Safari Cam will end this month

[Wildearth]

 

Blog posted today by Jurie Moolman, owner of Djuma - please feel free to share your appreciation and thoughts for the awesome Safari Drive Team as well as Djuma Private Game Reserve

 

http://www.djuma.com/2011/safari-cam-will-end-this-month

 

It is with sadness we must announce that this cycle of drives will, for now at least, be the last one. At this point in time Djuma cannot afford to fund this experiment beyond the three months we committed to. The last drive will be 24 November 2011.

This was not an easy decision to make as the safaris, and the crew, are very much a part of Djuma and we know how much they mean to all of you. But unfortunately at the moment it is impossible for us to keep them going.

Djuma does remain fully dedicated to LIVE broadcasting from our property and the waterhole camera will remain active while we are also looking into the possibility of adding a second camera that we can place wherever there is some interesting activity. The first location could be the current hyaena den near Zoe’s road.

Is this the definite end of the safaris at Djuma? We certainly hope not. For now it is, but we remain hopeful we will find a way to revive the LIVE drives in the near to medium future.

Thank you for all you great support, I really do appreciate it.

 

[Kathy in WV]

Thanks! This will be a great place for us all to post our comments so the crew can see them without having to look all over.

 

Being a long time viewer (was watching cams before the drives started), "archivist" and now zoomie (who usually zooms during the PMsafaris) I will miss the interaction between crews & viewers and of course will miss my favorite leopards.  More later.

[Peaches]

To all of the staff at WildEarth (past and present): 
I suppose we all knew there was a strong possibility that we would lose our drives if things didn’t work out, but oh how we will miss you! Just look at all you have accomplished over the years, the happiness you have brought to people all over this wild earth. You have brought joy to so many, especially the lonely and disabled and and made us all realize the importance of preserving what is left of the wild earth. You made the problems of the world disappear for a few hours, and gave us something to look forward to each day. I would venture to say you have given an unimaginable number of people a reason to carry on. You have enriched our lives for years, made our world smaller by enabling us to form an everlasting bond with many animal lovers from all over the globe, and you have made us all animal experts. :-) For the past 5 years, I have had the time of my life watching WildEarth and I wish I had it all to do over again. When and if the safaris come back, we will be here waiting. Thanks for the memories and God’s special blessings to you all.

[Nickthea]

I will surely miss the drives. Every drive made me really happy and was kind of a short vacation after a hard day work. I will miss Marcs kind word about every single creature, Tara´s preference for dung ;-), the happiness in her voice every time she discovered an animal great or small but the most when she found leopards and Seb allways was fun to watch even when there were nothing to watch...

Hopefully we will see them in this way or an other on Wildearth Media, and my biggest wish is you find a way toput the live drives back to live again some day. Keep us updated.

[Mary J Bradley]

I think we should spend the next few hours feeling sorry for ourselves and then get into high gear and work on a solution..

We may not be able to save the drives from being cancelled but we may be able to bring them back.. Please send out e-mails and letters to anyone and everyone. Have a list, and each week on Thursday or Friday(for snail mail), or Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday (for e-mails), send these requests out.  The reason for the different days is so that the people recieving them do so in the beginning of the week before weekend itis sets in...  I think if we are diligent we may be able to find someone to sponser these drives.   We may have a different crew but we will learn to appreciate them too.

Our Pony Tail Gang will be sorely missed..

thank you for letting me say my piece..

Mudjie

[Enid Oberholtzer]

To all the wonderful members of the safari drive team,

You have provided life altering experiences for all of us. Nowhere can a person have this kind of experience and educational opportunity. I know I view the world very differently as a result of our time together over the years on drives. To have provided the drives live in such a remote area of the world with such expertise is a feat of immense proportion. Thank you so very much for sharing your work with us and I look forward to future opportunities as they develop.

With the very best wished,
Enid Oberholtzer

 

[Dia Spriggs]

Mary J Bradley said:

I think we should spend the next few hours feeling sorry for ourselves and then get into high gear and work on a solution..

We may not be able to save the drives from being cancelled but we may be able to bring them back.. Please send out e-mails and letters to anyone and everyone. Have a list, and each week on Thursday or Friday(for snail mail), or Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday (for e-mails), send these requests out.  The reason for the different days is so that the people recieving them do so in the beginning of the week before weekend itis sets in...  I think if we are diligent we may be able to find someone to sponser these drives.   We may have a different crew but we will learn to appreciate them too.

Our Pony Tail Gang will be sorely missed..

thank you for letting me say my piece..

Mudjie

 

I agree but they seem to turn down everything we viewers want to do with a resounding No..or that wouldn't work...... a lot of us would do a paid subscription or contribute.. we've really tried to get people to watch and everything else we could do.  I think it's horrible that they are being cancelled... look how much good they brought attention to the rhino cause... got money and advertising... classes of school children watch.. they are raising the awareness and knowledge of these animals... I mean the list goes on and on... plus giving DJUMA the best advertising they could ever want... people all over the world now know about Djuma which is worth a lot... write it off as advertising expense.  Tara, Marc and Seb have become very loved and so are the animals and to let that all go, to me is insane.

[Donna Turn]

I am having a hard time posting on my own so i am going to reply to the 1st comment posted.  Thanks karen for getting a discussion page started for us so we can talk while the drive is not on & just enjoy the last few drives.  I hope there is something we can do to help save the drive & we are all willing to what we can.  I know we can still stay connected with the 3 pony tails in the future to see what life brings them.  thanks for some great moments from africa. Donna Turn

Kathy in WV said:

Thanks! This will be a great place for us all to post our comments so the crew can see them without having to look all over.

 

Being a long time viewer (was watching cams before the drives started), "archivist" and now zoomie (who usually zooms during the PMsafaris) I will miss the interaction between crews & viewers and of course will miss my favorite leopards.  More later.

[Heather Tobin]

Never say never - we could have drives in the future. But for now - this is great to be able to say how we are feeling - will miss EVERYTHING to do with the drives - Marc and Tara and Seb and Becky and all those others who have made this all possible. Love you all Heather Tobin (Mrs_Bul) 

[slingggirl]

As another long time watcher of the cams & drives I am sorry to see WE drives stopping, for now! Have enjoyed the drives with Kathy in WV & Peaches when we were on the old old forum together. I'm sure there are others on this forum that was on the same one I was on several years ago, we have all continued watching and sharing... Will miss this greatly... Sorry things have not worked out with the behind the scenes activity you all have been working on. I know you will keep us posted as to when you will start another series of drives in the future.... Thank you all, good luck, God Bless each of you in your next adventures.

[Vicki W.]

Very sad news, to say the least. I've been watching this site for 4 years and got rather hooked. It has become a part of my life. I would like to thank each and everyone of you (even those from 4 years ago) for all of the knowledge instilled in my mind. Good luck in the future. WE LOVE YOU!!!

 

[emc]

The opportunity to see a part of Africa, and the animals that live there has been a fantastic adventure. Many of us will never have the opportunity to go on Safari in person. But we have had the priveledge of riding on the vehicles, with the guides and our friends. I so appreciate learning what the animals are called, seeing them in their natural habitat, learning about them from the different guides thru the years. I was surprised to hear it is ending, I thought the viewer numbers had gone up to what was needed. Sigh

Thank you WildEarth and Djuma for this life changing adventure ! :) It has been awesome!

Beth

[Nancy Klassen]

I'm so sorry to see these drives end. I have lived in Africa, been in Kruger Park numerous times, and have loved these drives so much....bringing back so many memories! I used to also watch the cameras when they refreshed over and over. What an incredible improvement the drives have been. The presenters have all been so professional. Marc, Tara, and Seb being the last ones to teach us from the front seat and camera perch of the Ganda. 

All the best to you folks! I trust that you will be able to find another niche for yourselves...Marc, take care of your health. Hopefully we will see you all again...perhaps even on another Ganda!...I trust that is so. I for one will be waiting!

WE have made so many new friends we would not have otherwise met. All over the globe......What a fantastic and rewarding experience!!!

Thank you all!!!

 

God bless you!