We always find it so fascinating to watch baboons ‘cos they are just so much like us. If only the troops on Malilangwe were relaxed enough that one could spend time with them without them moving away the whole time.
But alas this seems to be the case in most areas. Except those areas where man has fed them and they’ve become pests. Pests that outsmart us at every turn. But even though people are warned not to feed them, for some reason man has this desire to have that contact. And yet it can go so horribly wrong when baboons then get to expect food handouts so much so that they attack man with those huge canines and attacks can be savage.
1st September 2000
A very special night for Lindy as she spent only her 2nd whole night out with me. And unfortunately the cam was down all night with some major telecommunications problem with all lines down in the area.
At dusk we had a couple of hyaenas crunching on the remaining bones of a buffalo carcass that lions had killed a few days ago. Several hooded vultures were there to pick up the very last scraps.
Tjololo and Tjellers were still together and later in the evening headed east. I had my time cut out trying to explain to a 4 year old what the leopards were doing. It was hard for her to understand how they could be in love but were fighting each time, as their bouts of mating are always tense affairs with much vocalising and jumping around.
Masuli had been seen by Mala Mala rangers earlier in the area they were heading for and we were expecting a confrontation especially now that Tjololo had a girl with him. But nothing, and Tjellers hunting on a burnt area killed a female impala. Tjololo was quick to join her but instead of stealing the carcass from her immediately, he left her to kill the impala. Then the tug of war started. While Tjololo tried to drag the carcass Tjellers hung on to the back end and was dragged along. Each time Tjololo rested she would feed. Having dragged the carcass to a suitable tree, Tjololo watched while Tjellers fed before gorging himself. Then strangely they left the carcass at the base of the tree and moved on. By dawn they were a couple of kilometres away with no thought of returning to the carcass.
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