* On the afternoon of the 20th Russell and I went looking for the Lions and found the Buffalo Herd on the Savannah area. After that saw a Porcupine and walked/ran (DON'T RUN IN THE BUSH) after it to see where it was going. It disappeared into an old Warthog hole which it had cleaned out very nicely, because we found a piece of a Warthog skull and some other bones on the edge of the hole. We couldn't find the Lions and on our way back we found the Elephant Herd on the Savannah area. They didn't like us being there and a few of them trumpeted. We gave them space and they crossed the road.
* On the morning of the 21st the Wild Dogs were at the Soccerfield Gate and ran around the field to the other gate at the shed. They rested on the road for a long time before they went off into the bushes. I went looking for the Lions again and only saw the Rhino Cow and her Bull calf. In the afternoon the Dogs were back at Base Camp and they slept on the road close to the gate for a long time. The guides came and left with the guests and the Wild Dogs just watched them. I could hear the Elephant Herd in the Drainage close to Base, but they didn't come out.
* 0n the morning of the 22nd I found the Lion and the Phinda Lioness without the Cubs on the road between Base camp and the tented camp. I waited with them for 3 hours since we needed to dart and contracept the Lioness. They were mating the whole morning. On average Lions will mate every 20 minutes for about 4 days. I timed them and they mated 7 times in one hour. Anyway, I left them to go get the drugs and meet up with the vet, DR Dave Cooper. Russell stayed with them while I was gone.
When we all got there Russell told me they had just walked into the bushes. I drove onto the road to a small dam and found the Lioness in a big Marula tree. The Male was lying underneath the tree and tried to climb up once, but did not succeed. She slept in the tree for an hour (I'm still talking about the Lioness by the way). When she finally came down they both went in underneath bushes on the dam wall. The vet said we should give them some space and decided to follow his feelings and not dart her.
* On the morning of the 23rd we released the Cheetahs from the Boma. We opened the gate and they just walked out. They immediately lost each other and one of them walked around calling. I followed the signal and found them together again. Both Cheetahs have tracking collars on so that we can follow and monitor them for the next few months. For the first time in my life I experienced the speed of a Cheetah. One of them chased after a Steenbok and the other one took over after a few seconds, but did not succeed in catching it. I left them resting in the shade.
* On the morning of the 24th I went to find the Cheetahs and had signal for the Wild Dogs at the same time. The Cheetahs were still on the Savannah area between Base Camp and the Lodge. They kept sniffing in the grass like they were looking for small prey. Just before the guides arrived they went into the bushes and came out when the guides were gone. The guides came back and the Cheetahs just sat next to the Game Drive vehicles very relaxed. The guides left again and I saw the Wild Dogs just up the road teasing some Wildebeest. I stayed with the Cheetahs and the guides went to see the Wild Dogs. When it got warmer the Cheetahs rested in the shade in the same area and I left them.
* Now this is strange. I went out with Michelle from the Leopard project to go and check the trap cameras. On our way to one of the sites I had to stop and reverse since we both saw something very unusual. It was balloons. Yes, here on Thanda in the middle of nowhere, wrapped around a small Sicklebush we found a bunch of white balloons and about 20 meters away was the only black balloon. You can't say that's not strange.
* In the afternoon I couldn't decide whether I should find the Cheetahs or the Wild Dogs and to my surprise found them at the same place. The Wild Dogs would run towards the Cheetahs and the Cheetahs would then chase the Wild Dogs. This carried on for quite a while. The Cheetahs eventually walked away from the Wild Dogs and the Wild Dogs followed them. The Wild Dogs eventually got bored and went hunting. I watched the Cheetahs stalk some Wildebeest across the Main Road. One of them crossed unnoticed, but the other one turned into a Chameleon halfway across the road. He stood there with one foot in the air for about a minute before he carried on. They shot out from the grass and the Wildebeests got the fright of their lives. I've never seen Wildebeests so surprised in my whole life. I don't think they've ever been chased by Cheetahs, but they all got away. Anyway, the Cheetahs then rested there in the same area.
* On the morning of the 25th I sat with the Cheetahs again and heard a Leopard calling in the distance. I thought I was hearing wrong, but it happened again and again. I drove around in the area to have a look and only heard some Impalas make alarm calls. I went back to the Cheetahs and the guides heard a Warthog squeal in the same area where I heard the Leopard. They say they found big Leopard tracks and they think the Leopard killed the Warthog.
* Sitting with the Cheetahs I saw a Hyena a little distance down the road. He disappeared into the bushes. It was raining and the Cheetahs slept in the same area after licking the water off of each others faces. I left them. In the afternoon it was still raining and a staff member came to call me. One of the big Elephant Bulls was next to the soccerfield. Last year the Elephant Bulls came into Base Camp a lot and made the staff run all over the place. Base Camp was then fenced earlier this year and the Elephants haven't been back since. The staff members were very excited and all they could say was "long time no see"...
* On the morning of the 21st the Wild Dogs were at the Soccerfield Gate and ran around the field to the other gate at the shed. They rested on the road for a long time before they went off into the bushes. I went looking for the Lions again and only saw the Rhino Cow and her Bull calf. In the afternoon the Dogs were back at Base Camp and they slept on the road close to the gate for a long time. The guides came and left with the guests and the Wild Dogs just watched them. I could hear the Elephant Herd in the Drainage close to Base, but they didn't come out.
* 0n the morning of the 22nd I found the Lion and the Phinda Lioness without the Cubs on the road between Base camp and the tented camp. I waited with them for 3 hours since we needed to dart and contracept the Lioness. They were mating the whole morning. On average Lions will mate every 20 minutes for about 4 days. I timed them and they mated 7 times in one hour. Anyway, I left them to go get the drugs and meet up with the vet, DR Dave Cooper. Russell stayed with them while I was gone.
When we all got there Russell told me they had just walked into the bushes. I drove onto the road to a small dam and found the Lioness in a big Marula tree. The Male was lying underneath the tree and tried to climb up once, but did not succeed. She slept in the tree for an hour (I'm still talking about the Lioness by the way). When she finally came down they both went in underneath bushes on the dam wall. The vet said we should give them some space and decided to follow his feelings and not dart her.
* On the morning of the 23rd we released the Cheetahs from the Boma. We opened the gate and they just walked out. They immediately lost each other and one of them walked around calling. I followed the signal and found them together again. Both Cheetahs have tracking collars on so that we can follow and monitor them for the next few months. For the first time in my life I experienced the speed of a Cheetah. One of them chased after a Steenbok and the other one took over after a few seconds, but did not succeed in catching it. I left them resting in the shade.
* On the morning of the 24th I went to find the Cheetahs and had signal for the Wild Dogs at the same time. The Cheetahs were still on the Savannah area between Base Camp and the Lodge. They kept sniffing in the grass like they were looking for small prey. Just before the guides arrived they went into the bushes and came out when the guides were gone. The guides came back and the Cheetahs just sat next to the Game Drive vehicles very relaxed. The guides left again and I saw the Wild Dogs just up the road teasing some Wildebeest. I stayed with the Cheetahs and the guides went to see the Wild Dogs. When it got warmer the Cheetahs rested in the shade in the same area and I left them.
* Now this is strange. I went out with Michelle from the Leopard project to go and check the trap cameras. On our way to one of the sites I had to stop and reverse since we both saw something very unusual. It was balloons. Yes, here on Thanda in the middle of nowhere, wrapped around a small Sicklebush we found a bunch of white balloons and about 20 meters away was the only black balloon. You can't say that's not strange.
* In the afternoon I couldn't decide whether I should find the Cheetahs or the Wild Dogs and to my surprise found them at the same place. The Wild Dogs would run towards the Cheetahs and the Cheetahs would then chase the Wild Dogs. This carried on for quite a while. The Cheetahs eventually walked away from the Wild Dogs and the Wild Dogs followed them. The Wild Dogs eventually got bored and went hunting. I watched the Cheetahs stalk some Wildebeest across the Main Road. One of them crossed unnoticed, but the other one turned into a Chameleon halfway across the road. He stood there with one foot in the air for about a minute before he carried on. They shot out from the grass and the Wildebeests got the fright of their lives. I've never seen Wildebeests so surprised in my whole life. I don't think they've ever been chased by Cheetahs, but they all got away. Anyway, the Cheetahs then rested there in the same area.
* On the morning of the 25th I sat with the Cheetahs again and heard a Leopard calling in the distance. I thought I was hearing wrong, but it happened again and again. I drove around in the area to have a look and only heard some Impalas make alarm calls. I went back to the Cheetahs and the guides heard a Warthog squeal in the same area where I heard the Leopard. They say they found big Leopard tracks and they think the Leopard killed the Warthog.
* Sitting with the Cheetahs I saw a Hyena a little distance down the road. He disappeared into the bushes. It was raining and the Cheetahs slept in the same area after licking the water off of each others faces. I left them. In the afternoon it was still raining and a staff member came to call me. One of the big Elephant Bulls was next to the soccerfield. Last year the Elephant Bulls came into Base Camp a lot and made the staff run all over the place. Base Camp was then fenced earlier this year and the Elephants haven't been back since. The staff members were very excited and all they could say was "long time no see"...
Prepared by Mariana Venter - Wildlife Monitor/Back-up guide