# Africa :)



## GreyRay (Jun 15, 2010)

How did you get so close to the zebras? Cool video!
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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

We have a house in a game lodge, and we often get zebra an other animals coming round. They are tame in the sense that they dont run from you if your kind of close, but you can't touch them or anything.

I'm glad you enjoyed it


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

How beautiful. Wild dogs, hyenas, water buck, buffalo, elephant, fishing eagle. Awesome! My kind of place!!
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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

Lol, thank you, I love it here, it's an amazing place to live.


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## x3emilygrace (Jul 4, 2010)

How long have you lived there for?
The one thing I have always wanted to do is visit Africa and go on some sort of African safari


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

I've lived here my whole life 
You should, it's an amazing place full of all kinds of cool things


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## Hidalgo13 (Dec 24, 2010)

Your so lucky! I always wanted to go there and go on a safari!  BUt my mom says it's dangerous/politically unstable.  Some countries in Africa yes, but not all. Where are you exactly?
Oh and nice video. :wink:


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

It was done very professionally!


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

Thank you so much iridehorses, it was fun to do 

Hidalgo13, I live in South Africa


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## Juniper (May 4, 2007)

fabulous.


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## x3emilygrace (Jul 4, 2010)

So I finally had time to watch the whole video. Can I come live with you for like six months? Haha.

Ahhh, I want to experience all those things!


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

Do the wild dogs bother you much?


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

Juniper, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it

x3emilygrace, lol, you're welcome to, if you don't mind the heat and living in my brother's room haha.

And flytobecat, no the wild dog don't bother us at all, they live in the nature reserves, quite far away from where we live. However, we do get a bit of trouble from jackals. A few of them live in the open areas around our barn, and we often have a few chicken's dead or one of the horses attempting to squish it lol.

Any other questions?


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Beautiful photos and I am so jealous that you get to see the stuff in real life that we only see on TV. 

The wild dog about 1min 7 sec into the vid. Does he have a breed or is he just a wild dog? I think maybe he is a jackal, but I don't know. 

Do you know what a zoo is? It's where we have to go to see these animals and then the poor things are all cooped up for our benefit. 

Do you think, or do you know of anyone who has tamed a zebra by having enough contact from a young age?

Thank you for sharing, I really enjoyed it!


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

AlexS, thank you, it is really nice to live here...

The wild dog is just a wild dog, jackels are a completely different species, here's a picture so you can see the difference:









I know how you feel in regards to zoos, over here we have animals that I would love to see in the wild, like cougars and bears

Yes some one has tamed a zebra, not enough to ride I believe, but enough to stroke and groom... She's very cute from what I've heard 


xmyilai, um... what?


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## Gizmo (Dec 19, 2010)

So awesome. I really want to go visit some day. Its so beautiful there. And you get to live on a preserve area that's pretty awesome.


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

I didn't realize jackals looked so much like coyotes. 
Going to South Africa has always been on my bucket list.


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

Here's another video... This one is only pictures, but it's still nice 

This video has pictures of the places my family have stayed at, and the things we've done. For example, you will see that we have walked with lions, stroked cheetah, sat with baby rhino, gone on trail rides in the bush, and much more.

You will see the Kruger Park camps we've stayed at: Shimuwini, and the Elephant Museum at Letaba... The house you will see is our game lodge house, which is where the footage of the zebra was filmed in the previous video. You will see the Blyde River, and the famous and beautiful Drakensburg Mountains

You will also see a few more pictures of the amazing wildlife.

In this video is one of my fave pictures; a zebra stallion, you cant miss him 





 
One again, enjoy, and please feel free to ask anything


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

Alex, the wild dog is actually called a painted dog. They can be very territorial and will attack if they have to. Sometimes another predator will kill their pups out of sheer competition for food.
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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

Africa, have you seen lions on your trails. Krueger national park is a huge reserve. Lots of animals. They are protected. Unless a poacher gets to em, but you have a lot of men out daily checking for traps. The wire nooses.
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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

mbender, you are very right about it all, except for one thing:

I may have been misunderstood. The wild dog is a wild dog, that is it's species and what it is known as, wild dogs are not actual dogs that have gone wild. They are not called painted dogs, simply wild dog, and also the Cape hunting dog. They do not attack, they defend using growls and barks, but they know they can't win against lion etc, so they never attack.

They do however, clash with humans, as they sometimes hunt cattle, resulting in them being shot.

No I have never seen lion on a trail ride, but I have seen giraffe and buffalo, but only once. The horses you see in the video belong to a trail ride place in the bushveld


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

Africa, I saw on animal planet a pack attacking a couple hyenas.
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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

Oh I know they attack hyena and jackals, I assumed you meant lion and leaperd! I apologise


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

I'm not arguing with you since that is your country and you know its inhabitants but I do know that the wild dog is known as the painted dog.

?

Lycaon pictus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The African Wild Dog is a medium-sized canid found only in Africa, especially in savannas and other lightly wooded areas. It is also called the Painted Dog, 

Just so you understand where my knowledge comes from. No matter they are beautiful as is Africa. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful piece of your life! You are lucky!
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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

Ah I see, I understand now. You see, about 4 or 5 years ago, they started to alter or add onto the names of the wildlife, for example the Grey Lourie (bird) was changed to the Go - Away Bird.

I didn't realise they also added names for the animals to, Painted Dog must be one of the added names... Very cool


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## Gizmo (Dec 19, 2010)

Wow that is so awesome. Your hours is super nice. Such beautiful country. I'm envious.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Thanks for sharing and for the info. 
You are braver than I would be, I would not be getting that close to wild animals like the cheetah, let alone touching them.


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

This would be a dream of mine!!
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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

The cheetah are actually tame, as are the lions... We walked with them at a game farm last year, it was amazing! 

mbender, Im thrilled it's a dream of your's, sadly not many people care about Africa's wildlife anymore, so it's great to see all of you on the HF are enjoying it


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

All I know is the number of lions is in huge trouble!
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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

YOU ARE SOOO SOOO SOO LUCKY!

I would give you one of my kidneys to go there and check out the culture. I love love love africa stuff. I collect sculptures of things and have bought a mud cloth purse that helps those that have aids there. I have an african themed bedroom =D


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## Arksly (Mar 13, 2010)

mbender said:


> I'm not arguing with you since that is your country and you know its inhabitants but I do know that the wild dog is known as the painted dog.
> 
> ?
> 
> ...


You may be right, but I just would like to point out that Wikipedia isn't the most reliable source because anyone can edit it. I could go on there and say that the sky is blue because God spilled a bucket of blue paint.


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## RedTree (Jan 20, 2010)

I want to go to Africa  I want to study the wildlife as I'm pretty sure there is the biggest diversity of wildlife there.
But it will probs be in 4-5 years after my uni course of conservation....


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

mbender, the number of lions isn't critical yet, but you're right, they are dwindling... fast. They get caught in traps set for other animals, and instead of releasing them as they caught the wrong animal, poacher' kill them anyway. It's disgusting!

Also, more and more people are inhabiting their territory, often overgrazing the land with their cattle. This drives the lion's natural prey away, and in desperation for food the lion's hunt cattle, and once or twice even people! But this makes them a danger, and they are killed. It's not fair!

Gidget, thank you, I feel lucky  I'm pleased you bought one of the "AIDS purses", I bought one too... my brother's room is decorated in the african style, it looks very nice 

Arksly, thats what I was thinking, so I had my brother phone up the National Wildlife office, and they did add the name painted dog, but it's not always right

RedTree, that's great, and I think your right... we have over 1000 different species of bird, roughly over 60 species of insect, and a whole other bunch of species of wildlife and reptile, not to mention fish. That's great that you are studying conservation, that's what I'm going to study too, and if you do come over here, you never know, we might work together!!

*Here's just a few random facts: *

1. The hippo kills more people than any other animal in Africa.
2. The buffalo is the most dangerous animal in Africa.
3. A lion's roar can be heard 5 miles away.
4. Elephants communicate through a series of vibrations that humans can't sense, but elephants can sense them for over 2 miles.
5. Each species of vulture has a different purpose at a kill
6. If a cheetah cub dies, the mother will eat it, rather than let another animal eat it.
7. Leapards can drag a kill 3 times their body weight straight up a tree.
8. The black rhino is more aggresive than the white, but both will charge withut warning.
9. Never run from any charging animal, be it lion, elephant or rhino, stay very stil and make a lot of noise


Does anyone have any other questions about the videos, or about the facts I have above?


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

You know what your talking about Love. I do know that not only the cheetah eats their dead cubs but so does the leopard and lion. 
Animals are my passion and I love when I learn something new. 
Here's one I'm sure you know: a predator chasing after prey will stop the hunt if the animal turns around and faces them. But the outcome is inevitable.
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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

Yes that's true, it's a thing all big cats do... it's quite sad actually. You are very knowledgable about S.A mbender, it's very impressive.

You're right about the predator/prey thing, that's why lions are wary of buffalo, and only hunt them in the pride, rarely alone... buffalo are known to try attack them as they come near, and a hit from those horns could easily kill a lion


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

Very true Love. I've seen where the buffalo will come upon a cresh of lions (moms and babies) and go to kill the little ones. Sad but survival of the fittest! I also saw, a pride of lions attacking a buffalo calf and a croc also had a take on it but lost. The buffalo came back and chased the lions off it and it survived! It was amazing!
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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

It is very sad, but that's actually very rare, thank goodness. Buffalo will only try something like that on mother's and cubs, never the pride as a whole lol.

I saw that too, it's known as the Battle at Kruger, here's the vid:





 
This took place at a dam nearby the Shingwedzi camp, enjoy it


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

That is so captivating! I'm so happy for that calf. But again, the lions could of had a meal. I taped that program.
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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

I just showed my son the video. He was amazed.
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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

I'm glad he liked it  Here's another one you may enjoy:


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

Thanks Love!! Keep em coming!
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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

Sure thing, this is what happens when you get between a mother elephant and her calf: (you can tell the filmers are tourists lol)





 
This cow clearly warned the vehicle, but they didnt move away, so she charged: idiotic man





 
We have been charged several times, both in a car and on foot... it's really quite frightening lol


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## JulieinPA (Nov 27, 2010)

on the first video you posted, where there's a picture of horse back riding through water - weren't you worried about crocs!??


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

No, luckily that partucular dam had no fish, hippo, crocs or anyother life form, so it was quite safe


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## Juniper (May 4, 2007)

Not sure if you have ever heard of this book, West with the Night, by Beryl Markham, one of the first women pilots in Africa I believe? Probably a bit of a boring read for a younger person but I absolutely loved it. Had some good horse stuff in it too.
Love your videos.


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

I've heard of the book, but I havent read it... I should, it sounds quite good 

Thabk you! 

Bumpy!


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## xXEventerXx (Nov 27, 2010)

beautiful, ive always wanted to tavel to africa ive always been interested in there history. My dad was in the UN so i learned alot about rwanda,, where in africa are you


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## xXEventerXx (Nov 27, 2010)

you can tell the cow was showing agression because of her ear movement


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

I'm in South Africa, somewhere in the middle left lol 

And you are very right about the elephant, she flapped her ears several times, swung her head, mock charged and trumpeted a few times, warning the car to get back, but when they did'nt, she did the right thing to "protect" her family; she charged


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## A knack for horses (Jun 17, 2010)

LoveStory10 said:


> YouTube - Africa 2.wmv
> 
> One again, enjoy, and please feel free to ask anything


This is really random, but do you have squirrels in Africa? The animal at 2:54 looks a lot like a squirrel.

You are very lucky to live in such a beautiful place. I want to go to Africa someday!


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

Yes, we have squirrels here. They are a lot more aggresive than the rest though, that particular one in the video was trying to warn us away from it's home..

Thank you!!


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