Three young elephant bulls get up close and uncomfortable on a walking safari. As large as they appear, these will likely have doubled their weight by the time they reach sexual maturity. Elephant walking safaris have become increasingly popular in South Africa, but 'interaction' has become a tourist euphimism for 'feeding,' the practice resulting in a few serious incidents and some controversy.
Crews hired by Santa Barbara City clean up a beach after a storm swept a number of private boats ashore in the night. Both tourism and pollution are hot-botton issues in the city - owners are sometimes given just 24 hours ro salvage their craft before the wreckers are called in. Although leniency has been shown to those who can't afford salvage, it is yet another controversial 'environmental' topic.
The Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) is a small shorebird on the Endangered Species List. Under pressure due to human recreation because, their need to nest in open sand just above the high tide mark, means the birds enjoy access to few of their original breeding grounds. Thanks to conservation work done at Coal Oil Point Reserve in Santa Barbara however, Sands Beach has not only remained open to the public, but has beome one of the most prolific breeding sites on the West coast, with an average of forty chicks fledging every season for the last five years.
