Collected Moments of Survival

This poster by Roger Hall can be purchased on his Etsy Shop WildlifeArtbyRoger What started as a casual enquiry about some cheetahs took a very different turn in March this year at my exhibition titled Touch at Fine Art Gallery in Swakopmund. A collector of my work was weighing up whether to invest in my piece of a cheetah Mom with her cubs or to invest in some work of Zebras. (As her farm has zebras on it).   Little did I know at the time, that those zebras are in fact, Hartmann’s Zebras and are a rare mountain species of Zebras. In fact, I did not know, just how many different Zebra species and sub-species there are. So, I pose the question to you, my reader, did you know how many Zebras there are spread throughout the African continent. I think I’ll start with the one that is no more. May the lesson of the Quagga serve to ignite in us the forethought to ensure that no more species ever go extinct due to the greed and ignorance of man. Then, let’s look at Zebra numbers of the va...

We arrived at Schlesien on Wednesday afternoon. We’d been given clear instructions on where to go and arrived in front of a set of gates flanked by two cheetahs. However, the gate was locked, and per kind favour or Vodacom (who lie through their teeth when they advertise that International Roaming is available - we sat with our fingers you know where! By some miraculous power of deduction Paul worked out how to open the gate (I won’t reveal how) and we were wending our way over a 4x4 track that would have enthusiasts drooling. Slowly and inexorably we made our way towards the house which we could see in the distance atop a very high hill, maybe even a mountain. Finally, we were there and the first to greet us was a scruffy looking black dog who enthusiastically greeted us. When his human caretakers made an appearance and after all the introductions were made I enquired as to whether the dog was one of theirs. It appears that they misunderstood my question - directed in Afrikaans and n...

It all happened so quickly. One minute, we were still the owners of a Lodge and then suddenly we weren’t.   In December 2021 we were packed up. Our possessions landed in a container and we were officially “homeless”. After being pinned down in one place for 17 years we were reluctant to make a hasty decision regarding the future. In a moment of contemplation I suggested that we buy a caravan, travel from Game Reserve to Game Reserve throughout Southern Africa for the next couple of years and then we make our decision as to where we would like to settle. This decision was to have a few repercussions. Caravans, in South Africa, it seems all fancy the idea of cooking in your bedroom. I, for one, cannot abide the thought of going to sleep amidst the smells of cooking food and so the journey began. After much searching and disappointments along the way we finally found someone who could tailor-make a caravan to specification. However, due to his willingness to design the caravan around ...

I have to admit that I am as close to a Dinosaur as one can be. My bones creak and my attitudes to life have been shaped by a time that appears to be long gone. In my day, before the era of a phone in a pocket, there was a certain etiquette that went along with the telephone. No calls after 8pm, no calls during meal times and a call was a private affair not listened to, by all and sundry. I remember a story of a relative, a surly farmer who, when technology reached his farm, had a telephone installed. However, as he did not fancy the idea of an intrusive device, had his telephone installed in the barn. His reasoning was that when he needed it he would go and use it, but he certainly didn’t want it intruding on his life.   Fast forward to 2022 and this etiquette that made life and technology quite tolerable, has just disappeared in a cloud of smoke. On the road for the first time, forging our way North towards Namibia we landed in Upington at a beautiful lodge on the banks of the Or...