The dogs have continued for the last few days on their travels east all the way to the boundary and then this morning did the long trek west again.
Although they’ve fed every day, conditions for hunting impala aren’t the best in the east and numbers too aren’t that great.
But when they headed west this morning, Jiggy leading the way, he seemed to know they were in bad impala country and kept up his steady pace west.
On arriving at the airstrip the dogs were already tired and collapsed in the first shade they found. But Jiggy kept moving. He didn’t have to move far and soon saw the most pleasing sight to his keen eyes. Piles of impala!
The chase was on, impala scattering everywhere. When I did eventually catch up with them, they’d killed an adult male impala. This was a great feast for all.
Knowing this kill would take them a while to finish I was out the car walking around the kill filming them. They hardly seemed concerned. Amazing that they can accept me like this. It really is exciting times as I feel myself slowly making my way into the pack.
And as I do this I become so much more involved with them that seeing Nike today with her front paw injury, makes me just want to help. I know I can’t and I won’t but she is suffering a bit. She hurt her foot yesterday on the hunt and will put pressure on it when walking but not when running. So it can’t be that bad. But she also didn’t feed much on the kill today. I wonder if she finds it a bit hard to compete with the others with her sore foot?
The dogs have been up to a few other tricks the last few days.
They targeted a herd of buffalo but were soon sent packing. Of course it was always the pups playing the game. The adults were beyond wasting their energy on these ‘no brainer’ situations.
Having killed an impala yesterday morning the dogs moved off to rest up in some shade when one of them found the dried out remains of a Grysbok. It was just skin and bone. But that didn’t stop the pups fighting over it and actually eating the whole carcass of dry skin and bone. So much for the literature that says wild dogs don’t scavenge and will only feed on freshly killed carcasses. And this was just after they’d already killed too.
Today we also had to replace the collar on Tanga the leopard as his had become faulty. All went really well and he was soon on his way again.
I always find it strange when conservationists say we should not interfere when animals are injured. Man has done a lot of negative interfering so what is wrong with redressing the balance especially with endangered species. Species endangered by man’s negative interfering.
Tony, I can’t agree with you more, thanks for saying what I wanted to say.
hmmmm, good point
Hi Kim,
Great video. I was thinking the same thing that everyone else is thinking. These animals are quite endangered and you have helped them before with the rabies vaccines, why not help them now. I respect your decision, just curious as why this time no. Maybe the injury is not that bad, that it can heal on it self, I am obviously too far away and disconnected with the reality of thigs in the bush to judge, but just thought I would ask.
Iva
Geez I’m getting it in the neck from all sides!!! When all I’m doing is respecting the animals personal space.
Why intrude on the animal, put it through all the stress of darting, doctoring it, and then hoping it will find the rest of the pack who by now would have moved on? AND that’s hoping one can actually do anything constructive about her injury.
This is a foot injury. Wild dogs and many such animals have been known to live for years with 3 legs. Not that I wish it on any dog, and anyway there is no ways Nike is going to lose her foot and actually it’ll probably heel naturally in a few days. As I said the foot isn’t that bad as she does use it when she’s walking. So possibly pulled a muscle or a tendon. (not sure how one would doctor that, unless we kept her in captivity, which would be enough stress to kill her!)
this is a natural injury, which has nothing to do with man and will be treated as such until Nike shows us that her whole pack is on the verge of extinction unless we do something.
This may sound harsh from my point of view, but I really don’t believe in interfering unnecessarily & putting the animal through all that stress unnecessarily.
I can promise you I have a far more intimate bond with Nike than anybody else in this world and would want was is best for her. And that right now is that she’s left in peace.
Of course the impala might object to any assistance too !!!
Also , the pack will surely be there to assist the sick and needy . ’tis the wild dog way.
With respect to the rabies , i believe it usually occurs as a result of encounters with domesticated dogs. innoculation is really just protection from an outside danger.
Not harsh from your point of view at all Kim.Perfectly rational in the circumstances.
Roy
Hi Kim,
Your view is right on and I support it! The love you have for these dogs are so clear. You show their best interest first above your own. You are not being harsh, you are being real. Keep up the great work you are doing!
All of the folk who dislike “leaving well alone” should remember that Manyari healed by herself very well when she had much more than a sore foot, much to even Kim’s surprise.
The whistle as a bonding mechanism is fascinating. Thanks, we learn from your webcast every day.
moira