First Day on the Lake

There is something unique about Kenya’s Lake Naivasha. I can’t exactly put it into words but I can tell you as we embarked in the early morning none of us knew what to expect. Images flashed in my mind of African Fish Eagles and hundreds of hippos. Would we successfully feed the eagles? Would we see a hippo? We would soon find out…

Scientists have been studying the African Fish Eagles since the 1970’s. They are a keystone member of the ecosystem and are great indicators of the environment. Dr. Munir Virani and his team have been surveying them since 1994. They lure the eagles in by throwing bait into the water and hope to successfully capture the eagles taking the bait via camera. They can then identify certain individuals and keep a tally of the eagles that call the lake home.

There was only one problem. The lake was exceptionally high. Due to the heavy rains the lake rose several feet and prevented boats from departing into its waters. The eagles had not been fed for a few months and many lost their knack during this time for taking bait. Luckily the heavy rains stopped and we were able to venture out into the lake. But would we successfully bait an African Fish Eagle?

Not an eagle but still equally impressive! Pelicans are quite numerous on Lake Naivasha.

Behind me is Hippo Point where there are no hippos to be found! The occurring joke throughout the afternoon was “where in the world are the hippos?” It proved that the high waters not only affected observing fish eagles but also hippos!

To successfully bait the eagles you need fresh fish. This is where the fisherman came into play.

For a few hundred shillings they sold us two different types of carp. Carp along with tilapia and bass are fish that can be found in the lake. This came as a huge surprise to me. Carp are originally from Asia, tilapia are not native in Naivasha, and bass are from North America. What are they doing in Africa? It turns out that they were all introduced into the lake many years ago. Since their introduction they inevitably caused the extinction of all the native fish.

Here is another invasive species that was introduced: the crawfish. They were introduced into Lake Naivasha many years ago under the assumption that the locals could profit from consuming them. It turned out that the locals had no desire for them and the crawfish spread.

This is what you look for in the trees. White heads are the easiest way of identifying the African Fish Eagles. Once spotted the boat driver will come to a quiet stop. They then stand up and make a series of short high-pitched whistles to get the eagles’ attention. They then throw out a piece of the fish in hopes of luring in a successful capture.

There are problems with this though. A lot of the time gulls follow the boats in hopes of securing an easy meal.

While everyone else was scanning the trees I was scanning the water for my favorite African mammal: the hippo! I was elated when I finally saw the distinguishable pink head pop up from the water’s surface.

When we arrived back on the bank you couldn’t help but notice these large Black-and-white Colobus Monkeys. They primarily stay in the trees with groups made up of several individuals.

Our next stop on the adventure was a smaller lake that used to be part of Lake Naivasha many years ago, Lake Oloiden. On the way we saw several incredible species including these zebra right on the side of the road.

And a giraffe and her calf!

And a gnarly looking baboon!

Lake Oloiden is an alkaline lake that is home to giant flocks of the Lesser Flamingo.

Once we got there we just couldn’t keep our eyes off the birds!

Another perfect time for a photo op! After this we decided to film a segment…A behind-the-scenes secret is that for some reason I could not get my words right. The flamingo segment took over 10 takes to finally get perfected!

Here is rare glimpse of my professor Dr. Marc Bechard in front of a camera. He served as a mentor to me and was extremely helpful in identifying African wildlife. Here we are in a boat headed for the other side of Lake Oloiden where we were told there was a pod of hippos.

And indeed there was. I don’t know what it is about hippos but ever since I was kid I have been in love with them. To see them actually in the wild was mind boggling.

You can take a look at how graceful they look in the emerald green water. Hippos actually aren’t great swimmers, instead they walk or ballet on the lake bottom. This makes shallow lakes like this and Naivasha prime hippo habitat.

Why do hippos open their mouths? It turns out to be sign of dominance.

As the sun set we watched the hippo pod fade slowly in the distance. What a fantastic way to end such an incredible day in Africa. You can check out the full TV segment here http://www.kivitv.com/goodmorninglive/139974083.html

Destination: Lake Naivasha, Kenya

Lake Naivasha is one of Africa’s most renowned lakes. It has been home to numerous well known naturalists, conversationalists, and filmmakers. It is also home to over 1500 hippos and 400 different species of bird! This is what makes Lake Naivasha the perfect destination to see wildlife. It also explains why it constantly ranks as one of the world’s top ten bird watching destinations. Although the lake and its residents are in trouble: Invasive species, flower farming, and an increased human population have all taken a drastic toll. This is why we were headed to the Elsamere Field Study Centre located on the shore of Lake Naivasha. Here we would learn firsthand the conservation issues and how we could positively make a difference in Africa. Let the journey begin!

The very next morning a large white bus picked us up from the Nairobi Club destined for Lake Naivasha. I can’t quote it as being the smoothest type of transportation but I can say it was quite a fun bumpy ride!

The drive to Naivasha was quite startling. Numerous people on the streets, abandoned buildings, stray dogs, livestock, and trash. I had never been anywhere like it in my life. Yet as alarming as this was the backdrop behind it was absolutely breathtaking.

It was green everywhere. I had no idea what to expect driving to the Lake. I honestly envisioned a dry dusty environment. This could be farther from the truth.

It was very interesting driving through the small towns. If you notice you will see many of the shops are painted red, green, or yellow. Red stands for a store that sells refreshments or meat, green a store that sells electronics, and yellow usually a bar or hardware store.

Look very closely outside the window. That is the Great Rift Valley.

I understand this is not the best picture but I had to show the wildlife on the way. Pictured are wild zebras grazing right outside a village. We also saw giraffe, wart hog, and Thomson’s Gazelle.

After several hours we got our first glimpse of Lake Naivasha.

Following the arrows we made it right to camp!

Here is what I called home for the next four nights. What was so exciting is that a leopard was caught by motion sensor camera right behind our cabin just weeks before we arrived!

Here is the view from our porch. During the night hippos come and graze right up to our cabin. That is why we are not allowed to venture out into camp during the night unless escorted by a guard. Hippos kill more people in Africa than any other animal.

Elsamere Field Study Centre reminded me of summer camp: All the guys in one cabin and all the girls in the other. Pictured starting from the left is Matt my camera man, me, Ryan, Josh, and Jeremy.

Once we were briefed on the local wildlife and certain precautions we needed to take we were free to explore the camp grounds. Doesn’t this look like perfect leopard habitat?

At first you would think that this is a picture of a vast grassy savanna. WRONG. This is actually the lake completely taken over by the invasive water hyacinth plant.

Elsamere is actually quite famous. It was once home to the late George and Joy Adamson. Both conversationalists, Joy is noted for writing her book Born Free. It tells the true story of Joy raising a lion cub named Elsa that they eventually released back into the wild.

That evening we had the amazing opportunity to meet Sarah Higgins. She is a world famous conservationist specializing in rehabilitating raptors. It is actually very dangerous doing what she does in Africa. Rehabilitating raptors is frowned upon and many conservationists are murdered. Her property is fenced and protected by several guards.

We met several rescued birds including this Tawny Eagle that was being sold on the side of the road.

We also had the pleasure of meeting Simon Thomsett. He has been working with Birds of Prey in Africa for over 30 years.

He even allowed us the rare opportunity to view the Crowned Eagles. These powerful birds are capable of bringing down prey as large as gazelle. The one of the left Rosy had been rumored to have killed a five year old girl.

Sarah owns 50 acres on Lake Naivasha. Her views are absolutely breathtaking.

Her property is not only home to birds. The local wildlife calls it home too including these Waterbuck.

I could not stop filming!

As the sun set on her property I could not feel but complete content. Usually my mind is going a million miles an hour. Nothing though in the world mattered at that very moment. It was just us watching the sunset over the lake. ***Special thanks to Dr. Munir Virani, Dr. Marc Bechard, Mathew Mcdonald, Sarah Higgins, Simon Thomsett, and the Staff at Elsamere Field Study Centre

Africa pt 1: Nairobi

There is something about Africa that words cannot explain. It is a place of majestic beauty, death, and wonder. Nowhere else on this planet can you see the different types of biodiversity. Even well respected scientists hypothesize all humans share a unique connection with Africa: it is in fact the place our earliest ancestors walked. With the help of Dr. Munir Virani from the Peregrine Fund and Dr. Marc Bechard from Boise State University, I was able to experience this incredible place for my very time. My adventures were captured first hand on camera and I’m so excited to share them. I also documented my journey with numerous photos and various notes. I hope you all enjoy the adventure! First Stop: Nairobi, Kenya.

Boise to Africa is quite a long journey. Over 30 hours to be exact! There were numerous stops along the way including layovers in Seattle and Amsterdam.

When I woke up I could not help but be excited about this pillow! I mean where else in world would you find a design like this? I definitely knew I was in Africa. Looking back on it now I can remember how surreal the feeling was. I could not believe I had finally made it.

Because Nairobi is incredibly dangerous we had an arranged driver meet us at the airport. Once we began driving I could not help but notice all the different types of billboards. This one was my favorite.

Take a close look at the electric fence and the acacia trees in the background. That is Nairobi National Park. It is the only park in Africa that can be found in a major metropolitan city. The fence is to keep out lions and hyenas.

Seconds off the plane we saw this amazing animal! I could not believe that a city home to millions of people was also home to herds of giraffe in Nairobi National Park. Interestingly enough the park is not home to elephants. They are too destructive.

Our first stop was the Nairobi Club where we were arranged to stay for the night. Although none of us were ready to settle down. We arrived in Africa at 7am and had a full day ahead of us!

I had to show this picture of the mosquito nets! I’m not going to lie; at first I thought they were part of the room décor. It took me until that night to realize their real importance.

On the way to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust we spotted these numerous creatures: the Olive Baboons. They are EVERYWHERE in Africa and are a nuisance. Matter of fact our driver Tony explained that if one is killed in a road accident, hundreds of baboons will show up to mourn their loss. They actually have to close the roads down completely to make way for the grieving primates.

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has been around since the 1970s and is world famous for their work with orphaned elephants and rhinos. To date they have successfully reintroduced over 150 animals back into the wild.

Walking to the orphans I found this sign quite entertaining…

The elephants are walked from the forest in Nairobi National Park to a special clearing where guests have the opportunity to see the animals up-close. The animals spend all day with their caretakers in the park and at night are walked to their individual bunkers that keep them safe from “the creatures of the night.”

Once they reach the clearing most head straight for the plus size bottles of formula.

They try to keep individuals of the same age in a group. Most of these orphans lost their parents to poachers, luckily though they will be re-introduced back into the wild.

The elephants are enriched by a variety of different things including being splashed with mud!

Some guests are even lucky enough to touch them!

I couldn’t think of a better time for a photo-op!

The next stop in Nairobi was the Giraffe Centre. This 100 acre reserve was established as a captive breeding program for the endangered Rothschild Giraffe.

Here I had the awesome experience of feeding my “girlfriend” Laura the giraffe. Seconds later she gave me her infamous kiss. You can see the segment in its entirety here: http://www.kivitv.com/multimedia/videos/?bctid=CLIP_ID_3183804

After the Giraffe Centre we headed to the Animal Orphanage located right inside Nairobi National Park. All of its residents are orphans and most are hand-raised including this gorgeous cheetah named Bolt.

Unfortunately none of the footage made it to air but you can still see my excitement as I pet the world’s fastest land mammal! Next stop: Lake Naivasha

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday! Not only do I love to eat and be with family, we also celebrate big with the animals. They all receive extravagant diets filled with their favorite treats. Take a peek at how we celebrated this year!

A tradition here is waking up in the morning and preparing the special animal diets while watching the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Here is a before look

And here is the after! The reason why the animals love this day so much is because they get treats they wouldn’t get on a normal basis. This includes bananas, star fruits, apples, and an assortment of lettuces. (This takes me about an hour to create)

This is the babies’ second Thanksgiving and judging by their looks I would have to say they are quite content! They can look forward to many more Thanksgivings (each one will live to be over 100)

A favorite is cooked yams. YUM

Some animals jump right into the action! (ie: Godzilla)

I don’t lie when I say the animals eat like some of the kids I work with! Check out Scooter trying to grab this apple slice.

And success!

Some animals like to enjoy and take their time! Irwin our Solomon Island Tree Skink enjoys checking out each of his favorite foods before diving in. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

A look back at 'TODAY'

Halloween was quite different this year for the animals and I. Instead of spending it back at home we packed our bags and headed to NYC where we visited our two favorite ladies: Kathie Lee and Hoda on “The Today Show.” We’ve been extremely fortunate and excited to work with both of them and to spread our message of conservation and responsible pet ownership. What was so exciting about this appearance though was that I was able to dispel common myths and misconceptions about Halloween Animals. Take a look at some of my favorite moments preparing for ‘TODAY’

What a lot of people don’t know is how much preparation goes into a national TV segment. It takes months of planning, prepping, and research to make sure the right animals are shown. All the animals chosen have to go through vet examinations to make sure they are happy, healthy, and fit! Here, our vet Dr. Koob is examining the Blood Python. (Take a look at the weight: 15.7lbs)!!!

Even though Charlotte our Rose Hair Tarantula doesn’t have fur or scales, she still has to get a check-up! Once the animals receive a ‘proper bill of health’ we can obtain the special permits needed to get into NYC.

On the road the animals are placed in special traveling quarters that are heated to ensure the animals stay at a warm, comfortable temperature. Sometimes I can’t resist taking a peek! Here Diesel the African Bull Frog is checking out the Wyoming landscape.

We have to make several stops along the way to check up on the animals. Some can prove to be messier than others. Diesel’s water had to be changed constantly!!! Here we both are in Nebraska where he was able to “stretch his legs!”

My favorite season is Fall and driving back East held no disappointments! The landscapes were complete with red, orange, and yellow colors…all indicating the changing of the seasons!

What no one expected was this: Snow! The unexpected snow storm hit us in Pennsylvania and followed us all the way up to New Jersey. It caused severe power outages all across the area. Luckily we all arrived safely and had no issues losing power.

Some of the animals, like Naiche this Timber Wolf, already live back East. He and several other animals live at Howling Woods Farm in Jackson, NJ.

The farm has a full one acre enclosure that is dedicated to these magnificent animals. All of them were rescues and taken out of improper homes, where their owners had no idea how to properly care and house wolves and wolf hybrids.

It was extremely important for me to meet both Naiche and Samson before our segment on ‘TODAY.” Samson (pictured) is a wolf hybrid. Unfortunately, many people think that they make good pets. In reality they are extremely large animals that require A LOT of room and a very social atmosphere.

I would say the most stressful part of appearing on ‘TODAY’ is not working with potentially dangerous animals…It’s the crazy drivers! Take a look at the traffic headed straight for the city. Luckily we depart hours before the appearance to make sure we arrive safely and on time!

The exciting thing about this appearance was that it was filmed outside in the plaza! The set was incredible and enhanced the overall theme of “Misunderstood Halloween Animals.” Take a look for yourself  http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/45104171#45104171 A special thanks goes out to Howling Woods Farm, Reptile Adventures, Treasure Valley Reptiles, and the TODAY Staff…and to my Dad. I could not have found a better traveling buddy!