A clear day was forecast, which it did eventually turn out to be.
I was with Chipfongwe and the herd at dawn right in the south east of the reserve near Makeche. This is that dreaded clay country but it’s dried up sufficiently to make for easy driving in the area.
And then it started to rain, a soft drizzle. The skies had closed in totally and it looked like it had come to join us for the day. Well it must have got bored with the company and left us about an hour later having really just been a nuisance and wet everything.
The herds were still in the mopanie when I left then in the late morning.
On my way past Banyini the nuptial feast was in full swing and more birds were arriving. These flying ants are so rich in protein and obviously so yummy that they attract the crowds. Not intentionally of course. But they come out in such numbers that many of them do still make it, thanks to all those that sacrificed their lives for them.
I didn’t return to the elephants today, as with them in that mopanie it just doesn’t provide me with much filming opportunities. But it’s at times like this that I feel I might just be missing some interesting behaviour. And yet I might also just not get anything.
I took the lucky dip and headed out after the wild dogs again. They were still right in the east lying up at Nyamsaan pan. And just as they got on the move the light came out in all its glory. Lots of pretty pretty stuff.
They headed south at quite a pace moving parallel to the fence line. They had purpose, and surprising a herd of impala close to the fence they chased a female straight into it and again success for them at dusk. They sure have mastered this tactic.
This use of fences for killing up against has been observed by wild dogs in other reserves too and has also been observed with cheetah.
I hope to catch up with the dogs early tomorrow again when they set out to hunt. That’s if they don’t hunt again this evening with the moon now being about half full (or empty).
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