Daily Archive for August 22nd, 2007

Elephant three: Video

Published
by
Wildcaster
on August 22, 2007
in videopost
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I was convinced I’d find the elephants at Lojaan dam today. Some of the herds have been visiting the dam daily around noon.
So of course just when I have it planned to intercept them there, they don’t pitch. I waited and still they didn’t pitch!

Mr Confidence
But on my way there I was driving over plenty tracks heading in the opposite direction. But why follow the tracks when you know they’ll be at Lojaan later. Well not this time. And so it was back to the tracks.

Condescending
We found a few bulls on the way but they weren’t up to much. With Malilangwe dam being the only place these guys could drink and being in the right direction we headed down there.
Voila! About 40 elephant we drinking and feeding at the top end of the dam.

In Africa
One-Tusk was there with her family but still no sign of Mandlovu. It might be that they’ve moved on to the Chiredzi river as there were more tracks heading that way.
The herds spent the whole day here feeding on the sedges that line the top end of the dam. With food and water, why should they go anywhere else.

Family
Venturing south we encountered White Rhino everywhere. Probably about 10 in total all coming and going from the different waterholes.
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Tjololo 21st August 2000

Published
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Wildcaster
on August 22, 2007
in tjdiaries
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The Tjololo Diaries

21st August 2000
After all the pressures last night it seemed Tjololo had got lucky and found himself a new girlfriend. But it seemed the pressure had only just started. This female threw herself relentlessly at him all night and he would have none of it retaliating with aggression. Whenever he tried to rest she would be there. There was no time for rest and he kept moving most of the night with her pestering him. For some reason he wasn’t going to give in to her desires even though they were laid out on a plate for him.


Earlier in the evening with her moving round to the front of him to intercept him, she flushed a steenbok straight into him. As he caught it she was there and they had a brief tug of war. Tjololo won. He took the carcass up a tree and had no mind of sharing it. Within a couple of hours he’d finished off the whole carcass while his girlfriend could only lie at the base and pick up scraps like a hyaena.
When we left them after sunrise the stalemate continued. She was keen and he was having nothing of it.
We don’t know this female. She is young and may as yet not have established a territory.