The sunrise this morning was masked by a haze on the horizon and silhouetted by a large herd of Buffalo – it was like counting sheep as they crossed the path I was driving on.
It is a new dawn and life carries on, but the death of Tsvubu still looms as one reconsiders our conservation methods and knowing one can do more than just watch it all take place. “We can only go as far as we’ve been given rope, beyond that it is out of our control,” we tell ourselves, but it still leaves a person with that sullen anger and asking all those “what if “questions.
I think that if we keep telling ourselves these things we begin to believe them. Tsvubu’s carcass is still untouched, maybe it’s a reminder to us all to get a little more involved.
Last night I took to the hyena den, the little guys were left on their own until long after dark. I heard the wild dogs having a huge confrontation with the hyenas nearby, which filled the moonlit valley with a rich audio experience. The time spent with the cubs is magic, they often come up to the vehicle now and nibble on my toes as I sit on the bonnet and take pictures. Last night my sleep was interrupted many times by the lions giving it stick, although, I’d hardly call it an interruption, it’s more like an enchantment.
Kim will be back on the blog, while I take a few days off. So as B.B.King announces in his lyrics, “Let the good times roll.”
Hi Mark
You are addressing a difficult question; the black rhino. If living in a natural free habitat, this would have happened to Tsvubu, if not now then soon. He was a bull and territorial fights would have led to this, additionally his bad hearing made the situation worse.
If kept in a wildlife sanctuary, he would have to be alone. If their status was not endangered, one can say nature is taking it’s normal course. Don’t know if there is a right answer. It all boils down to lack of natural habitat, which ever growing human populations are devouring either for living or consumer needs.
Take the exmaple of recent data about Amur tiger. Keeping them in reserves/zoos hasn’t helped their numbers in the wild. Except, the benefit of a gene pool one can draw upon,(not if) when the wild population is in true trouble by inbreeding (which as matter of fact, we are almost there).
Was wondering, why his carcass has been left untouched?
It is a question with no easy answers.. what to do about endangered animals in distress.
I may have an answer to why his carcass has been left untouched. When I was in Botswana as a volunteer, we had to take some measurements and samples of an elephant that had died a few days before. Other than part of the trunk and the rear, it hadn’t been touched by predators. When we went back a week later, nothing was left but skin and bones. I couldn’t believe how quickly that big creature could disappear. The number of vultures and maribou storks around was truly awesome. Although the death of an elephant was quite sad, I love the pictures I have of those scavengers hanging around. It was explained to me that with animals that have such a thick skin, scavengers wait until the bloating from decomposition causes the skin to burst, giving the scavengers easier access to the carcass. Perhaps that is what will happen here.