Pfd Life Jacket
Rhodesian Ridgebacks – The Lion Dogs
Cornelius Van Rooyen was a well known hunter who lived in Southern Rhodesia in the late part of the nineteenth century. He was particularly well known for hunting lion and it was this that sparked the need for a special sort of dog. Perhaps it was the way lion stalk their prey that led him to want dogs which warned him of just such an occasion.
My friend lived at Van Rooyen’s Rest, a 1000 acre farm on the outskirts of the village of Plumtree. The farm was named after Cornelius Van Rooyen who had settled there after retiring from his very active hunting career, many years earlier. He was a well known lion hunter and it was this aspect of his career that involved him in the breed of dogs which became known as Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Mr. Van Rooyen himself does not seem to have played a part in the perpetuation of the breed – his intention appears to have been confined to breeding dogs to assist him with hunting, not breeding for breeding’s sake.
Hunting in the early days of Rhodesia was both a sport and a means of providing food. Dogs were used to track down and harry the prey. Whatever Mr. Van Rooyen’s reasons were for hunting lion, both male and female lion make formidable opponents.
A male lion weighs in at around 200 kg and the females at 120 kg. A lion hunting alone stalks its victim slowly and silently, trying not to be seen. (If you do happen to catch its eye, the menace of it’s intent can be virtually paralyzing). From a distance of about 30m, it abandons cover, bursts into speed, grabs its prey and throws it to the ground. Death comes by biting the back of the animal’s neck or sinking its teeth into its throat to suffocate it. With some large animals, where the neck is high off the ground, lions have been known to start their feast on the hindquarters while the animal is still alive.
It’s possible that some of the lions Van Rooyen hunted were man-eaters, in which case the local tribespeople would have welcomed the efforts of an experienced marksman with a trained pack of dogs to rid themselves of these troublesome beasts.
The story goes that Cornelius had visited nearby Hope Fountain Mission, which at that time was in the hands of Rev. Charles Helm who had brought with him, from the Swellendan region of the Cape of South Africa, two dogs of small-to-medium build, brown in colour, smooth-haired with a marked ridge of opposite-lying hair along the spine, from above the shoulder almost to the base of the tail. They were probably derived from a breed owned by the O Khoikhoi people, indigenous to that part of Africa, crossed with a larger, sturdier type imported from Europe.
Cornelius crossed his own hunting dogs with those of the Reverend Helm to establish a type that became known as Van Rooyen’s Lion Dogs, large, muscular, intelligent and energetic, retaining the characteristic ridge of hair that later earned them the official title of Rhodesian Ridgebacks. They are often of a tan to dark color with a short coat, do not shed much hair and are practically odor free. They usually only bark if they have a good reason to do so.
The actual way in which the dog was used to hunt lions seems to have been to use them in rotating packs to harass the lion and bring it to bay, when it could be shot at close range.
The breeding program of Rhodesian Ridgebacks still exists in South Africa and in other pockets all over the world though sadly it no longer seems to exist in Zimbabwe (which used to be called Rhodesia).
It is not really a water dog but it is adaptable so should you own a Rhodesian Ridgeback and go anywhere with it on the water, you may be interested in buying a Life Jacket or Flotation Device for it – these days commonly known by the initials PFD. They come in various shapes and sizes and protect it against unforeseen long periods in the water. Of course, it is also important that you yourself take the precaution of wearing one.
Possible choices could be:
Pet Saver Deluxe Dog Life Vest
Marine Technologies Cordura Dog Vest
Riptide PFD for adults
NRS Chinook Fishing PFD
You may like to look at these and other articles at
http://www.theboatingstore.co.cc
Some of the information for this article – the brief history – came from the website murenga dot com.
About the Author
The author is a retired high school teacher of geography and maths. T
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Onyx M-24 Manual Inflatable Life Jacket (PFD)
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^ WETLINE 16158 BLUE / BLACK 44-47 INCH XL ADULT PFD BOAT LIFE VEST $48.96 |
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^ WETLINE 16156 BLUE / BLACK 40-43 INCH LARGE ADULT PFD BOAT LIFE VEST $48.96 |
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^ WETLINE 16160 BLUE / BLACK 48-52 INCH XXL ADULT PFD BOAT LIFE VEST $46.96 |
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^ WETLINE 16154 BLUE / BLACK 36-39 INCH MEDIUM ADULT PFD BOAT LIFE VEST $48.96 |
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^ WETLINE 16152 BLUE / BLACK 32-35 INCH SMALL ADULT PFD BOAT LIFE VEST $48.96 |
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^ WETLINE 16153 RED / BLACK 32-35 INCH SMALL ADULT PFD BOAT LIFE VEST $48.96 |
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Winning Edge Comfort Series Fishing Vest PFD Life Jacket SMALL $29.95 |
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SKIWARM ADULT MENS TYPE III PFD WATER SKI BOATING LIFE VEST SIZE XXL MODEL 7361 $39.99 |
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Stearns PFD Life jackets $30.00 |
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Winning Edge Comfort Series Fishing Life Jacket PFD Vest 4XL $30.45 |
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Stearns Versatile Orange Life Vest PFD Type III Safety Rescue w/Reflectors $41.95 |
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NEW KAWASAKI FACTION ADULT GREEN PFD LIFE VEST XS $35.99 |
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NEW YAMAHA RED VALUE 4 BUCKLE PFD LIFE VEST SMALL MEDIUM $33.50 |
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NEW YAMAHA NEOPRENE ADULT BLUE PFD LIFE VEST SM $59.99 |
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NEW KAWASAKI ANTHOLOGY ADULT RED PFD LIFE VEST MEDIUM $54.99 |
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NEW KAWASAKI ANTHOLOGY ADULT BLUE PFD LIFE VEST X LARGE $54.99 |
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JET PILOT Echelon Neoprene Life Vest PFD Silver XL $81.99 |
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NEW SEA DOO SANDSEA ADULT RED PFD LIFE VEST 3XL $39.99 |
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NEW YAMAHA NEOPRENE ADULT GRAY PFD LIFE VEST XSMALL $59.99 |
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NEW SEA DOO MOTION LADIES BLACK PFD LIFE VEST LARGE $39.99 |
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Yellow and Orange Colored Deluxe Infant Sized Type II PFD Life Vest for Boats $31.39 |
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Yellow and Orange Colored Deluxe Child Sized Type II PFD Life Vest for Boats $32.29 |
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Yellow and Red Colored Deluxe Child Sized Type III PFD Life Vest for Boats $26.59 |
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Blue and Yellow Colored General Child Sized Type III PFD Life Vest for Boats $23.09 |
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Orange and Yellow Colored General Child Sized Type III PFD Life Vest for Boats $23.09 |
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Yellow and Red Colored Deluxe Youth Sized Type III PFD Life Vest for Boats $31.89 |
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Blue and Yellow Colored General Junior Sized Type III PFD Life Vest for Boats $23.09 |
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Orange and Yellow Colored General Junior Sized Type III PFD Life Vest for Boats $23.09 |
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Blue and Yellow Colored General Adult Sized Type III PFD Life Vest for Boats $23.09 |
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Orange and Yellow Colored General Adult Sized Type III PFD Life Vest for Boats $23.09 |
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Blue and Yellow Colored General Adult XL Sized Type III PFD Life Vest for Boats $23.09 |
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Boston Warehouse Orange Polyester Life Preserver Bottle Cover $10.99 Celebrate your nautical side with this life preserver bottle cover by Boston Warehouse. The “life jacket” is crafted of durable polyester and features a rich orange color with a front buckle closure, just like the real thing. This bottle cover is perfect for sailing or water sports enthusiasts, and fits one standard sized wine bottle…. |
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Fishin Buddy Accessory Pack $19.99 These are the replacement parts for the Aviva Fishin Buddy. Included in this pack is the 8in. inflatable Buddy Bobber, retrieval wand, 2 pcs tackle pack, flag & plastic tube for flag, and a rechargeable Ni-Mh battery. This item ships in its original packaging, which may include a photo of the product. This item ships in its original packaging, which may include a photo of the product…. |
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DBI/Sala 9500468 Off-Shore Lifejacket for use with Fall Protection Full Body Harness $163.95 Off-Shore Lifejacket for use with Harness #9500468. Off-Shore Lifejacket with back D-ring opening may be used with a variety of harnesses including our Delta No-Tangle harnesses that offer greater comfort and added safety. Constructed from Certified Hi-Vis orange fabric and 62 square inches of SOLAS grade reflective tape. Foam filled head support collar with two vertical adjustable straps and hing… |
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Stearns VR Versatile Rescue Vest Stearns I650 Versatile Rescue Vest. Universal Size!… |
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Astral Buoyancy V-Eight Life Jacket The world’s first breathable PFD; the V-Eight combines Astral’s AIRESCAPE® Technology (patent pending) with an ergonomic design, quick drying and durable Ripstop® shell, and ample pocket space for your next outing. Provides a minimum of 15.5 lbs of buoyancy. All buoyancy is provided by PVC-Free Gaia ergonomically shaped by hand. US Coast Guard approved Type III PFD. Size options: (measured at gr… |
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NRS CVest Type III Life Jacket (PFD) $109.95 NRS CVest Type III Life Jacket (PFD) |