8th December 2000
First thing in the afternoon we returned to the White Cloth female. She was still in the same place in the thicket. One of the cubs was with her and the other a way off in another thicket. This didn’t help us much and as it got dark we left them. I also didn’t want to be there after dark when hyaenas are very much on the move again, as I didn’t want to be responsible for any mishaps.
Setting off in search of Tjololo there was no sign of him in the area and suspecting he’d moved west we searched in vain. Only on returning to the area of the White Cloth female again did we find him on the move west moving along the trail of buffalo periodically stopping to lick on buffalo dung. He continued on west and into the river when it started raining and we had to cover up.
The rain let up in the early hours and Tjololo was still in the area obviously having holed up in the rain too. On the move again when we found him he was heading back east again. This was rather odd.
He continued east much further than we’d ever known him to go before. At first I thought he was returning to a kill he’d made in the area we’d found him earlier in the evening but soon continued on east of that. A while after sunset he was now approaching the Kruger boundary and the rain struck again. We had to leave him but will see this afternoon what he’s been up to.
What a long night in the saddle. Tjololo wasn’t anywhere near his kill in the afternoon. We went in search of other action. Later we found him leaving the area a while after sunset having finished off the carcass. For the rest of the night he was on the move but not with much purpose, often resting up for short periods, not really giving us any time to rest.
Just before dawn he met up with the White Cloth female in a donga around some rocks. They were both a little tense with each other but never made contact. Tjololo hung around the area for about half an hour and calling several times then moved on.
The White Cloth female then called and to our joy 2 little leopard cubs ran out from under the rock to greet her. They are now about 6/7 weeks old and Oh Yes!!!, ever so cute. At sunrise she headed east with them into another donga and rested up there in a thicket.
What a pleasure to be able to spend a bit of time with these little guys!!
6th December 2000
Tjololo was sure slow off the mark tonight. He had moved into the Sand river when we found him before sunset and ended up resting there till after 22h00. With a well formed stomach and the temperature being fairly hot he’d taken it upon himself to take a “well deserved” rest. Well he seemed to think so.
When he did get on the move it was in fits and starts heading north. But again the scent of young impala was too much for him and he headed across country to tackle another unsuspecting youngster. He nearly lost it to a hyaena as he rested at the base of a tree catching his breath, but was able to hoist his kill just in time.
As usual that was him done for the night. Only much later in the night did he feed, and then he only snacked on the carcass.
3 visiting hyaenas decided to take their chances and waited in the area but with no luck this time.
5th December 2000
It was unusual to find Tjololo on the move soon after we’d headed out. It was still very hot and usually he’d lie up until it cooled down. Luckily he was back on home ground anyway. But he soon rested up until around sunset before continuing on his boundary patrol westwards along the river.
Not seeing much of him now as the undergrowth along the rivers is very thick, we headed off to the hyaena den but with no activity there headed back on the trail of Tjololo.
He left the river and headed north. Another young impala was unfortunate to be his next victim. Again using his “chaos” tactic to surprise the little fellow. He carried the carry a few hundred and treed it to feed and then rested up.
We went back to the hyaena den and waited there. In the early hours 2 of the cubs came out to play and a little later an adult arrived. So at last I was able to get some useful footage around the den.
At dawn Tjololo finished off his meal and headed into the river.
A couple of lionesses graced us with the presence a while after sunrise but as it got hot they rested up.
4th December 2000
Today was our first night out on Africam Radio. Will try to make this a daily crossing to keep all updated.
Tjololo was where we’d left him lying up on the Sand river.
Only after dark did he get on the move heading east across the center of his territory with a fair sized gut and not much purpose in his walk. About half way across he headed north, now tracking down baby impala. He was homing in on 2 unsuspecting youngsters when a hyaena charged in to botch up the hunt. But Tjololo took advantage of the confusion and caught a youngster. He made a rapid dash for the closest tree, a buffalo thorn, full of thorns in its lower branches. Getting tangled up in the thorns the hyaena was onto him and managed to wrestle the carcass away. It wasn’t long and the hyaena had consumed the whole carcass.
Tjololo had hung around but without success, as there weren’t any scraps. He rested up further north for some time.
By dawn he’d moved east and into Kruger.
3rd December 2000
Not having had Tjololo yesterday as we were away, it took us some time to eventually find him. We eventually found his tracks right up in the north. They left the road close to a herd of impala. We knew he was probably already stalking them and didn’t want to disturb the situation. Cautiously we approached searching the long grass for him. The impala by now had slowly been moving off and we spotted him trotting after them. Again with his bombastic hunting technique he charged into the herd from a distance causing mass disturbance and catching a youngster lost in the confusion.
Looking well fed already he treed the carcass and just lay on it, luckily. Not even 10 minutes later 3 lions walked by. The one sniffed around the tree and the surrounds. Tjololo didn’t move a whisker. Not having fed on the carcass yet there was also no smell. The lioness didn’t stay long and moved on. Only some 30m away all 3 lions roared. We could just feel the fear in Tjololo as he had to contain himself and remain motionless.
The lions moved on and Tjololo fed. Leaving about half the carcass in the tree he rested up nearby. Again luckily as the carcass dropped out the tree. He moved on further west with it and soon treed it as a hyaena came charging in on his heels. Again luckily the hyaena moved off, ‘cos Tjololo again dropped the carcass. He moved it again to another tree. But trying to solve his problem of dropping it he tried to consume it all but there was too much. Eventually he treed the remains and rested up nearby.
A while later Tjololo took off as a lioness arrived. She eventually saw the carcass in the tree and climbed, if one can call it that. On numerous occasions she nearly fell out the tree but managed to hold on, often dead branches breaking under her weight. Eventually after climbing/falling around for about 10 minutes she got to the remaining skin and bones and finished it off.
Tjololo was on the move south and we soon lost him disappearing into the river.
A great first night for Darel and Simon who are getting to grips with everything in a hurry.
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