there at a time when the storks stopped by for a visit. You can see them perched in the photo above. They are quite large, and interesting looking, but oh, so graceful in flight. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to capture their departure as they lit out for their next stop. But I did get some shots of the cute duckies and geese below.

A mallard duck at the edge of the water. — Going in?

Two ducks on the lake facing one another. — Going in?

I found a better picture of the majestic stork. Different trip, different lake. This one was spotted on Lake DeWeese, just outside Westcliffe, Colorado.

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About the Author

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

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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

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

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

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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