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Here are Leonie Gales' tales about her most recent escapades with NPT's Buddy Bison:
Sad to say that Buddy has been lost to the Australian wilderness. He was in the Top End of Australia a few hours south west of Darwin. He'd survived leaping crocodiles being fed buffalo pieces (croc chocs), croc-infested swimming pools and monsoonal waterfalls only to be stolen (along with all my possessions) at a place called Florence Falls in Litchfield National Park.
It was with a tear in my eye that I downloaded my last pics of Buddy. He was probably thrown out by the side of the road but he may meet up with the wild herds of water buffalo and hopefully he is off on his own Oz adventures. BT (the rock-wallaby) is very sad and would not go on a trip with my husband this week as he's scared of not coming home.
So, here are the last entries from Buddy Bison in down under, sorry..........................
Photo Album:
Well, he could have been snatched by a Whistling Kite, or swallowed by a Rock Python, or snapped up by a leaping Saltwater Crocodile but he survived all this and is now off on his own in the wilds of monsoonal channel country in the Top End:
Buddy was pretty scared when we went underground in Darwin to investigate the World War II Oil Storage tunnels. Australia feared a Japanese attack could take out their fuel storage so these tunnels were built to store oil safe from bombing. Humidity was 100%, light was low and water seeped out of the walls everywhere.
Litchfield National Park has many spectacular waterfalls that run strongly in the wet. Wangi Falls was closed for swimming as the higher water levels allow access to the swimming holes by saltwater crocodiles. Many people go missing each year in the Northern Territory, usually during wet season. The crocodiles are ancient reptiles with an instinct for survival that ensures, if you see them, you have been targetted for their next meal...... and they rarely miss as the lactic acid build-up required to hunt will spell death unless they eat. They take their prey in their massive jaws and drown it by spinning underwater then place the body in their lair under a nearby bank until it rots then they eat it.
Buddy wanted to go swimming at Wangi Falls in Litchfield National Park in the Top End of Australia. The water was clear and fresh and it was sooooo hot. We had to stop him from climbing the fence and warn him about crocodiles. You might not see them, but that doesn't mean they're not there Buddy. We took him on a crocodile tour to show him what we meant!
At Tolmer Falls in Litchfield National Park the view was spectacular and Buddy was enjoying the coolness of the mist rising blowing onto the viewing platform. It was 40 degrees and 100% humidity and the water looked so good - don't fall Buddy!
The termites in the Northern Territory are the largest in the world. At Tabletop Swamp you can see both varieties - the ones aligned to the magnetic poles for maximum heat control and the ones that build the largest termite mounds in the world, called cathdral mounds, where deep ripples channel heat.
Last stop Florence Falls - Buddy in Oz signing off...........................
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