I have been overwhelmed by e-mails following my “wake up call” message. So many people want to assist and become involved in the fight against crime, but don’t really know what to do.  My view is that in order to give up your hugely valuable time, the contribution you make must be meaningful.  It’s no good faffing around on the soft issues.  If you become a reservist at the charge office it must free a policeman up to go out and be visible.  We’ve put a great deal of thought about constructive ways for any resident to become involved. Here they are to get us started:  You can do 1 thing, or all 12!!!

In the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park, photographer Piet Heymans came across an extraordinary sequence of a cobra devouring a puff adder. The photo is taken near Langklaas in the park along a stretch of road where a puddle had formed from rains the night before. “It was amazing to see how the cobra puts its teeth forward each time, slowly forcing the puff adder down its throat. The tail of the puff adder disappeared in the cobra’s mouth 52 minutes later. The cobra sailed away as if it had swallowed nothing.” 
This snake is one of the entries for the Captured Experiences competition. Get your entries for the next round in by 9 August. Images must be taken in one of the following parks: Augrabies Falls, Mokala, Tankwa Karoo, Namaqua, Kgalagadi and Ais-Ais/Richtersveld.
For more information on this, bat houses for Berg-en-Dal and the Taita falcon visit www.wildcard.co.za.

There is nothing quite like having a knife at your throat to focus the mind.
Last week on Tuesday evening, myself and my ten year old daughter were involved in what every South African dreads - an armed house robbery. We innocently set off from my home to visit friends for dinner, who live in Eddy Street, Bedfordview. I had my daughter and my friends’ two little boys in the car. The house is situated in a quiet cul-de-sac, and sadly, this particular home has been robbed a few times. In any event, I alighted from the vehicle, pressed the buzzer, announced myself, and got back into my car, waiting for the gate to slide open.
 
At this point I must say that I have always prided myself on being extremely vigilant. In fact, I have been rather contemptuous of people in crime situations who have been completely unaware of who was behind them. At this point there was no vehicle behind me, and I drove into the driveway and switched off my ignition. Almost simultaneously, a man appeared at my window.