Losing one of my Kids

I always tell people the worst thing about working with animals is dealing with death. It’s a fact of life and when you are surrounded by animals 24/7 it’s inevitable. I’ve been very fortunate; the majority of my animals are long lived and I have not suffered a severe loss in years….until now. One of my beloved emus Cosmo passed away last week…

Cosmo came from humble begins. He and his brother and sister were hatched naturally by their parents in Middleton, Idaho at an emu farm. Destined to be killed for their meat and feathers I rescued the three chicks in June of 2005. (Here I am pictured holding baby Cosmo).

Cosmo, Ernie, and Napoleon in the early days: For the first few months these three were extremely skittish and shy of humans. It would not be until they reached adulthood that they would finally tolerate me!

Bottom line: Emus love water. Cosmo was not an exception! During the hot summer sun I would be constantly outside hosing him and the others off. Cosmo loved to lie on his side and kick his enormous feet in the air!

Here is what a soaked emu looks like! You can only imagine how good it felt in 100 degree heat! Emus are native to Australia and can withstand extreme temperatures from below zero to over 100 degrees.

"If there is a heaven, it's certain our animals are to be there. Their lives become so interwoven with our own, it would take more than an archangel to detangle them."  - - Pam Brown

A Trip of a lifetime: Conclusion in Paradise

As I’m sitting down now writing the conclusion about my adventures in the Seychelles it seems as if it took place years ago…In reality just months a ago I was literally half way around the globe working with wild tortoises, observing birds, and in this case snorkeling! Take a look as I wrap up my stay in the Seychelles…

On the boat ride to Curieuse (the last island we would visit) our guide immediately started screaming “Land Iguana, Land Iguana!!!” I was a little confused because iguanas are not native to the Seychelles…It took me a minute to figure it out! Try to find the iguana in the picture.

Curieuse is home to the largest land tortoises I’ve ever seen! While everyone in our group ate a lunch consisting of fish and carrots I opted to bring the camera and get some footage of this large male. Take a look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecBtH2cYPqA

On the island there is a tortoise facility where young tortoises are raised until they are big enough for life out in the wild. They even had this humorous sign set up outside to help explain the tortoise life cycle! Something you would NOT see at a US zoo!

One of the main reasons why people visit Praslin is Vallee De Mai. It’s a nature reserve that resembles what prehistoric forests looked like millions of years ago.

The main attraction here is the Coco de Mer Palm Tree. Its nut is the largest in the world and is sought after by many. Matter of fact you can purchase a nut here for hundreds sometimes thousands of dollars. Each one has its own permit and special license!

Walking the red dirt trails being surrounded by millions of years of growth made me feel like I was in Jurassic Park! Every corner we turned I was waiting to be stumbled upon by a giant velociraptor!

The very last day in the Seychelles we were followed by a local camera crew. The locals here found it so interesting to see Americans that they turned our visit into a TV special. Oddly enough I was chosen to be interviewed about my time in the Seychelles working with Aldabra Tortoises!

After my interview I did what anyone else would do to get around the island: Hitch a ride! There is very little crime here  and for the most part people are extremely nice. I had no trouble finding transportation to get from one place to another.

I hitched a ride all the way to the Praslin Museum: home of the endemic Seychelles Fruit Bat. I was determined to get footage of these unique mammals and this was the perfect place to do so.

Were these guys cute or what? I could not get over how awesome it was to work with these animals in real life. The most interesting fact I found out was that these bats were completely wild and could come and go inside the cage as they pleased. Obviously they were here for the fresh fruit!

I had to get one last picture of dinner! To this day I have not missed the food from the Seychelles!

Words cannot even describe the experience I had while visiting the Seychelles. One has to visit this remarkable place to completely comprehend its beauty and all the endemic animals that call it home. Thank you so much for reading about my adventures in the Seychelles. I hope you have taken away something from these blogs whether it was learning about the giant tortoises or that I absolutely cannot stand sea food! Until next time….

Exploring Cousin Island

As a kid I’ve always dreamed of seeing a sea turtle in the wild. As exciting as this was to me I never thought in my wildest dreams it would ever come true. Living up in the mountains of Southern Idaho literally placed me thousands of miles away from any wild sea turtles. The opportunity to not only see a wild sea turtle but to watch it nest had to have been the most rewarding experience from the visiting Seychelles. Take a look as I share with you some of my favorite memories exploring Cousin Island…

Cousin Island is a small island in the Seychelles located 2km from Praslin. The island was the world’s first internationally owned reserve that is now home to several endangered bird and reptile species. It is also the most important nesting site for the endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtle in the Western Indian Ocean. Photo credit: Martin Harvey

Because the island is home to many endangered endemic species, any spread of invasive animals like rats, cats, or dogs could be extremely detrimental. To prevent invasives from entering Cousin, they require guests to take a separate smaller boat to the island.

Upon arrival the very first guest in line was none other than a wild Aldabra Tortoise! Cousin is home to 28-30 wild tortoises that live a no barrier life in complete luxury.

Cousin is owned by Birdlife International: An organization dedicated to saving and preserving habitat for endangered birds. This is a Fairy Tern. They can be found all over the island and like all the wildlife here have no reason to fear man. The most interesting fact I found out about these birds is that they do not build a nest. Instead the female will lay a single egg on a branch and sit on it to prevent it from falling. Incredible!!!

Cousin is home to several species of skink including this Wright’s Skink. The most shocking fact I found out was that Cousin has the highest lizard density per hectare in the world!

I know what you are thinking…another tortoise picture! I just could not get enough of these gentle giants. It was so surreal to see these animals walking around the beach.

Here is perfect example of how an invasive species like this Cinnamon Tree can have detrimental effects on local wildlife. The Cinnamon Tree disperses sticky seeds that cling to almost anything including bird feathers.

Unfortunately baby birds learning how to fly have almost no chance if they encounter an area filled with these seeds. The seeds weigh these birds down and inevitably suffocate them.

This was the site we had all hoped for: seeing a sea turtle! Our guide explained that it was our lucky day. Usually these massive reptiles nest at night. They can lay up to 150 eggs in a nest they dig with their hind legs. You are looking at a Hawksbill Sea Turtle who prefer to nest in the forest whereas the more common Green Sea Turtle prefers the beaches.

You can just see the excitement in my face! I was even lucky enough to get footage of her digging a nest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecBtH2cYPqA If you want more information about Cousin Island please visit this link http://www.natureseychelles.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=25&Itemid=51 Thanks for checking in! Come back soon as I wrap up my adventures in the Seychelles! ~ C

La Digue

We took a day trip to one of the most photographed islands in the world: La Digue. It’s famous for its giant granite rocks. These rocks have been sculpted for thousands of years by the ocean waters and provide a fantastic backdrop for any photo. All photos set aside, La Digue’s unique atmosphere combined with its fantastic wildlife make it a place anyone would want to visit. Check out some of my favorite “La Digue” moments…

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Welcome to Paradise

At the beginning of this year I was fortunate enough to visit one of the world’s most untouched pieces of paradise: The Seychelles Islands. Home to dozens of endemic species including the famed giant Aldabra Tortoise, these islands changed my life forever. It’s hard to sum up everything in a blog but I’ve decided to do my very best by sharing some of my favorite personal photos and memories…

The Seychelles are located off the coast of Africa about 1,000 miles east of Kenya. They are made up of about 115 granite islands that are all placed neatly in the Indian Ocean. There are only two major islands that are inhabited by people: Mahé and Praslin. Praslin, the smaller of the two is where we stayed.

The Seychelles are some of the most photographed islands in the world…and for good reason! Crystal clear waters combined with white sandy beaches make up the majority of the landscape.

This is one of the main reasons why I was so excited to visit the Seychelles: The Aldabra Tortoise. I’ve worked with plenty in zoos but to see them in their natural habitat is something words can’t even explain.

Descending into Praslin felt as if I was landing in Jurassic Park. I had never seen anything like it in my life.

This is a picture of the open-air house that we stayed in. Even though you can’t see it, the house was located just mere steps away from the Indian Ocean.

I have to admit that I’m no floral expert and had never really been interested in plants until now. The Seychelles are home to hundreds of different plant species that all seemingly fit into the tropical atmosphere.

This land crab was the very first critter I ran into on the islands. They are literally everywhere!!! These crustaceans are actually wonderful for the environment by eating rotting fruits and vegetation.

The only complaint I had during my stay in the Seychelles was all the sea food! I’ve never been huge on eating fish and I can honestly say that during my stay I survived off bread and fruit! Here is a picture of our first dinner!!! Next stop in the Seychelles: La Digue