Puzzles was on her mission again at dawn taking to the main road and heading north at a brisk pace. I really don’t object as it makes my travel absolute bliss.
Only when they pick up scent of impala do they leave the road for the chase and then back to the road.
By early morning the pack were already way up in the north near Sosigi. Ahead of them I saw this male leopard sleeping in the road. This is the leopard we’d collared. With me approaching, the leopard, being so relaxed didn’t even look my way, but little did he know that I had my infantry brigade marching with me this morning and before he realised it 11 dogs were beaming down on him. He made it up the nearest tree just in time to prevent his backside getting nipped!
That game over the pack kept on north before losing me on the chase to the west. When I picked up on them they’d already finished off a young impala, all chewing on whatever scraps they could find.
In these conditions, wet weather, wet off road and thick bush I’m just not getting anywhere near the chance of filming any part of the chase with these guys. And now being so efficient they’ve already finished off everything by the time I arrive.
With the pack now down and out I took the privilege of traversing the reserve in search of………whatever. This herd of buffalo were hanging out near Hwata pan in the mopanie. And this year in the mopanie the Golden Orb Spiders are just everywhere. Makes for interesting driving off road. And it’s not uncommon for me to get my whole face smothered in their thick yellow web AND usually with spider attached.
And if the spiders aren’t enough to add to the discomfort there’s always these Hibiscus flowers. At the moment they’re fine, but once they die and dry out their stems are covered in fine hairs and when you drive over them the hairs shake loose floating in the air. When they land on your skin you know all about it as you itch for ages!
A storm came brewing in the early afternoon and keen to get more footage of the dogs in the rain, I was off to join them. Needless to say the storm hung around all afternoon but never did it rain.
In the cool afternoon Puzzles was on the move early and back on the main road heading north.
This has had the added advantage in that the road is wide and I can drive alongside the dogs. AND they let me! This is such great confidence building stuff with them. They’re now really starting to accept me and I still dream of the day when I can go running with them.
A Sharpe’s Grysbok was on tonight’s menu and again when I arrived there was little left with the pack chewing on the last bits.
That is a fantastic shot of the 4 rhinos.
moira
I wish I had this kind of great insight on that subject.