wildlife

[zebedee]

To date, I have seen and touched in the flesh, either wild, or under good control (NOT cruel control!) adders, an anaconda (yes, really!) a brown bear, badgers, wild boar (not on the island), penguins, buzzards, a red kite pair, a welting great Bengal tiger, a reticulated python (called Pandora, who was 14 feet long and loved having her throat scratched like cat), foxes by the score, feral cats, but I have never, EVER, seen an otter! Would dearly love to. Got to be very near the top of my "Things to do before I die" list. Any body else seen good stuff!

[Hans Mum]

my best ever was last year crossing from feurerventura (scuse spelling) to lanzagrottie the captain diverted and followed a school (?) of dolphins who swam round the boat and gave us the best hour or so in the wild without any human intervention absolutely fantastic and as a bonus we never got to lanzagrottie

[madderbat]

I once stroked a six month old lion cub and it's purr was wonderful - vibrated in the soul. Some berk had it in a council flat in London and brought it to the pub one night !!!!! It was in the early 70s before keeping wild animals was legislated about. Never did know what happened to it, but cherish the experience.

[kirsty b]

I went to the Gambia with my mum 7 years ago and while there we visited a croc sanctuary, where we were allowed to get up close and touch them, a wildlife park where I saw the most beautiful kingfisher and there was an enclosure where a fully grown lioness was having a kip next to the fence. I put my finger through to feel what her fur was like (really quite soft) and you don;t realise how big they are until your'e only a couple of inches away.
While on a boat trip on the river, we had a school of river dolphins swmming about 50yds away.
Like Zebedee, I'd love to see an otter too.

Kirsty

[beefy]

Have seen Kingfishers in Enniskillen Co Fermanagh right in the town.
When I was about 12 -13 a next door neighbour worked in a safari park and hand reared three tiger cubs.It was a really wierd experience seeing them running about through a house but as MB says when they growl it goes straight through you .Its something you dont forget.

[JennieAtkinson]

When sailing back from Orkney last year in our own boat, a dolphin kept us company for nearly 20 minutes - it was absolutely fantastic. He (might have been a she of course!) was enjoying swimming alongside the boat, occasionally giving a quick burst and coming out of the water across our bows. It was a very special moment.
We saw some whales this year on the way back (scary stuff!) but they were further away (thank heavens).
We are very lucky that here in Shetland we have many wonderful wildlife moments.

[mazel-bee]

Zebedee,
I proud to say that otters have returned and are regularly spotted along the river wye near where I am I@ve yet to see one), we have breding peregrines down the road too with a viewing platform which is very exciting.
I have seen a few kingfishers which was wonderful. I went to scotland on a train once and saw a wild golden eagle which has always stuck with me, truly amazing. Silly little things like seeing deer and frogs and toads make me smile, I don't think people stop to look and cherish nature as much as we possibly could. It is all magical.

[madderbat]

[QUOTE=beefy;76533... when they growl it goes straight through you .Its something you dont forget.[/QUOTE]

don't you mean purr??? The one I met wasn't growling, for sure!!

[Mrs Dobby]

Locally we've foxes a plenty, see them quite often in an evening, rabbits in the local industrial park, I saw a water vole on the ship canal last year, owls a plenty hooting at night, saw a Mad March Hare on the spring equinox (Ostara) a couple of years back, bats fly round the back yard in summer, hedgehog on the plot, frogs and toads on the plot (one toad lives in the pampass grass in our front garden) and a wildcat (like a miniature tiger, striped and a lot larger than a domestic cat) in the woods next to the plot.

Other things we've seen, in Wales (Shell Island), badgers, a weasel, dolphins, seals, porpoises, in the Peak District, a Harrier, a Falcon and a Buzzard, and rabbits on Alderley Edge!

[yoanbob]

hum, where to start, whales, lots of different kinds, even been swimming with wild tiger sharks, lots of dolphins and porpoises, and tuna, saw about 300 dolphins on a feeding frenzy once, that was cool.
reptiles, boa constricters lots of corn snakes and the like, adders, had to catch a snake in the bathroom once, got it in a bin bag put it back in woods, it was bl***y heavy. aligators and crocks, gheckos etc.
fed baby tigers, saw one in the thai jungle once, got caught in crossfire about an hour later. ridden elephants on two continants.
racoons chipmonks koalas, roos emus wombats.
closer to home, the usual dear, badgers, foxs, hawks weasels, stoats and i even saw an eagle owl on a wall, no one belived me, but it was in the paper two days later, it had escaped from an avary.
wildlife is always best when least expected.

[denise]

I agree Bob about wildlife at its best when least expected.
I remember like it was yesterday closeing the curtains one night just as a pair of barn owls flew past the window. It was so fantastic to see them. We lived right out in the country at the time and this was 12 years ago.

[pigletwillie]

The best experience was whilst diving when we saw a huge leatherback turtle and a scarily large grey shark within minutes of each other.

On a more regular basis we have breeding peregrines where I work and I get to see them every day which is brilliant plus there are buzzards but they are a bit naughty and drop rabbits from great heights to dispatch them before swooping down to collect them.

[Grandpadragon]

I have been blessed by having seen Otters in the wild but it took until I was in my mid sixties. Fortunately they are making a come back and the rest of you shouldn't have to wait so long. I have now seen them several times in the river at Cilgerren nr Cardigan.

[Headfry]

I have after 12 years of living in my little hamlet near the canal seen a king fisher there! flew down middle of the canal for ages- fantastic
headfry

[denise]

That is just a great site I was priveliged to see a kingfisher once and will never forget it. I was on a barge hoiliday with my family and my dad and I gait up early as we wanted to get moving, hubby and kids slept in - it was our reward for early rising was great.