Chthonic Wildlife Ramblings

Sunday Seascape: 7 February

Brendan Moyle • Feb 08, 2016

• Auckland photos,
• duotone,
• Long Bay,
• Long Bay photos,
• nzphotos,
• seascape

I’m feeling a bit more settled back in New Zealand.  So, I’ve actually managed to take some photos of late.  I don’t think I’ve had the chance really, since November. I’ve really been spending far too much time in airplanes or airports in 2015. One thing I’ve been trying to do with this blog, is just post a seascape photo … Read More

The Auckland Bike Challenge: Day 1 (Wheels of Death Edition)

Brendan Moyle • Feb 03, 2016

• Auckland Bike Challenge,
• carbon emissions,
• cycling,
• cycling in Auckland

For those of you residing in Auckland, there is currently a biking challenge for this month. It’s just about getting more people on bikes this month in Auckland. Now that I’m actually back in New Zealand (yeah, I’ve been overseas a lot), I thought I’d sign up. I mean, I like to bike anyway.  Compared to fieldwork in China, … Read More

China expedition – bile and bear farms

Brendan Moyle • Dec 11, 2015

• bears,
• China,
• Mudanjiang,
• poaching

Wifi isn’t so good on this trip.  Finding a signal to upload posts has become tricky. I can’t upload photos with these speeds either.  Nonetheless, it’s good to hear news from home when we do get a signal! Looking at the weather in Beijing, we feel fortunate to be working in Mudanjiang. The sky yesterday was clear and blue, and … Read More

The China adventure: Mudanjiang

Brendan Moyle • Dec 07, 2015

• bear farming,
• bear poaching,
• China,
• conservation

It’s day 3 in China where I’m undertaking research into bear poaching. The first stage of the trip was flying from Auckland to Beijing via Hong Kong. My Chinese colleagues meet me at Beijing airport. Generously they offer to take me to dinner. I decline gracefully. I’ve been travelling for hours, it’s late, and mostly I just want to … Read More

Sunday Seascape 29 November

Brendan Moyle • Nov 30, 2015

• Auckland photos,
• Devonport,
• long exposure,
• North head,
• NZ photos,
• photography,
• rangitoto island,
• seascapes

We’ve had some lovely days in Auckland. So I have actually left the computer behind, and gone out to take photos.  This feels even more important of late, as I’m about to go back to China to do more fieldwork.  One thing China tends not to have, is scenes like the Hauraki Gulf.  Especially in winter. North Head in Devonport … Read More

The dark side of conservation- 2 rangers killed in Cambodia

Brendan Moyle • Nov 10, 2015

• Cambodia,
• poaching,
• wildlife rangers,
• wildlife trade

A recent news story in Xinhua news concerns a wildlife-ranger patrol in Cambodia.  Two of the four were killed, and one was injured in an encounter with a group of criminals. I would like to extend condolences and sympathy to the families of the men. This also goes to another issue. A lot of conservation problems (which are made … Read More

Back to the cold

Brendan Moyle • Nov 08, 2015

• Canterbury Cathedral,
• photography,
• technology,
• Travel

Well, in December I make my next expedition overseas.  It’ll be my sixth trip in the last 12 months, and like all the others, up in the Northern Hemisphere.  More specifically, China. I’m heading to the far north so it’ll be very cold.  So that’s a whole lot closer.  This is adding up to a lot of hours in … Read More

A trip to Fairy Falls

Brendan Moyle • Oct 25, 2015

• Auckland,
• Auckland waterfalls,
• Fairy Falls,
• NZ photos,
• Waitakere Ranges,
• waterfall,
• waterfall photos

My last two attempts to photograph the Fairy Falls (in the Waitekere Ranges) were thwarted by the weather. On the first occasion, bright sunlight blew out the highlights on the water. On the second occasion, it rained. On Wednesday we had rain and bouts of bright sunshine. But the bits in between worked out okay. I have discovered that most … Read More

Counting Ivory: Does it add up?

Brendan Moyle • Oct 22, 2015

• black-market for ivory,
• elephant conservation,
• elephant poaching,
• Hong Kong Ivory Market,
• ivory carving

The publicity the illegal trade in ivory gets is at the moment, running high.  By way of background, the estimated numbers of elephants being illegal killed in African range states, ranges from 25,000 to 35,000 a year.  That means- roughly- there is about 250-350 tons of raw ivory being harvested by poachers annually.  The average weight of a tusk is … Read More

Surviving a stranding: NZ80 at Hong Kong

Brendan Moyle • Oct 05, 2015

• flight cancellation,
• hong kong airport,
• nz080,
• nz80

Many hours ago, I’d raced across Munich airport to make my Lufthansa connection to Hong Kong. The arrival of my flight from Vienna left me with just enough time to make it. If I’d known what was coming, I might have taken it a bit more slowly.  I was on NZ80 to fly back to Auckland on 3rd October. Read More