Monthly Archive for November, 2006

So many great things today.

The wild dogs had me on the move by 4:15 am. But it was a casual patrol. They really didn’t have the enthusiasm to do much and ambled down the Binya road heading south. Eventually they got into mode and headed east across country. But the country was empty. No prey to be seen. They did cross paths with zebra and wildebeest but these were too big and scary to handle.
Then impala made an appearance way up in the distance. But the dogs had already been seen and the impala scattered. The dogs not wanting to be hard done by gave chase, and impressive it was! But the head start the impala had was just too much for them.

Some adults came cruising back west and disappeared in the distance. The alpha male and female, having lost the other hunters took time out with the pups. All lay waiting and listening knowing the others would be successful sometime. And indeed they were. But by the time the loafers got to the female bushbuck kill it was all but gone. The dogs had killed right at Nyari pan and while the adults chilled out in the water they left the pups to chew away on the carcass remains.

This dragged on and I left to pick up on Chipfongwe. He was with his family and most of the breeding herd right up in the very northeast of the property in the Manyoka area. They were taking it easy in the shade provided by the new leafed Brachystegias. The soft cool sand in the shade of the trees had the herd continuously dusting themselves. Chipfongwe, still not having mastered the use of that floppy trunk of his, would jump into any hole left by mom as she dug into the cooler sand below.

The herd were here for hours. I took the time to chill out too under my own shady Brachystegia, lying on the most comfortable spot, on the camera boxes.

Mandlovu was wandering with her herd feeding on the new leaf and then when it was time to cool down again she brought the herd into the shade of MY tree. There was plenty of other shade around but she was quite happy to come into my shade and throw sand all over me. Chipfongwe was loving it. Only feet away from my vehicle, too close to film, he was bury himself in the hole that mum was digging. It was just so awesome to have them right up close and personal, although the sand bath I got was getting a bit much.

I later left the elephants to get back the wild dogs for the afternoon hunt, but was caught on the way by a rain storm. Up went the covers and I sat it out.

When all had cleared the dogs were already on the hunt on Banyini. There was a wildebeest bull I’ve been watching for the last few weeks who has some injury to his hindquarters and has loss considerable condition and lost much use in his back legs. The dogs soon singled him out and surrounded him. Easy target. Now it was just a matter of team work, keep his head occupied while the others went in for the softer groin area.

The dogs were initially keen but any slight advance the bull made had them scattering. The pups weren’t of course any good. They watched from a distance. Eventually the adults threw in the towel and headed on south to Banyini pan. And that’s where the big party took place.
Wow!!!! Was that just awesome to see them going wild in the water. It is at times like this that I sometimes wish I could just leave the camera in the box and just enjoy the scene. But then I also get a huge kick out of capturing all these amazing images.

With the dogs disappearing into some thick Mopanie scrub I retreated back to camp as more rains came threatening. And it poured. Last night was the real beginnings of our rainy season. The rain came down in torrents and just kept coming.