I plan on relieving Mark a couple of times a week to provide updates on the dogs.
I’m busy with them every day for our next film. But I’ve also got lots to do on the post production on the other 3 films which means I don’t have the time to do Wildcast. Thanks to Mark I can do all of this.
The dogs are just great and doing well. I’m just happy to see them each day and to see that they’re all still there. With them having crossed the Chiredzi River a week ago, I’m always on edge that they might go too far west into bad snare country. But luckily this time they haven’t ventured that far.
They’re hunting successfully on a regular basis and killing mainly adult male impala at this time of year. With the impala rut in full swing the males are generally exhausted and become easy targets for the dogs. And a big male is more than a meal for the whole pack. So they are doing well.
Today they kept on their eastward mission and were soon hunting at the confluence of the Chiredzi and Runde Rivers. This area is teaming with impala and a most stunning area too. The huge riverine trees in fairly open country with grazing lawns being well manicured by the many animals. I just love it down here. It’s big country.
But even with all this food on the hoof the dogs didn’t get lucky and soon were in the river, again staring at the water for ages. They moved up and down the river just not sure about crossing. Of course it was Jiggy who made the first move and Puzzles followed. But the pups stayed behind. They didn’t have the nerve and continued up and down the river trying to pluck up the courage. Then suddenly they all went and disappeared on the far bank.
It wasn’t that easy to me to get across and I ended up having to drive all the way north to cross. Over an hour later I was eventually back with the dogs. They’d already killed when I found them and were now just chilling out. I took the time to chill out with them for a couple of hours lying on the ground only several meters from them. (I need to spend this time just getting them used to me so they eventually realise I mean them no harm. So far so good.)
Leaving them for a few hours I went for a work out and to have my run.
In the afternoon I ended up chilling out with them for several more hours before they headed south. I was sure they wouldn’t hunt, as they’d been successful this morning. But wrong again! I managed to keep up with them while they trotted along but when the chase was finally on I lost them.
I continued to follow up and every now and then a dog would come running past me.
But now the sun had set and I shouldn’t be out walking as it gets dark. I still had to get back to the car. Then I heard the death cries. Running over there, I wasn’t sure if a leopard had killed something or was it the dogs. Usually the prey of dog kills don’t make any sound as they’re too exhausted to.
I found the dogs on the kill of a baby kudu. It must have been stashed in the long grass and the dogs caught it without a chase, which would explain the bleating death cries.
I couldn’t stay long but again the dogs were happy to have me there alongside them. This is brilliant.
In the failing light I ran back to the car and was happy to make it there before dark.
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