A Sensless Hunt - A Hippo?

This just in from my friend Toni:

"It is with great sadness we must report that the Hippo that BWC hoped to purchase from a farmer, and relocate him to a place of safety, has already been shot and killed.


An advert was sent out offering a Hippo shoot, as it seems he was 'a problem animal'. We know there is no such thing as a problem animal, only intolerant, impatient, overbearing and greedy humans who will kill anyone in their way deemed to have 'no value'. De Hoek advertised the 'hunt' although they did not have anything to do with the final actions.

Email: dehoeksafari@mtnloaded.co.za
Tel.: 083 549 9096 / 082 627 5011.
Contact Hansie Minnaar / Rina.

To hunt a hippo is probably as challenging as beating a fly to death with a rolled up piece of newspaper. A bull is chosen and one simply walks up to the bank of the river or pond, takes aim, waits for the hippo to present a good head shot and bang, ‘hunt’ over.

Immediately the situation came to light, telephone calls were made and e-mails sent to rescue the Hippo, but we have been notified that the hippo died yesterday."

If this makes your heart boil as it does mine please let your voice be heard by:

• Telling the "hunt" organizers (email address noted above)
• Sharing this post on Face Book and Twitter (share buttons below)

Thank you.  The surviving wildlife thanks you.

Time to Scream? Maybe not...

AAAAAArrrrrrrrrgggggggggg! There! Now I feel better.

Talk about frustrations!  If it's not my software crashing it's internet access slowing.  If it's not hold ups with the website it's merchant services glitches.  And all I want to do is help people like Michele and Ian, Will and his dedicated team, Shannon and Ben, Karin, and... so they can do their small part in saving and protecting the wildlife we all love.

In the meantime I hear that more rhinos have been lost to horn slashing poachers.  That the the king of beasts, the lion is on a fast track toward extinction.  Ironic, just as the new Narnia movie with posters of Aslan are seen everywhere, while most of us are oblivious to the real lion's plight.

Okay... I got a grip!

"Start Where You Are... Use What You Have... Do What You Can."

This advice from Pat Williams and Jay Strack in their book "Shamgar" has saved my life many a time.  Life is good.

Start where you are:  Have great wildlife experts with amazing projects to support.  Have people like you sending us good vibes (and money.)  Got the website almost finished.  Got Noah from DonationPay getting our donation system in place.  Have Russ working feverishly along side of me.  Have Michael shooting our Twitter following way past 2,500.  Have Sand creating the best videos. Got my cat Weasel at my feet. 

There... I'm off to 'use what I have' to 'do what I can' and write up some more PROJECTS to include on the website.