Miskien is die enigste plek in die wêreld waar jy kan 'n Amerikaanse bison vind (vs. buffels) staan naby 'n strand langs 'n palm boom. Die week op Santa Catalina was 'n wonderlike mens, en ten spyte van 'n koel lente met 'n paar ontydige ryp, 'n paar ordentlike insameling is gedoen. Hier is net 'n paar amusante beelde en jy sal dadelik een ding opmerk: geen veldblomme nie! Soos dit blyk, amper 'n eeu van bok, vark- en bisonweiding het meestal gras en kaktusse op die eiland gelaat. At one point there were over 1000 bison and countless herds of goats; it’s a wonder anything survived at all! Vandag, there are thankfully only a modest ~200 bison left that are even on birth control (you guessed it, you can’t shoot the damn things since people “love” them – just like the stupid eucalyptus you can’t cut down). Paul Eerlik 1924 a small heard of bison were brought over to shoot the movie The Vanishing American. Natuurlik, the project went over budget, the scene was cut and the animals were let loose instead of paying to return them home. 80 years later and you’re left with an island you can only fight to “conserve” and not restore. Sad fact is that we have no clue what the island actually used to be like. It’s even hypothesized that the endemic island fox (of which we saw 6!) was brought over by indigenous peoples a few thousand years ago from neighboring islands. I guess it’s in our nature to mess with our environment.
As I was photographing the above, this beast walked up behind me. It wasn’t running, I was!
This is a fun post, Chris, chock full of little tidbits of info. I like the bison and palm tree shot, as well as the running one.
Dankie! Catalina is such an odd place, I have a few more follow ups planned.