Dutch Wildlife

Continuing the series of stork photos, I was inspired to write on Dutch wildlife. Normally this would be a short article about the relative lack of wildlife actually. Coming from Australia where there is plenty, and on the back of my recent trip to Alaska where there is a lot of (large) wildlife, the Netherlands seems pretty devoid of wildlife.

But then a story appeared in Dutch News yesterday about the Gelderland village of Epe, close to the Veluwe national park. The town has announced plans to start shooting wild boar inside its borders because of the nuisance to gardeners and risk of traffic accidents. According the the local council, some 25 boar have taken to roaming the village streets at night.

Personally I think they are missing a great tourist opportunity here. I can envisage a whole industry built around this, with refreshment stands, postcards, t-shirts ("I went to Epe and Survived") and stuffed imitation boars. And this is not as far-fetched as it might sound - far less obvious things seem to pass as entertainment around here! For example, when I head out for my long rides on a Sunday, many of the canals are lined with dozens of people taking part in fishing competitions. And this is not some case of standing by the canal and throwing in a line. These guys (and they are mostly blokes) have lots of high tech looking gear, tents, outdoor furniture and and array of cooking equipment. In a strange way, I am inspired by their dedication to luxury!

Anyway, today's photo is one of the storks departing from the nest they have in the park.

Shane