A Zoo in My Luggage by Gerald Durrell
In 1957, Gerald Durrell and his wife set out to "collect" animals from Bafut in the British Cameroons of West Africa for their zoo, a location for which was yet to be secured. They returned with a menagerie of creatures and the novel is an account of how he shifts the animals around England while scouting for a permanent location. 'Throughout my life,' he writes, 'I have rarely if ever achieved what I wanted by tackling it in a logical fashion.' A Zoo in my Luggage is a hilarious true story of animal relocation written in Durrell's inimitable style that combines charming descriptions with dry humour. His timeless classic, My Family and Other Animals, is a childhood adventure. This novel captures his unwavering love for wildlife and nature as an adult.
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Who can forget Mowgli? The little boy who was raised by a pack of wolves in the jungles of India. The book follows his adventures with all kinds of animals—Bagheera the black panther and Baloo the bear who teach him the important laws of the jungle to Sher Khan, the tiger who is Mowgli's mortal enemy. Other stories include Rikki-Tiki-Tavi, the tale of a brave mongoose who saves a family from two vicious cobras and Toomai, a young mahout and his elephant. The book transports you to a world of forests and animals, one riddled with meaning and symbolism in a way that can be enjoyed by both children and adults alike.
Man-Eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett
After much persuasion from his friends and family, Jim Corbett finally penned down this riveting memoir of his encounters with big cats in the Indian Himalayas. First published in 1944 by Oxford University Press, Corbett used stories from his previous book titled Jungle Stories as its basis. The stories follow him as he tracks and kills several man-eating tigers in India, including the terrifying Champawat Tigress, who set a world record by killing 436 people in Nepal and India before being shot by Corbett in 1907.
The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen
The Snow Leopard is a day-by-day account of the author's journey into the remote Dolpo region of the Nepal Himalayas with his friend, the biologist George Schaller, to study the mating patterns of the Himalayan blue sheep. He also hopes to catch a glimpse of the elusive snow leopard which ultimately becomes a metaphor for his own spiritual quest as the book progresses. "Figures dark beneath their loads pass down the far bank of the river, rendered immortal by the streak of sunset upon their shoulders." His empathy towards the natural makes this book one of the greatest examples of both nature and travel writing.
The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spence
Lawrence Anthony, the wildlife conservationist, took in a herd of wild African elephants at his Thula Thula game reserve. The matriarch and her baby had been shot leaving the herd traumatized and highly dangerous. Anthony realized he might be their last chance of survival. This book is the incredible story of his struggle to form a bond with these elephants who ultimately accepted Anthony as their matriarch. When he died in 2012, the same herd of elephants made a twelve-hour journey to his home to mourn his death.
‘The Tribe Endangered’ No. 1. George
Where’s George today?
Elder statesman of the tribe
Perhaps its long-lived Chief
George we’ve already introduced
In another verse, but here he is again
Unknowingly enjoying his fame
He lives his life on a beach
An Atoll called Cousins
At a giant tortoise pace
Aldabra Giant Tortoise
Aldabrachelys Gigantea
Lumbering around
In his mobile helmet home
OK, because that’s what he is
And that’s what giant tortoises do
The same driving rules as us all
Hunger and passing on genes
Links in an unbroken chain
But his cousins had theirs broken
Eaten out of house and home
By historically hungry sailors
Only Aldabras remain, like George
But what’s in a name ?
A being worthy of living a life
Left to his own devices
Doing what giant tortoises do
Looking at the sea and sky
Searching for today’s meal
Or a rather attractive slow-walking rock
Hiding away when it gets too hot
More than a hunk of a ‘living rock’
Who likes to break things*
Plodding around for longer than us
Living more than a hundred years
Some even two or longer
That’s George’s life
On his island paradise
His home long before they were known
As the Seychelles
(Now open again)
George and his kind
Are not strictly endangered
Just limited in numbers and range
George is safe when tourists are around
Contributing to upkeeping his home
On YouTube amusing some of them
Going into battle with a rival table
Or a pretender barbecue
Upstart, to be upturned
Or was that just an amorous advance?
Either way, short-sighted at a glance
Visiting his island keeps him in home
He carries his own house
Then visitation dried up interminably
That story can’t be told in one line
Just now begins the trickle back
Only two threats now are known
Drip feeding of existential funding
Or any change to his home
Just this little change of climate thing
That threaten his shores, not alone
George may well outlive us
But right now he needs help directly
Your money is your proxy
Keeping the conservation going
Until you can greet him personally
It’s up to the rest of us in our homes
To ensure his home remains
An Atoll
Above the sea
For George to keep doing his thing
Master and Commander of his islandship
Defender of the realm of living rocks
Legend in his Aldabran mind
So remember to mind your table!
A.E.(Anthony) Lovell
FUN FACTS FRIDAY- VERVET MONKEY
1. They spend almost their entire life on the trees (arboreal animal). They are proficient climbers and jumpers.
2. They are omnivores (they eat both plants and meat). Their diet is based on leaves, buds, shoots, flowers, fruit, roots, insects, eggs, grubs and small birds.
3. They usually breed from April to June. Pregnancy in females lasts 165 days and ends with one baby.
4. They communicate through sounds and body language. A raising eyebrow is meant to be a threat to others in the troop. There are also vocalizations like crying and barking to signal different information. Wanting calls are used by mothers to attract infants while chattering signals irritation or aggression.
5. During mating season the males testicles turn bright blue, a flamboyant show to suggest their suitability as a mate.
If you want to learn more about this animal,Contact Godfreytheguide for more information.
WhatsApp/ call - +256773127086
George Kingston is an all-out outdoor person. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and an M.S. in Sustainability Science & Practices from Stanford University. His training has motivated him to advocate for greater sustainability and accessibility within outdoor activities. These days, George is working as an actor and screenwriter to depict our relationships with the natural world.
We never thought about this and here at Mojostreaming, we thank George for educating us!
We would like to hear from you. Do you have any other suggestions on what other changes can be made?
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