With no fresh water coming in to Hwata pan, the spoilt elephants have to make do with what’s there. Good muddy water. This doesn’t impress Snorkel.
Try as he may to carefully suck water just off the surface, he still ends up with a trunk full of muddy water. Not the sort of water he’s been spoilt with and squirts it out.
But the only animals to blame for the all the water being muddy are the elephants themselves. And especially the bulls who can’t resist a mud wallow and mud bathing.
Their spoilt behaviour only lasts a day and then they’re desperate and will drink anything, but will always be in search for clean water.
I’ll be away from the reserve for a few days in South Africa buying supplies and spending some time with my daughters.
The video clips and photos over this period have all been shot over the last few weeks.
I’ll be trying to take a feather from the lions cap and hopefully get some time to chill out.
Several weeks ago I was waiting at Nduna dam when this young bull came striding towards the dam. He was on a mission heading east. Got to the dam and didn’t stop. After a quick drink he ploughed through the dam and was continuing on his way east. He obviously believed the short cut through the dam was a better option than the very short detour he could have taken.
I was only able to spend the morning searching for the wild dogs. And as usual, instead I found these 2 hyaenas milling around Manyuchi pan. They were hugely excited about something with their tails erect and marching tightly side by side, sniffing all around the pan. And then as if there was absolutely nothing going on they just left heading in opposite directions.
I was sure the mother heavily laden in milk was going back to the den and I went ahead to get her calling her cubs out. She never arrived! Seems to be the story of my life.
I had to spend most of the day sorting my stuff for the 11hour trip to go south to see my daughters and do some shopping.
But later in the day still in search of some filming activity, I found 3 Kori Bustards drinking at Banyini pan. These birds don’t have to drink but will when they can. And their claim to fame is they’re also the world’s heaviest flying bird.
Playing my trump card for elephant action, it was down to Hwata pan. Was that card ever a dud? It sure was today and all I could film with the sunset were the doves coming in for their last drink before heading off to roost.
And you just can’t beat it as I sit here in the office editing and in the distance the lions are roaring!
Taking to the skies at dawn I was confident I’d find the wild dog pups in the hills. They just have to be there.
I scoured the hills to and fro checking out every little foot of country but came up empty. Nothing, nothing, nothing!
Back on the ground several hours later I heard on the radio the adults were at Nhoro pan which is some ways from the hills. It’s likely they were resting up there after an unsuccessful hunt and will probably hunt in the evening again before going back to the pups. When I got up there the adults had already moved off. I checked out all the other water sources in the area and then all old den sites. They sure don’t want to be found.
My frustration levels are now peaking well into the red. I’m just not getting anything done with all my time searching for the dogs. But I have to find them. We HAVE to inoculate them or else we will very likely lose the whole pack again to Rabies. So my search goes on.
Hwata pan was active as usual with elephant bulls hanging around, not happy that they have to drink muddy water. But they did.
This well tusked dude got a little uppity when I crouched low to take his picture.
And then came for me but it was all a bluff and I didn’t even have to get back in the vehicle.
The zebra had arrived earlier but were nervous to come in, probably because of my presence. But when the Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest moved in to drink the zebra followed.
First thing in the morning I checked out Manyuchi pan and found tracks of adult wild dogs. At least they’re still in the area and presumably the pups are holed up somewhere in the hills. But I just can’t figure out where. I thought I had covered all the area on foot, but obviously not.
I’ll try flying again tomorrow but this time concentrating on the hills.
There was nothing happening at the hyaena den and I found this youngster heading south from Manyuchi and into the hills.
Yesterday I had seen 2 females go the same way. Wondering what was up there I followed. The trail went right over the mountain and down the other side. So where are they going? I think with Manyuchi pan drying up they might be heading down to drink at the dam.
For most of the rest of the day I was stuck in the office. I suppose I can’t complain when it’s only 1 or 2 days a month, and I still get out at dawn and dusk.
At Hwata pan several bulls were messing around on the edge of the pan at sunset. They really weren’t keen on the dirty water, being used to clean water when they are pumping in to the pan. But for the next few days they’ll have to make do with what there is. Spoilt little boys!
After 2 days of cold overcast weather the sun at least came out today. It didn’t have much strength but it was at least somewhat warmer.
My dawn patrol checking for the wild dogs didn’t get me any closer to finding them, although there were tracks at Manyuchi. So at least they’re still in the area.
The hyaena den was quiet and then I found the pack on the road playing with the remains of a zebra carcass. Well they were just playing with a piece of skin and a few bones. Judging from the size of the zebra it could easily have been the one the vultures were on yesterday. The games soon began when the owner of the zebra skin had it stolen by a youngster. They were all after him with much squealing and giggling, most of it coming from the youngster with the skin. This is always so comic to witness and the sound is just awesome. But so difficult to film as they’re running all over and the bush is thick so you just don’t see anything. But the sound sure is worth it.
It was back to Hwata pan at midday, as I expected to find the elephant there. Several bulls were just leaving and then a breeding herd came by, drank and moved on. The herds weren’t hanging around as they were a few days and only because it was still pretty chilly today. No doubt they’ll soon be back spending hours at Hwata when the temperatures warm up again at the end of the week.
On Banyini I encountered this really old giraffe bull. So old his head was grey.
He was covered in red-billed oxpeckers and one lonely yellow-billed. The birds generally do a great job in cleaning the animals of external parasites, which they were doing, but they had also got hold of an old injury of his and were now eating their way slowly but surely into his body. Already they’ve made 3 neat holes about an inch deep.
I wonder how long this will go on and how will the bull stop it if he hasn’t already?
In the evening I again drove up my track up the mountain still hoping that just maybe the wild dog pups would be there. But I wasn’t that lucky.
I climbed to the highest peak and for the last half hour of the day scanned the area with binoculars just hoping………………..
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