View allAll Photos Tagged Protection
Water Canyon / Shot Canyon Route
In a place called "The Maze" getting lost could be a concern. We brought maps, compasses, and GPS yet rarely consulted any of that. We followed established routes and didn't go off trail very much.On the slick rock the routes are marked by cairns. Sometimes they're closely spaced as they are here. In some locations there was a dearth of cairns but usually in those places the path of the route was obvious.
Maze District
Canyonlands National Park
A CBP canine unit conducts a sweep of Raymond James Stadium which hosted Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Fla.
This girl seemed unsure of the large foreigner taking her photo so sought protection from grandpa. I love the sandals she's wearing.
Diplomatic Protection Group (DPG) London (SO6) | Oxford Street | London | United Kingdom | Armed Response Vehicle (ARV) | 27 | Roof number 02 | BMW 5 Touring | BU60 BXl
© Boss-19 - unauthorised use of this image is strictly prohibited
Hippopotamuses love water, which is why the Greeks named them the "river horse." Hippos spend up to 16 hours a day submerged in rivers and lakes to keep their massive bodies cool under the hot African sun. Hippos are graceful in water, good swimmers, and can hold their breath underwater for up to five minutes. However, they are often large enough to simply walk or stand on the lake floor, or lie in the shallows. Their eyes and nostrils are located high on their heads, which allows them to see and breathe while mostly submerged. Hippos also bask on the shoreline and secrete an oily red substance, which gave rise to the myth that they sweat blood. The liquid is actually a skin moistener and sunblock that may also provide protection against germs. At sunset, hippopotamuses leave the water and travel overland to graze. They may travel 6 miles (10 kilometers) in a night, along single-file pathways, to consume some 80 pounds (35 kilograms) of grass. Considering their enormous size, a hippo's food intake is relatively low. If threatened on land hippos may run for the water—they can match a human's speed for short distances. Hippo calves weigh nearly 100 pounds (45 kilograms) at birth and can suckle on land or underwater by closing their ears and nostrils. Each female has only one calf every two years. Soon after birth, mother and young join schools that provide some protection against crocodiles, lions, and hyenas. Hippos once had a broader distribution but now live in eastern central and southern sub-Saharan Africa, where their populations are in decline. A partially submerged hippopotamus tries to keep cool in the hot African sun. The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" (ἱπποπόταμος), is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae (the other is the Pygmy Hippopotamus.) After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest extant artiodactyl. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, their closest living relatives are cetaceans (whales, porpoises, etc.) from which they diverged about 55 million years ago. The common ancestor of whales and hippos split from other even-toed ungulates around 60 million years ago. The earliest known hippopotamus fossils, belonging to the genus Kenyapotamus in Africa, date to around 16 million years ago.
The hippopotamus is semi-aquatic, inhabiting rivers, lakes and mangrove swamps, where territorial bulls preside over a stretch of river and groups of 5 to 30 females and young. During the day they remain cool by staying in the water or mud; reproduction and childbirth both occur in water. They emerge at dusk to graze on grass. While hippopotamuses rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos are not territorial on land. Hippos are recognizable by their barrel-shaped torso, enormous mouth and teeth, nearly hairless body, stubby legs and tremendous size. It is the third largest land mammal by weight (between 1½ and 3 tonnes), behind the white rhinoceros (1½ to 3½ tonnes) and the three species of elephant (3 to 9 tonnes). The hippopotamus is one of the largest quadrupeds and despite its stocky shape and short legs, it can easily outrun a human. Hippos have been clocked at 30 km/h (19 mph) over short distances. The hippopotamus is one of the most aggressive creatures in the world and is often regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. They are still threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and ivory canine teeth. There is also a colony of non-zoo hippos in Colombia introduced by Pablo Escobar. The most recent theory of the origins of Hippopotamidae suggests that hippos and whales shared a common semi-aquatic ancestor that branched off from other artiodactyls around 60 million years ago.[13][15] This hypothesized ancestral group likely split into two branches around 54 million years ago.[12] One branch would evolve into cetaceans, possibly beginning about 52 million years ago with the proto-whale Pakicetus and other early whale ancestors collectively known as Archaeoceti, which eventually underwent aquatic adaptation into the completely aquatic cetaceans.[17] The other branch became the anthracotheres, a large family of four-legged beasts, the earliest of whom in the late Eocene would have resembled skinny hippopotamuses with comparatively small and narrow heads. All branches of the anthracotheres, except that which evolved into Hippopotamidae, became extinct during the Pliocene without leaving any descendants.[15]
A rough evolutionary lineage can be traced from Eocene and Oligocene species: Anthracotherium and Elomeryx to the Miocene Merycopotamus and Libycosaurus and the very latest anthracotheres in the Pliocene.[18] Merycopotamus, Libycosaurus and all hippopotamids can be considered to form a clade, with Libycosaurus being more closely related to hippos. Their common ancestor would have lived in the Miocene, about 20 million years ago. Hippopotamids are therefore deeply nested within the family Anthracotheriidae. The Hippopotamidae are believed to have evolved in Africa; the oldest known hippopotamid is the genus Kenyapotamus which lived in Africa from 16 to 8 million years ago. While hippopotamid species spread across Asia and Europe, no hippopotamuses have ever been discovered in the Americas, although various anthracothere genera emigrated into North America during the early Oligocene. From 7.5 to 1.8 million years ago an ancestor to the modern hippopotamus, Archaeopotamus, lived in Africa and the Middle East.[19]
While the fossil record of hippos is still poorly understood, the two modern genera, Hippopotamus and Choeropsis (sometimes Hexaprotodon), may have diverged as far back as 8 million years ago. Taxonomists disagree whether or not the modern Pygmy Hippopotamus is a member of Hexaprotodon —an apparently paraphyletic genus also embracing many extinct Asian hippopotamuses that is more closely related to Hippopotamus, or Choeropsis —an older and basal genus.[18][19]
[edit]Extinct species
Three species of Malagasy Hippopotamus became extinct during the Holocene on Madagascar, one of them within the past 1,000 years. The Malagasy Hippos were smaller than the modern hippopotamus, likely through the process of insular dwarfism.[20] There is fossil evidence that many Malagasy Hippos were hunted by humans, a likely factor in their eventual extinction.[20] Isolated members of Malagasy Hippopotamus may have survived in remote pockets; in 1976, villagers described a living animal called the Kilopilopitsofy, which may have been a Malagasy Hippopotamus.[21]
Two species of Hippopotamus, the European Hippopotamus (H. antiquus) and H. gorgops ranged throughout continental Europe and the British Isles. Both species became extinct before the last glaciation. Ancestors of European Hippos found their way to many islands of the Mediterranean during the Pleistocene.[22] Both species were larger than the modern hippopotamus, averaging about 1 meter (3.3 feet) longer. The Pleistocene also saw a number of dwarf species evolve on several Mediterranean islands including Crete (H. creutzburgi), Cyprus (H. minor), Malta (H. melitensis) and Sicily (H. pentlandi). Of these, the Cyprus Dwarf Hippopotamus, survived until the end of the Pleistocene or early Holocene. Evidence from an archaeological site Aetokremnos, continues to cause debate on whether or not the species was encountered, and was driven to extinction, by man. Hippopotamuses are among the largest living mammals; only elephants and some rhinoceroses and whales are heavier. They can live in the water or on land. Their specific gravity allows them to sink and walk or run along the bottom of a river. Hippos are considered megafauna, but unlike all other African megafauna, hippos have adapted for a semi-aquatic life in freshwater lakes and rivers.[9]:3 A hippo's lifespan is typically 40–50 years.[6]:277 Donna the Hippo, 60, was the oldest living hippo in captivity. She lived at the Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville, Indiana, USA[24][25] until her death on August 1, 2012. The oldest hippo ever recorded was called Tanga; she lived in Munich, Germany, and died in 1995 at the age of 61.[26]
Because of their enormous size, hippopotamuses are difficult to weigh in the wild. Most estimates of the weight come from culling operations that were carried out in the 1960s. The average weights for adult males ranged between 1,500–1,800 kg (3,300–4,000 lb). Females are smaller than their male counterparts, with average weights measuring between 1,300–1,500 kg (2,900–3,300 lb).[9]:12 Older males can get much larger, reaching at least 3,200 kg (7,100 lb) with a few exceptional specimens exceeding 3,600 kg (7,900 lb).[27][28] The heaviest known hippopotamus weighed approximately 4,500 kg (9,900 lb).[29] Male hippos appear to continue growing throughout their lives; females reach a maximum weight at around age 25.[30]
Hippos measure 3.3 to 5.2 meters (11 to 17 ft) long, including a tail of about 56 centimeters (22 in) in length and average about 1.5 meters (5 ft) tall at the shoulder.[31][32] The range of hippopotamus sizes overlaps with the range of the white rhinoceros; use of different metrics makes it unclear which is the largest land animal after elephants. Even though they are bulky animals, hippopotamuses can run faster than a human on land. Estimates of their running speed vary from 30 km/h (18 mph) to 40 km/h (25 mph), or even 50 km/h (30 mph). The hippo can maintain these higher speeds for only a few hundred meters. Despite being semi-aquatic and having webbed feet, an adult hippo is not a particularly good swimmer nor can it float. It is rarely found in deep water; when it is, the animal moves by porpoise-like leaps from the bottom. The eyes, ears, and nostrils of hippos are placed high on the roof of the skull. This allows them to be in the water with most of their body submerged in the waters and mud of tropical rivers to stay cool and prevent sunburn. Their skeletal structure is graviportal, adapted to carrying the animals' enormous weight. Hippopotamuses have small legs (relative to other megafauna) because the water in which they live reduces the weight burden. Unlike most other semi-aquatic animals, the hippopotamus has very little hair.[6]:260 The skin is 6 in (15 cm) thick,[33] providing it great protection against conspecifics and predators. The animals's upper parts are purplish-gray to blue-black while the under parts and areas around the eyes and ears can be brownish-pink.[6]:260 The testes of the males descend only partially and a scrotum is not present. In addition, the penis retracts into the body when not erect. The genitals of the female are unusual in that the vagina is ridged and two large diverticula protrude from the vulval vestibule. The function of these is unknown.[9]:28–29
The hippo's jaw is powered by a large masseter and a well developed digastric; the latter loops up behind the former to the hyoid.[6]:259 The jaw hinge is located far back enough to allow the animal to open its mouth at almost 180°.[9]:17 On the National Geographic Channel television program, "Dangerous Encounters with Brady Barr", Dr. Brady Barr measured the bite force of an adult female hippo at 8100 N (1821 lbf); Barr also attempted to measure the bite pressure of an adult male hippo, but had to abandon the attempt due to the male's aggressiveness.[34] Hippopotamus teeth sharpen themselves as they grind together. The lower canines and lower incisors are enlarged, especially in males, and grow continuously. The incisors can reach 40 cm (16 in) while the canines reach up to 50 cm (20 in).[33]
Their skin secretes a natural sunscreen substance which is red-colored. The secretion is sometimes referred to as "blood sweat," but is neither blood nor sweat. This secretion is initially colorless and turns red-orange within minutes, eventually becoming brown. Two distinct pigments have been identified in the secretions, one red (hipposudoric acid) and one orange (norhipposudoric acid). The two pigments are highly acidic compounds. Both pigments inhibit the growth of disease-causing bacteria; as well, the light absorption of both pigments peaks in the ultraviolet range, creating a sunscreen effect. All hippos, even those with different diets, secrete the pigments, so it does not appear that food is the source of the pigments. Instead, the animals may synthesize the pigments from precursors such as the amino acid tyrosine. Hippopotamus amphibius was widespread in North Africa and Europe during the Eemian[36] and late Pleistocene until about 30,000 years ago. The species was common in Egypt's Nile region during antiquity but has since been extirpated. Pliny the Elder writes that, in his time, the best location in Egypt for capturing this animal was in the Saite nome;[37] the animal could still be found along the Damietta branch after the Arab Conquest in 639. Hippos are still found in the rivers and lakes of the northern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, north through to Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan, west from Ghana to Gambia, and also in Southern Africa (Botswana, Republic of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique). Genetic evidence suggests that common hippos in Africa experienced a marked population expansion during or after the Pleistocene Epoch, attributed to an increase in water bodies at the end of the era. These findings have important conservation implications as hippo populations across the continent are currently threatened by loss of access to fresh water.[10] Hippos are also subject to unregulated hunting and poaching. In May 2006 the hippopotamus was identified as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List drawn up by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), with an estimated population of between 125,000 and 150,000 hippos, a decline of between 7% and 20% since the IUCN's 1996 study. Zambia (40,000) and Tanzania (20,000–30,000) possess the largest populations.[1]
The hippo population declined most dramatically in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[38] The population in Virunga National Park had dropped to 800 or 900 from around 29,000 in the mid 1970s.[39] The decline is attributed to the disruptions caused by the Second Congo War.[39] The poachers are believed to be former Hutu rebels, poorly paid Congolese soldiers, and local militia groups.[39] Reasons for poaching include the belief that hippos are harmful to society, and also for money.[40] The sale of hippo meat is illegal, but black-market sales are difficult for Virunga National Park officers to track. Invasive potential
In the late 1980s, Pablo Escobar kept four hippos in a private menagerie at his residence in Hacienda Napoles, 100 km east of Medellín, Colombia, after buying them in New Orleans. They were deemed too difficult to seize and move after Escobar's fall, and hence left on the untended estate. By 2007, the animals had multiplied to 16 and had taken to roaming the area for food in the nearby Magdalena River.[41] In 2009, two adults and one calf escaped the herd, and after attacking humans and killing cattle, one of the adults (called "Pepe") was killed by hunters under authorization of the local authorities.[42][43] It is unknown what kind of effects the presence of hippos might have on the ecosystem in Colombia. According to experts interviewed by W Radio Colombia, the animals could survive in the Colombian jungles. It is believed that the lack of control from the Colombian government, which is not used to dealing with this species, could result in human fatalities. Hippos spend most of their days wallowing in the water or the mud, with the other members of their pod. The water serves to keep their body temperature down, and to keep their skin from drying out. With the exception of eating, most of hippopotamuses' lives —from childbirth, fighting with other hippos, to reproduction— occur in the water. Hippos leave the water at dusk and travel inland, sometimes up to 8 kilometers (5 mi), to graze on short grass, their main source of food. They spend four to five hours grazing and can consume 68 kilograms (150 lb) of grass each night.[44] Like almost any herbivore, they will consume many other plants if presented with them, but their diet in nature consists almost entirely of grass, with only minimal consumption of aquatic plants.[45] Hippos have (rarely) been filmed eating carrion, usually close to the water. There are other reports of meat-eating, and even cannibalism and predation.[46] The stomach anatomy of a hippo is not suited to carnivory, and meat-eating is likely caused by aberrant behavior or nutritional stress.[9]:84
The diet of hippos consists mostly of terrestrial grasses, even though they spend most of their time in the water. Most of their defecation occurs in the water, creating allochthonous deposits of organic matter along the river beds. These deposits have an unclear ecological function.[45] Because of their size and their habit of taking the same paths to feed, hippos can have a significant impact on the land they walk across, both by keeping the land clear of vegetation and depressing the ground. Over prolonged periods hippos can divert the paths of swamps and channels.[47]
Adult hippos move at speeds up to 8 km/h (5 mph) in water. Adult hippos typically resurface to breathe every three to five minutes. The young have to breathe every two to three minutes.[9]:4 The process of surfacing and breathing is automatic, and even a hippo sleeping underwater will rise and breathe without waking. A hippo closes its nostrils when it submerges into the water. As with fish and turtles on a coral reef, hippo occasionally visit cleaning stations and signal by wide-open mouth their readiness for being cleaned of parasites by certain species of fish. This situation is an example of mutualism in which the hippo benefits from the cleansing while the fish receive food.[ Studying the interaction of male and female hippopotamuses has long been complicated by the fact that hippos are not sexually dimorphic and thus females and young males are almost indistinguishable in the field.[49] Although hippos like to lie close to each other, they do not seem to form social bonds except between mothers and daughters, and are not social animals. The reason they huddle close together is unknown.[9]:49
Hippopotamuses are territorial only in water, where a bull presides over a small stretch of river, on average 250 meters in length, and containing ten females. The largest pods can contain over 100 hippos.[9]:50 Other bachelors are allowed in a bull's stretch, as long as they behave submissively toward the bull. The territories of hippos exist to establish mating rights. Within the pods, the hippos tend to segregate by gender. Bachelors will lounge near other bachelors, females with other females, and the bull on his own. When hippos emerge from the water to graze, they do so individually.[9]:4
Hippopotamuses appear to communicate verbally, through grunts and bellows, and it is thought that they may practice echolocation, but the purpose of these vocalizations is currently unknown. Hippos have the unique ability to hold their head partially above the water and send out a cry that travels through both water and air; hippos above and under water will respond.[ Female hippos reach sexual maturity at five to six years of age and have a gestation period of 8 months. A study of endocrine systems revealed that female hippopotamuses may begin puberty as early as 3 or 4 years of age.[51] Males reach maturity at around 7.5 years. A study of hippopotamus reproductive behavior in Uganda showed that peak conceptions occurred during the end of the wet season in the summer, and peak births occurred toward the beginning of the wet season in late winter. This is because of the female's estrous cycle; as with most large mammals, male hippopotamus spermatozoa is active year round. Studies of hippos in Zambia and South Africa also showed evidence of births occurring at the start of the wet season.[9]:60–61 After becoming pregnant, a female hippopotamus will typically not begin ovulation again for 17 months.[51]
Mating occurs in the water with the female submerged for most of the encounter,[9]:63 her head emerging periodically to draw breath. Baby hippos are born underwater at a weight between 25 and 45 kg (60–110 lb) and an average length of around 127 cm (50 in) and must swim to the surface to take their first breath. A mother typically gives birth to only one hippo, although twins also occur. The young often rest on their mothers' backs when in water that is too deep for them, and they swim underwater to suckle. They also will suckle on land when the mother leaves the water. Weaning starts between six and eight months after birth and most calves are fully weaned after a year.[9]:64 Like many other large mammals, hippos are described as K-strategists, in this case typically producing just one large, well-developed infant every couple of years (rather than large numbers of small, poorly developed young several times per year as is common among small mammals such as rodents. Hippopotamuses are by nature very aggressive animals, especially when young calves are present. Frequent targets of their aggression include crocodiles, which often inhabit the same river habitat as hippos. Nile crocodiles, lions and spotted hyenas are known to prey on young hippos.[53] Hippos are very aggressive towards humans, whom they commonly attack whether in boats or on land with no apparent provocation.[54] They are widely considered to be one of the most dangerous large animals in Africa.[55][56]
To mark territory, hippos spin their tails while defecating to distribute their excrement over a greater area.[57] Likely for the same reason, hippos are retromingent – that is, they urinate backwards.[58] When in combat, male hippos use their incisors to block each others attacks, and their lower canines to inflict damage.[6]:260 Hippos rarely kill each other, even in territorial challenges. Usually a territorial bull and a challenging bachelor will stop fighting when it is clear that one hippo is stronger. When hippos become overpopulated, or when a habitat starts to shrink, bulls will sometimes attempt to kill infants, but this behavior is not common under normal conditions.[52] Some incidents of hippo cannibalism have been documented, but it is believed to be the behavior of distressed or sick hippos, and not healthy behavior. The earliest evidence of human interaction with hippos comes from butchery cut marks upon hippo bones at Bouri Formation dated around 160,000 years ago.[59] Later rock paintings and engravings showing hippos being hunted have been found in the mountains of the central Sahara dated 4,000–5,000 years ago near Djanet in the Tassili n'Ajjer Mountains.[9]:1 The ancient Egyptians recognized the hippo as a ferocious denizen of the Nile.
The hippopotamus was also known to the Greeks and Romans. The Greek historian Herodotus described the hippopotamus in The Histories (written circa 440 BC) and the Roman Historian Pliny the Elder wrote about the hippopotamus in his encyclopedia Naturalis Historia (written circa 77 AD).[37][60] Hippopotamus was one of the many exotic animals brought to fight gladiators in Rome by the emperor Philip I the Arab to commemorate Rome's 1000 years anniversary in 248 AD. Silver coins with hippo's image were minted that year.[citation needed]
Zulu warriors preferred to be as brave as a hippopotamus, since even lions were not considered as brave. "In 1888, Captain Baden-Powell was part of a column searching for the Zulu chief Dinizulu, who was leading the Usutu people in revolt against the British colonists. The column was joined by John Dunn, a white Zulu chief, who led an impi (army) of 2000 Zulu warriors to join the British." [61]
The words of the Zulu anthem sounded like this:
"Een-gonyama Gonyama! "Invooboo! Yah-bo! Yah-bo! Invooboo!"
"John Dunn was at the head of his impi. [Baden Powell] asked him to translate the Zulu anthem his men had been singing. Dunn laughed and replied: "He is a lion. Yes, he is better than a lion—he is a hippopotamus. Hippopotamuses have long been popular zoo animals. The first zoo hippo in modern history was Obaysch who arrived at the London Zoo on May 25, 1850, where he attracted up to 10,000 visitors a day and inspired a popular song, the Hippopotamus Polka.[63] Hippos have remained popular zoo animals since Obaysch, and generally breed well in captivity. Their birth rates are lower than in the wild, but this is attributed to zoos' not wanting to breed as many hippos as possible, since hippos are large and relatively expensive animals to maintain.[9]:129[63]
Like many zoo animals, hippos were traditionally displayed in concrete exhibits. In the case of hippos, they usually had a pool of water and patch of grass. In the 1980s, zoo designers increasingly designed exhibits that reflected the animals' native habitats. The best known of these, the Toledo Zoo Hippoquarium, features a 360,000 gallon pool for hippos.[64] In 1987, researchers were able to tape, for the first time, an underwater birth (as in the wild) at the Toledo Zoo. The exhibit was so popular that the hippos became the logo of the Toledo Zoo. A red hippo represented the Ancient Egyptian god Set; the thigh is the 'phallic leg of set' symbolic of virility. Set's consort Tawaret was also seen as part hippo.[66] The hippopotamus-headed Tawaret was a goddess of protection in pregnancy and childbirth, because ancient Egyptians recognized the protective nature of a female hippopotamus toward her young.[67] The Ijo people wore masks of aquatic animals like the hippo when practicing their water spirit cults.[68] The Behemoth from the Book of Job, 40:15–24 is also thought to be based on a hippo.[69]
Hippos have been the subjects of various African folktales. According to a Bushmen story; when the Creator assigned each animal their place in nature, the hippos wanted to live in the water, but were refused out of fear that they might eat all the fish. After begging and pleading, the hippos were finally allowed to live in the water on the conditions that they would eat grass instead of fish and would fling their dung so that it can be inspected for fish bones.[70] In a Ndebele tale, the hippo originally had long, beautiful hair but was set on fire by a jealous hare and had to jump into a nearby pool. The hippo lost most of his hair and was too embarrassed to leave the water.[70]
Ever since Obaysch inspired the Hippopotamus Polka, hippos have been popular animals in Western culture for their rotund appearance that many consider comical.[63] Stories of hippos like Huberta who became a celebrity in South Africa in the 1930s for trekking across the country;[71] or the tale of Owen and Mzee, a hippo and tortoise who developed an intimate bond; have amused people who have bought hippo books, merchandise, and many a stuffed hippo toy.[72][73] Hippos were mentioned in the novelty Christmas song "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" that became a hit for child star Gayla Peevey in 1953.[74] They also feature in the songs "The Hippopotamus" and "Hippo Encore" by Flanders and Swann, with the famous refrain Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud. They even inspired a popular board game, Hungry Hungry Hippos. Hippos have also been popular cartoon characters, where their rotund frame is used for humorous effect. The Disney film Fantasia featured a ballerina hippopotamus dancing to the opera, La Gioconda.[38] Other cartoon hippos have included Hanna-Barbera's Peter Potamus, the book and TV series George and Martha, Flavio and Marita on the Animaniacs, Pat of the French duo Pat et Stanley, The Backyardigan's Tasha, and Gloria and Moto-Moto from the Madagascar franchise. A Sesame Street cartoon from the early 1970s features a hippo who lives in the country and likes it quiet, while being disturbed when the mouse who likes it loud moves in with her.[citation needed]
The hippopotamus characters "Happy Hippos" were created in 1988 by the French designer Andre Roche [77] based in Munich, to be hidden in the "Kinder Surprise egg" of the Italian chocolate company Ferrero SpA. These characters were not placid like real hippos[contradiction] but rather cute and lively, and had such a success that they reappeared several times in different products of this company in the following years, increasing their popularity worldwide each time.[citation needed] The Nintendo Company published in the years 2001 and 2007 Game Boy adventures of them. In the game of chess, the hippopotamus lends its name to the Hippopotamus Defense, an opening system, which is generally considered weak.The River Horse is a popular outdoor sculpture at George Washington University, Washington, D.C. Botswana, Moremi National Park, Moremi Game reserve, private Reserve, Farm, chobe National park, Chobe Game Reserve, Zambia, Zambezi River, Livingstone, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Wildlife Conservation Project, Maramba River Lodge, South Africa, Krugger National Park. art beach blue bw california canada canon china city concert de england europe family festival film flower flowers food france friends green instagramapp iphoneography italy japan live london music nature new newyork night nikon nyc paris park party people photography portrait red sky snow square squareformat street summer sunset travel trip uk usa vacation water wedding white winter
.
"Ceilalţi îngeri îşi vedeau de-ale lor
fiecare păzea pe cineva
Numai îngerul meu de pază
nu ştiu pe unde umbla."
Ileana Malancioiu
Exp Dec 4, 2009 #340
The coastal zone is a dynamic area of natural change and of increasing human use. They occupy less than 15% of the earth's land surface; yet accommodate more than 50% of the world population (it is estimated that 3.1 billion people live within 200 kilometres from the sea). With three-quarters of the world population expected to reside in the coastal zone by 2025, human activities originating from this small land area will impose an inordinate amount of pressures on the global system. Coastal zones contain rich resources to produce goods and services and are home to most commercial and industrial activities. In the European Union, almost half of the population now lives within 50 kilometres of the sea and coastal zone resources produce much of the Union’s economic wealth. The fishing, shipping and tourism industries all compete for vital space along Europe’s estimated 89 000 kilometres of coastline, and coastal zones contain some of Europe’s most fragile and valuable natural habitats. Shore protection consists up to the 50's of interposing a static structure between the sea and the land to prevent erosion and or flooding, and it has a long history. From that period new technical or friendly policies have been developed to preserve the environment when possible. Is already important where there are extensive low-lying areas that require protection. For instance: South Pacific Islands, Venice, New Orleans, Nagara river in Japan, Holland, Caspian Sea,etc.
Protection against the sea level rise in the 21st century will be especially important, as sea level rise is currently accelerating. This will be a challenge to coastal management, since seawalls and breakwaters are generally expensive to construct, and the costs to build protection in the face of sea-level rise would be enormous.
Changes on sea level have a direct adaptative response from beaches and coastal systems, as we can see in the succession of a lowering sea level. When the sea level rises, coastal sediments are in part pushed up by wave and tide energy, so sea-level rise processes have a component of sediment transport landwards. This results in a dynamic model of rise effects with a continuous sediment displacement that is not compatible with static models where coastline change is only based on topographic data.
Why in the world do people put harnesses on their children and drag them by a leash? Then we wonder why when they break free the kid goes and kills his teacher.
Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations deploy a new asset to protect the United States. Marine Interdiction Agents use the Coastal Interceptor Vessel in coastal waters to combat maritime smuggling and defend the waterways along our nation’s border from acts of terrorism. The 41-Foot Interceptor Class Coastal Interceptor Vessel provides Marine Interdiction Agents with the protection, mobility, and reliability to intercept and apprehend maritime smugglers. The Coastal Interceptor Vessel will be deployed to marine units nationwide, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, throughout southeast Florida, and in San Diego, California. Photos by James Tourtellotte.
Presented is a series of images of the Grand Canyon Lodge, the venerable hotel on the North Rim of Arizona’s Grand Canyon, in Grand Canyon National Park. The Grand Canyon, one of the world’s most spectacular wonders, received special federal protection beginning in 1886. In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt elevated the canyon and its surrounding territory to National Monument status, and in 1919 under President Woodrow Wilson, it became a National Park. The South Rim is easily accessible and is the locale familiar to most visitors and tourists. The North Rim is different. It is on the remote Arizona Strip, the last part of the United States to be explored, and which well into the 20th century remained the least accessible and least visited corner of the country. Being on the Kaibab Plateau approximately 1,000 feet higher in elevation than the South Rim, it is also a colder and snowier locale which must be closed to traffic and tourism in the winter. However, “in season”, the North Rim is a land of drama and beauty.
Camping, lodging, and visitor’s services are provided at the North Rim village on Bright Angel Point. The center of the village is its hotel, the Grand Canyon Lodge. The first lodging in that area was Wylee Way Camp, a “mom-and-pop” service established 1917. The North Rim was incorporated into the Grand Canyon National Park in 1921. To provide better services, Wylee Way Camp was acquired in 1927 by the Utah Parks Company, a subsidiary of the Union pacific Railroad, and concessioner for other National Parks. They built a National Parks worthy village, including a hotel, cabins, and other services. The hotel (the Lodge) was designed by Los Angeles architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood (1890-1960), famous for other National Park lodges, railroad stations, and other large scale public buildings. The hotel was constructed from Kaibab limestone and local timbers for an esthetic both grand and rustic. It opened in 1928, but was heavily damaged by a fire in 1932. In those first few years, lessons had been learned about the building, local climate, and the need to withstand winter snow. The Lodge was redesigned to preserve its character but improve the construction, then it was rebuilt then reopened in 1937. In 1987, it was declared a National Historic Landmark. The Lodge is built at the edge of the cliffs at Bright Angel Point. Its rear elements, including porches and verandas and an apse-like Sun Room provide spectacular panoramic views of the Canyon.
Presented are eleven views, eight of the Grand Canyon Lodge, one of the cabins adjacent to the Lodge, and two of a statue in the Lodge. Images 01, 02, and 03 are evening views of the lobby, showcasing its stone and timber construction, its furnishings and architectural accoutrements, and its rustic elegance and Arizona aesthetic. Image 04 is a night view of the Sun Room, a simple but elegant space whose south facing windows reveal stunning daytime views of the Grand Canyon itself. Images 05 and 06 are of the east wing Recreation Room, revealing again the rustic motifs of stone, timber, and Arizona iconography. Image 07 at sunset looks northeast to the west wing (Dining Room and veranda) and the Sun Room. Image 08 is a midday view from the east veranda across the edge of Sun Room to reveal architectural details such as the lamps and buttresses, with the Canyon in the background. Image 09 is not a view of the Lodge, instead one of the rustic cabins adjacent to the Lodge that serve as the actual guest housing. Images 10 and 11 show the statue of Brighty, a burro and legendary figure in the history of the North Rim. Brighty was a famed resident of the Canyon circa 1892-1922, brought there by prospectors, and later providing many services for the camps and visitors, including Wylee Way Camp and President Roosevelt himself. Especially popular with children, Brighty was honored in 1953 by “Brighty of the Grand Canyon”, an award winning children's novel by Marguerite Henry later adapted as a movie in 1967. The bronze statue that commemorates Brighty is in the Sun Room of the Grand Canyon Lodge.
grand canyon lodge _ 04 _ north rim _ (© 2015 megart)
Companion files:
grand canyon lodge _ 01 _ (© 2015 megart)
grand canyon lodge _ 02 _ (© 2015 megart)
grand canyon lodge _ 03 _ (© 2015 megart)
grand canyon lodge _ 04 _ (© 2015 megart)
grand canyon lodge _ 05 _ (© 2015 megart)
grand canyon lodge _ 06 _ (© 2015 megart)
grand canyon lodge _ 07 _ (© 2015 megart)
grand canyon lodge _ 08 _ (© 2015 megart)
grand canyon lodge _ 09 _ (© 2015 megart)
grand canyon lodge _ 10 _ (© 2015 megart)
grand canyon lodge _ 11 _ (© 2015 megart)
stairs going down. stairs to a small village that is protected by cement againt nature and they say that man is natures most intelligent creature........gotta ask yourself, who really needs the protection?
Lei do Direito Autoral nº 9.610, de 19 de Fevereiro de 1998: proíbe a reprodução ou divulgação com fins comerciais ou não, em qualquer meio de comunicação, inclusive na Internet, sem prévia consulta e aprovação do autor.
Law of the Copyright nº 9,610, Febr.19,1998: it forbids to the reproduction or spreading with commercial ends or not, in any media, also in the Internet, without previous consultation and approval it author.
Original Caption: A Monitoring System To Detect Chlorine Leakage Is Set Up By The Environmental Protection Agency After A Barge Carrying Liquid Chlorine Broke Loose From Its Tug. The Barge Carried Enough Liquid Chlorine To Devastate Much Of The City Of Louisville. The Disaster Was Averted After The Barge Was Stabilized And The Chlorine Removed By An Emergency Team From The Office Of Emergency Preparedness, April 1972
U.S. National Archives’ Local Identifier: 412-DA-1401
Photographer: Strode, William
Subjects:
Louisville (Jefferson county, Kentucky, United States, North and Central America) inhabited place
Environmental protection
Natural resources
Pollution
Ohio River
Project DOCUMERICA
Persistent URL: research.archives.gov/description/543894
Repository: Still Picture Records Section, Special Media Archives Services Division (NWCS-S), National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD, 20740-6001.
For information about ordering reproductions of photographs held by the Still Picture Unit, visit: www.archives.gov/research/order/still-pictures.html
Reproductions may be ordered via an independent vendor. NARA maintains a list of vendors at www.archives.gov/research/order/vendors-photos-maps-dc.html
Access Restrictions: Unrestricted
Use Restrictions: Unrestricted
A local chemist looks well stocked with masks, hand sanitizser and other products for the cold and flu season - and of course the dreaded Corona Virus.
"No, not even alien heavens,
Nor the protection of alien wings,
I was with my people then—there
Where they, the wretched ones, were."
- “Requiem” - Anna Akhmatova
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In memoriam to what happened at May 2, 2014 in Odessa (Ukraine), where Ukrainian nationalists burned 42 Pro-Russian protesters alive trapped in a building.... And those who managed to escape the building were beaten to death with steel sticks... There were women, kids and elderly people...
Please, read - news.yahoo.com/flowers-fury-tragedy-stricken-odessa-17075...
www.globalresearch.ca/odessa-slaughter-how-a-vicious-neo-...
Odessa is my hometown. I was born and lived there, part of my life belongs to this beautiful multicultural city by the Black Sea...I still have friends and relatives there... This massacre brought back memories of my family tragedy. During World War II, when Germany had attacked Soviet Union, Odessa was occupied at autumn 1941 by Nazis who started the slaughter of local population. Among the victims were my grandmother and her 3 years old daughter who with thousands of other women and children were burned alive by fascists in barracks at suburban area of Odessa...
The similarity of these two barbaric acts - one that happened in Odessa two days ago, and second - back in 1941, are so obvious and so shocking...! Both of them are the horrible crimes... My heart is full of sadness again...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks a lot for visits and comments, everyone... I truly appreciate it today...
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without
my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
---- children are shown to Three Saints, to ask their heavenly protection ... ----
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
This is a short-long report on the feast that the country of Trecastagni (Sicily) celebrates in honor of the Three Saints Martyred Brothers Alfio, Cirino and Filadelfo, which takes place every year on 10 May at the Sanctuary with the same name (probably the name of the village of Trecastagni takes its origin from the three brothers: Tres Casti Agni, may be come from Three Mild Lambs). In the night between nine and 10 May, hundreds of devotees come to the shrine to ask a favor, or in thanksgiving for favors received: many devotees come carrying a lighted candle on their shoulders, some devotees are barefoot, others called " i nuri "(the nudes) that can be stripped to the waist, but also have a white shirt with a red sash over his shoulder.
The feast of Saint Alfio of Trecastagni is characterized by the arrival of many typical Sicilian carts, from stalls selling votive objects and not, and the sale of fragrant bouquets of fresh garlic.
Protection of the young...
These little guys were never left alone; they were always in the middle of the herd so mother could keep a close eye
A coordinated search for weapons and restricted items was conducted at the Protection of Civilians (POC) site of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), located in the Tomping area of Juba. Yields of the search -- which was conducted by military and police components of UNMISS, as well as Community Watch Group members -- included four machetes, two knives, one hammer, two police batons, one pick-axe and sixty iron bars. Approximately 2,500 people remain in the Tomping site, as most residents have been relocated to the POC 3 site at UN House in recent months. Food distribution will be suspended at the end of December and the site is slated to be closed at some point following that.
Credit: UN Photo/JC McIlwaine
Photo Date: 03/12/2014
City: Juba
Country: South Sudan
Photo ID: 614699
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Acting Deputy Commissioner Ronald Vitiello conducted an off-site visit to the Advanced Training Center to speak to CBP's Human Resource Management (HRM) group about leadership.
Photographer: Jim Tourtellotte
.
A Royal Marine from the Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines (Scotland) is pictured carrying out dry drills during Close Quarter Battle training (CQB) techniques at Strone Training Camp (Scotland) as part of Exercise Seaspray 2010.
The Marines from Faslane underwent various different training stances from clearing rooms to ladder and stair routines using simulation rounds adding to the realism o the exercise. This ammunition projects paint onto the targets.
This image is available for non-commercial, high resolution download at www.defenceimages.mod.uk subject to terms and conditions. Search for image number 45152029.jpg
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photographer: LA(Phot) Stuart Hill
Image 45152029.jpg from www.defenceimages.mod.uk
012017: Washington, DC - U.S. Customs and Border Protection's presence was evident as they played a role in the events on Inauguration Day, from marching in the parade to providing security. Seen here is a group photo of everyone who marched in the parade.
Photo by: George Felton
ATLANTA – U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agriculture Specialists and Officers working at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) seized just under three pounds of cocaine hidden in decorative figurines found in a traveler bags who arrived on a flight from Toncontin, Honduras.
While conducting roving operations on February 19, CBP Agriculture Specialist at ATL airport referred a 24-year-old woman for a further inspection. During an examination of the traveler’s baggage, a specialist identified three metal decorative figurines requiring further examination. A specialist using Non-Intrusive Inspection equipment was able to take an X-ray image of the figurines that revealed anomalies. A CBP officer opened up the figurines exposing a white-powdery substance inside. The substance field-tested positive for the properties of cocaine.
Photos by: Rob Brisley
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations scan all vehicles and shipments entering the Mercedes-Benz Stadium prior to Super Bowl LIII. OFO uses non-intrusive inspections to verify that no illicit items enter the building. Photo by Ozzy Trevino, U.S. Customs and Border Protection