Ken White

Several hikes in the woods this past long weekend led to many wonderful wildlife sightings, including a few invertebrates. Those in the know reference these as "inverts" while the rest of us just call them "bugs." I am most decidedly in that second group of folks.

I had a couple of emails in response to my last post (about why cats and dogs lick), and thought the best way to answer was in a follow-up. The questions focused on two topics: my assertion that cats are social animals; and questions about one of my cat's name...

The animals who let me share their home are not especially licky individuals, but for one notable and almost daily occurrence: the morning wake-up call. I start most days getting my eyebrows slobbered on by Tsimmes (our elderly red tabby) while Archie (the big black-and-white hairy English sheepdog mix) plops...

A quiet but sleepless pre-dawn and I returned once again to extraordinarily vivid and happy memories of experiencing African wild animals where they belong, just a few weeks ago. I'm not at all sure what stupid stroke of curiosity led me to leave such joyous memories for a web search...

On December 28, 2011, California's first wild wolf in over 87 years was confirmed. While many of us shouted for joy, recognizing the most significant conservation event for this species in this state in decades, others went to grab...

Although it's a bit archaic, you may be familiar with one or another version of the saying "A bad penny always comes back to you." It's most commonly used to refer to the bad son (or friend or employee or relative) who, when you least expect them, inevitably and unwelcomingly...

It is good to be home. Two completely amazing weeks in Tanzania but away from our dogs and cats -- even when surrounded by elephants and lions -- is a long time to be gone. Two of our three cats (Tsimmes and Ms. Stinky Louise) greeted us at the front...

Day 12: Heading home. We've seen so much, we've been so extraordinarily fortunate. Wildebeest, Marabou stork, lion, leopard and leopard tortoise, African fish eagle, cheetah, leopard, serval, kori bustard (love that name!), rhino, hippo, giraffe... All told, we've seen and identified more than 140 different species of birds, mammals and...

Day 10: This morning we witnessed three black-backed jackals hunt for a meal from among a large herd of impala. They attacked as one, choreographed, each from a different point of a triangle, diving into the herd. As one, the three quickly cut a mother and her young fawn from...

Day 9: We're at our new and what is to be our last stop on this journey, up in the northern Serengeti. We're by the Mara River, near Kenya. This place is called the Kogakuria Kopje, named for the native tribe (Kuria) and the large rock formations (kopjes) that quite...

Day 8: There is so much to say about lions. We see lions everywhere. Prides. Such a right term that: Pride. Proud. They are noble, regal, majestic, handsome, strong, magnificent. These are striking animals. Habituated as they obviously are to our vehicles, one is almost drawn to reach out a...

Day 7: We spot a baby hippo bobbing in the muddy water beside her mother, not any bigger than the adult behemoth's gigantic snout. These are such interesting animals. One hippo fact I remember reading in preparation for this trip, babies can suckle underwater.

Our guide for this leg of...

Day 6: Global climate change appears to have hit here as well, which is of course no surprise but is painful to learn. We timed this journey not only with our anniversary in mind, but with the hope and reasonable expectation of witnessing what is referred to as the last...

Day 4: Today we drove down into the Ngorongoro Crater, a giant 10 mile wide (over 100 square miles altogether) anciently collapsed volcanic crater which reportedly supports the greatest concentration of wildlife on the planet. I can't vouch for the claim, but the quantity and diversity of wildlife just blew...

Day 2: We start this morning with Carolyn spotting an immense leopard tortoise, one of several species of tortoises native to Tanzania (along with the oddly flat pancake tortoise and the hinge-backed). Maybe I am unduly excited about seeing a leopard tortoise here in a place when I can honestly...

My wife and I met many years ago while we were both working at a local humane society. Animals were part of our courtship (our two old dogs fell in love, and that seemed like a good idea to us) and animals have always been a big part of our...

I recently heard from a woman seeking advice on a rather unusual problem. It seems that Ellen and her husband had fallen in love with and adopted a dog from an animal shelter. The dog, an adult of unknown ancestry, had arrived at the shelter with the name Dave. He...

An animal shelter is a magical place, or so it can be. Yes of course I am biased, but just look at the facts. Here in this one shelter there are a number of rather remarkable stories that just now or recently have taken place.

There's the Australian bearded...

Sam and Stan were good friends, with a relationship dating all the way back to kindergarten. Considering that Sam is now in third grade this might not seem all that long a time to you, but keep in mind that, for an 8 year-old, three years is quite a while....

A Christmas Carol, Miracle on 34th Street, and Charlie Brown's annual special aside, most families develop their own holiday classics. Here's one of our personal favorites, back to the days long ago when our daughter, now grown, struggled to keep sleepy eyes open in hopes of catching a glimpse of...