8th November 2000
Rain 7mm
Temp 32 degrees C
Even with food in the larder, Tjololo was still hunting. I suppose something fresh is always better than a 2 day old nyala carcass. He continued north bypassing a baby impala lying instinctively low in the grass and remaining motionless as Tjololo past on. Eventually he was back at his old nyala carcass. Although dried out and a little rotten he still seemed to enjoy his meal and went back for seconds just before sunset. Couldn’t be that bad.
At dawn the clouds moved in, rain came down, covers went up. That sent us packing back to camp.
Well although it rained yesterday and did soak me, I think I got all the rain there was on the property. It really was very little, about 5mm.
I was with the elephants all morning but eventually gave up on the ‘rain’ in the early afternoon, as everything was wet. It just kept dripping all morning, enough to irritate me and be sure to keep my equipment wet.
Luckily the elephants were just down the track from camp feeding in the woodlands all day. Being nice and cool many of the younger animals were keen to play, even all these girls falling all over each other.
When the herds moved down to Malilangwe dam to drink the bulls took the plunge. Just the bulls. They were like a pod of whales out there rolling, submerging and climbing all over each other. They must have swum for at least an hour and then I ducked as the soaking got a bit much.
And then typically the rain stopped about half an hour later and the sun shone through. I rejoined the elephant, still in much the same area near the dam.
I was peacefully parked close to Mandlovu and Chipfongwe feeding on a mopanie tree when a ‘fly’ came a buzzing around my head. Determined to kill the irritating critter, I slowly moved my hand towards my face and then swatted! Big Mistake!
This was no fly, but a African bee. Hardly had I realised my mistake and a squadron were already on the attack.
I knew I had to get out of there fast, but didn’t want to disturb the elephants. Well I still got out of there fast and reinforcements kept arriving and attacking me. Luckily most were bombing my head and my hair, far too long at the moment, was great insulation so not many got through. I still managed to get stung about a dozen times, one being right on my eyelid. Ouch!
Thankfully I’m not allergic to bee stings and soon got over my little aerial attack.
7th November 2000
We were lucky to have Tjololo for a short while with the film crew following us before he headed into Kruger. He was looking more respectable than the morning. Presumably judging by that (smaller stomach) he hadn’t fed off his duiker carcass, storing it for later.
With the film crew finished working with us early in the evening and back at camp, we continued on after Tjololo picking him up around midnight back on Mala Mala right in the south of his territory. He continued his invisible patrol moving along the river and by dawn was already half way up the western side of his domain. Another marathon walk that we mostly had to follow listening to his calling.
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