Bat-eared Fox family

We've been scrutinizing every inch of the Auob riverbed for more than a month. We almost missed them curled up among the fallen branches of a camelthorn..... only the enormous ears exposed them: a pair of bat-eared foxes. In the Kgalagadi, you often see these charismatic little foxes trotting along the riverbed, backs arched, dish-shaped ears pivoted forward. Acting as parabolic reflectors, their ears can amplify the slightest sound, even beetle larvae and harvester termites located deep underground. When it hears something, the fox stops, digs frantically with its forefeet and then chomps triumphantly on a termite. But this pair of foxes have finished foraging for the night. The sun will soon rise over the red dunes flanking the banks of the Auob. A Kalahari Robin strikes up a few tentative notes, announcing the coming dawn. As if responding, the female fox rises, stretches and shakes the dust from her coat. She scans up and down the riverbed before approaching us. We are parked within 5 meters of an old aardvark burrow. The fox approaches the entrance and calls softly. Two black-tipped ears twitch in the first rays of light... a fluffy face peeps at us, eyes blinking, then disappears back into the darkness. We remain motionless. Minutes pass.... Then magically two pups emerge. Legs firmly planted, the female braces herself. The pups attach themselves to her teats, bushy black tails wagging, front paws pummelling her belly to stimulate milk flow. When the female's finished nursing, the male attends to grooming each pup thoroughly and keeping a watchful eye as they charge from one bolt-hole to another, tumbling in the thorny scrub and collapsing in plumes of dust. This is undoubtedly the highlight of our past two months in the Kgalagadi.....  And will keep me busy at the easel for many months!

Lisette

Lisette is the magnificent female cheetah I painted for Judy and Grant McLachlan.  But in February 2006, she was a desperately thin young cub.  Her mother had died tragically and Lisette, along with three siblings, was left to fend for herself in one of the most unforgiving places on the planet. 

 

 

Maybe divine intervention is at work in that desert.  One morning the cubs were slaking their thirst at the waterhole.  I was parked under the acacia at Craig Lockhart, sketching, when a Landcruiser pulled up.  It was none other than Dr Gus Mills, head of Carnivore Conservation EWT.  I’d read every one of his books, beginning with his doctorate on brown spotted hyenas, his Kruger based findings on wild dogs and subsequently his research on behaviour, hunting patterns and reproductive success of cheetahs in the pristine Kalahari ecosystem.  Over a 5 year period, Gus would fit radio collars on a number of cheetahs and compile a comprehensive data base.  Individual cheetahs can be identified by their unique spot patterns, especially inside the limbs.  The first cheetah Gus fitted with a collar for this Kgalagadi Cheetah Project was Lisette and she has remained a stalwart of the project ever since.

 

Today Lisette is a granny.  One of her cubs gave birth to 4 kittens in the dunes on my last night there in February this year.  Gus and Margie left for Oxford in March to write up the findings of their research, but we continue to keep tabs on the cheetahs.  The McClachlans and I are planning a trip early in 2013, hoping to locate Lisette.  For now, she is immortalised in oil, beautifully framed in the McClachlan’s lounge and the lucky newlyweds are on honeymoon....tracking Cape Mountain Leopards at the luxurious Bushmans Kloof.  Cape Leopard Trust has been monitoring these predators in the Cedarberg since the 90s, using GPS collars and camera traps.  Research has revealed surprising data regarding their territories and diet, dispelling many myths about the impact leopards have on livestock and helping researches to implement innovative ways to protect livestock and assist farmers.
 

They’ll be tracking Cape Mountain Leopards at Bushmans Kloof until 29 July, I’ve already started sketching my next cat......

Triptych

Triptych of 9 month old Kgalagadi lion litter mates. Their mother had deserted these three muscateers for 4 days before returning. Gus Mills said they are still too young to fend for themselves, but I’ll never underestimate the instinct to survive after encountering Lisette, featured in my next post. 

 

 

Celebrate the Secretary bird

Use your quill and spread the word….

celebrate the Secretary bird!

 

7 September 2011

National Secretary Day

Secretary birds are classified as Globally Vulnerable on the International Red Data List.  These charismatic, long-legged birds are disappearing fast from the grasslands of Southern Africa.  A number of factors threaten their future survival: collisions with power lines, loss of habitat and grassland degradation due to agricultural and forestry development.
To find out more about how you can help, please see www.birdlife.org.za.

Stop Rhino Poaching

In the July edition of Africa Geographic, Ian Michler exposed the poaching crisis devastating South Africa’s rhino population. 279 rhinos have been killed in 2011 alone.  That’s approximately one rhino every 20 hours. What is the government doing?  Environment minister, Edna Molewa, says they’re considering a moratorium on the trade of rhino horn, but “definitely not be before 2012”.

How many rhinos need to be killed before we recognise that this is an international crisis requiring our urgent attention?

We need to know who is using rhino horn and why.  If South East Asian countries use powdered horn for traditional medicine, then there must be widespread education programmes to debunk these myths.  The South African government, large conservation agencies and rhino owners, should pressure the UN and EU to get countries that provide markets for rhino horn committed to solutions.  We can debate the merits of legalising trade and dehorning rhino for another decade.

But by then, there won’t be rhinos to save.

Please support a ban on the trade of rhino horn. Visit www.stoprhinopoaching.com to sign the petition.

Our Local Lad

“For the first time a leopard has been captured in the Hemel and Aarde Valley”
CAPE TIMES, 14 June2011

Cape Leopard 

Pastel by Angela Key
 

It’s a wildlife artists dream… a leopard in our own back yard!

I’ve lost count of the hours I’ve spent tracking leopard spoor in the sand, studying pugs for signs of erosion; indents left by rain drops or tiny trails left by termites and ants can tell a lot about how recently a leopard was there.  Even with modern technology like GPS collars, it’s not easy monitoring leopards.

A Namibian biologist tells of how on 1200 occasions he walked right up to leopards he located with radio collars.  Of those 1200 occasions, he actually SAW the leopard only twice!  They just move off.  You hear signals bleeping all around, but the leopard slinks down on its belly and snakes off.

Our Cape Leopard is even more elusive.  As their habitat diminishes and landowners continue to use indiscriminate predator controls, these leopards could soon face the same fate as the long-extinct Cape Lion.  So you can imagine my excitement when this magnificent specimen was spotted right here on a farm in the Hemel and Aarde Valley.  Since capturing the leopard and fitting it with a GPS collar, the Landmark Foundation has been monitoring its movements in the mountains.  One-hundred infrared cameras have been strategically located from Cape Infanta and Bot River Lagoon to the Riviersonderend and Langeberg Mountains.  To date, 23 leopards have been tagged in the Foundation’s Leopard and Predator Project.  The GPS data obtained will give researchers an insight into population density and behavioural dynamics to ensure the survival of this threatened species.

 

Visit the Missions House Gallery in Onrus River for a glimpse of this magnificent Cape leopard.

Or you could take a hike in the Hemel and Aarde and hold thumbs!!!

Testimonial

"The biggest thank you for such a special and spectacular picture, something so unique and phenomenal..... we will always treasure it.”

Sarah and David McKenzie, CNN News Correspondent, Kenya

Splash Gold

The magnificent gelding from Dean Kannemeyer’s stable with Jockey Karl Neisius scores his fifth win in the PSL Soccer 4 Handicap at Durbanville on Saturday 5 March.



Pastel on Royal Sovereign Pastel Board

Original Size: 50 x 65 cm

Framed: 86 x 100 cm (approximate)

Splash Gold is my first foray into the world of Equestrian Fine Art, but the painting has been so well received that I’m setting my sights on the Sport of Kings - Polo.

So much so that at 6am this morning, I was out scouring the beach below Brekvis Bay for feathers...... I’ve got exactly 1 week to create a ‘fascinator’.  Forget the wide-brimmed straw hats of the Met, this is an altogether more elegant affair.... a single Sacred Ibis plume tucked into a tailored black silk number, pinned to a perfectly coiffed chignon.  Your otherwise bundu-bashing barefoot artist ’en grande tenue’.

A week today, Saturday April 17^th, Cape Town’s celebrities and  fashionistas converge at Val de Vie Wine Estate near Paarl for the international Polo Masters.  And ‘moi’ won’t be rubbing shoulders with Ryk Neethling on the Petanque court or leisurely quaffing champagne on the pavilion (although I won’t say no to a taste of Raats’s Rhone-inspired Mouvedre!). No. You’ll find me on the playing fields, furiously sketching horses... watching carefully as players wield their mallets to score a goal.  I’m learning from the master – Degas - and getting inspired..... watch this space.

Dyer Island Visit

I’ve dreamed of visiting Dyer Island for almost 20 years, since returning to Hermanus back in 1994.  Even so, nothing could have prepared me for my experience on Thursday 22 July.  It surpassed all expectations and is certainly one of the highlights of my life.

The moment I arrived in Kleinbaai, I was welcomed by the crew at Dyer Island Cruises.  After a brief introduction and signing in, I was clad in orange life jacket and oil skin and ushered down to the harbour and on board.  Albert was our captain and Michele the marine biologist monitoring whales.  Both proved to be gold mines of information.

 

 

Albert had barely nosed the bow of the boat out of the harbour when the sea came alive with Southern Right blows. Everywhere! “Blow! Blow! 11 o’clock... another at 9 o’clock....” .  A beautiful big seabird hovered overhead, his white underwings luminous - a Subantartic Skua.  Suddenly the VHF radio crackled to life: a school of dolphins had been spotted moving fast beyond Dyer Island.  The crew scrambled to batten down the hatches.  We would have to go full throttle.  The mirror surface of the harbour sea was quickly replaced by a tricky wind chop and a bit of swell, which Albert easily navigated - all the while elaborating on the acrobatic aerial displays of swift terns (sadly, the terns weren’t performing in the wind), identifying a Whitechinned Petrel and spotting my first Albatross!  With its majestic 2-and-a-half-meter wingspan, the Shy Albatross glided effortlessly over the waves.  Breathtaking.  On the horizon, the sea churned with spouts and splashes.  Albert accelerated and we rollercoasted through the waves..... suddenly we were in the epicentre of what appeared to be over a thousand dolphins, as far as the eye could see.  What a privilege!  Dorsal fins, flanks and flukes glittered in the sun as the dolphins sped alongside the boat.  The characteristic ochre and grey belly and distinct dark eye stripe indicated Delphinus delphis the Common Dolphin (which has been celebrated in art since ancient times and is still inspiring artists...... certainly me!).  We would never have been able to tear ourselves away from this spectacle were it not for the Call of the Humpback....not 100 meters from our boat, thirty-odd tonnes of whale arced into the sky as the Humpback breached.  By the time i’d clicked my camera shutter, all that remained visible was the underside of its fluke.  Although disappointed, this is a valuable ‘fingerprint’ helping marine biologists identify individuals.  Another pair of Humpbacks blew in unison and an African Penguin emerged from the oceans depths with a beakful of anchovies.  Albert turned the boat back towards the Island.  We passed the shark boat, witnessing a four-and-half-meter Great White from our safe bird’s-eye-view!  And then it was through the famous ‘Shark Alley’, Cape Fur seals frolicking in the shallows, clapping their flippers like an appreciative audience.

You could have left me stranded there forever.  Bliss! 3 hours never flew by so fast.  After a bit of homework, discovered that our Shy Albatross, also known as the Bloubekmalmok by locals, breeds on islands around Tasmania and New Zealand and visits our shores in winter.

It’s opened up a whole new world for me to explore.... an albatross on the wing, a shark hunting, penguins ‘porpoising’ on the crest of a wave and dolphins surfing through turquoise seas.  Our marine environment is so magnificent, and so few people are privileged to experience it. Paintings might just broaden the net, helping to raise awareness and make people more determined to protect this precious resource.

Surf Report - BirdLife South Africa Raffle

Splash Out and Save the African Penguin

Designer Swimsuit

Ask any Olympic swimmer: if you’re going for gold, you need a serious swimsuit. The African Penguin Spheniscus demersus might look comical in that formal black-and-white suit, but in open water it rivals Ryk Neethling!

African penguins can stay underwater for up to 5 minutes and dive to depths of 130 metres. An adult penguin in fresh plumage can whiz after a sardine at 20km/h and cruise along quite happily at 10km/h. If that doesn’t sound impressive, try it next time you’re paddling in 4-degree Celsius sea at a depth of 25 metres!

Not only is that striped tuxedo designed to reduce drag for maximum velocity, but the distinctive pattern of the suit plays an equally important role in snagging the catch of the day. African Penguins feed primarily on schooling fish like anchovies and sardines. To fish, a flock of circling penguins is a whirlpool of white-and-black pandemonium: the school panics and packs together to form a ‘bait ball’. Individual penguins take turns to peel off from the circling group and shoot up through the school to snatch any stray fish.

Fancy Dress comes at a Cost

Most birds preen themselves regularly, replacing their feathers gradually to maintain condition. But because penguins must be well insulated against icy-cold water, they cannot afford any gaps in their plumage. They need a complete coat of feathers. Solution? Replace all feathers at once. Sounds good, but it takes three weeks to moult and get a new set of feathers. That’s 3 weeks staying ashore, 3 weeks without food! The rather odd-looking plump penguin you see waddling about in that old well-worn coat is a pre-moult penguin. At the end of the ordeal, a slim new penguin emerges, resplendent in its new suit.

Turning the Tide

Unfortunately, the penguin must compete with commercial fisheries who also target sardines and anchovies. The greatest threats facing the African Penguin are a shortage of food and oil pollution. Fortunately, organisations like BirdLife, SANCCOB and the Dyer Island Conservation Trust are committed to the conservation of African Penguins. You can help to support these organisations by purchasing a raffle ticket for Angela Key's painting Surf Report. All proceeds raised from ticket sales will support these organisations in advancing our understanding of penguins and finding innovative solutions to the problems they face.

The Cat’s Whiskers

It’s late November in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park when I catch up with Lisette,
an adult cheetah who gave birth to 3 cubs mid-July 2008.
Now 4 months, they sport the last signs of cheetah-cub camo-gear; a halo of silver
hairs said to mimic the more ferocious honey badger and an effective way to
advertise “don’t-mess-with-me” to the prying eyes of any potential predators.
 

Lisette’s done well to raise this litter through the harsh dry season.
Current research being conducted by Dr Gus Mills in the KGNP shows that cheetahs
here have to resort to hunting small prey, like hares, just to survive.
Sadly, cub mortality due to starvation is exceptionally high. That, coupled with the
low rate of reproduction of the females, emphasises the fundamental role cheetah
conservation plays. Captive breeding projects like De Wildt’s Cheetah Trust and the
Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre offer excellent tours of their facilities to raise
awareness. Cheetah Outreach at Spier touches thousands of people every year with
their hand-raised ambassador cheetahs and are altering farmers’ attitudes and training
Anatolian Shepherd dogs to guard small stock.
 

But nothing is quite so rewarding as following the spoor of a wild cheetah like

Lisette across a thousand kilometres of untouched wilderness into the remotest
reaches of South Africa… .

… .Then finding her being stalked, pounced upon and perfectly content
in the company of her three playful cubs… .

 

Medium: Pastel on Royal Sovereign Board
Dimensions: 160mm X 230mm each

Buffalo

Pastel on Royal Sovereign Pastelboard

Male Lion

Pastel on Royal Sovereign Pastelboard

Giraffe

Pastel on Royal Sovereign Pastelboard