September 2007
* On the morning of the 1st I didn't have a vehicle to go out, but on my way to the office I saw all 5 the Wild Dogs at Base Camp's Gate. Their bellies were full and they were chasing each other. I'm guessing they ate the Nyala that they caught the previous evening.
* In the afternoon there was a vehicle available and the guides asked me to find the Wild Dogs for them. I found them sleeping close to the fence close to North Gate. I left them when the guides came and went to find the Male Cheetah. I found him resting close to the JAC House and sat with him for a long time, but Alan didn't have time to dart him. I left him just before it got dark. We needed to dart him to put him in a Boma. We are swopping him for a new Male and we bought another Male so now we would have two new ones and the young Male shouldn't be allowed to mate with his own mom anyway.
* The next morning Russell and I went to look for the Male Cheetah again. We found the Buffalo Herd next to the Vula Zulu fence and then found the Male Cheetah along the fence between North Gate and the JAC gate. We followed him for a long time, but by the time Alan could dart him, he had gone into the bushes. Michelle (Leopard) and I walked into the bushes following the Cheetah's tracks, but we walked into the Buffalos and had to turn back. We couldn't find him again.
* On the morning of the 3rd Michelle (Leopard) and I went out at 04h30 to find the Cheetah. We found him between Base Camp and the Tented Camp just before 05h00. The problem with finding him so early is that everybody else was still sleeping. He went in and out the bushes hunting and we lost him a few times, but the last time we saw him was at 06h30. We couldn't find him again when Alan was there and we couldn't dart him yet again. We went back to the North and found the Wild Dogs busy eating a Female Nyala next to Vula Zulu fence. They left and played along the fence. A Hyeana followed them for a while, but disappeared when the Dogs went back to the Nyala carcass.
* During the week a new person, Erika, started working in the Admin department and I decided to take her to see the Lion Cubs. We looked for them for quite some time before we found the Mom, her older daughters and the 2 Cubs sleeping in the shade close to a Drainage line. One of the Cubs was sleeping in a tree just above her Mom. Really cute. Their getting very big now.
* On the morning of the 4th Michelle (Leopard) and I went out at 04h30 and heard a Lion roar close to Base Camp. We found the Male Lion on the open area close to Vula Zulu. He got up and walked towards Old North Gate. We left him to go and find the Cheetah. We looked all over the area where we last saw him and then checked the fences close to the villa. We didn't find the Cheetah, but what we did find was much better. It was a FLAME. In the burnt area across from the Villa there was a tree that was still burning. We took some marshmallows (don't ask why I had Marshmallows in my bag. I promise it wasn't planned), took two sticks and sat in the middle of the bush roasting Marshmallows. I love my job! We didn't find the Cheetah after that either.
* On the morning of the 5th I went home for my off-time and the Cheetah was darted at 08h30. Talk about bad timing. On the morning of the 10th the 2 new Cheetahs arrived at Thanda and were put in a different Boma.
* On the morning of the 12th I back at work. Russell dropped his radio in the fire while they were burning another block (don't ask). I've attached a picture. I don't think it works anymore. We went to look at the new Cheetahs in the Boma and on the way back found one of our Female Cheetahs close to Base Camp. She had killed a Common Reedbuck Female and was lying on the road. We had to drive through the bushes to get around her.
* On the morning of the 13th Russell and Alan burnt the open area close to Base Camp. I was tired of the office and went to help Russell light the fire. It's actually fun to walk with a flame and look back and see a line of fire behind you. It didn't burn very well, because it's quite dry and there are a lot of bare patches in the open area, but it was still fun to burn the bush.
* In the afternoon of the 13th I was able to use one of the Guides' vehicles and went out to look for places where we could put the Trail Cameras up for the Leopard Research. We found our one Big Elephant Bull at South Pan and after the guides came we watched him make one of the guides move her Land Rover very fast. We left and it started raining softly. We carried on looking and just before we turned back we found the other Elephant Bull close to South Gate, but he didn't hold us up very long.
* On the morning of the 14th Russell and I went to shot something to feed to the Cheetahs in the Boma. Russell gave me the rifle and I shot my first animal ever. It was quite a big Warthog and I was really excited to get it on the first shot. On our way to the Boma we found all 5 Wild Dogs sleeping close to the JAC House. I still love them more than anything else. We fed the Cheetahs and they came right up to us when we dragged the Warthog into the Boma.
* In the afternoon when we got back to Base Camp there was a Male Nyala on the inside of the fence. Desmond and Russell wanted to catch it, but it ran right through the fence. One of the young Wild Dogs was running around outside the fence looking in. I'm guessing the Wild Dogs chased the Nyala in there in the first place. I still can't believe the Nyala ran through the fence.
* In the afternoon there was a vehicle available and the guides asked me to find the Wild Dogs for them. I found them sleeping close to the fence close to North Gate. I left them when the guides came and went to find the Male Cheetah. I found him resting close to the JAC House and sat with him for a long time, but Alan didn't have time to dart him. I left him just before it got dark. We needed to dart him to put him in a Boma. We are swopping him for a new Male and we bought another Male so now we would have two new ones and the young Male shouldn't be allowed to mate with his own mom anyway.
* The next morning Russell and I went to look for the Male Cheetah again. We found the Buffalo Herd next to the Vula Zulu fence and then found the Male Cheetah along the fence between North Gate and the JAC gate. We followed him for a long time, but by the time Alan could dart him, he had gone into the bushes. Michelle (Leopard) and I walked into the bushes following the Cheetah's tracks, but we walked into the Buffalos and had to turn back. We couldn't find him again.
* On the morning of the 3rd Michelle (Leopard) and I went out at 04h30 to find the Cheetah. We found him between Base Camp and the Tented Camp just before 05h00. The problem with finding him so early is that everybody else was still sleeping. He went in and out the bushes hunting and we lost him a few times, but the last time we saw him was at 06h30. We couldn't find him again when Alan was there and we couldn't dart him yet again. We went back to the North and found the Wild Dogs busy eating a Female Nyala next to Vula Zulu fence. They left and played along the fence. A Hyeana followed them for a while, but disappeared when the Dogs went back to the Nyala carcass.
* During the week a new person, Erika, started working in the Admin department and I decided to take her to see the Lion Cubs. We looked for them for quite some time before we found the Mom, her older daughters and the 2 Cubs sleeping in the shade close to a Drainage line. One of the Cubs was sleeping in a tree just above her Mom. Really cute. Their getting very big now.
* On the morning of the 4th Michelle (Leopard) and I went out at 04h30 and heard a Lion roar close to Base Camp. We found the Male Lion on the open area close to Vula Zulu. He got up and walked towards Old North Gate. We left him to go and find the Cheetah. We looked all over the area where we last saw him and then checked the fences close to the villa. We didn't find the Cheetah, but what we did find was much better. It was a FLAME. In the burnt area across from the Villa there was a tree that was still burning. We took some marshmallows (don't ask why I had Marshmallows in my bag. I promise it wasn't planned), took two sticks and sat in the middle of the bush roasting Marshmallows. I love my job! We didn't find the Cheetah after that either.
* On the morning of the 5th I went home for my off-time and the Cheetah was darted at 08h30. Talk about bad timing. On the morning of the 10th the 2 new Cheetahs arrived at Thanda and were put in a different Boma.
* On the morning of the 12th I back at work. Russell dropped his radio in the fire while they were burning another block (don't ask). I've attached a picture. I don't think it works anymore. We went to look at the new Cheetahs in the Boma and on the way back found one of our Female Cheetahs close to Base Camp. She had killed a Common Reedbuck Female and was lying on the road. We had to drive through the bushes to get around her.
* On the morning of the 13th Russell and Alan burnt the open area close to Base Camp. I was tired of the office and went to help Russell light the fire. It's actually fun to walk with a flame and look back and see a line of fire behind you. It didn't burn very well, because it's quite dry and there are a lot of bare patches in the open area, but it was still fun to burn the bush.
* In the afternoon of the 13th I was able to use one of the Guides' vehicles and went out to look for places where we could put the Trail Cameras up for the Leopard Research. We found our one Big Elephant Bull at South Pan and after the guides came we watched him make one of the guides move her Land Rover very fast. We left and it started raining softly. We carried on looking and just before we turned back we found the other Elephant Bull close to South Gate, but he didn't hold us up very long.
* On the morning of the 14th Russell and I went to shot something to feed to the Cheetahs in the Boma. Russell gave me the rifle and I shot my first animal ever. It was quite a big Warthog and I was really excited to get it on the first shot. On our way to the Boma we found all 5 Wild Dogs sleeping close to the JAC House. I still love them more than anything else. We fed the Cheetahs and they came right up to us when we dragged the Warthog into the Boma.
* In the afternoon when we got back to Base Camp there was a Male Nyala on the inside of the fence. Desmond and Russell wanted to catch it, but it ran right through the fence. One of the young Wild Dogs was running around outside the fence looking in. I'm guessing the Wild Dogs chased the Nyala in there in the first place. I still can't believe the Nyala ran through the fence.
Mariana Venter - Wildlife Researcher/Monitor