Nick De Jongh and Helen Rohrs - As WE remember them.

[Claire-M.]

The afternoon drive on December 31st was Lieschen's first drive as a camerawoman. On the WEchat, Lieschen's interactions with Pieter, her questions and her giggles were good to our WEheart and we were remembering the good WEmoments we spent with Helen and Nick in the first months of WildEarth.

When Kay asked "Who are Nick and Helen?", I said to myself : "Well, such a question is worth a journey in the past, let's see what I have in my Treasure Chest!"

So, for you Kay and all the other WEmembers that are curious to know why we so often talk of Helen and Nick and how it was back then to go on a drive with them, here's a few videos, my first video clips ever. But first, have a look at WEblog in April 2007 for photos and bios of the first WEcrew :

http://wildearth-media.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html


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Let's start with an interesting part of the afternoon drive on July 21st, 2007.

Elephant bull and hyena - Part 1
A lone elephant bull near a hyena den.



Elephant bull and hyena - Part 2
Suite and End of the encounter.



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A Nick and Helen morning drive on July 22nd, 2007.

Djuma Glorious Morning - Part 1
A great sunrise in South Africa and important informations about Burchell's zebra and male elephants.



Djuma Glorious Morning - Part 2
Subtitle : Elephants in the mist



Glorious Morning at Djuma - Part 3
Lot of elephants. Nick sneezes 3 times. Fork-tailed drongo.



Glorious Morning at Djuma - Part 4
More elephants, baboons and final by Egyptian geese.



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The beautiful day of July 22nd is completed by the afternoon drive with Nick and Helen. How lucky was I to be able to log on twice on the same day!

Sunset drive 072207-1
A beautiful afternoon in South Africe and lot of animals.



Sunset drive 072207-2
Mostly hippopotamus and elephants.



Sunset drive 072207-3
Elephants, lot of them.

Ellie bull walking on dam wall and Helen and Nick sitting in The Tank just below him. Then my heart almost stopped. I was so afraid of these giant creatures that I knew only from documentaries on television.



Sunset drive 072207-4
Elephants, hipppo, nyalas.



Sunset drive 072207-5
Starring dwarf mongoose, hippo and hyena.



Sunset drive 072207-6
Hyenas, nyala, beautiful sunset, Cape buffalos.



Sunset drive 072207-7 Finale
Cape buffalos. The Judge is there. And baboons. And surprise, a glimpse of a Honeybadger.



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The latest drive I have recorded with Nick and Helen is on the afternoon of July 27th, 2007. That drive is also memorable because we spent quality time with Karula and one of her cubs.


Karula and Cub, part 1
Karula is lying in the grass in the shadow of her tree and Cub is playful, hunting her/his mother.



Karula and cub, part 2
Beautiful zooms on Karula's and Cub's faces.



Karula and cub, part 3
Karula has beautiful teeth. Nick explains that spots above the last line of whiskers are used to identify leopards. Cub plays hide and seek. Karula goes up her tree for a hyena watch.



Karula and cub, part 4
On her branch Karula falls asleep, but not for long. Where is the cub? Camera problems. The drive ended there.



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Now you know them and, I'm sure, love them as WE do.


Thanks Helen and Nick for the beautiful moments WE spent together. Vuyatela!


Claire-M. Lepage
January 7th, 2009.