Posts

Day 12: Shopping and Rhinos!

Image
​Today we got to start a bit late, with a nice cooked breakfast at 9:00! We did some last-minute shopping in town, grabbed lunch to go, and headed back to our lodge.  After a few minutes of free time, we followed Jessica to our next job: Dehorning 3 rhinos. Due to the enormous threat posed by rhino poachers, no individuals involved are identified, and our work site cannot be disclosed. This particular site is breeding southern white rhinos in the hope of preventing this species from becoming extinct. They had had good success keeping them secure until recently: There have been 3 poaching there in the past 3 weeks. Typically, a poaching team consists of 3 (or more) members, a shooter, equipped with a heavy duty sniper rifle with a night scope, security, equipped with machine gun and sidearms, and a runner, who, if they encounter any issues is to take the horn and run. Only days ago, the staff were awakened by the sound of gunshots. Sound echos oddly in the bush, with random rocky ou...
1 comment
Read more

Days 10-11: Nelspruit

Image
​We left before dawn (4:00 am, to be precise) to drive to a 2-day job near Nelspruit, about 4 hours from where we stay. Rita (the vet) typically schedules work here all at once, so that she doesn’t have to make the drive often.  Carli driving, with help from Pila the pup. Pila was rescued, near death, from the middle of the street about 6 weeks ago. Although she is only about 12 weeks old, she is already training to be a locator dog for darted game. She stays with us and accompanies us in the field, and is already showing some impressive abilities. Gorgeous kudu buck, spotted on the way to find something else. Loading impala into a trailer and partially reversing their sedation so that they can stand but still be calm. Looking into the loading chute of the boma (pen) where 3 wildebeest are being run into a trailer. Using a pole syringe to sedate the wildebeest that were run into the trailer from the chute. The top of the trailer is covered with liftable panels of rubber so that the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Day 9: Sable and waterfall

Image
​Blogger app has been acting up, so posting a bit late! Monday we helped with the darting and transport of several (4) sable bulls. Our afternoon work cancelled, so we went to a waterfall! Lauryn and vet Rita Piso handling a nice sable bull. The females are more brown, with smaller horns, and the bulls are larger and black with amazing horns. The value of the breeding animal is in the length of the horns. Carli, our guide, bottom left.
Post a Comment
Read more

Days 7-8: Kruger revisited

Image
​We spent our second weekend inside Kruger. Long, leisurely days cruising around the sunny bush, spotting an impossible number of animals! I’m just going to share a sampling of what we saw. I’m not sure this is what they usually mean by a “zebra crossing”! Massive Cape buffalo  So many elephants! While this is great for us, it is not so great for the Park. Elephants destroy trees and bushes, stripping the landscape and disrupting habitat for other species. Currently, Kruger has about 3 times it’s carrying capacity of elephants. Impala lillies bloom in winter Crocodile We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn in the Park. This out is roughly as far south as Traverse City is north of the equator. In case you wondered why spotted hyenas have spots! Impala. Lions! We watched this group for nearly an hour as they lounges beside the road. Notice that they appear pretty relaxed! Aloe in bloom at the entrance to our overnight camp A giraffe tree by first light Sunrise giraffe Black-backed jackal...
1 comment
Read more