Breaking news - Whiskey is Back: Video
Published by Wildcaster 5 months, 2 weeks ago Tags: adventure, africa, african, animal kingdom, animals, blogumentary, conservation, documentary, ecotraining, education, experience, flickr, GLTP, gonarezhou, Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, hunting, malilangwe, mashable, narrowcasting, Open Content Alliance, pamushana, peace parks, photos, poaching, podcasting, predators, teach, video, wild dogs, wildcasting, wildlife, wildlife documentary, youtube, zimbabwe.I had just left camp when I got a radio call to say there was a Wild Dog with a collar on the Orphan road close Nyari pan.
I rushed out there but was too late.
But I did get a signal. It is Whiskey!!! He’s still around.
I was so excited and desperately wanted to see him but by now he was resting up in the hills. I could have walked in there just to see him but I didn’t want to disturb him.
So I waited. It was a cool day and so I expected he could move at any time of day.
The last time I saw Whiskey must be nearly a year ago, soon after the rest of his pack were wiped out by the Rabies virus. He was the only to survive.
I waited the day out and Whiskey eventually got going about an hour before sunset. He headed south to Nyari pan.
It was when he was resting up near the pan that my excitement soon turned to worry. I noticed a deep cut in his throat and it was bleeding. On closer examination I noticed a poachers wire snare wrapped around his neck strangling him.
But he had been saved. Saved by the collar with the radio transmitter. The collar meant the snare couldn’t strangle him, otherwise Whiskey would now be dead.
Unfortunately because he travels so far and wide outside the reserve he’s going to come into contact with this brutal way of killing.
Whiskey needed help urgently and after a few radio calls we had darted Whiskey after dark.
On closer examination we could see how deep the snare had cut into his throat but thankfully it hadn’t cut his trachea. The wound also looked old, possibly at least a month or so.
I’m just amazed how he can hunt successfully with this handicap.
We also removed his collar to be sure the wound would heal as fast as possible.
Unfortunately we won’t be able to locate him so easily without his collar. But hopefully he’ll meet up with the other group of 3 dogs and they’ll all den on Malilangwe this year.
Whiskey woke from his deep sleep and wandered slowly south calling. I headed back home. It was a late night as I only got to camp around midnight, but happy that Whiskey was back and we’d saved him.
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That is great news! Holding thumbs for better luck for the dogs this year.
Oh Kim what wonderful news!! I have been hoping to hear good things about the dogs! And even better that you were able to get to him in time to help his wounds! Keep up the good work!
Paige
Watched the Whisky footage with Stuart (aged 6) Harriet’s nephew.
Stuart wants you to know that he loved your movie and we are delighted to know that Whisky is going to be OK.
It must have been really amazing for you to see him again after all this time.
Cheers
Mike
Hi Kim,
what lekker news!!!
Stick to him like glue… and stuff a spear full of spikes up the poachers asses.
Hope they´ll den in Malilangwe and you can get some more great stuff for the wild dogs movie.
Best of lucks.
Cheers,
D.
This is fantastic!! Whisky also looks like he knows where he is and is also happy to be back home. Perhaps if you find him again you could put a radio collar on him after the wound heals.
Sharing the joy with you!
Hi Kim,
I just read the heading and I got all excited. Whiskey is lucky to be alive. He has survived rabies,survived w/o a pack, now the snare, and there you were to help. I am hoping he gets a second chance and thrives.
I read that there is a lot of poaching up in the northern part of Zimbabwe maybe he was unlucky to venture there.
ps- the March issue on BBC Wildlife magazine has a big article about Rhinos, and talks about how Black Rhinos are making a come back in Zambia. Do you have access to this magazine? if not I would gladly scan you the article.
Ivanova
Kim, you certainly were in the right place at the right time-amazing luck. It made me smile to hear the joy and excitement in you voice :>)
Fingers crossed that Whiskey will heal and he will find the other dogs and live the life he was meant too.
Great news Kim. It has been a long 10 months.
Wow. Sounds like Whiskey borrowed a couple of lives from a cat! To have survived all that speaks volumes for just how tough, and lucky, he is. Here’s hoping he stays put at Malilangwe and away from snares. Do you know if the three other dogs have an alpha pair? And, that all important question, are there females?
Hurray for Whiskey! Black rhino and him in one week! Much joy!
b.
Hey Mike. Yes i was beside myself to see the dude again. And he’s in such good shape despite his injuries and having to hunt for himself for the last year.
Ivanova: we’re a very long way from northern Zimbabwe. Whiskey didn’t get that far. haven’t seen the article on rhinos in Zambia. but brilliant they’re on the up. I presume that’s in the Luangwa valley.
Bonny: The other 3 dogs have an alpha male and female and one younger female.
Would this small pack accept Whiskey? It seems there is alot of difficulty for strange animals to fit into a new pack or pride.
b.
Hi Kim. Looks like you are Whiskey’s guardian angel! He appeared happy despite the wound. I’m happy to second David’s comments. Keep up the good work.
hey kim thats great news!! i remember asking you about him amonth after he left the area and you said he is most likely dead. does the facts that he has not yet found a pack mean he probably would not join this one? and is he emmune to rabies? did the shot you gave him last year save him?
it would be hard for Whiskey to get into another pack but he would be desperate for contact and would hang around in the periphery slowly trying to make his way in.
Craig: I had never given up on the dude. It is weird though that he hasn’t joined this other pack yet. Although there have been reports of a single wild dog on the property to the north. If he’s been there all this time he might not have met up with the others yet. No I don’t believe he’s immune to rabies. I think he was saved by the inoculations we gave him last year.
Hi, When you aren’t too busy will you drop me a line just to say where the park is that you cover, as I would like to look it up on Google earth (that’s if it shows up on there) I do enjoy your site very much, I must admit that I like the lions the most, but I realize that they do spend a lot of time sleeping during the day. thanks very much, keep them coming,
Chris
in the navigation bar there is map to click on that takes you to Google Earth. I’m on Malilangwe reserve in Zimbabwe. Near the town Chiredzi