Venezuela author to speak at Adventure Travel Show, London

Russell Maddicks, author of the Bradt Guide to Venezuela, will give an illustrated talk about travelling in Venezuela at the Telegraph Adventure Travel Show at Olympia, London, on 28 January.

Saturday 28 January 2012
Time : 12:00 till 12:45
Where : Theatre 4, Olympia (Kensington)
Venezuela: Wildlife Wonderful. Russell Maddicks.
One of the 17 most megadiverse countries in the world, Venezuela, perched at the top of South America, is hot, tropical and home to Caribbean beaches, dense rainforests, high Andean valleys, mysterious table-top tepui mountains, and seasonally-flooded plains that are literally teeming with birds, beasts and creepy-crawlies. From the anacondas, capybaras and crocodiles of Los Llanos, to the jaguars, monkeys and tarantulas of the jungle, a well-planned trip to this fascinating country can reap rich rewards for wildlife watchers. Russell Maddicks, author of the Bradt Guide to Venezuela, has been adventuring in Venezuela for more than 20 years. In his talk he will give practical tips on how to minimize your impact on these fragile environments, travel responsibly, and give something back to the local communities you stay with.

Special Discount Tickets
Tickets to The Telegraph Adventure Travel Show cost £10 on the door, but you can get them for £6 (a £4 discount) if you quote "RUSSELLMADDICKS" when booking online at www.adventureshow.com or when calling 0871 230 7159 (calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras).

For full details of the Telegraph Adventure Travel Show click here.

Hato Masaragual, Los Llanos and Orinoco Caiman on BBC

Veteran BBC presenter Jonathan Dimbleby visits Hato Masaguaral, a ranch in the plains of Los LLanos Venezuela, that breeds an endangered species of crocodile commonly know as the Caiman del Orinoco, as part of a BBC series called "South American Journey with Jonathan Dimbleby" that airs on 25 September at 8 p.m.

In the hour-long documentary the broadcaster happily strokes a three day old caiman but the larger ones prove to be more challenging. The breeding males live in cages on their own and can grow up to six metres long.

Killed for fun or for their skins, this crocodile only exists in Colombia and Venezuela. It is critically endangered which is the highest risk category for wild species. This means it's numbers will decrease by 80 per cent within three generations.

Dimbleby also explored the music of Venezuela, visiting the studio of Desorden Publico - a ska band that has been at the top of the charts in Venezuela for over a quarter of a century.
Playing to audiences of up to 150,000 people, Desorden Publico are not mere entertainers but have a profound political purpose invariably challenging the status quo.
As Jonathan stomps his feet to their energetic beat, Horacio Blanco, the lead singer is worried. He tells Jonathan that Chavez's 21st century Socialist revolution has polarised the country.

The full documentary is being shown on BBC 2 at 8 p.m. on 25 September and will be available on the iPlayer for a week after broadcast.