2019

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Yearly Archives: 2019

Tigers, tigers burning bright! By Pete Oxford

21 Nov
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With having led well over 30 trips to India over the years we maintained our impressive record of 100% of our clients all seeing tigers! Many have left the subcontinent after repeated tiger safaris without ever having set eyes on the world’s largest and arguably the most beautiful cat.

This year we creamed it and got to see an impressive 8 individuals, over 9 sightings, from a single park. Not only that but we were often able to spend extended quality time with them. Half of the sightings we found the tiger and luxuriated in being alone with it way before others arrived. Perhaps the cherry on the top was a lovely female who we accompanied a long distance with her two adolescent cubs in tow!

Indian wildlife is, however, about so much more than just tigers. We heard leopards mating, saw sambar and spotted deer, chinkara gazelle, blackbuck, wild boar, a sloth bear, nilgai, striped hyena, Hanuman langurs, rhesus macaques, flying foxes, crocodiles, jungle cats and a plethora of exotic birds including thousands of demoiselle cranes, painted storks, woolly necked storks, kingfishers, thick knees, parakeets and the omnipresent ‘trash’ birds the unlikely peacock!

Our trip included a large dose of Rajasthani culture, ancient forts, markets and the amazing people living close to the ground in the countryside. We could not have been better received or more welcome and posed with locals for selfies too numerous to mention. I just love full immersion into a culture of strangers, always remembering that when we travel to far flung destinations we are the foreigners not they. We laughed hard, gelled as a group and maintained a high level of ‘warm and fuzzy’ feeling as we breezed through each day marvelling at daily life and the cows that were everywhere.

The timing of the trip was centered around the amazing Pushkar camel fair, said to be the largest camel fair in the world. A true exhuberence of India condensed into a single venue. An assault on every sense from a riot of color, blaring music, Holy men, pilgrims, a longest moustache competition, Yogis, exotic flavors and pungent odors to the rough texture of a camel herders handshake. There is something about camels. They are always taller than you think and can be somewhat imposing. Yet, despite many kilos of decorations adorning necks, heads, backs and feet or the intricate patterns that cover their bodies or intricate shaved designs in their pelage they always seem to remain aloof. They crave no affection and stoically perform their duties where the reward of a full bag of fodder at the end of the day justifies their effort.

City smog was bad, terrible actually and an industrial agricultural revolution seems to be advancing fiercely. Of course, it’s always good to be home but no sooner had we landed back in South Africa than we were ready to go back. Incredible India – we miss you already!

*Keep checking our website for our next India itinerary.

All images ©PeteOxford.

Pantanal

25 Oct
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Pantanal

Once again we had an incredible time in Brazil’s Pantanal this year. Jaguars of course are the main target species and I always marvel at how it is possible to virtually guarantee exceptional jaguar sightings. I remember when our tour operator first started the jaguar tourism in the northern Pantanal. He called me in, as a photographer, to see if it was even possible to see (and photograph) these cats in the wild. We camped (there were no luxury floating hotels) and a driver and I plied the rivers, about a 1000 kms in a ten-day period. The results were exceptional and I saw 7 jaguars, two of them a mating pair and one in particular that lay on its back and watched us from a few meters for half an hour or so.

It was amazing. I had previously worked and lived in the Amazon rainforest and to see a jaguar – or even fresh tracks – was rare indeed. Once processed I took the images to the National Geographic Magazine in DC and showed them to the chief editor who was running a jaguar corridor story. They did not believe that my shots were of wild jaguars, let alone non-camera trapped, direct one-on-one images of the cats. Most previous jaguar images that the public had seen were taken in captive situations in the Belize zoo, or the military zoo in Manaus, Brazil. Finally convinced, after much back and forth, they published a suite of images in the article. Of course those shots have all been bettered but it remains a testament as to how well jaguars have been protected and valued by the locals in the Pantanal. I feel proud to have been there from the beginning and delight in seeing many of the same individuals from one year to the next.

This year was a personal record, not likely one that I will repeat, with 16 individual jaguars sighted on our trip. We watched, two cats interacting, one steal a fish from a heron, twice chasing caiman, swimming, stalking, relaxing, posing on logs and a host of antics from true quality sightings. Our largest feline in South America, it is, as Alan Rabinowitz said, truly an ‘indomitable beast’.

More personal records were set for one of our trips with an unprecedented 6 tapirs sighted and two giant anteaters! Giant river otters were often seen, hunting fish, scent marking and socializing, we were even present when a family of otters met two jaguars (just out of sight but very close by). The vocalizations were extreme and blood curdling!

Birds were of course as exceptional as ever and there were a host of other animals such as crab eating foxes, ocelot, peccaries, capybara, coatis, agoutis, caimen and anaconda.

Without doubt oil and gas revenues will be a blessing or a curse and need to be carefully applied and distributed for the sake of the wellbeing of the peoples and biodiversity. We remain attentive.

Quite simply the Pantanal is an outstanding wildlife destination! We have two trips in 2020 – one full and the other almost full plus a full trip in 2021 but might consider adding another. Please watch our website for updates. You may also like to read the many reviews on our website to see what others have said so far.

All images ©PeteOxford.

Betty’s Bay Baboon Action Group BBBAG

23 Sep
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Who is Betty’s Bay BAG?

 

Started by Renee with a group of volunteers who would like to keep the Betty’s Bay baboons wild and free. 

Since the devastating fire in January 2019, there has been an increase in baboon dispersion in the various neighbourhoods within Betty’s Bay. People are now facing an increased number of these wild animals moving through their properties.

Baboons have no interest in people, only our food.

We need to work together to work on solutions for waste disposal. This is a work in progress for a new challenge we have never faced before on this scale. Through this group we hope to find ways to co-exist without conflict. Bettys Bay and the surrounding towns in the area are within the Kobelberg Biosphere Reserve and we need to live in harmony with our local wildlife.

Follow us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/649121038833237/

All images ©PeteOxford.

Ultimate Guyana Adventure

12 Aug
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Better late than never!

We have been a little reticent about posting blogs due to our major move from Ecuador to South Africa. Finally our container arrived and most things are now installed. We love it. Quite simply it is spectacular here in Betty’s Bay in the Western cape.

Earlier in the year we took two groups, once again to Guyana – that seldom talked about, English speaking country nestled in the north-east corner of South America between Brazil, Suriname and Venezuela. Why it is so often overlooked on people’s lists of a fabulous tropical/wildlife destination remains a mystery to us. The two trips were different, the first a more tried and tested Pete Oxford Expeditions trip and the second (a closed trip) was a hard hitting, short, intense look at key areas with some very important conservationists from the world stage.

Once again the country did not disappoint and wildlife was all we hoped it would be ranging from spectacular looks at giant anteaters, giant river otters, myriad birds, huge black caiman, a plethora of tree boas and the world’s largest spider, the Goliath bird eater.

Change is afoot in the country with massive oil and gas reserves recently discovered offshore. With production soon to begin Guyana is hailed by some as becoming the richest country per capita in the near future.

Today Guyana stands proud as one of the most pristine countries in the world with a massive tract of intact primary rainforest cover still standing. The FAO estimates 71% of total land area is forest with a further 17% cover of ‘other wooded land!”

Without doubt oil and gas revenues will be a blessing or a curse and need to be carefully applied and distributed for the sake of the wellbeing of the peoples and biodiversity. We remain attentive.

In the meantime, in April of 2020 we again have two trips planned. We have chosen to deviate from the norm and highlights will include actually staying overnight at the super-impressive Kaieteur Falls, which believe me is stunning and quite a privilege.

Apart from the savannas. We also plan a 4 night stay, in hammocks, under a permanent roof with good food in one of the very best wildlife areas. It is remote and very seldom visited. We hope to see harpy eagle close to camp as well as snorkel in the clear-water river! It is an adventure and not for the feint hearted. My best memories of the country have come from these areas!

Join us, if you dare!!

All images ©PeteOxford.

Borneo

08 Mar
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Borneo, it was top of my bucket list of places left to go for as long as I can remember. The second largest island in the world Borneo is divvied up politically into Brunei, Sarawak (Malaysia) Sabah (Malaysia) and the bulk to the south, Kalimantan (Indonesia).

I had made a quick foray into the southern end of Kalimantan once before and from a house boat had waded waist deep though a swamp in a tropical downpour to finally get to see my first wild orangutans – a mother and a baby. A special moment indeed, more Zen-like and I took no images. This trip was to be different. A group of California friends, knowing I had never been asked me to set up and lead them on a wildlife trip to Sabah in the north east of the island. I was thrilled with the opportunity. It was to be an expedition for all of us!

Arriving at Sabah’s capital, Kota Kinabalu, or simply KK it was surprisingly modern and ordered. Our high-rise hotel gave us a spectacular vantage point overlooking the South China Sea and the frenetic activity of boats plying to and from the market docks.

Out trip was to take us in a more or less circular route hitting the primary highlights on the way.

Sacred Mount Kinabalu – Sabah’s highest summit – put us in the realm of a wealth of montane species not to be found at lower elevations. The scenery was spectacular as Mt. Kinabalu changed its mood throughout. Everything was new to me, despite having travelled widely, birds were omnipresent and included Sunda and chestnut-hooded laughing thrushes, chestnut crested yuhinas, a Whitehead’s broadbill and the spectacular Bornean crested fireback. Mammals were mostly diminutive, the big stuff was yet to come but included giant squirrel, mountain tree shrews and Jentink’s squirrel. Eventually we headed south past the Poring hot springs to look at my first Rafflesia flowers, a totally incredible flower but a truly tacky ‘pay-to-see’ set up. 

We threw ourselves at the place investing inordinate time and effort to maximize on possible sightings. Certainly, it became my highest diversity of mammals ever seen in such a short-time. Twenty-five species in a mere four days? Highlights were too numerous to mention but number one was a clouded leopard that walked for more than a kilometer in our company making an approach to 5 meters from our vehicle! 

Then there were the eerily haunting calls of northern Bornean gibbon, leopard cats, four civet species including the rare and spectacular banded civet, a small-clawed otter, slow Loris, Borneo pygmy elephants and on and on.

Rhinoceros hornbills were spectacular, tiny Borneo falconets, the world’s smallest bird of prey hung around camp as did blue-throated bee-eaters. It was overwhelming. Another cherry on top was a magnificent look at a Borneo keeled viper – a big tick in my book! Thanks, Mike for your expert guiding.

Mentally and physically exhausted we moved out, heading to Sepilok. Renown for the orangutan sanctuary we spent our time also with a behind-the-scenes tour of the sun bear rehabilitation center which captivated us both in the proximity of these beautiful animals and of learning of their plight in the wild. We each donated $100.00 to the cause. Apart from stunning looks at bushy-crested hornbills the highlight had to have been our spectacularly lucky view of a western tarsier. – So much more impressive ‘in person’ than the countless photos I had already seen.

Experiences began to merge as sensory overload kicked in and we were only half way through. The wide and lazy Kinabatangan River filled in more gaps with silver leaf monkeys, and the hugely anticipated proboscis monkeys, the males with that unbelievable long and swollen nose. We saw scores of them, plus big crocs, fish eagles, kingfishers, some great snakes, bizarre pitcher plants of several species and great looks at more elephants feeding peacefully on the riverbank.

Darum Valley – our last stop was indeed a gem of a place to end. Such a pleasure to see my second ever binturong, flying squirrels and more of those enigmatic colugo – wow! We came for orangutans, we saw them in Deramakot, Kinabalangan and again in Danum. There was no way however that I expected to see them so well and so close as we saw them here. They were giving us a full show – lots of them at different sightings. It was just so humbling, the sense of privilege I felt at being so close to something for so long that was suffering so badly at the hand of man. Will they be around for the next few generations? Not if we do not act together now! 

All said and done a personal goal that I really, really wanted to see was a bearded pig. Boy did I get a good look at one of those! Borneo, I fell in love with you – thank you!

All images ©PeteOxford.