JRT,

Ironic if our ill-starred bird photographer had been picked over by some eminently tickable vulture don'tcha think?

We heard another story of a birder who experienced the 'unforgiving minute' when leaving the main party as he pursued some owl or other into the jungle. He was scragged by a tiger which devoured half his side before they could drive it off. Too late though.

Another unfortunate birder from the Liverpool region went missing in Afghanistan some years ago (before the present trouble started) and has never been seen since. No doubt there is some murderous tribesman wandering about while sporting a pair of high quality birding optics. Birdwatching can be a risky business - if you are prepared to take them.

That is an almost unbelievable report on the brainless bear-snatcher. Mind you...if there were no such cretins in this world many doctors and nurses would be out of work and on the breadline. He was lucky to get away with it - I presume he did.

We call the trunk the boot BTW!