I’ve just got younger! Well so I feel after all this time off and chilling out with family and friends for my big birthday. And that all happened right here. So it’s not as if I’ve been away and missed all the action, I was just taking it easy. But now I’m back in the saddle for a big year ahead. 3 films go into post production, while at the same time I’m shooting another film on wild dogs.
And already today they put in some great action! When I arrived at Khayeni at dawn, just a gentle grey on the horizon, the wild dogs were already full-on hassling 4 hyaenas. The sound was absolutely awesome! Each predator trying to outdo the other vocally. The hyaenas with their whoops and giggles. The wild dogs with their twittering and occasional bark.
The wild dogs surrounded the hyaenas and would run in to nip them on the backside, even the pups joining in. Although the hyaenas screamed with delight or pain, they weren’t in any way interested in leaving and nor were the dogs.
For several hours the games went on. And between games they’d rest no even 10m apart.
Usually it was the dogs that started the game each time running at the sleeping hyaenas who jumped up onto their haunches to fend off the ‘attack’, and when things got a bit rough for the hyaenas the big mommy would rush in bringing a balance back into play. Puzzles would alarm each time the mommy made her advances, to warn the pups ‘this one is dangerous’.
And so the games continued for ages until the dogs moved off to drink at Khayeni pan.
It was now already seriously hot and although the dogs hadn’t hunted this morning, they were sure to be too hot to head off now. But I was wrong and twice they chased impala coming up empty handed.
The pups took on some zebra chasing them quite some way off, while mom and dad killed a baby impala and finished it off. The pups soon returned to find their well fed parents, and try as they may, the adults didn’t regurgitate for the pups. Normally they would do but it seems like the pups have now come of age and have to look after themselves.
It was now really hot and the dogs were panting madly but still they kept moving, now heading south. It was only in mid morning that they eventually rested up in the mopanie.
That was the end of my day in the bush too as I spent the rest of the time working on my poor old vehicle. She’s really getting tired and needing lots of TLC.
Last night on my way home with Lindy, we came around a corner to find a zebra lying down. As we approached she slowly got up and the sac fell behind her. She had just given birth. Wow! Lindy was loving it. I was too but without lights to film I was a hopeless case, although I did manage to snap off a couple of photos.
The mare seemed stressed at our presence and we left. Just as well I didn’t have my lights.
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