The Koalas of Sydney

There is a myth that koalas are cute, cuddly quiet animals. Not so, it is not a domesticated animal even if it does reside in a zoo or wild life park. The koala has powerful curved sharp claws and sharp teeth that can inflect some nasty injuries. Like any animal, a koala will certainly try to defend itself when threatened.

The visitor would love to pose with one with its arms around its neck; but in Sydney, holding a koala is no longer permissible.

A koala is not a bear, but a marsupial. Female koalas usually become sexually mature around two years, males also the same period, but do not attain physical maturity until three or four years of age.  Like kangaroos, females  carry their young in a pouch. The pouch contains two nipples and after conception has occurred, a lining of a black greasy substance commences which is to lubricate the un-furred joey’s skin and has antibiotic properties to keep the joey clean. Female koalas are excellent mothers, and are highly protective of their young.

 It is the largest tree-climbing mammal in Australia. Each animal has its own “home range” where it lives on leaves of the eucalyptus tree. The “home range” is the koala’s territory and includes a specific location on a particular tree that they choose. All the home ranges of each animal overlap to some degree and, though males do fight during breeding season, they do not actively march up and down defending their territory.

Most koalas have very soft thick grey fur and fluffy ears that give them that “teddy bear” appearance. Adult koalas sitting on the ground look approximately the same size and shape as an 18-month old human toddler. Koala fur is considered the most insulated of all marsupial fur and is remarkably waterproof. Koala eyes are brown and cat-like with their noses being prominent, black and leathery. Their sense of hearing and smell is excellent and critical to their survival. Koalas greet and recognize others by their smell. They use their highly sensitive nose to locate eucalypt leaf that is choice and palatable. Weight of males is about 11.6 kilos, females 7.8 kilos.

Their hands and feet are well adapted to both the climbing of trees and grabbing at branches to access leaves. Their hands have three fingers and two opposing thumbs to ensure a good grip with each digit equipped with long sharp, curved claws. This is evident in high winds when the koala effortlessly perches high in the swaying branches.

The word koala comes from the aboriginal “no drink.” When climatic conditions are good, eucalyptus leaf carries enough moisture to sustain koalas’ daily needs. In dry season however, the koala needs go to ground to find water because the leaf moisture content can be very low. This is one reason why most koala populations tend to be near water courses where tree moisture is better.

Their day is usually made up of 19 hours of sleep in the eucalyptus tree; the remaining five hours are spent in locating food and eating it.

The number one threat to the koala is loss of habitat… no tree, no koala. As more and more forested areas are removed for housing developments, the more pressure this places on the koala population.  If their “homes” are threatened, then also is the diversity of other flora and fauna that share the same ecosystem. As habitat is removed, the koala population will spiral down.

In Sydney, I was fortunate to go to a preserve where koalas were in their trees resting, but at a particular time, they were brought down to be viewed and photographed. I was able to capture the face up close, as shown here. My model was not overly excited, and would have preferred to finish her beauty nap. As soon as our photo shoot was completed, she was put back in her location in the tree, where she chewed a leaf or two, pooped, and then went back to sleep.

Australian friends presented me with Certificate of Adoption of a wild koala. She had been brought to the Koala Hospital from her wild habitat in the woods with a conjunctive eye infection, called Chlamydia, in both eyes. Her name was Ellenborough Nancy, and her photo proved she was a beauty. Her bio said she came from a region deeply forested and sparsely populated; a region in which koalas rarely encountered human beings. This made her particularly wild and less accepting of humans, even though the treatment was designed to help them.

 

The bio went on to say it was particularly difficult for volunteers to carry out the daily cleaning of her unit. Most adult wild koalas will accept human medical treatment if brought in for disease or injury, but some remain fearful and in a “wild state.” The majority of wild koalas will revert back to their wild state when released back into their home range areas.

 The consensus was she was neither a happy camper nor a cooperative one, and would swipe at as many volunteers as she could  if she felt they had overstayed their welcome. She was eventually cured, but was wild to the very end. On the day of her release, she was brought into the treatment room for customary final weigh-in. When the canvas bag in which she was placed was put on the scales, she poked her head out the top and the handlers did their best to contain her just long enough to get the scale reading. The consensus was “The sooner we got this wild thing back to her wilds, the better.” She was returned to her home (tree) cured, and was sighted by a volunteer a week later in the same area happily munching a leaf in the same tree in which she had been released.

 

I have the certificate displayed in my home, and point with delight to other friends that an adopted daughter awaits my visit to Ellenborough.

Children of Korea and China

On a recent trip to Korea and China, I was delighted with the faces and personalities of the children of the different cities I visited. There was no problem having them pose in groups or solo, and, by using the digital preview screen on the back of the camera, I was able to show them immediately how well they photographed. They were thrilled with an American taking their photographs and insisted I join them for a group session with their cameras.

I have photographed people before in their own milieus, but rarely have I encountered such willing subjects, with no “attitude” and complete freedom before the camera, interacting with me. If they lived around the corner from me, and I had their addresses, I would certainly give them a set of images of themselves. Hopefully, our paths might cross in the future, and/or they might read my blog and see themselves in color.

Here are some of the results of my labors: students in school uniforms forming the “V” symbol, with their fingers, the universal sign of peace. Or a young girl in a black sweat hoody immersed in reading.  Or three siblings together in a group, prior to which the older brother decided he did not want to pose and scrunched up his face in one of my best photos. Another young chap with hat framing his face fascinated with my camera, looked straight at me. A young lady posing for stone life-size statue of  artist  painting with easel. These are only some of the happy faces of the children I had seen.

 

I zoomed in as much as possible on their faces, and satisfied myself with the resulting photographs. Hopefully future travel that I do will afford me as much pleasure with the people of the different countries visited.

Beijing - The Forbidden City

 The Palace Museum or the Forbidden City was used as the royal palace in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was home to 24 emperors for as long as 500 years from 1406 when Emperor Chengzu of Ming started its construction, to 1911 when Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, abdicated.  The last emperor ascended the throne at the age of three in 1908, but a new Republican Government brought his brief reign to an early end in 1912. The young ex-emperor continued to live in the Forbidden City until he was ejected in 1924. The Communists later imprisoned him until Mao granted him immunity in 1959. He died in 1967 after working for seven years as a gardener. In 1949, the public was finally admitted through the palace gates.

 The construction lasted 15 years. Its large scale and imposing effect is rarely seen in China’s architectural history. Miraculously, the palace survived fire, water, and imperial China’s final collapse.

The Forbidden City, forming a rectangle in shape, covers a total area of 720,000 square meters. On its four sides stand 10-meter high walls with a corner tower at each of its four corners. Outside the wall runs a 52-meter-wide moat, composing a strong defense network. Inside the Forbidden City we find magnificent palaces, broad squares, fine pavilions and beautiful gardens.

The Forbidden City embodies architectural principles devised through three millennia in the Shang Dynasty. Each main hall faces south, and looks upon a courtyard flanked by lesser buildings. This symmetry of Taoyuan, a series of courtyards, leading to the main and final courtyard, repeats itself along a north-south axis that bisects the imperial palace. 

According to traditional theory of yin-yang and Five Elements, the Outer Court, representing yang , is the place where the Ming and Qing emperors wielded power, held ceremonies and summoned ministers. The layout of the Outer Court is centered on Three Grand Halls, namely Hall of Supreme Harmony, Hall of Middle Harmony, and Hall of Preserving Harmony. The three Grand Halls, imposing and magnificent, fully indicate the dignity of the imperial power.

 In front of the Gate of Supreme Harmony one finds a pair of bronze lions, which is the largest pair found in the Forbidden City. The one on the left stepping on a ball is the male, and the one on the right clutching an infant lion with its claw is a female. The Gate of Supreme Harmony is the highest-ranking gate in the Forbidden City   

The Inner Court, representing yin, was where the emperor and empress and imperial concubines lived. It centers on the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Hall of Union and Peace, and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. Six Eastern Palaces and six Western Palaces are located to house the imperial concubines. The layout of the whole complex is strictly in line with China’s royal architectural tradition. 

The emperor regarded himself as the son of Heaven, and the royal palace was called Purple Palace, symbolizing that all is submitted to the emperor and the rule over the country is steady and unchangeable. The palace had tight security and the access of ordinary people was completely forbidden, and so it was called The Forbidden City. Since the People’s Republic of China was founded, the Forbidden City became of the key units for preservation of cultural relics. In 1987 UNESCO included the Forbidden City on its World Heritage List. This ancient and magnificent architectural complex displays its historical and cultural beauty to all visitors home and abroad.

 

               

A visit thru the Imperial Gardens must be included in your tour of the Forbidden City if time allows. You will walk thru rocks, pebbles, and greenery. Of special note is the Hill of Gathered Excellence, stacked by lake stones in the form of a pyramid, on top of which sits the Pavilion of Imperial Scenery with a conical pyramid roof. It is here the emperor, empress and imperial concubines would sit to enjoy different Festivals.   

 

Seals of Antarctica

In Antarctica, seals are one of the most commonly seen and distinctive (because of their size) animals, sleeping on beaches or lazing on ice floes. But these mammals are not lazy, for we see them only when they are resting. Their feeding activity is mainly done under water, out of sight, and during the night.  Seals are air-breathing mammals with dense fur coats, who come ashore or on to ice to give birth to pups.

Of the six species of seals found in Antarctica, four of them –the Ross, the Crabeater, Leopard and Weddell - inhabit the ice and icy waters which surround this continent.

All are confined to Antarctica and seldom found on land. The other two species - the Antarctic fur seal and the Southern Elephant seal-usually can be found on the shoreline and rarely encountered on the ice

Crabeater seals are the most abundant in the world, with populations ranging between 10 and 50 million seals. They do not eat crabs, they eat krill. No other seal is so specialized in eating one type of food. Where most mammals have molars for chewing or cutting food, this breed has molars that are highly modified for filtering food from the water. When the mouth is closed the upper and lower teeth mesh to form a sieve to trap krill while water is expelled. They are probably the most common seals in the world, yet few people see them because they inhabit the pack-ice zone around Antarctica. They seldom come up on land. Leopard seals and killer whales prey on Crabeater seals, particularly the young in their first year.

 

Leopard seals have “leopard spots” on their elongated bodies, powerful fore flippers and a large head with a menacing gape. They are not gregarious and spend most of their time in the pack-ice zone.  They are well known for eating penguins, especially the newly fledged chicks, but krill makes up a far larger component of their diet. Their penguin-hunting behavior is most common late in summer when the chicks take their first foraging trip in the water. Leopard seals have attacked humans on several occasions. With an increasing number of recreational scuba divers visiting Antarctica, the number of aggressive encounters with these animals may increase.  

Southern Elephant Seals are the largest seals in the world, the males weighing in over four tons. One such seal can weigh more than two rhinoceroses. It is the most accomplished diver and has been recorded descending more than one mile.  They come ashore only to breed and to molt, and more than 80 per cent of their time is spent in the ocean.  They breed in the sub Antarctic islands and venture into Antarctica in summer.

Weddell seals are the most southerly occurring mammal in the world. It is the only species that inhabits the fast-ice zone fringing the Antarctic continent. In this zone, the sea freezes in solid sheets that fasten on to the land, forming an almost uniform roof over the water.   They have smart “cat-like faces”, upturned mouths and short whiskers.

The Antarctic Fur Seal have small external ear-flaps and use fore flippers to swim. It is the only seal that can sit upright on its front flippers, just like the performing sea lions in circuses. While all the other species move on land and ice like inchworms, Fur seals are capable of raising themselves off the ground. They are unique among the Antarctic seals in that they can rotate their hind flippers forward and support some of their body weight on these limbs. This makes them very agile and fast when moving on shore. They can run faster than most people, especially those people wearing a parka and rubber boots. I personally saw a photographer with tripod being pursued by one on land when he tried a photo shoot with what he thought was an usually big boulder. The population of this particular breed has recovered remarkably since near-extinction form commercial harvesting in the early 1800’s. As recently as 1933 it was estimated that there were only 60 living on Bird Island in South Georgia. Today, the population there exceeds 65,000.

The Ross seal is a species that resides in the areas of the Antarctic seas where the pack ice is the densest. They are the shortest of the Antarctic seals with very small heads and tiny teeth. Their eyes are very large, and are thought to be an adaptation for feeding on squid in the low light conditions found at great depth under the pack ice. Out of the water, they seem to be more vocal than other Antarctic seals. A variety of calls and trills have been reported which brands them in the group of “singing seals.”

A non-breeding seal does not have any need to leave the water, for a seal can comfortably rest at the surface and get all its food from the sea. Giving birth, known as pupping, requires a solid platform and Antarctic seals haul out onto ice or land for this process. All species can have one pup per year, and females mate again after giving birth.

 

On our trips to shore, our guides were insistent that we be very careful of approaching too close to the sleeping seals. They may look harmless, posed as large boulders, but they can be very aggressive if annoyed.

Icebergs of Antarctica

Few places on the planet invoke such visions simply at the mention of the Seventh Continent as Antarctica. Whether it is the endless miles of ice, the dark isolation, fluffy penguins, the mammoth icebergs or incredible sea life, only a lucky few of us will get to see it for ourselves.

A recent visit to this “end of the world place” in their peak summer months (January-February) allowed for an unusual picture-perfect opportunity to capture some of nature’s grandest displays. Accessible by boat service from Tierra del Fuego, it usually takes two full days through the often-turbulent Drake’s Passage.

This is at the meeting of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. With nature’s generosity and almost twenty hours of magnificent daylight, we were able to capture the ever-changing moods of the days, the animal life and the icebergs, while enjoying the tempo of this (perhaps) last, pristine eco-environment on earth. Fewer than 80,000 persons from times recorded have ever visited Antarctica, and recent calamities will continue to reduce tourism accessibility.

Preparation for a visit to this region includes a collection of thermal clothing, high water boots and a variety of apparel for ever-changing weather. Sun and sleet, sun and rain can happen within minutes. Temperature at the time of my visit hovered between 18 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Landings are only accessible by zodiac boats expertly manned by well-trained naturalist/geologist guides. They are the eyes and ears for potential problems of danger. Only 65 people are allowed on land at one time.

 

On ship or land, one is awe-struck by the icebergs, some the size of a large apartment house or a Gothic church. These icebergs appear to be mountains with their windswept buttes and large icicles. One is taken aback when viewing these mountains with the knowledge that only one seventh of the icebergs appear above the water line.

Icebergs often collide and scrape each other, causing the taller one to topple over. Tall vertical icebergs suddenly break apart and become horizontals, glistening in the water  in the bright sun. Often you will find icebergs that resemble sculptures - a  dog or a pig or even a person. When the sun begins to steal away into the sky, the colors from the inside the iceberg begin to glow.

All the ice on land in Antarctica is made up of fresh water. Precipitation that falls as snow seldom melts in cold conditions. It piles up on top of the flakes from the last snowfall. The weight of one snowfall atop another compresses the flakes, and over a period of several years, the snow turns to little granulated balls called “firn.” After a further few years of accumulation of snow, the firn becomes ice. This process occurs all over Antarctica and results in a build-ip of glaciers and icebergs.

The air is important in determining the color of the ice. Ice itself is actually blue, but it will seldom look that way unless you are looking at a large piece of glacial ice. We need a large chunk of ice to reflect back enough blue light for us to recognize it. Glacial ice is big enough to show the blue color scatter - the ice in our drink is not.

While icebergs are made of fresh water, the ocean also freezes, forming sea ice. Every winter the sea around Antarctica freezes, and every summer most of the new ice melts again. The frozen sea water (3 to 9 feet thick) provides an important habitat for plants and animals, above and below the surface. Seals and penguins use the sea ice (and icebergs) as a place to rest.

Witness the dramatic beauty of spectacular iceberg sculptures, marvel at the glaciers and experience up-close encounters with marine mammals. A zodiac cruise amongst colorful icebergs is a must. Here you are bound to see seals sun-bathing on slow-moving ice floes close at hand. Or else penguins languishing in the sun, staring at their predators.

Antarctic’s harsh conditions and geographic location translate to “desolate” in all languages except “penguin-speak.” This is what makes it so attractive to adventurers. No indigenous populations inhabit the continent, and the penguins far outnumber the human residents.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure and people who want to live life to the fullest and enjoy the dwindling beauties and simplicity of nature should take advantage and GO! Follow in the footsteps of Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott as you enjoy your adventure.

Penguins of Antarctica

If there is one animal for which tourists come to Antarctica, it is for the Penguin. Penguin sightings are the highlight of any trip cruise.

The ancestors of the Penguin were flying birds, and they have evolved into specialized divers and swimmers. Penguins “fly” through the water using the same wing-beats and muscles other birds use for flying in the air. Their wings are so small they are usually called “flippers.,” These flippers provide the power while their winged feet, tucked in under the tail, are used for steering.

Their feathers are densely packed, and cover all their skin, just like the fur on a hamster’s back. This prevents water from reaching the skin, and enables the bird to stay warm in cold water. These dense feathers, plus a layer of blubber under the skin, do an excellent job of conserving a penguin’s body heat, even during a blizzard. The general coloration is black on the back and white on the underneath. This provides effective camouflage against predators when swimming through the water.

Antarctic penguins all nest in colonies, where their breeding is synchronized. Most eggs are laid at the same time, hatch at the same time, and the chicks develop at the same pace. Male and females both take an active role in raising the chicks. Both sexes incubate the eggs, feed the chicks and guard the nest. This shared labor is very important, as a penguin chick will not likely survive if it has lost one parent.

Worldwide, there are 17 species of penguins; 5 species found in Antarctica, live only in the southern hemisphere, and are the best divers of all birds.

If a person might imagine a typical penguin, the Adelie springs to mind. This breed is largely confined to Antarctica and the bird nests farther south than any other penguin. With its simple black and white pattern and total absence of bright color, it is a symbol of the far south. Adelie penguins often forage far from their colonies, and during incubation phase have been known to travel up to 62 miles to feed. Their height is about 18 inches, and their weight usually 11 lbs. Diet is krill, fish, squid.

The Chinstrap takes its name from the obvious line of black feathers that runs, like the strap of a hat, under their white chins. It is almost as if they were wearing black helmets. They grow to 27 inches and their weight is about 10 lbs. The chinstrap penguin eats mostly krill and fish, while they have to be careful of the leopard seals, who prey on them. Their life span is about 15 to 20 years. Chinstrap population has increased in the past century and has replaced the Adelie penguins as the locally dominant penguin species. This could be due to the warming of the Antarctica Peninsula region in the past century and a reduction in sea-ice cover-a condition that favors Chinstraps over Adelies. They build circular nests from stones on land, lay around two eggs, which are incubated by both males and females, for shifts of five to ten days. Chicks hatch after about 35 days and stay in the nest for about 20 to 30 days. At around 50-60 days, they molt, gain their adult plumage and go to sea.

The orange-beaked Gentoo is often seen around the Antarctic Peninsula. They are among the least aggressive of the penguins and not nearly as noisy as the Chinstraps or the Adelies. Unusually for penguins Gentoo chicks return to the nesting colony to be fed by their parents for about 3 weeks after fledging. Their body size is about 18 inches, and weight 13 lbs.

Because penguins are respected (and loved), they are not threatened by visitors.  Squatting on the ground is often a signal to the curious penguin to waddle over for a closer inspection of the strangers at hand. They can come up to you, sit on your boots, chew on your shoe laces, but you are not permitted to pet or touch them. On their turf, they always have the right of way, and a visitor might have to veer from the path itself because some penguins have decided to take a nap on it, or shoot the breeze with another penguin.

Penguins will commonly point their heads skyward and trumpet a call that is thought to be a territorial proclamation. It seems to be contagious, because once one bird begins this ecstatic display, someone in the neighborhood will soon copy it, and the noise will spread through the colony.