There are very few pandas are born every year. Unfortunately, even fewer of the fragile Panda cubs stay alive for very long.
So, when triplet baby panda’s where born recently in China and have so far survived over two weeks, it is seen simply as a miracle.
At birth, the panda cubs, which weighed 122 grams, 90 grams, and 83 grams, respectively. According to all records, they are the only the only living panda triplets in the world.
Juxiao (“chrysanthemum smile”) who is 12 years old, gave birth to the cute little cubs on July 29 2014 in China’s Chimelong Safari Park which is in the southern city ofGuangzhou.
“After nearly half a month under the care of the mother, the babies are very healthy,” China Daily reported Dong Guixin (Park Manager) as saying. He also mentioned the delivery took around 4 hours.
The panda cubs have already doubled their weight since birth.
Traditionally, Pandas are known for having very low survival rates, with only a third making it past infancy.
A set of giant panda triplets was born in China, back in 1999 however one died after only three days.
Excitingly, at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, another baby panda cub is due within the next few weeks to it’s mum Tian Tian.
https://www.colindurrant.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gloriosa_rothscildianna.jpg00Colin Durranthttps://www.colindurrant.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gloriosa_rothscildianna.jpgColin Durrant2014-08-13 22:03:172015-01-16 19:58:24World’s first surviving panda triplets
African elephants are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), while the Asian elephant is classed as endangered. One of the biggest threats to elephant populations is the ivory trade, as the animals are still poached for their ivory tusks despite strict laws against it’s trade. That said, other threats to wild elephants include habitat destruction and conflicts with local people especially when they stray onto small farms.
Elephants are herbivorous (don’t eat meat) and can be found in different habitats including savannahs, forests, deserts and marshes. They prefer to stay near water. They are considered to be keystone species due to their impact on their environments.
Naturally, unless about to keel over from hunger, most other animals will tend to keep their distance, especially predators such as lions, tigers, hyenas and wild dogs.
However, they may target calves but these are normally heavily protected by the heard. Females generally live in family groups, which can consist of one female with her calves or several related females (aunts and sisters) with their own offspring.
There is usually a Bull not far aware as the protector.
award winning elephant photo
THE 10 FINALISTS HAVE BEEN SELECTED IN THE WORLD ELEPHANT DAY PHOTO COMPETITION. Here is the ninth by Pieter Jacobus Ras,Raisinphoto. Like and share if you enjoy this image. Keep an eye out for the final image to be shared tomorrow. The most popular image will win the audience prize. All winners will be announced on World Elephant Day, 12 August. With thanks to Conservation Action Trust and Wilderness Safaris.
Elephants on a mission
Half in half out! Crystal clear!
Surfacing Elephant
A marching band… with trumpets and all! Photo taken in Phinda Game Reserve by Andrew Schoeman Photography.
Elephants at sunset on Matusadona shoreline, Lake Kariba (Photo Steve Edwards)
CDC leaders integral to the Ebola response, including epidemiologists, laboratorians, logistics, and more, assemble in agency’s command center to discuss next steps in directing the response at CDC Emergency operations center in Atlanta, August 8. Spencer Lowell for TIME
With Ebola ravaging West Africa, the CDC’s emergency unit has been called into full-force
Last Friday morning, only a few hours after the World Health Organization officially declared the Ebola outbreak a global public health emergency, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Emergency Operations Center (EOC) kicked into a hive of activity.
Their recently created battle room of computer screens and realtime maps of Ebola spread is fielding calls from U.S. hospitals, offering logistical support for workers in West Africa, and is continuously updating realtime data on the rising number of Ebola infections.
At 10 o’clock there is a daily meeting to discuss what’s happening, the latest news and the latest plan of action. The meeting spills out of the EOC’s primary conference room and contains the CDC’s heads of infectious disease control as well representatives for the State Department and USAID.
Only a couple of days ago, the CDC activated the EOC to a Level 1 response unit, which is the highest alert level and essentially means everyone with related expertise is called in for their expertise.
CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden, said; “We have been very concerned at CDC for weeks and months about Ebola, and we’ve increased our activation to the highest level to surge on a response in Africa,”. He has recently returned from testifying in front of the House Committee of Foreign Affairs about the agency’s ongoing efforts to stop the drastic spread of the disease. “This Ebola outbreak is unprecedented. The single most important thing to understand about protecting Americans from Ebola is that [it has to be stopped] at the source in Africa.”
Now that, is one very interesting statement. So the whole operation is about protecting Americans? Are you kidding me? If there was no risk of Ebola spreading outside of West Africa then basically it sounds like the CDC and EOC would not even be involved. Clearly American lives are significantly more important than African lives or any other non American for that matter. But hey, what do I know.
Since the first week of April, the CDC has had experts on the ground and encouragingly it recently announced that it’s sending a large team of 50 more highly qualified disease specialists, including diseases detectives, laboratory experts and transmission-data analysts over to West Africa in the next month. However the team of experts will need support from the stateside EOC for resources, data collection and communication.
A large part of the EOC team is made up of Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers—health professionals who are part of the CDC’s two-year training program for investigating infectious disease.
Kelsey Mirkovic, 29, has just returned from Gueckedou, Guinea is a second-year EIS with a PhD in pharmacology. Her goal was tracking down people who have been in contact with infected patients. “One day there were two deaths of people with Ebola in one village, and 218 people were added to our list of contacts that day,” said Mirkovic. “We are talking about tracking down hundreds of people.”
Since Monday the 4th of August, 6 CDC specialists have been deployed to Guinea, twelve to Liberia, 9 to Sierra Leone, and only 4 to Nigeria, which is the latest country to experience a spread of the virus after the first person died from the virus about 2 weeks ago. It is very worrying as Lagos, Capital of Nigeria is the largest city in Africa. This does not bode well.
Dr Stephen Monroe who is the deputy director of the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases mentioned that “If current trends continue, it won’t be long before there’s more cases associated with this one outbreak than all previously outbreaks of Ebola virus combined,”
“In most of these other countries, the initial event starts in a relatively rural area. So if we can get in quickly and contain it before it spreads, it’s much more effective. If it starts to spread in a large metropolitan area, especially in the very urban slum areas, it will be much more difficult to control.”
It is likely that if there is a major outbreak in Lagos then things will get a lot worse before they finally get control and start controlling the spread of Ebola.
Monroe said that the CDC has experts in placed in Nigeria who are examining ebola cases as well as the people they have been in contact with including people helping local authorities with their exit screenings in order to keep all these people at risk of being infected from travelling and leaving the country and possibly infecting other countries anywhere in the world.
Monroe said that “In order to fully resolve the outbreak, we’re clearly looking at months, not weeks of effort,”
The EOC is also serving as the hub for Ebola containment in the U.S., should the disease present itself there. Very conveniently, the CDC is only a few minutes from Emory University Hospital, where two evacuated Americans with Ebola virus disease are being treated.
The CDC has already distributed care guidelines for U.S. hospitals. There is even a team of experts who handle several calls daily from U.S. hospitals concerning sick patients who have recently returned from visiting Africa.
EOC disease specialists are already on route to West Africa, taking the latest outbreak maps with them as they head into a very scary and dangerous zone. The glow from the wall of computerized data sets and updates fills the room—with large graphs that highlight the early summer spikes in Ebola cases.
The whole Ebola outbreak is really scaling upwards with over 1000 people infected already. If the disease spreads to more countries then things are only go from worse to horrendous. We can only home that containment happens very soon and stops the rapid spread of the disease.
https://www.colindurrant.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gloriosa_rothscildianna.jpg00Colin Durranthttps://www.colindurrant.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gloriosa_rothscildianna.jpgColin Durrant2014-08-10 21:51:002014-08-10 21:51:00Inside the CDC’s Emergency Operations Center Tackling Ebola
If you’re ready to take your living room on a luxury jungle safari, Maximo Riera has the sofa for you. This imposing animal playfully dubbed the African Water Horse. Measuring 55″x 297″ and textured to closely match a black hippo, the aptly named Hippopotamus Chair may be the perfect accessory to any household floating along the River Nile. Just like a safari, however, it won’t come cheap.
The Hippopotamus is a semiaquatic herbivore mammal, peculiar for its barrel-shaped torso, and is one of the most aggressive and unpredictable creatures in the world. For this design, its tremendous size and volume has been preserved, evading any sections or partitions along its body, in order to accomplish an entire life-size piece
TAMING OF THE FURY
The Hippopotamus is a semiaquatic herbivore mammal, peculiar for its barrel-shaped torso, and is one of the most aggressive and unpredictable creatures in the world. For this design, its tremendous size and volume has been preserved, evading any sections or partitions along its body, in order to accomplish an entire life-size piece.
The skin pattern has been carefully replicated and reproduced to acquire the corrugation and surface imperfections, distinctive of their shape.
This captivating animal has been overshadowed many times by other notorious mammals in the savanna, but its intrepidity and tenacity is well know in their environment. The Zulu warriors preferred to be as brave as an hippopotamus, since even lions were not consider to match their courage.
THE HIPPOPOTAMUS CHAIR
THE HIPPOPOTAMUS CHAIR
THE HIPPOPOTAMUS CHAIR
THE HIPPOPOTAMUS CHAIR
THE RHINO CHAIR
TAMING OF THE FURY
The Rhino Chair is considered more like a throne than a regular chair. It contains an inner frame along its body to support the weight and reinforce its balance. There is not a better animal than the Rhino to reflect the nature’s capacity and mightiness.
The artist has been careful to maintain proportions especially as not many have had the opportunity or experience to stand next to such a magnificent beast.
The Artist wants to bring them closer to us, the spectators, creating a virtual interaction. The Rhino chair is built in a superior scale to generate an authoritative force that respects its surroundings, qualities present on the animal itself.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon remains of a rocket fired by Hamas terrorists at Israel. (Photo: Haim Zach/ GPO)
You can clearly see from this video and narration Hamas terrorists assembling a rocket in a heavily built up area surrounded by hotels and apartments in Gaza.
They firstly put up a tent to build their rocket underneath and then cover it up with trees. The following morning a rocket is fired from the exact location, everything recorded on camera.
This is obviously a clear tactic by Hamas to get Israel to retaliate by firing their own rockets back into the residential area with innocent families, children and pets. At which point they scream blue murder that Israel is attacking and firing rockets into residential areas. I am not taking side but purely pointing out facts.
It is interesting that it only takes 2 or 3 men to setup a rocket which they then fire towards Israel. I am guessing they then disappear once again amongst innocent civilians. At which point any retaliation from Israel unless pin point accurate and immediate is a bit of a waste of time.
This Palestinian mother in the video below was shown such kindness by Jews when her young son was treated, free of charge, for his heart problem in an Israeli hospital. She freely acknowledges this and is grateful however she still hopes that her child will grow up to be a martyr.
This video is a rare look into the mind of someone who worships death and destruction. It is in their make up, their belief system and their way of life. She describes the difference between her culture and all of Western society perfectly when she explains that for her people life is meaningless.
Please share, it is so important that people see this.
https://www.colindurrant.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gloriosa_rothscildianna.jpg00Colin Durranthttps://www.colindurrant.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gloriosa_rothscildianna.jpgColin Durrant2014-08-06 15:08:172014-08-07 08:02:17How Hamas assembles and fires rockets from residential areas in Gaza
The Battle of Bosworth was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses which was the long lasting civil war between the Houses of Lancaster and York that during the latter part of the 15th century ravaged across England.
Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by Henry Tudor from the house of the Lancastrians. Henry’s victory meant he became the first English monarch of the Tudor dynasty.
Richard III, from the House of York, was brutally killed in the battle despite out numbering Henry’s army and having a lot of support from across England. It is said that the Battle of Bosworth marked the end of the Plantagenet dynasty, thereby making it a defining moment of English and Welsh history.
Richard III’s reign as King began in 1483 after being suspiciously crowned after his twelve-year-old nephew Edward V, was declared ineligible to stand as King of England. Edward V and his younger brother mysteriously disappeared shortly after this event which did nothing to support Richard III especially after rumours of his involvement in the death of his wife.
French based (Brittany) Henry Tudor who was a direct descendant of the greatly diminished House of Lancaster heard about the King’s lack of popularity and decided to seize the opportunity and Richard III’s claim to the English throne.
A storm in 1483 put paid to his first invasion attempt however his second was unopposed as he landed on the shores of the West coast of Wales on the 7th of August 1485.
Henry Tudor gathered support for his quest as he marched towards London but was met by King Richard on Bosworth field in Leicestershire, who had brought together his own troops. Thomas, Lord Stanley, and Sir William Stanley brought a powerful force to the battlefield, but interestingly did not partake in the fray until they decided which side it would be more advantageous to join forces with.
The King divided his larger army into three groups of which one was assigned to the Duke of Norfolk and another to the Earl of Northumberland. On the opposite side, Henry Tudor kept most of his force together and placed it under the command of the experienced Earl of Oxford.
Norfolk attacked but struggled against the Earl of Oxford’s men and eventually began to flee the battle field. Northumberland ignored the King’s request for assistance so Richard III gambled everything on a desperate charge across the battlefield to kill Henry and end the fight.
This was his undoing as when Stanley saw the English King and his Knights separated from his army; Sir William rushed with his men to Henry’s aid, surrounding and killing Richard III. Henry Tudor was subsequently crowned king below an oak tree in nearby Stoke Golding, now a residential garden.
Taking my little Jack Russell and girlfriend along to visit the battlefield of Bosworth, below is a string of pictures to hopefully give you part of the experience of our visit and education of the battle of Bosworth.
Battle of Bosworth In the Landscape
Battle of Bosworth – Rebel Army
Bosworth Hill
Bosworth Hill view
King Richard III coat of arms
Battle Of Bosworth Summary
Henry Tudor Coat of Arms
The pictures above are the start of the tour around the field of Bosworth. It is a mile and a half loop that begins on top of the hill.
There are points of interest along the route, I have pictures of most which you can see below.
The Bosworth Battlefield
a soldiers story
Henry Tudor – Earl of Richmond
Henry Tudor
King Richard lll
Thomas, Lord Stanley
Thomas, Lord Stanley
The Battle draws closer
Death from Afar
Fire and Brimstone
Sorry, should have cleaned the bird poo off it first.
The Battlefield Map
Fire and brimstone
Hack and Slay
Hack and Slay
Born to War
Born to War
@naughtynelly
Deploying for Battle
Jack Russel sniffing
The Bloody Aftermath
The Forest
Punishment and rewards
King Dick’s Well
King Dick’s Well
Not great pictures but it was the best I could do with what I had. The sign needs updating clearly.
The well where King Richard III died
King Richard III died here
King Richard III
King Richard III
Hope you found that a little interesting? Please comment below. For further information you can go here;
Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Zimbabwe (VAWZ) is deeply concerned with the increasing number of confirmed Rabies cases throughout Zimbabwe. Recently a dog from Arcturus was tested positive, as well as a feral cat from Sussex Road (Avondale West).
Tragically a young boy in Chegutu has died from the disease, two months after being bitten by his neighbour’s dog. We cannot stress enough the importance of having ALL your pets vaccinated annually against this deadly disease.
Should you come into contact with an unknown animal, particularly one displaying unusual behaviour, please seek medical advice immediately. Children must be warned not to interact with strange animals.
RABIES IS 100% FATAL, DON’T TAKE A CHANCE! Please report sightings of suspect animals to VAWZ (0778431528 / 0775722449) or your nearest veterinary surgery.
Rabies (“madness”) is a viral disease that causes acute inflammation of the brain in humans and other warm-blooded animals. The time period between contracting the disease and the start of symptoms is usually one to three months; however it can vary from less than one week to more than one year.
The time is dependent on the distance the virus must travel to reach the central nervous system. Early symptoms may include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. This is then followed by either violent movements, uncontrolled excitement, and fear of water or an inability to move parts of the body and confusion followed by loss of consciousness. In both cases once symptoms appear it nearly always results in death.
Trailer for the Final Hobbit Movie Is Ready for Battle
Welcome back, Bilbo
The final movie of the Hobbit series is The Battle of the Five Armies, Peter Jackson’s Tolkien adaptation is living up to its title with a suitably aggressive first teaser trailer, which premièred for a live audience at the resent Comic-Con over the weekend.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is due in theatres on Dec. 17, 2014
https://www.colindurrant.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gloriosa_rothscildianna.jpg00Colin Durranthttps://www.colindurrant.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gloriosa_rothscildianna.jpgColin Durrant2014-07-29 10:33:492015-01-16 20:01:55Trailer for the Final Hobbit Movie Is Ready for Battle
(MONROVIA, Liberia) — A high profile doctor in Liberia, Dr. Samuel Brisbane has died of the deadly Ebola disease while an American physician was being treated for virus. This brings to the forefront the risks facing health workers trying to fight a deadly outbreak that has killed more than 680 people in West Africa — the largest ever recorded.
Ebola by the Numbers:
ebola by the numbers
Dr. Kent Brantly, left, cares for Ebola patients at the ELWA Hospital in Monrovia, Liberia Samaritan’s Purse—Reuters
Another American, a missionary working in the Liberian capital, has also contracted the virus and is currently being treated, said the sponsor of her work, a pastor of a North Carolina church.
While treating Ebola patients at the country’s largest hospital, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Medical Center in Monrovia, Dr. Samuel Brisbane contracted the virus and died on Saturday reported Tolbert Nyenswah, an assistant health minister. A Ugandan doctor had already died earlier this month.
33-year-old Dr. Kent Brantly, an American physician, was helping to treat patients when he also fell ill with the deadly virus. Currently in a stable condition, he is receiving intensive medical care in a Monrovia hospital.
Early treatment improves a patient’s chances of survival, and Dr Brantly recognized his own symptoms and began receiving care immediately so while he is stable it is not clear if he will fully recover yet.
The American missionary, Nancy Writebol, is dangerously ill and in isolation in a Monrovia hospital, her husband, David Writebol, told a church elder via Skype, according to the Rev. John Munro, pastor of Calvary Church in Charlotte, N.C.
Despite the deadly Ebola threat, Munro said the couple, who had been in Liberia for about a year, insisted on staying. “These are real heroes — people who do things quietly behind the scenes, people with a very strong vocation and very strong faith,”
Ebola is one of the deadliest viruses in the world and is also highly contagious with no known cure. At least 1,200 people have been infected in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, according to the World Health Organization, and 675 have died. Besides the Liberian fatalities, 321 people have died in Guinea and 226 in Sierra Leone.
Ebola virus disease (EVD) or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is the human disease caused by ebola viruses. Symptoms start two days to three weeks after contracting the virus with a fever, throat and muscle pains, and headaches. There is then nausea, vomiting and diarrheaalong with decreased functioning of the liver and kidneys. At this point some people begin to have problems with bleeding.
Ebola is first acquired when a person comes into contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected animal such as a monkey or fruit bat. Fruit bats are believed to carry and spread the disease without being affected by it. Once infection occurs, the disease rapidly spreads from one person to another. Men who survive may be able to transmit the disease sexually for nearly two months
Nigerian authorities have reported that a Liberian man died of Ebola after flying from Monrovia to Lagos via Lome, Togo. The incident showed how difficult it is containing the disease and preventing Ebola victims from travelling considering the symptoms resemble of a fever and sore throat resemble many of illnesses.
Health workers working with patients are among those at greatest risk of contracting the disease, which spreads through contact with bodily fluids.
Photos of Dr Brantly show him swathed head-to-toe in white protective coveralls, gloves and a head-and-face mask that he wore for hours a day while treating Ebola patients.
Ironically, earlier this year, Dr Brantly was quoted in a posting about the dangers facing health workers trying to contain the disease. “In past Ebola outbreaks, many of the casualties have been health care workers who contracted the disease through their work caring for infected individuals,” he said.
The WHO says the disease is not contagious until a person begins to show symptoms. Brantly’s wife and children who had been living with him in Liberia had luckily flown home only the week before he showed any signs of the illness.
In addition to Dr Kent Brantly, a doctor in Liberia’s central Bong County has also fallen ill.
The situation “is getting more and more scary,” said Nyenswah, the country’s assistant health minister.
The fact that a sick Liberian could board a flight to Nigeria raised new fears that other passengers could take the disease beyond Africa.
Nigeria’s international airports, ports and land borders are now on high alert and screening passengers arriving from foreign countries. Togo’s government also said it was on high alert to stop the spread of the disease.
Security analysts were skeptical about the effectiveness of these measures.
“In Nigeria’s case, the security set-up is currently poor, so I doubt it will help or have the minimum effectiveness they are hoping for,” said Yan St. Pierre, CEO of the Berlin-based security consulting firm MOSECON.
An outbreak in Lagos, a megacity where many lived in cramped conditions, could be a potential major public health disaster.
The West Africa outbreak is believed to have begun as far back as January 2014 in southeast Guinea, however the first cases weren’t confirmed until March.
Since then, officials have tried to contain the disease by isolating victims and educating populations on how to avoid transmission, however, weak border control and widespread distrust of health workers has made the Ebola outbreak difficult to bring under control.
News of the Liberian Doctor’s (Brisbane) death first began circulating on Saturday, which was also a national holiday marking Liberia’s independence in 1847.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf used her Independence Day address to discuss a new taskforce to combat Ebola. Information Minister Lewis Brown said the taskforce would go “from community to community, from village to village, from town to town” to try to increase awareness.
Saudata Koroma, a hair dresser in Sierra Leone fell ill in the Capital, Freetown is said to be the first case in the area. She was forcibly removed from a government hospital by her family, sparking a frantic search that ended on Friday. The chief medical officer, Kargbo, said that Koroma had died while being transported to a treatment centre in the east of the country.
