Over the last few nights, the hills have been resonating with the roar of lions coming from all directions. Not only that, the cubs had been spotted daily near one of the camps. I decided to go find myself some lions; I climbed the highest point to get a direction, but got no help from my receiver. I might have had the faintest beep, but I thought I was hearing crickets in the grass. I headed in the direction anyway and out of some miraculous positioning found signal.
Simon and the crew had climbed aboard and we were hot on Manyari’s tail. In the tall grass she popped her head up not looking very surprised to see us and carried on sleeping. As it got dark the lioness began moving and then began roaring, this is the most awesome thing about lions, when you’re close and can literally feel the thunder of their call.
Today the dogs slept in at the den and I cruised around not finding much happing. Later at the hyena den we waited for the cubs to come out…something was wrong. I thought that when it got dark they’d pop their heads out so I went looking for the dogs again, but ended up back at the den.
Now I knew they were not there. A few hundred meters south the hyenas were calling so like homing pigeons returning home we made a way through the Mopane where there seemed to be no way. Like a secret weapon, a hyena den positioning system, I landed up straight on the doorstep of the other den. All six cubs and two adults greeted us, I was very relieved, they are such fun little guys! I’m glad we have the position on the new den now and can stay on the cubs as they grow up, they may still return to the other den though, they might have been spooked by something on the other side.
The poor boy is in a bad way indeed. Guess you can patch him up, but ultimately you can’t protect him from his adversaries.
Poor guy. Probably not much hope for his survival? Even more of a shame since it’s a black…
I wish someone would put him in a refuge for animals. And let him live there till he’s better or for the rest of his life. So sad!
I agree with Happy Comfort. Black rhinos I believe are endangered so perhaps with care he might pull through. Is it intended to just let nature take its course with this fellow?
How tragic! I hate to see any animal suffer but since this is the very endangered black rhino it makes it even more tragic that there is a strong possiblity that he won’t make it.
Mark, will he be treated by the vet again?
Isn’t there something you can do for him til he recovers or some type of rescue that you all can do and take him to a sanctuary of some type over there?
Either put him out of his misery or sedate and move him!
The vet had a look at the guy, but he jumped up and ran 100 meters, Roy is right, the problem is he will keep getting hammered by other bulls.