My African Animal Valentine by Lucy Burdette

LUCY BURDETTE: Reading a good book is one great way of showing us another life, another setting, another point of view. For me, traveling to a strange world does a similar thing, although with the added intensity of being immersed in the scene here and now. I realize that I'm very fortunate to have this kind of opportunity and I try to use that knowledge in my life. We still donate money every year to the Conservation Ecology Centre in Cape Otway, Australia, after meeting koalas and kangaroos and the endangered tiger quoll. And now, after two weeks in Africa, there are more indelible footprints on my soul...

my favorite elephant photo

The distressing news first: Marauding Europeans decimated the wildlife population of Africa in the 19th century, slaughtering elephants and other large game animals. Now game parks are slowly being established to allow the animals to roam in their natural habitat, and hopefully revive the threatened species. People are asking questions such as what is our responsibility to these animals as humans at the top of the food chain? And as animals are reintroduced to their native habitats, what really belongs there as opposed to what do tourists and hunters want to see? Should humans be banned altogether?

Poachers still threaten elephants for their ivory tusks, and especially rhinoceros for their horns, which have magical properties according to Chinese and Malaysian customers. I won't go into the sickening details, but the danger is so powerful that safari guests are asked not to post pictures of rhinos if they see them. Why? Because poachers use their digital information to locate and attack the animals--right where they're being preserved! So now we have new organizations to support, the World Wildlife Federation and the Community Conservation Fund of Africa.

And now for your animal Valentine...

zebra!

Mala Mala--aren't they incredible? Who designed such a thing?

Hippos--don't get too close!

Cape buffalo--don't tangle with them either!

We absolutely loved watching the elephants play in the water and teach the babies to drink and hose themselves off. The back of the newest babies' ears was a magical pale pink

Not interested in us--he'd already eaten

Adolescents lounging--the ennui is catching

But there's no place like home with my own wildlife

Happy Valentine's Day to each of you red readers! We are so glad you are part of our family!