twikga stories about life, travels and other passions
What you love is what you cherish. We believe that opening your hart to the small wonders of life will make you appreciate what you have and passionate about preserving the world around you. Sadly, in times of climate change the urgency of wildlife conservation is brought right to our doorsteps. We realize how privileged we are to travel the world and hope that by sharing our pictures with a broader audience, through our websites, exhibitions and social media, that we may contribute to the protection of the places we were fortunate enough to visit over the years…
Elephants need our children’s voices to survive
Tata&Squack’s second adventure is a story about wild elephants, the largest mammals that walk the surface of the earth. While making this book we realised just how threatened elephants are and that chances are small they will be part of our children’s future. With this book we would like to create awareness of the wild elephants in a child friendly way and help these magnificent animals. To...
The rain has come in Samburu
It was great to be in the Samburu National Reserve again, where we researched Tata&Squack Mission Elephant in 2012. Back then it was the end of the dry season. The park was dry and the elephants came down to the river every day to drink and to refresh themselves. The change of scenery is amazing. The rains are slowly turning the landscape into a green meadow. The elephants enjoy the lush...
Door de grote meester Rembrandt met inkt vereeuwigd
Wij hopen dat de olifant, de tijger, de neushoorn, reuzenpanda, mensaap, walvis, zeeschildpad, sneeuwluipaard, blauwvin tonijn, rivierdolfijn, ijsbeer en alle andere dieren die vechten om hun voortbestaan, niet hetzelfde lot beschoren is als deze wilde berberleeuw. Deze soort bestaat inmiddels niet meer in het wild en werd door de grote meester met bruine inkt vereeuwigd op bruin papier...
A magic coffee moment with a “Bush Latte”
Those of you who like their daily cup(s) of the dark brew know about the coffee moment. Even on safari I would not want to miss it. Being out the whole day to get the perfect shot can be tiring. So a coffee stop now and then is more than welcome. At home we are quite picky about the coffee we drink. Freshly roasted beans are ground and brewed into a perfect espresso by a serious espresso...
Duvel and the 3irds celebrate the one-day-winter
"Whoa, snow. I love it. Much better than all that rain. Not to mention the stupid toweling afterwards. Come on Funny Bird, throw that snowball, I want to chaaaaaaaaase it! No, not too high. Yes, like that..." "Duvel, I am cold. We have been doing this for hours. I want to go home and eat. Then I would like to have a nice nap under a pile of blankets. Look at my poor bird friends, they are...
The crossing of the bewildered beest
The Great Wildebeest Migration, is one of the most impressive events in the natural world, whereas more than two million animals migrate back and forth from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya in order to find fresh grass to eat. On their trek their path is cut several times by rivers. Watching the frantic herds crossing can be very spectacular;...
Duvel und die 3 Vögel essen Leberwurstkekse beim Friseur
"Duvel, bist du krank?" "Nein, aber lass mich bloss in Ruhe! Meine Trimm-Frau pflückt schon seit einer Stunde an mir rum. Manchmal versuche ich sie mit Schmusen von der Arbeit abzuhalten, aber das klappt auch nicht immer. Jetzt ist sie kurz weg und ich versuche ein bisschen zu schlafen. Ist ja toll, diesen alten Mantel auszuziehen, aber irgendwann habe ich keinen Bock mehr. Meinen Bart will sie...
Ein Adventsmarkt für die Elefanten
Früher wurde die afrikanische Savanne bevölkert von hunderttausenden Elefanten. Heutzutage werden sie vom Aussterben bedroht. Warum? Weil sie gejagt werden im Auftrag von Händlern, die großes Geld damit verdienen. In Asien sind die Stoßzähne der Elefanten Gold wert. Sie werden verarbeitet zu Statuen oder Medikamenten deren Wirksamkeit nur im Aberglaube der Menschen existiert. Alle 15 Minuten...
Duvel and the 3irds dance with the leaves
"Duvel, these leaves are like golden snow, not as cold though. Swirly and floaty, nice and fluffy. Fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves on the ground. Jupeeee, I am dancing with the leaves! "Silly bird. Yes, let's run. Maybe I can hunt some squirrels, a there goes a fuzzy tail. Quick, before the boss catches me. She feels sorry for the little tree rats. Bugger, that squirrel is much too...
Green savanna – resembling a golf course
Home again from a two week trip to the Mara, Kenya. The rains have turned the planes into a green meadow, resembling a golf course. Although the big migration has moved on to the Serengeti, there was plenty of game left to see. We had some great sightings. A cheetah with four cubs, amazing lions, beautiful sunsets and massive thunderstorms. One afternoon we saw The Big Five within 30 minutes...
