The population of the park continues to grow!
A couple of days ago, Tongs, a rehabilitated cheetah, was found with four small cubs. Tongs was actually taken off her contraceptive implant last year, in the hope that she might have cubs, as when she was released she adapted to wild life very quickly, so should also have good mothering instincts. The father of the cubs is Bones, the same as Dizzy's cubs. I haven't seen them yet but hope to over the next couple of days.
This morning, I was told, along with the rest of the family, to be up at six, ready to drive to a mystery location for a big surprise. Absolutely nobody knew what was going to happen apart from Shanna, Janek and Dan. When I arrived to meet everybody else, near Bush Suite in the 2,000ha, I saw a large truck parked in the bush- inside of which were five giraffe. These are the first giraffe to be released in the 2,000; as far as I know, a bull, two females, a young male and a baby. (I did manage to take pictures but am not sure whether I can transfer them to my laptop yet). I have to say, I'm very impressed with Shanna, Janek and Dan for bringing in a truckload of giraffe without anyone finding out!
Friday 10 May 2013
Sunday 5 May 2013
Diary Entry - Day 80
I realise I have been extremely quiet on the blogging front recently.
There is good reason for this- for over the last week, I have been assisting with sorting out an audit, and have spent all my time in an office, some days working nearly fourteen hours. If by chance you are a lucky person who does not know what an audit is, for your own sake try and keep it that way. I now know more than I ever wished to know.
However after a lot of perseverance, team work and an horrifically unhealthy diet of peanut butter and syrup sandwiches (OK, at times it was just syrup), pancakes and beer, it is over.
I went out on trail this morning, which was a welcome treat, and saw Coco, Bones and Spud, looking very well fed and relaxed.
(My camera has run out of battery, and until I manage to find a charger I can't take any new pictures.)
In ten days, I am flying to South Africa, where I will be work-shadowing the vets at Pretoria Zoo.
There is good reason for this- for over the last week, I have been assisting with sorting out an audit, and have spent all my time in an office, some days working nearly fourteen hours. If by chance you are a lucky person who does not know what an audit is, for your own sake try and keep it that way. I now know more than I ever wished to know.
However after a lot of perseverance, team work and an horrifically unhealthy diet of peanut butter and syrup sandwiches (OK, at times it was just syrup), pancakes and beer, it is over.
I went out on trail this morning, which was a welcome treat, and saw Coco, Bones and Spud, looking very well fed and relaxed.
(My camera has run out of battery, and until I manage to find a charger I can't take any new pictures.)
In ten days, I am flying to South Africa, where I will be work-shadowing the vets at Pretoria Zoo.
Tuesday 16 April 2013
Baby Cheetah
I was woken this morning by my radio (by which everybody on the reserve communicates, as if with a walkie-talkie) at some point just after six. This is not the first time this has happened, and as usual my first thought was "Who on Earth is having a conversation at this time in the morning?". But when the words, "Dizzy has been found with cubs," registered in my sleepy brain, I was suddenly wide awake.
Dizzy is a lone female cheetah taking part in the rehabilitation program at Okonjima. I saw her within my first few days here, and put some good pictures of her in a post from my first week. She had been seen close to Bones, a male rehab cheetah who usually lives with his friends Coco and Spud, a couple of months earlier, and it seems like they must have mated.
One of the guides tracked for Dizzy on trail this morning, and found her off road in the south of the reserve. When he and the guests got closer, they saw Dizzy had three very young cubs with her.
I've spent most of my day watching Dizzy with her babies, or sitting near by to see if she moves around. The couple of photos I took aren't particularly good, because I couldn't get too close- and honestly, I really wanted to watch them with my own eyes rather than through a camera lens.
They are incredibly cute and we all hope Dizzy will be a good mother to them.
Dizzy is a lone female cheetah taking part in the rehabilitation program at Okonjima. I saw her within my first few days here, and put some good pictures of her in a post from my first week. She had been seen close to Bones, a male rehab cheetah who usually lives with his friends Coco and Spud, a couple of months earlier, and it seems like they must have mated.
One of the guides tracked for Dizzy on trail this morning, and found her off road in the south of the reserve. When he and the guests got closer, they saw Dizzy had three very young cubs with her.
I've spent most of my day watching Dizzy with her babies, or sitting near by to see if she moves around. The couple of photos I took aren't particularly good, because I couldn't get too close- and honestly, I really wanted to watch them with my own eyes rather than through a camera lens.
 |
| Mummy Dizzy watching me |
They are incredibly cute and we all hope Dizzy will be a good mother to them.
Wednesday 10 April 2013
Diary Entry - Day 55
I have been in the office for most of the last week- but Chris gets back from leave on Friday, so I'm counting down the hours until I get more freedom!
On Saturday it was Shanna's birthday, so the whole family had dinner together out in the reserve. First we had champagne by one of the dams as the sun set:
On Saturday it was Shanna's birthday, so the whole family had dinner together out in the reserve. First we had champagne by one of the dams as the sun set:
Monday 1 April 2013
Rain
For the last week, I haven't been out of the office that much because it's been raining a lot - I mean, really torrential electric storms. Main camp had 152mm over a four day period. This is very good news for the reserve, but not such good news for me, as having come from the wettest year England has on record, I'm not quite as excited as the locals. Also, I've found that there is absolutely no way of driving my quad bike through a puddle without getting soaked with muddy water- and there are very, very many puddles, as the roads here are not built for rain!
Last week I went along to watch Wayne dart Penta- it has been decided that she and her cubs will be released here, as we cannot find anywhere else for them to go. She therefore needed a collar putting on, and we took some blood samples whilst she was unconscious.
On Friday, I went for my first bare-back horse ride, which was actually not as wobbly as I feared. Hopefully by the time I leave, I will be fairly proficient!
As yesterday was Easter, I got up very early, at 5.30, to help set up an Easter egg hunt for the Hanssen children. It was pouring with rain, so I commandeered a four-wheel-drive car and made my way up to their house. The children were so excited when they woke up, and ran out into the rain with no qualms at all. After a breakfast of pancakes, bacon and eggs, the sun had come out and we took advantage of the recent rainfall, driving down to a beautiful waterfall that only runs after heavy rain. The children swam in the pool at the bottom of the waterfall and jumped off the top, and after some coaxing I jumped in in my jeans and t-shirt.
 |
| Examples of the puddles I have to negotiate- and these are far from the worst |
Last week I went along to watch Wayne dart Penta- it has been decided that she and her cubs will be released here, as we cannot find anywhere else for them to go. She therefore needed a collar putting on, and we took some blood samples whilst she was unconscious.
On Friday, I went for my first bare-back horse ride, which was actually not as wobbly as I feared. Hopefully by the time I leave, I will be fairly proficient!
As yesterday was Easter, I got up very early, at 5.30, to help set up an Easter egg hunt for the Hanssen children. It was pouring with rain, so I commandeered a four-wheel-drive car and made my way up to their house. The children were so excited when they woke up, and ran out into the rain with no qualms at all. After a breakfast of pancakes, bacon and eggs, the sun had come out and we took advantage of the recent rainfall, driving down to a beautiful waterfall that only runs after heavy rain. The children swam in the pool at the bottom of the waterfall and jumped off the top, and after some coaxing I jumped in in my jeans and t-shirt.
Saturday 23 March 2013
Diary Entry - Day 37
Quick catch up:
On Wednesday, they finally caught Bwana, the leopard I saw on February 21st. Once his collar had been changed, I went along to see him being released. He was in a box with a wooden door in front of a metal grate. The wooden door was removed first, a which point Bwana started growling- he was in a very bad mood! AJ and Louis, who were releasing him, opened the metal door with a rope, from inside the car on which the box was carried. When releasing cheetah like this, it is safe to open the door by hand, but leopards are too dangerous to do this. Bwana shot out and dissappeared into the bush in a few seconds, with Wayne filming the whole thing from the car I was in.
Yesterday, I went with Louis to find Ishara, Bwana's sister. She proved very difficult to track down, and when we finally did see her, she ran away from the car.
We went to see Wahoo, who is a 14 or 15 year old leopard whom Wayne raised by hand. When he reached maturity he was homed in a large enclosure, where visitors can watch him being fed from a large hide. I actually hadn't seen Wahoo since my very first visit here, in 2008.
In the afternoon we put out some bait at several sites for new camera traps. In between doing this, we went to feed Penta, the mother of five cubs whose picture is on 'Diary Entry - Day 31'. Her cubs are very wild and shy, and are rarely seen, so we were very lucky when all five appeared- they must have been hungry! One especially was quite bold, and another very shy, hiding until we started to drive away. Louis said this is the first time all five have come out in the presence of a car like this.
On Wednesday, they finally caught Bwana, the leopard I saw on February 21st. Once his collar had been changed, I went along to see him being released. He was in a box with a wooden door in front of a metal grate. The wooden door was removed first, a which point Bwana started growling- he was in a very bad mood! AJ and Louis, who were releasing him, opened the metal door with a rope, from inside the car on which the box was carried. When releasing cheetah like this, it is safe to open the door by hand, but leopards are too dangerous to do this. Bwana shot out and dissappeared into the bush in a few seconds, with Wayne filming the whole thing from the car I was in.
Yesterday, I went with Louis to find Ishara, Bwana's sister. She proved very difficult to track down, and when we finally did see her, she ran away from the car.
We went to see Wahoo, who is a 14 or 15 year old leopard whom Wayne raised by hand. When he reached maturity he was homed in a large enclosure, where visitors can watch him being fed from a large hide. I actually hadn't seen Wahoo since my very first visit here, in 2008.
In the afternoon we put out some bait at several sites for new camera traps. In between doing this, we went to feed Penta, the mother of five cubs whose picture is on 'Diary Entry - Day 31'. Her cubs are very wild and shy, and are rarely seen, so we were very lucky when all five appeared- they must have been hungry! One especially was quite bold, and another very shy, hiding until we started to drive away. Louis said this is the first time all five have come out in the presence of a car like this.
Wednesday 20 March 2013
Diary Entry - Day 34
TJ had his post mortem done today. The vet suspects that his head injuries were older than we originally thought, as they were very infected and it seems he died of severe septicaemia. His skin and skull are being preserved for educational purposes.
Tuesday 19 March 2013
TJ
Sadly, TJ didn't make it. His injuries were severe and at twelve years, he was quite old for a leopard.
Monday 18 March 2013
Diary Entry - Day 32
This morning was rather dramatic. Yesterday evening, TJ, the oldest male leopard in the reserve, was found injured. After being guarded from advances by a hyena and the wild dogs, he was darted and brought to the clinic at AfriCat this morning, where a vet had come in for him.
TJ had been fighting with a younger male, Mafana, who is in his prime and very big and strong, with a huge territory. They have been known to fight before, but never this badly.
TJ has deep puncture wounds on his head and rear. After all of these were washed out and disinfected, he was given antibiotics and laid out in a small, sheltered enclosure to come around. He will be very closely monitored for the next few days.
Whilst TJ was in the clinic, the older children from Perivoli, the on-site school, came to have a look, as did the guides and some of the other staff. This is a really good opporunity to see a leopard up close, and to help understand the work AfriCat does.
Here are a few pictures of me and the others with TJ in the clinic; these were taken once most of the madness had passed, and we were just flushing out his wounds.
TJ had been fighting with a younger male, Mafana, who is in his prime and very big and strong, with a huge territory. They have been known to fight before, but never this badly.
TJ has deep puncture wounds on his head and rear. After all of these were washed out and disinfected, he was given antibiotics and laid out in a small, sheltered enclosure to come around. He will be very closely monitored for the next few days.
Whilst TJ was in the clinic, the older children from Perivoli, the on-site school, came to have a look, as did the guides and some of the other staff. This is a really good opporunity to see a leopard up close, and to help understand the work AfriCat does.
Here are a few pictures of me and the others with TJ in the clinic; these were taken once most of the madness had passed, and we were just flushing out his wounds.
 |
| I'm not actually admiring TJ's impressive teeth here, I'm looking at the holes in the back of his neck |
Sunday 17 March 2013
Diary Entry - Day 31
Sorry for the lack of posts- I've been busy this week preparing to look after the AfriCat office, as Chris left on Friday.
However, I've also managed to get out into the reserve a few times with Louis, and have had a go at refreshing my tracking skills. On Friday, I failed completely to pick up a signal from Dizzy, then we found her lying by the road a few minutes after I last tried. My excuse is that she was lying on her radio collar. I had more luck the next day, when I did manage to get a signal, and correctly discerned in which direction we would find her, but couldn't pinpoint her exactly. We found her running down the road towards the car, so my excuse that time was that she was moving too much...
Here are some pictures from the last week:
However, I've also managed to get out into the reserve a few times with Louis, and have had a go at refreshing my tracking skills. On Friday, I failed completely to pick up a signal from Dizzy, then we found her lying by the road a few minutes after I last tried. My excuse is that she was lying on her radio collar. I had more luck the next day, when I did manage to get a signal, and correctly discerned in which direction we would find her, but couldn't pinpoint her exactly. We found her running down the road towards the car, so my excuse that time was that she was moving too much...
Here are some pictures from the last week:
 |
| Big Stick Insect |
 |
| Dizzy |
 |
| My view yesterday afternoon |
 |
| Dizzy Having a Drink |
 |
| Penta |
Drilling for Water
It has rained very little here this year, so the dams are very empty. This means that to keep all the game, and indeed people, watered until next summer (rainy season) they have had to drill to find water below ground. This is of course something I have never seen before, as especially this year England has had almost the opposite problem!
The drilling is done from a large truck with a tall frame, from which tubes are fed into the hole that is being drilled. This process is very noisy and dusty, and the workers have to be in the sun all day. If water is found, pipes are laid that allow it to be pumped to where it is needed.
These pictures show rock samples taken at every metre from the ground whilst drilling, showing how the type of rock changes. There are oer 180 samples here, i.e. they drilled for more than 180m. Unfortunately no water was found at this site.
The drilling is done from a large truck with a tall frame, from which tubes are fed into the hole that is being drilled. This process is very noisy and dusty, and the workers have to be in the sun all day. If water is found, pipes are laid that allow it to be pumped to where it is needed.
These pictures show rock samples taken at every metre from the ground whilst drilling, showing how the type of rock changes. There are oer 180 samples here, i.e. they drilled for more than 180m. Unfortunately no water was found at this site.
Monday 11 March 2013
Birds
(Sorry, I had a few technical problems getting this formatted- it was meant to be published on Friday)
These birds frequent the feeders where we put out seed every day outside the office.
 |
| Southern Masked Weaver (Male) |
 |
| Southern Masked Weaver (Male) |
 |
| Scalyfeathered Finches |
 |
| Scalyfeathered Finches |
 |
| A Weaver bird nest |
 |
| The tree holding the Weaver bird colony |
Thursday 7 March 2013
Diary Entry - Day 21
They are thrown over the fence to hopefully land on rubber mats, which prevent the meat from getting dirty (although a couple of the lions did not appreciate this and have moved their mats away). Unfortunately, I have not proven strong enough to get a four kilo piece of meat over a two (perhaps more) metre fence- mine bounced off near the top and fell back to the floor at my feet, spattering me with blood. However I need to develop this skill quickly, as once Chris goes on leave in a few days, I will have to help out more with the feed run.
Wednesday 6 March 2013
Diary Entry - Day 20
I went riding again today- I think I still have a long way to go! I was following the middle Hanssen child, Jayd, who is eight, around during her jumping practise. I didn't jump, but walked, trotted and cantered around the outside and went over a few low poles. That is, when Marcus wanted to trot straight. I'll work on it.
Yesterday I spent a couple of hours working on a bench outside the AfriCat office in the sun; Chris and Tristan, both the keyholders, were elsewhere, so I was locked out. However it was really quite pleasant.
Chris, my immediate boss, is going on leave on the 15th, after wich I will have to take care of most of AfriCat myself, so over the next few days I'm being trained up.
It's rained a few times here today- which means the roads, especially the small ones, are covered in frogs. Luckily I'm adjusting to the new quad, so avoiding them isn't too much of a challenge, but it has meant that I've been spattered in a few puddles.
Yesterday I spent a couple of hours working on a bench outside the AfriCat office in the sun; Chris and Tristan, both the keyholders, were elsewhere, so I was locked out. However it was really quite pleasant.
Chris, my immediate boss, is going on leave on the 15th, after wich I will have to take care of most of AfriCat myself, so over the next few days I'm being trained up.
It's rained a few times here today- which means the roads, especially the small ones, are covered in frogs. Luckily I'm adjusting to the new quad, so avoiding them isn't too much of a challenge, but it has meant that I've been spattered in a few puddles.
Monday 4 March 2013
Diary Entry - Day 18
My quadbike:
I've switched quadbikes today, from a larger slower automatic one to this light, fast manual one. It's a little harder to drive and also a little more scary at first- but I'll get used to it!
I've switched quadbikes today, from a larger slower automatic one to this light, fast manual one. It's a little harder to drive and also a little more scary at first- but I'll get used to it!
Sunday 3 March 2013
Diary Entry - Day 17
Yesterday evening we had a braai (barbeque in English) in a dry riverbed. The children cooked boerewors (sausages in English) and bread over a charcoal fire as the sun went down, after which everybody sat and chatted and the children were given a lesson on navigating using the Southern cross .
It is actually quite funny looking at the night sky here- I know very little about constellations, but living in the Northern hemisphere I'm subconciously used to seeing the stars arranged in a certain way. When I look up at night here, it is a little disorientating.
It is actually quite funny looking at the night sky here- I know very little about constellations, but living in the Northern hemisphere I'm subconciously used to seeing the stars arranged in a certain way. When I look up at night here, it is a little disorientating.
Thursday 28 February 2013
Diary Entry - Day 14 - Catch Up
I hadn't realised I hadn't written a post for so long! This is partly because I have been helping with many office tasks at Africat, which are probably not particularly riveting for eveyone, and because I have no new pictures to put up. I hope soon to be tracking the rehabilitated cheetah with Louis on some mornings, which will provide more exciting stories and photos (especially for the posts I promised on the local game and carnivores).
Meanwhile, I have been assisting every day with feeding the lions. Shavula ("Rain"), Thimba ("Lion hunter"), Shenzi ("Leader of the pack") and Kilimanjaro (no explanation needed) are all boys who were moved down here from Africat North, as I mentioned in Diary Entry 8. Shavula and Thimba are brothers and share an enclosure, whereas Shenzi and Kili live by themselves.
To feed them, we pass through a three-metre-high electrified fence, required by law where dangerous animals are kept. Slightly smaller electric fences make up the enclosures within this large perimeter fence. Pieces of meat weighing about 4kg are thrown over, which the lions attempt to catch in mid-air, sometimes succeeding. Whilst they are happy eating, we fill their water troughs up by pouring fresh water through a tube which is fed through the fence and into the trough.
When we drive through the gates in the fences, I jump out to unlock the chains which secure them. I've become much faster at this very quickly, because two of the gates are right next to Shavula and Thimba's enclosure, and the hungry cats prowl up and down the fence baring their teeth and growling at me. So far, Shenzi is my favourite because he has been the least aggressive.
I have also been out riding. I only started learning four years ago, so am relatively unexperienced, but 'bush style' riding is nevertheless quite different from the way I have learned! Luckily I haven't struggled too much with the transtion, because it is in many ways more instinctive. After a lesson on Monday which I felt had been slightly disastrous, the hack I went on yesterday was surprisingly enjoyable and easy; by the time we arrived back at the stables, I already felt my stability had improved. Now I can't wait to go out again!
Meanwhile, I have been assisting every day with feeding the lions. Shavula ("Rain"), Thimba ("Lion hunter"), Shenzi ("Leader of the pack") and Kilimanjaro (no explanation needed) are all boys who were moved down here from Africat North, as I mentioned in Diary Entry 8. Shavula and Thimba are brothers and share an enclosure, whereas Shenzi and Kili live by themselves.
To feed them, we pass through a three-metre-high electrified fence, required by law where dangerous animals are kept. Slightly smaller electric fences make up the enclosures within this large perimeter fence. Pieces of meat weighing about 4kg are thrown over, which the lions attempt to catch in mid-air, sometimes succeeding. Whilst they are happy eating, we fill their water troughs up by pouring fresh water through a tube which is fed through the fence and into the trough.
When we drive through the gates in the fences, I jump out to unlock the chains which secure them. I've become much faster at this very quickly, because two of the gates are right next to Shavula and Thimba's enclosure, and the hungry cats prowl up and down the fence baring their teeth and growling at me. So far, Shenzi is my favourite because he has been the least aggressive.
I have also been out riding. I only started learning four years ago, so am relatively unexperienced, but 'bush style' riding is nevertheless quite different from the way I have learned! Luckily I haven't struggled too much with the transtion, because it is in many ways more instinctive. After a lesson on Monday which I felt had been slightly disastrous, the hack I went on yesterday was surprisingly enjoyable and easy; by the time we arrived back at the stables, I already felt my stability had improved. Now I can't wait to go out again!
Saturday 23 February 2013
The Rehabilitation Program
Aside environmental education, Africat's main project at the moment is rehabilitaing as many of its cheetah as possible. Africat also stands for "A Free Cat", and the Hanssen family believe that wild animals should live in the wild wherever possible. Those cats who cannot survive in the wild for various reasons, can be kept in captivity as 'ambassadors' for their species, as I outlined in 'Diary Entry- Day 8'.
Fit, young cheetah (under the age of seven) who are not very habituated to humans are given the chance to live wild. They are released from the Carnivore Care Centre into the Okonjima reserve, often in small coalitions. Cheetah are generally solitary, with only males and young adults forming small groups, but for rehabilitation purposes working together usually gives them a better chance. Also, all the females in the reserve have contraceptive implants, which may alter their natural impulse to separate from their companions.
Once released, they are monitored daily (as all are fitted with radio collars) and fed intermittently. As their hunting hopefully improves, they will cease to be fed by humans, unless they appear not to have made a kill for a while and are becoming thin.
If they are not succesful hunters, they will unfortunately have to return to the Centre.
If they are injured or fall ill whilst undegoing rehabilitation, they will be treated and held at Africat until they are healthy again, and re-released- condition permitting. If they sustain long term damage which would prevent them from thriving, they remain in captivity.
All the cheetah in the reserve are rehab cheetah. Three, Coco, Spud and Bones, had just been released when I visited for three weeks in 2010. At this time, AJ was in charge of monitoring them, and as I was essentially work shadowing him I saw them almost every day. Although their two companions, Frankie and Hammer, have since died (Frankie whilst I was here in 2010) it was lovely to see them getting on so well.
It may seem that with two out of a group of five dying, rehabilitation is not a succesful method. However, even with these cheetah being immediately disadvantaged due to their lack of knowledge of the other animals in the bush (Frankie was killed by a leopard or hyena, probably because he wouldn't back away when challenged as he didn't know he was far weaker than his opponent) this is an excellent survival rate; in the worst habitats, only about 5% of cheetah cubs survive to adulthood in the wild.
Fit, young cheetah (under the age of seven) who are not very habituated to humans are given the chance to live wild. They are released from the Carnivore Care Centre into the Okonjima reserve, often in small coalitions. Cheetah are generally solitary, with only males and young adults forming small groups, but for rehabilitation purposes working together usually gives them a better chance. Also, all the females in the reserve have contraceptive implants, which may alter their natural impulse to separate from their companions.
Once released, they are monitored daily (as all are fitted with radio collars) and fed intermittently. As their hunting hopefully improves, they will cease to be fed by humans, unless they appear not to have made a kill for a while and are becoming thin.
If they are not succesful hunters, they will unfortunately have to return to the Centre.
If they are injured or fall ill whilst undegoing rehabilitation, they will be treated and held at Africat until they are healthy again, and re-released- condition permitting. If they sustain long term damage which would prevent them from thriving, they remain in captivity.
All the cheetah in the reserve are rehab cheetah. Three, Coco, Spud and Bones, had just been released when I visited for three weeks in 2010. At this time, AJ was in charge of monitoring them, and as I was essentially work shadowing him I saw them almost every day. Although their two companions, Frankie and Hammer, have since died (Frankie whilst I was here in 2010) it was lovely to see them getting on so well.
It may seem that with two out of a group of five dying, rehabilitation is not a succesful method. However, even with these cheetah being immediately disadvantaged due to their lack of knowledge of the other animals in the bush (Frankie was killed by a leopard or hyena, probably because he wouldn't back away when challenged as he didn't know he was far weaker than his opponent) this is an excellent survival rate; in the worst habitats, only about 5% of cheetah cubs survive to adulthood in the wild.
Friday 22 February 2013
Bwana
Yesterday, I tagged along with Louis, trying to track down Bwana. Bwana is a young two year old leopard, born of MJ and Mafana (one of the males in the park). He was fitted with a radio collar, but because he is a growing cat, he needs it to be changed soon or it will become too tight.
The plan was for Louis and I to see if we could find him, in a good open position, at which point we would radio Wayne to drive over and dart him, ready to change the collar on the spot.
We managed to find him, lounging atop a hide at one of the dams. He then jumped down into the thick bush which made up the surroundings- apparently, he has a reputation for being a difficult cat to find! We followed him for a short while, never seeing him, only following the beep from the radio collar (which we picked up with Louis' telemetry antenna). Eventually we came across him, lying in a river bed and seeming very relaxed; it was the perfect opportunity. We told Wayne as much, and he raced over whilst we kept an eye on Bwana.
When we heard Wayne's car, we backed out of our position so that he could drive in instead, lined up for a clean shot. Parked on a track near by, I waited whilst Louis and Wayne advanced in Wayne's Landcruiser. As the wait became longer, I thought it unlikely that they had managed to dart Bwana- even if he started walking and they did manage to follow him, the density of the bush would have made it extremely difficult to shoot a moving target.
Sure enough, Wayne and Louis arrived back unsuccessful, informing me that Bwana had begun to move off on sighting the Landcruiser.
Hopefully they will catch him soon!
The plan was for Louis and I to see if we could find him, in a good open position, at which point we would radio Wayne to drive over and dart him, ready to change the collar on the spot.
We managed to find him, lounging atop a hide at one of the dams. He then jumped down into the thick bush which made up the surroundings- apparently, he has a reputation for being a difficult cat to find! We followed him for a short while, never seeing him, only following the beep from the radio collar (which we picked up with Louis' telemetry antenna). Eventually we came across him, lying in a river bed and seeming very relaxed; it was the perfect opportunity. We told Wayne as much, and he raced over whilst we kept an eye on Bwana.
When we heard Wayne's car, we backed out of our position so that he could drive in instead, lined up for a clean shot. Parked on a track near by, I waited whilst Louis and Wayne advanced in Wayne's Landcruiser. As the wait became longer, I thought it unlikely that they had managed to dart Bwana- even if he started walking and they did manage to follow him, the density of the bush would have made it extremely difficult to shoot a moving target.
Sure enough, Wayne and Louis arrived back unsuccessful, informing me that Bwana had begun to move off on sighting the Landcruiser.
Hopefully they will catch him soon!
Photo Updates
I will get faster at uploading photos, but here are some photos relating to earlier diary entries. These were all taken at the same time as Paul Martens was taking 'proper' photos for brochures.
This is Nkozi, posing beautifully for the camera:
And this is Pooh, also posing beautifully and very chilled out:
This is Nkozi, posing beautifully for the camera:
And this is Pooh, also posing beautifully and very chilled out:
 |
| Paul and the guide, Louis, capturing Pooh's best angle |
Diary Entry- Day 8
Sorry for the recent hiatus- I knew my "one post per day" idea would fail! I'm adjusting to a new, busier routine.
Dad left on Wednesday, after which I immediately got to work at the Africat offices. As well as administrative work, updating the database and processing donations, I help to feed some of the cats in the Carnivore Care Centre (where all the cats who cannot, for various reasons, be released into the wild, live)
The group of cheetah we feed were hand raised, so are very friendly (behind the fence, that is). The leopard, Lewa, is very shy; I haven't seen her yet. The lions on the other hand are quite intimidating! Lions are my favourite animal, but I'm wary of these big hungry males, growling and posturing behind the fence. I'm sure I'll get less jumpy as I get to know them.
The lions have been moved down from Africat North, where a new location is in the process of being set up. These lions can hunt and fend for themselves a little, but are being kept in enclosures because were they to be released into the park, their impact would be sizeable, so this is still under consideration. The cheetah in the park have never encountered lions and would quickly fall prey, as they would be seen as competition.
The other cats in the Care Centre live here for one of these reasons:
Dad left on Wednesday, after which I immediately got to work at the Africat offices. As well as administrative work, updating the database and processing donations, I help to feed some of the cats in the Carnivore Care Centre (where all the cats who cannot, for various reasons, be released into the wild, live)
The group of cheetah we feed were hand raised, so are very friendly (behind the fence, that is). The leopard, Lewa, is very shy; I haven't seen her yet. The lions on the other hand are quite intimidating! Lions are my favourite animal, but I'm wary of these big hungry males, growling and posturing behind the fence. I'm sure I'll get less jumpy as I get to know them.
The lions have been moved down from Africat North, where a new location is in the process of being set up. These lions can hunt and fend for themselves a little, but are being kept in enclosures because were they to be released into the park, their impact would be sizeable, so this is still under consideration. The cheetah in the park have never encountered lions and would quickly fall prey, as they would be seen as competition.
The other cats in the Care Centre live here for one of these reasons:
- They have been hand reared, so would not be able to hunt or fend for themselves
- They are very used to humans so would be a danger to any people they came across, lacking the natural fear of humans found in wild animals
- They are injured or old, meaning they would be disadvantaged living in the wild
Tuesday 19 February 2013
Diary Entry - Day 5
Yesterday, I did my first bit of proper off-road driving. I was on a drive with my dad, Wayne and AJ, who is currently involved in Okonjima's education program, but was our first ever guide back in 2008, and allowed me to tag along for a whole three weeks in 2010 whilst he was monitoring cheetah rehabilitation. With careful direction from Wayne, I negotiated increasingly dubious tracks, at least one of which I reckon I was only the second person ever to follow. I also managed to traverse some of the dry river beds semi-smoothly.
I've been having chats and meetings with various members of the family and team today.
It's raining this afternoon; there has been relatively little rain this year, so these heavy showers are very welcome- and refreshing in the heat.
I'm gathering photos of the local game, to put together a post describing them all.
Not much else of interest has happened today, but watch this space, because I have no idea what's on the agenda tomorrow...
I've been having chats and meetings with various members of the family and team today.
It's raining this afternoon; there has been relatively little rain this year, so these heavy showers are very welcome- and refreshing in the heat.
I'm gathering photos of the local game, to put together a post describing them all.
Not much else of interest has happened today, but watch this space, because I have no idea what's on the agenda tomorrow...
Monday 18 February 2013
Diary Entry - Day 4
This morning, Dad and I had arranged to meet at Africat HQ to see the lions being fed.
(There are several lions being kept in enclosures currently that have been relocated from the northern branch of Africat, up near Etosha)
The rendezvous time was 8 o'clock, and as Dad always wakes early, we didn't bother to set an alarm. This turned out to be a mistake, as due to a restless night, we both overslept!
I would have loved to see the lions, but I'm sure I will have another opportunity over the next five months. We carried on with our plans for the day, with Wayne showing us around Main Camp, which is being redeveloped. We then went on to Africat, where I met Chris, who will essentially be my boss whilst I am here. He showed us around all the displays and explained a little of the work I will be doing.
I've also been driving Wayne's Landcruiser around with my dad, with both of us attempting to learn our way around the winding roads- so far unsuccessfully...
However, now I am enjoying acclimatising and catching up on all that has changed whilst I've been away, before work starts in earnest on Thursday morning.
(There are several lions being kept in enclosures currently that have been relocated from the northern branch of Africat, up near Etosha)
The rendezvous time was 8 o'clock, and as Dad always wakes early, we didn't bother to set an alarm. This turned out to be a mistake, as due to a restless night, we both overslept!
I would have loved to see the lions, but I'm sure I will have another opportunity over the next five months. We carried on with our plans for the day, with Wayne showing us around Main Camp, which is being redeveloped. We then went on to Africat, where I met Chris, who will essentially be my boss whilst I am here. He showed us around all the displays and explained a little of the work I will be doing.
I've also been driving Wayne's Landcruiser around with my dad, with both of us attempting to learn our way around the winding roads- so far unsuccessfully...
However, now I am enjoying acclimatising and catching up on all that has changed whilst I've been away, before work starts in earnest on Thursday morning.
Sunday 17 February 2013
Diary Entry - Day 3
On the afternoon drive yesterday, again with Wayne, I saw two more cheetah. Coco and Spud are a girl and a boy which were part of a group of five cheetah in the rehabilitation program that I followed closely in 2010; at that time, they had only recently been turned out into the park and were still finding their feet, so it was good to see them a couple of years on.
We also tracked down a female leopard called MJ. A smaller cat with a formaidable stare, she is one half of the first litter born at Okonjima.
Last night, just befoe dinner, we watched as Nkozi, a big six-year-old male leopard, strolled across the clearing at the back of the Villa. We were able to track him this morning on the morning drive and found him not far away, where he posed beautifully for the cameras; the drive consisted of me, my dad, two guides and two proffessional photographers who were taking some pictures for brochures etc.
We then found an hyena, who also sat very relaxed, whilst we posed as excited tourists a few metres behind him!
We also tracked down a female leopard called MJ. A smaller cat with a formaidable stare, she is one half of the first litter born at Okonjima.
Last night, just befoe dinner, we watched as Nkozi, a big six-year-old male leopard, strolled across the clearing at the back of the Villa. We were able to track him this morning on the morning drive and found him not far away, where he posed beautifully for the cameras; the drive consisted of me, my dad, two guides and two proffessional photographers who were taking some pictures for brochures etc.
We then found an hyena, who also sat very relaxed, whilst we posed as excited tourists a few metres behind him!
First Photos
I've decided to write two kinds of posts- a diary entry logging what I see and do each day, and extra posts with information about Okonjia and the animals.
This post has information in it which will make the diary entry today clearer.
The land at Okonjima is split into two sections; a big 20,000ha park, and a 2,000ha area where all the accomodation is- this smaller area has no big predators in it, so is much safer to walk around.
However, at the moment I'm staying in an offshoot of the Villa, a big suite that is in the main park.
Most of the carnivores have radio collars, which is how we are able to find them.
Over the next week or two, I will do posts on the different carnivores, their family trees and providence, as well as detailing the game that is seen regularly around the park.
Meanwhile, here are some photos of Dizzy, the dogs and MJ from yesterday:
This post has information in it which will make the diary entry today clearer.
The land at Okonjima is split into two sections; a big 20,000ha park, and a 2,000ha area where all the accomodation is- this smaller area has no big predators in it, so is much safer to walk around.
However, at the moment I'm staying in an offshoot of the Villa, a big suite that is in the main park.
Most of the carnivores have radio collars, which is how we are able to find them.
Over the next week or two, I will do posts on the different carnivores, their family trees and providence, as well as detailing the game that is seen regularly around the park.
Meanwhile, here are some photos of Dizzy, the dogs and MJ from yesterday:
 |
| Dizzy |
 |
| Three of the wild dogs |
 |
| MJ |
Saturday 16 February 2013
Arrival
I arrived in Windoek at 6am yesterday morning, glad to stretch my legs after two cramped flights, along with my dad, who has come out for a week for a short visit. As the sun was not yet up, the temperature was pleasantly warm- but as the day progressed, it became very hot, which was rather a shock having left literally freezing-cold England!
We got to Okonjima at about 1.30, and apart from saying 'hello' to everybody I spent much of the day falling asleep, not exactly jet lagged due to a time difference of only two hours, but tired after travelling.
My dad, myself and the owner Wayne went on a quick drive before dinner, and we went on another this morning, giving me the opportunity to brush up on my identification skills and limited tracking knowledge.
This morning we saw a female cheetah, Dizzy, and the four resident wild dogs, three sisters and a brother, named Ruby, Raine, Ricki and Rex, respectively.
Hopefully I can start uploading photos soon.
We got to Okonjima at about 1.30, and apart from saying 'hello' to everybody I spent much of the day falling asleep, not exactly jet lagged due to a time difference of only two hours, but tired after travelling.
My dad, myself and the owner Wayne went on a quick drive before dinner, and we went on another this morning, giving me the opportunity to brush up on my identification skills and limited tracking knowledge.
This morning we saw a female cheetah, Dizzy, and the four resident wild dogs, three sisters and a brother, named Ruby, Raine, Ricki and Rex, respectively.
Hopefully I can start uploading photos soon.
Monday 11 February 2013
Off On Thursday...
So, I haven't written any posts for a couple of weeks. I leave on Thursday and have been visiting family and friends and gathering things to pack. But once I am out there (in 35 degree sunny heat, might I add), I intend to write a post every day.
Wednesday 23 January 2013
1000!
Just to say that today the blog reached 1000 page views! Thank you everyone for reading it so far- it will get even more interesting once I'm actually at Okonjima!
Tuesday 22 January 2013
Cheetah Adaptations
Cheetah are highly evolved beings. They are the the fastest land animals, reaching speeds of 70mph, speeds they can achieve because their bodies are finely tuned towards sprinting.
As I mentioned in the last post, cheetah claws are not, unlike other cats, retractable. This is so they dig in, like running spikes, in the event of a chase. Their tails are very long and broad, acting like a rudder to help make sharp turns whilst running. Their jaws are unusually small, to make room for air cavities in the skull for increased breathing capacity. When cheetah run at top speed, their strides can reach nine metres, half of which they spend airborne. To enable them to make these huge strides, their spines are very flexible, curving exaggeratedly as both the forelimbs and hindlimbs stretch out in opposite directions.
Cheetah can accelerate very quickly, reaching 45mph from a standing start in just two strides, and making a mind-boggling four strides every second at their fastest. Of course, as with people, some cheetah are faster than others; the fastest ever recorded covered 100m in 5.95 seconds (compared to Usain Bolt's 9.58 seconds).
Whilst cheetah are faster than any of their prey when they sprint, they must endeavour to catch it quickly- they can only maintain a sprint for a couple of hundred metres, and once they are exhausted, it takes half an hour to recover!
As I mentioned in the last post, cheetah claws are not, unlike other cats, retractable. This is so they dig in, like running spikes, in the event of a chase. Their tails are very long and broad, acting like a rudder to help make sharp turns whilst running. Their jaws are unusually small, to make room for air cavities in the skull for increased breathing capacity. When cheetah run at top speed, their strides can reach nine metres, half of which they spend airborne. To enable them to make these huge strides, their spines are very flexible, curving exaggeratedly as both the forelimbs and hindlimbs stretch out in opposite directions.
Cheetah can accelerate very quickly, reaching 45mph from a standing start in just two strides, and making a mind-boggling four strides every second at their fastest. Of course, as with people, some cheetah are faster than others; the fastest ever recorded covered 100m in 5.95 seconds (compared to Usain Bolt's 9.58 seconds).
Whilst cheetah are faster than any of their prey when they sprint, they must endeavour to catch it quickly- they can only maintain a sprint for a couple of hundred metres, and once they are exhausted, it takes half an hour to recover!
Monday 21 January 2013
My First Brush With A Cheetah, Okonjima August 2008
On my first visit aged fourteen, I spent a day at Africat, helping out with Leprechaun the cheetah.
Leprechaun was an elderly male cheetah living permanently at Okonjima (who has probably expired by now...) who was darted and brought in for a vaccination and a brief check up. Whilst he was still heavily under the influence of the dart, I groomed him. It may surprise anybody who knows about cats to learn that cheetah are quite dirty; whilst most cats groom fastidiously, Leprechaun's fur was full of matts and burrs, he was covered in flies, and absolutely stank. I was able to get some of the tangles out with a wire brush, and exorcise the flies with fly powder.
The reason for this unusaul behaviour is that cheetah are not actually very cat-like; in the feline family tree, they occupy a separate branch from the rest of all other cats. In many respects they are almost more dog-like, with slack hygeine standards, straight, slim bodies and limbs, and dog-like feet with un-retractable claws. Their most definitively feline feature is their skull shape.
All these features make cheetah highly adapted to speedy travel. I will explain each feature and its function in my next post!
 |
| Me with Leprechaun |
The reason for this unusaul behaviour is that cheetah are not actually very cat-like; in the feline family tree, they occupy a separate branch from the rest of all other cats. In many respects they are almost more dog-like, with slack hygeine standards, straight, slim bodies and limbs, and dog-like feet with un-retractable claws. Their most definitively feline feature is their skull shape.
All these features make cheetah highly adapted to speedy travel. I will explain each feature and its function in my next post!
Friday 18 January 2013
Driving a Landcruiser,Okonjima July 2010
Today is exactly one year since I passed my driving test (although if it had been snowing then like it is today, I wouldn't have been able to take it!)
I actually did my first proper bit of learning at Okonjima, in the summer holidays after my GCSEs. Wayne and Yolandi kindly took me out and were very patient with my utter lack of understanding of how the car worked. The Landcruiser was a very big car to start off in, but with as much space as I had crawling around the wide roads and tracks near Main Camp, this really didn't matter; in fact I still drive quite a big car.
I remember being very excited to reach the heady speed of 20km/h! Most of the people I told weren't quite as impressed as I was...
These pictures were taken by my mum, the first time I drove her anywhere:
I actually did my first proper bit of learning at Okonjima, in the summer holidays after my GCSEs. Wayne and Yolandi kindly took me out and were very patient with my utter lack of understanding of how the car worked. The Landcruiser was a very big car to start off in, but with as much space as I had crawling around the wide roads and tracks near Main Camp, this really didn't matter; in fact I still drive quite a big car.
I remember being very excited to reach the heady speed of 20km/h! Most of the people I told weren't quite as impressed as I was...
These pictures were taken by my mum, the first time I drove her anywhere:
Tuesday 15 January 2013
Leopard, Okonjima February 2011
I think these pictures are of MJ, a collared female leopard, but I don't quite remember. These are from a leopard tracking activity I went on two years ago in February (the last time I visited). She put on a perfect performance- once we found her lying in the grass, she got up, walked across the front of the car, jumped up into a tree a couple of metres away from the car and proceeded to stretch and have a look around for ten minutes. It was quite the 'textbook sighting'!
Friday 11 January 2013
Little Canyon, Big Canyon
 |
| Sesriem Canyon |
Above is the canyon at Sesriem, near Sossusvlei- this picture was taken whilst standing in the canyon. Sossusvlei is a mud and salt pan close to the sandy desert, so provided no relief from the intense sun during the day. Being in the shade of the canyon was surprisingly and refreshingly cool; some parts contain permanent water holes which are invaluable to the local lifeforms. Sesriem canyon is thirty metres deep at most, rather slim with parts only a metre or two wide, and about a mile long.
Below is a picture of Fish River Canyon, surpassed in size only by the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Having not seen the Grand Canyon, Fish River is without doubt the most incredible and awe inspiring geological feature I have ever seen. For me, it was really too big to take in; it looked more like a film set than the actual view in front of me. It is one hundred times as long as Sesriem canyon, spanning nearly seventeen miles wide in places, and reaching up to five hundred and fifty metres deep. During the rains it holds a river, and once the rains cease many pools of fresh water remain. Its origins lie in plate movements hundreds of millions of years ago, which is a good example of how ancient some if the Namibian landscape is.
Due to its terrific size, it is rather hard to do justice with a single photograph, but hopefully the immensity of its scale can be sensed:
 |
| Fish River Canyon |
Thursday 10 January 2013
'Badlands'
This is the most terrifying place I have ever been. I was told it was an area called the Badlands, because it is a habitat so dry and inhospitable that it can sustain no life. Actually to be very precise, all kinds of life but one: somehow, a type of lichen managed to exist on the rock surfaces. Apart from this, the group of forty or so people I was with were the only living organisms as far as the eye could see. I was struck by the idea that, if everybody else drove away without me, I would certainly die.
If I remember my GCSE Geography correctly, this kind of desert is called 'reg' desert, and on the spot I was standing, it only rains once every ten years- hence the hundreds of channels scoured into the land by running water.
Of course, a person abandoned amongst the dunes of the Namib would also have feeble chances of survival. However around Dune 45 and Big Daddy and the likes, there are usually other tourist parties with their buses parked not far away; and at least the dunes are colourfully stunning. The bare and brutal landscape seen above has none of this beauty to distract the viewer from the harshness of its conditions.
If I remember my GCSE Geography correctly, this kind of desert is called 'reg' desert, and on the spot I was standing, it only rains once every ten years- hence the hundreds of channels scoured into the land by running water.
Tuesday 8 January 2013
Due to an apparent technical hitch, I can't upload any photos at the moment- hopefully this will be fixed soon, but until then my blog will be sadly bereft of pretty pictures.
On a more uplifting note, I have actually booked my flights, so I now know I am leaving on February 15th, and returning on July 19th!
On a more uplifting note, I have actually booked my flights, so I now know I am leaving on February 15th, and returning on July 19th!
Saturday 5 January 2013
Giraffe, Okonjima February 2011
I always see plenty of giraffe in Namibia- after a couple of weeks you may even begin to overlook them because they are so frequently present. However they are are remarkably bizarre yet beautiful animals which are always entertaining to watch.
Their elongated limbs and neck can mean that some positions are clumsy and awkward- such as drinking, when they have to spread ther forelegs into a big triangle in order for their head to reach the ground, and must spring up again to bring their legs back together. Yet a running giraffe is extremely graceful; they canter with a long, rolling stride and, despite seeming to move in slow motion, are very fast.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)