FIRE BREAKS AND WINTER GAME

Last week, snow on our mountains and severe frosts. This week the farmers have started our main winter burning. These burns will generate new, fresG growth when our rains arrive. They also reduce the danger of run-away fires during our dry winter months.
Unfortunately we have disturbed some of the lairs of deer and other animals. However they move into the forest at night. During the day these animals will move to grasslands that are not burnt.

But there are also the little guys. Grasshoppers, in their thousands take flight and attract flocks of Pied starlings, African Hoopoos and even our resident crows join in the feast.
There is good and bad from these burns, although the good far outweighs the bad.
In the Bushman’s Nek valley, which runs parallel to ours on the other side of Garden Castle Peak, they had three run away fires yesterday. Frightening when you see the damage that one fire can cause.

I remember seeing the devestation and death in the Lobo area of the Serengeti in the 1990’s when a drunk camper fell asleep with a lit cigarette is his hand. Hundreds of thousands of hectares destroyed in minutes. Animals of all species roasted alive, because they could not escape the inferno.
I do not know what the outcome was of the tourist, but I do know what I would have done with him.
The only good that came out of that was the education of school children. They were visiting the area and saw the devastation as an educational point. They were also able to see the first green tufts of grass and bush breaking through the earth.

The human has this image that we are all knowing and all powerful. Shame on us for that ignorance of which we carry, more than any other species on earth. The power of the internet gives us ample opportunity to see our ignorance and greed first hand. But we choose to ignore it, or are too ignorant to take note of the fact.

Sootie has had the honour of being visited by two bouncers (bush hares) over the last few days. We also find deer droppings around the house in the mornings. Big poo, little poo and poo with points on. Them is the baboon ones!