Cattle for Africa .....

 A small herd of cattle finished off (North Star figures)...

Cattle need somewhere to be kept, so made up a small enclosure - hibachi skewers and cocktail sticks stuck into some foam packing strips stuck onto a cardboard base...

completed enclosure, with a gate (with frame of wire)

painted up and in place next to a large settlement....

continuing.on.

Ser stood, machette in hand to defend the boat just as the first hippo charged into the boat.

He stood little chance and was knocked off his feet and into the river by the impact between hippo, boat and shore.
   Ser stood quickly, even in his dazed state he knew how dangerous the water could be.
The machette was still in his hand and he raised it against the hippos, who, having apparently made their displeasure known calmly swam off downstream.




Junior and Sophia moved alongside,

Ser was obviously shaken but unharmed, the professor lay comatose as he had for the day.

Quickly the party moved on.

The river seemed quiet but still .they  proceeded with care.

Danger was  still around them, as the rivers edge showed.

As if from nowhere, shots rang out.

Figures could be seen on the river bank and a white building half hidden by the jungle came into view.

This had to be the mission, but why was a nun standing waving them on whilst holding a smoking pistol.

The reason became obvious as they moved towards the bank.

There was little chance of hitting a crocodile at that range with a handgun, but the beasts moved warily away.

 Experience had taught them that.

Quickly the professor was lifted from the boat and carried into the Hospital.

Sister Sarah, arranged for food and refreshments even as she hurried inside to examine the patient.



All wondered if he would survive.

Time will tell.

The journey continues.

          Dawns rosy fingers were barely brushing the morning sky as the party boarded the boats for what promised to be a long days travel.

   All had had a restless night, and the best that could be said for the Professors condition was that it seemed no worse.
    They could only hope that the days travel would cause him no further distress.

Ser took the first boat with the professor, some of their stores had to be left behind to make room.
Sophia and Junior took the second.




Moving cautiously off in the half light, the party rounded a bend in the river to find the way ahead blocked by a series of sandbars with only narrow channels visible between.

Warily they proceeded, expecting at any moment to run aground (1 or 2 on a D6)






In the shallows beyond Native cattle had been brought down to the riverbank to drink.
 A village must be nearby.
Hopefully not aggressive.


Watching the herdboys for any signs,they failed to spot a young hippo in the water.
When they did spot it, Ser began to worry.
Where was the mother?
The last thing he wanted was to be caught between mother and child.





As they scanned the surface of the river, the young hippo turned upstream, keeping pace with the boats.




On and on, it swam before them.

Where was the mother?





All eyes  scanned the water and the banks for any sign.

A native village passed unheeded as they began to overtake the hippo.




Ahead, a small herd of Wildebeast had come to the river to drink, it seemed unlikely that the parent hippo was nearby.








Laving theyoung hippo behind they increased speed and headed on, determined to make up lost time.

The jungle was coming alive with sound and many diverse animals could be seen.




Ahead the could see smoke rising above the jungle canopy.





A native village, deserted and smouldering was quickly passed.

Everyones eyes were scanning every bush and tree for danger natural or human.





Although much wildlife was seen nothing threatened the party and they motored on for several hours in the heat of the day.











Other inhabitants had not been as lucky.




 A small tributary appeared on the right, Their journey led straight on, and they passed the Juju signs with barely little notice.






A herd of Elephants lined the bank,

The old bull eyed them warily as they motored on.





But ahead in the water Ser had spotted hippo.





 They couldn't stop, but slowed and steered to clear them.


Disturbed from their midday snooze the giant beasts turned and attacked the lead boat.







To be continued.

Another Moa...

Finally got round to working on another Moa ...; modifying a 54mm plastic ostrich which had been sitting on a shelf waiting for a while ....

 painted up and with his mate .....

snake in the road ....

Expedition convoy halts to let a large snake cross their track ...

[new items: large snake and grey van]

some ladies ... and emus ...

first a selection of ladies, ready for trips into the jungle etc....

and to add to my selection of animals, some emus...

... into the pacific .... some more animals...

Added some typical animals that could be used... a few chickens and a dog (Pegasus 1/48 plastics); seen here with some native huts that may be useable

 and some wild pigs ...

and finally something a bit more dangerous - a nice large lizard (Komdo dragon or the like) from Otherworld Miniatures

I need some more suitable native huts and the right sort of natives for Micronesia/Melanesia/Polynesia ....

animals - Australia

Just in case events move into Australia, I've started work on some suitable animals...

Initially some plastic Kangaroos repainted...

animals - south east asia update... and beyond into pacific ....

the elephant herd now a bit bigger (from one to three)

 moa or similar large land bird ... (modified plastic ostrich)

mr orang and his wife and son .....

 giant tortoises ....

 a couple of Dodo's....

animals - India and SE Asia

some animals for this part of the world .... a few to start with ...

elephant, rhinos, black panther, tiger (tarted up plastic animals)

and a lonely Orang-Utan