Veröffentlichung

Endlich darf ich euch - wie versprochen - meine erste Veröffentlichung präsentieren.
Leider verwendete das Magazin in der online-Version nur ein Foto. Ich hoffe, dass in dem gedruckten Heft alle drei Bilder vorhanden sind. Sobald mir die Broschüre vorliegt, reiche ich die Information nach.

Artikel

Ihr könnt den unten angefügten Artikel auch unter folgendem Link finden: http://www.polisandlatchi.com/magazine/showarticle.php?art=503

Everyone who is on holiday on Cyprus, who lives on Cyprus or who is a reptile and/or an amphibian fan, knows the charismatic Austrian Snake George, alias Hans-Jörg Wiedl.
As we were planning to immigrate to Cyprus a few years ago we already knew Snake George by many travel guides in which he is mentioned. We visited his Reptile-Park in Peyia a few times and finally not only the animals, we also visited him. Everybody who takes the time to listen to Snake George to broadens his horizon. At the end of the summer one of our cats brought us a poisonous Blunt-nosed viper from the distant fields.
It was time to visit Snake George again. We took the young snake there, bought Snake Buster which keeps all kinds of snakes away from our garden and arranged an excursion. Where? If you ask him his answer is always the same. With a benignly smile in his face he says: "That I will not tell you yet!" In the forenoon Snake George fetched us in Polis with his pick-up.
He had hurried in the morning from one call to the next in order to save snakes from humans or humans from the snakes. We drove over remote roads to Pelathousa, Sarama and Kannaviou and Snake George began to show and explain us the scenery with his unbelievable knowledge. Afterwards we drove slowly on abandoned ways with many small stopovers towards the Tróodos mountains.
During the trip we marveled at small churches, forgotten quarries and impressive nature like the arbutus and the bay tree as well as the myrtle and spice plants like the thyme or marjoram. Deeply hidden in the mountains of Stavros we drove along a lonely, bumpy road besides a nearly waterless river. Where the brook accumulated water in small pools we jumped out of the car fitted with long trousers, rubber boots and snake-hook. We followed Snake George - the view always directed toward the puddles, sheets and bushes. Already after short time he pointed to a small water basin.
Really, we did not see anything! It took a long time until we saw those approximately 35 centimeter large Blunt-nosed viper. It was a peerless feeling to observe this reptile in free nature. After a while Snake George stopped again and declared that the hillside to our right is absolutely suited to find a colubrid snake. He began to rustle in the bushes for at least 20 minutes before we suddenly saw a very thin but extremely fast snake.
It was a difficult work to snatch the snake in the abundantly covered, thorny bushes. But he was successful and took it along for his park. On the densely wooded ways of the Stavros mountains Snake George told us his impressive and astonishing stories, adventures from Cyprus and many other parts of the world. Shortly before sunset we saw two free-living mouflons on the rocky hillsides of the Tróodos foothills. They jumped up with strong steps and we could watch them for a long time.
Breathtaking. We leaved the mountains between Limassol and Paphos and returned on the motorway to Polis. It was nearly 21 o'clock when we arrived. We had a beautiful day with Snake George who is really an interesting character. His engagement for the flora and fauna of Cyprus is remarkable. He is like that - Snake George.
Thanks, George. Stephanie and Stefan