Chthonic Wildlife Ramblings

Yes- at the moment I've only got one in each category. There's more I want to add, but I have been pressed for time. This is not helped by the scope of problems facing tigers and my increasing involvement on that front...

But I'm always an optimist, so always have plans to get some more uploaded

Yes, I'm being flippant to some extent. But, yes, I'm officially a crocodilian expert also...

Ah well, crocodiles have many desirable traits. Compared to people, they possess a greater honesty about their agenda, and unlike some of my colleagues, I'm allowed to shoot them if they attack me

Photography helps keep me sane...

@Dacotah- a good laugh should be taken whenever the chance arises. While in general I like the company of wildlife, I should add that a mature salt-water crocodile is truly, a pretty scary experience.

Unlike a lot of mammalian carnivores, crocs lack the intelligence to learn to be wary of people. The only thing it is aware of is that it's 5m to 7m long, weights a tonne, and everything else on the planet is snack-food.

Which is why Moontan, I don't literally play with crocs .

OTOH, I've never been almost shot or almost bombed by wildlife... There are just some things they never tell you in grad school.

Back to the pics: You have caught that tiger in poses that seem to relay his awareness of how majestic he looks, ...

It's one of my favourite shots too- and I think you're right, the pose gives a different perspective and feel to many standard (say) science text-book or 'snap shot' views of tigers.

Thanks- I like having a camera that lets me take the type of pictures I want. Nature shots seem easier to capture than people.

Thanks- the site is also syndicated to the NZ sciblogs site as well.

We have been well outside the damage zone in Auckland. We do have friends and colleagues in Christchurch (I worked at Lincoln University for a year), so there's been some peripheral effect through that. The fortunate thing has been the lack of casualties. That's partly a consequence of the building codes here, and the time of the quake. If it had occurred during work hours, a lot more people would have been in the CBD and exposed to falling glass/debris.

There's been a lot of damage, but essential services like power seemed to get restored very quickly for most.

I've been wondering how it's been reported overseas?