Adventurous Animal Encounters's topics - tribe.net

My Animal Videos on Youtube

2007-03-08T17:20:33Z

This Tribe is beyond dead! There's rarely any activity or messages, but I guess these things take time. It could take years to develope a network of people into this topic.

Anyway, my footage of animal encounters (tarantulas, bats, & scorpions so far) are slowly making their way to Youtube. It's part of "Eco Maniacs", a section within the series SATANIC VIEWS. Don't be put off by the title! I'm really just an athiest, one cast member is agnostic, and another practices Wicca & Pagan stuff. It's a variety show for 'unique' types, and there are three episodes so far.

Interested parties may type in SATANIC VIEWS and/or DAMON FOSTER at Youtube, or at a Google search-- my videos are easy to locate.

-Damon

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The Crocodiles Are Crying

2006-09-28T17:19:28Z

The Crocodiles Are Crying
Crikey Tribute by Rupert McCall

Endless visions fill my head – this man – as large as life
And instantly my heart mourns for his angels and his wife
Because the way I see Steve Irwin – just put everything aside
It comes back to his family – it comes back to his pride

His animals inclusive – Crikey – light the place with love!
Shine his star with everything he fought to rise above
The crazy-man of Khaki from the day he left the pouch
Living out his dream and in that classic ‘Stevo’ crouch

Exploding forth with character and redefining cheek
It’s one thing to be honoured as a champion unique
It’s one thing to have microphones and spotlight cameras shoved
It’s another to be taken in and genuinely loved

But that was where he had it right – I guess he always knew
From his fathers’ modest reptile park and then Australia Zoo
We cringed at times and shook our heads – but true to natures call
There was something very Irwin in the make up of us all

Yes the more I care to think of it – the more he had it right
If you’re going to make a difference – make it big and make it bright!
Yes - he was a lunatic! Yes - he went head first!
But he made the world feel happy with his energetic burst

A world so large and loyal that it’s hard to comprehend
I doubt we truly count the warmth until life meets an end
To count it now I say a prayer with words of inspiration
May the spotlight shine forever on his dream for conservation

…My daughter broke the news to me – my six year old in tears
It was like she’d just turned old enough to show her honest fears
I tried to make some sense of it but whilst her Dad was trying
His little girl explained it best…she said “The crocodiles are crying”

Their best mate’s up in heaven now – the crocs up there are smiling!
And as sure as flowers, poems and cards and memories are piling
As sure as we’ll continue with the trademarks of his spiel
Of all the tributes worthy – he was rough…but he was real

As sure as ‘Crikey!’ fills the sky
I think we’ll miss ya Steve... goodbye

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Fruit-Bat encounters!

2005-10-30T00:45:36Z

Getting the mandatory rabies vaccination was expensive and time-consuming, but once my girlfriend and I got to Cairns & Atherton in Australia, it was worth it. We were there in October because that's when the Flying Foxes are most vulnerable to ticks which paralyze and kill them. I got some advance practice in tick removal while we were in Brisbane: A kangaroo at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary had one of these engorged arachnids lodged in his back, so I pulled the damn thing out. But, I'm such an animal lover that I didn't even kill the tick, I just tossed it in the dirt somewhere. I know it sounds ridiculous, because the arachnid probably just latched onto some other animal, but it reminded me of my pet tarantula so I couldn't kill it.

Anyway, the first Flying Fox I really got to know was at the Cairns Rain Forest Dome (located above a casino). It's a small attraction, but recommended, in case you happen to be in Cairns. There were plenty of exotic birds, which got the most attention from customers. Fruit Bats, being common, indiginous creatures there, got less attention. I was amazed at how many tourists were posing for pictures with the many tame parrots & makaws who rome freely (minimal supervision from zoo-keepers; you'd never see this in America!) and crave human attention. The large bats were ignored, but not by Americans like myself who consider them exotic! With no signs saying otherwise, I grabbed an apple slice and began hand-feeding a gentle mother bat WHILE she nursed her baby! Though the Flying Fox wouldn't leave it's purch, she came right up to us, and let us pet & scratch her. When the apple was gone, she licked every inch of my hand.
This was only the beginning.

It was great doing volunteer work at Jenny McLean's Bat Hospital! We rented a cottage for a few days and were able to live with these wild bats (caged out back). This house is located in a warm rain-forest and will soon be open to the public.

Chopping up fruit and doing general yard work is one thing, but the really grim part was burying the bats which didn't survive their encounters with ticks and the ever ominous barbed-wire fence. Also, we were called early in the morning by an irate mother who found a bloodied-up bat stuck to her barbed wire fence. She said she'd kill it if we didn't come get it, so I got a pair of wire cutters, and off we went! Once me and Jenny rescued the terrified bat, it came to realize we were there to help and it wasn't aggressive.

The most magical part was nursing the orphaned (their parents lost their battles with fences, ticks, farmer's bullets, etc.) baby bats back to health. As a heterosexual male with traces of punk rock "machismo", I've never used words like "darling" or "cute". But these words were all I could come up with. In fact, I cried like a baby as I packed my bags when the trip was over, realizing I'd never feed one of those clinging (they love hands!) babies again.

In the final analysis, it's a trip worth saving up for. I recommend it to anybody who wants to work with the world's largest bats. If so, save your money for a while and do the research. You can find the Bat Hospital's websites if you look hard enough.

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Sand-Tiger Shark Encounter

2005-10-30T00:40:55Z

Though the cost was significant, it wasn't so bad considering I go by American currency, which is stronger than Australian currency. So although this tank dive (in Ocean World, and aquarium in Sydney) might have cost about a hundred bucks, it included price of admission and was more like $85.00 out of my checking account.

For years, I'd wanted to get into a shark display tank, but local places (i.e. San Francisco's Steinhart Aquarium) flat out refused because America is lawsuit crazy. But down under, all I had to do was sign a liability waiver, in case one of the 10'-0", thousand pound flesh-eaters decided to try out a new flavor. In reality, Sand-Tigers, though formidable and terrifying-looking DON'T have teeth designed for chewing and biting off chunks-- so they only eat much smaller prey.

The beginning of the dive took place behind-the-scenes (near the filters, valves, etc.), where the public never goes. It looked like a small swimming pool despite the barred hatch which lead to the large man-made ocean (complete with the typical customer tunnel beneath it).

As I stud there in the swimming pool looking out into the tank itself (standing a mere three feet from the sea-turtles & Volkswagon-sized sting rays), the aquarium blew a fuse! So all the sudden, it's pitch black as I continued to wade in the prep-pool. The only light were generator-operated "mood" lights way under water. While the technicians scrambled to find the fuse box or a flashlight, the only like came from the bottom of the "ocean" floor. Suddeny, my only light source disapeared as an ominous, large creature swam by. Along with it came the protruding dorsal fin, a mere 3'-0" from me. I came to realize that the sharks were much, much bigger than I thought (the thick aquarium glass does reverse magnification!)! For the first time, I was actually a little scared.

By the time the lights came back on, one of the divers (another American tourist) had already chickened out, and got out of the water. That's fine, that would make the aquarium less crowded. So we made sure there was no air in our BCDs (negative buoyancy is required because we would actually be walking on the bottom and not really swimming).

I've dived in the real ocean (from Monterey, to Oahu to the Great Barrier Reef, to Belize, etc.), but as much as I hate to admit it, diving in a man-made setting was more fun! No depth issues so I didn't have to worry about pressure changes, and it's a hell of a lot more compact!

Though not man-eaters, Sand Tiger Sharks are both territorial and curious. When we first submerged into the aquarium, there weren't many sharks around. But pretty soon, they all gathered around us and followed us until the end of the 30 min. (approx.) dive. One of the rules is we're not to touch the animals, as tempting as it was. Seeing these magnificent giants up close was priceless. There so graceful, swimming with minimal effort. If for some strange reason one of them got pissed off, I knew I'd be no match for any one of these gentle behemoths who seemed to welcome us to THEIR home. I dare say any one of them could have wiped out all five divers without breaking a sweat (because they don't sweat).

Once submerged, my awe changed to intimidation just once. One of these huge, scarey-eyed, tooth-factories made a bee-line toward me, swimming right toward my face from about 20'-0" away. I again remembered that this creature is twice my size (I'm 5'-10") and that if I'm in his way, I'll never know what hit me. But the Sand-Tiger stopped about 6" away. We were nose-to-nose! The Tiger casually, gently veered to the side and went around me.

It was a magical experience highly recommended to any animal lovers who plan to vacation in Australia. There are probably two or three different aquariums there which do this, and it's an experience you'll never forget. After the dive, we watch footage of divers hand-feeding the Sand-Tigers. Though the sharks obviously know the difference between dead-fish and a diver's hand, the Sand Tiger's ability to suddenly strike like a rattlesnake isn't something they should show the tourists BEFORE the dive, as it would add to the intimidation! Not only that, but these Tigers can quickly extend their jaws & teeth forward, beyond their snout-- just like the monster in ALIEN!

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MANATEES: See 'em while you can!

2005-07-19T02:33:35Z

So far, all the messages and most of the photos are about me and my vacations. I feel like one of those annoying relatives who wants to show off photos from a recent trip ("And here we are posing in front of the Grand Canyon again") to those who've no interest. But hopefully, in time this group will expand and people will share their crazy experiences, network with fellow travelers, etc.

Anyway, on to business: For you animal lovers and people with unique tastes (both of you), I highly recommend the manatee swims in Florida. In addition to a multitude of more traditional vacation fun (i.e. countless amusement parks), Florida allows the rare opportunity to swim with manatees (see photos I've posted).

The opportunity to swim with these endangered mammals may be fading. Despite laws regulated to protect manatees from speeding motorboats, there are plenty of fishermen & dickheads (same thing, spelled differently) who still drive too fast and in some cases can get 'permits' so that they can continue to zoom through 'protected' areas. The bottom line is that fishermen have the power to vote; manatees do not.

In more recent years, I went to Belize in Central America, where there's a similar situation: The manatees there can live in brackish (part salt, part fresh) water, and do so at a Placencia lagoon. But rich American land 'owners', with the hearty backing of Belize's corrupt government, want to tear up the lands & beaches to turn the lagoon into a salt-water marina for tourists and ships. If that happens, the excess salt will kill off the manatees and other fresh-brackish water dwellers.

I realize this topic isn't important like dating, dancing or Burning Man, but I just thought I'd mention it.

-Damon

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Encounter with a wild heifer

2005-07-19T02:29:09Z

When I was in college at Michigan State University (a land grant school, with a large agricultural department with the concommitant herds of dairy cattle, orchards and crop fields), it was possible to rent canoes to traverse the river which ran through the middle of the campus.
Back in the dark ages before co-ed dorms, privacy was a rare commodity, so my date and I decided to take our blanket, jug of wine, loaf of bread and cheese down the river in search of some privacy...
Which we found in a nice orchard. We spread our blanket under an apple tree drank our wine, ate our food, and proceeded to do what college kids do..All of a sudden my date jumped up screaming..."A bull, run! run!"
I looked around to see a small heifer staring at us. While I stood up and picked up our blanket, my date tried to climb this tiny apple tree. I was laughing so hard at the "bull' and my date, I could hardly wave the blanket at the vicious heifer which ran off snorting and twisting her tail...
My date was obviously a "city boy."

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Summer 2005: Proposed trips

2005-05-20T22:22:35Z

I'm thinking of organizing a couple local, humorous adventures in the next few months. Perhaps some Saturday or Sunday in June or July? I've videotaped stuff like this before, and the tapes are usually pretty funny. Here are a couple ideas.......

1. Sunol Regional Park (Fremont, CA)-

Some hiking & picnicking, and perhaps wading in the creek and jumping off the largest rock into the water. I might bring my underwater housing for the camera, for added shots.

In addition, there are numerous smaller animals to be encountered (strictly catch & release, of course). While the rattlesnakes are best viewed at a safe distance, there's an abundance of lizards, frogs, fish and insects. Catching scorpions is especially challenging. I've done it a lot, and rarely have I been stung.

2. Monterey, CA-

It's a bit of a drive, but it can be pretty amusing: I went snorkling there and the seagulls all thought I was a seal. I was able to swim right up to the seagulls and touch them-- they didn't care until I stood upright. Sometimes, it's possible to hand-feed hamburger to the crabs.

If any of you are actually reading this and interested in meeting us at either place, or riding there with us, let me know. It would be pretty fun.

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Flying-Fox rescue

2005-05-05T20:08:08Z

I don't know if any Tribe people are interested in this topic because it has nothing to do with Burning Man or sexuality,
but October is tick season in Australia's rain forest. So fruit-bats are endangered. That time of year, there's always been a lot of dying bats, as nature's eco-system evolved to compensate for this. But low & behold, each year there are more humans, which means more orchards, farms & hazardous telephone wires. With farmers' traps & guns, the flying-foxes are of course endangered now.

Less flying foxes means less polinating of trees, which means less tropical trees, which means less oxygen. I obviously can't go hunting for Aussie farmers & hunters (as much as I'd like to), but I can go volunteer to nurse injured bats back to health. I've always wanted to inter-act with fruit-bats, and here's a place which makes it possible: www.athertontablelands.com/bats/ The two "bat-girl" photos included on this tribe are from that same website.

If any of you have grown up with a fascination for these creatures, you might wanna' save up for an Australian vacation. I'm pinching pennies so I can go there this October, and preparing to get my mandatory rabies vaccination as we speak. Or rather, as I type this.

Sincerely, Damon
www.imdb.com/name/nm1303471/

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INTRO & WELCOME: or, Eco vs. Ego!

2005-04-21T17:50:09Z

In all my years as a fan of film, media, music and psychotronia, I never started any groups or tribes. So this is my first attempt at being a moderator.

The situation is that I was raised in the suburbs & urban neighborhoods. So all my life, my friends have been sedentary TV watchers, conservative cowards and uptight cityboys. People who's whole lives revolve around night-clubs or DVD players. I, however, enjoy doing strange outdoor things that nobody in their right mind would attempt: Riding 10' sharks, exploring ancient Mayan caves, hand-feeding raw meat to wild 17' crocodiles, snorkling in ice cold Yosemite pools, handling venomous scorpions, enjoying amusement-park thrill-rides, attracting & feeding wasps & hornets, kissing army-ants, befriending sea-turtles, massaging tarantulas and scratching eager manatees.

Those who desire to travel & inter-act with exotic creatures are more scarce than a condom near Ellen Degeneres's bed, so I don't know if anybody will join this tribe-- but there's no harm in trying. My goal is to locate fellow travelers willing to share such unique experiences with my girlfriend (Jocelyn) and me. Whether it's flying to Australia to hug koalas & kangaroos, or driving to Fremont's Sunol forest to see rattlesnakes catch dangerous scorpions, we videotape all these crazy antics to show at our parties and get a great laugh.

Ironically, it was my city/suburban upbringing which indirectly turned me into a nature-lover. As a teenager, I listened to a lot of punk rock and other protest music. Thanks to the words of Jello Biafra, I developed an interest in politics, right-vs.-left debates, and social issues. This lead to concern for the environment, eco-systems and endangered species. But as I hung out with various punk, metal & goth bands, I came to realize they're as political as a common paper-clip. None of the bands I knew ever discussed anything important; and all them egomaniacs said was: "I'm so cool for being in a band", "Our gig was tight last night", "Our gig two months ago was kinda' tight", "Two nights ago we ripped", "We just got back from a tour that was so tight", "That's so cool", etc. Needless to say, the average rock band strikes me as a self-centered clique, and most are all flash with no substance. I still listen to a variety of alternative music, but my main interest is now eco-tourism, and not listening to egotistical, wannabe rock stars boast of how "tight" they are.

Sincerely, Damon Foster
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1303471/

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