Tag Archive for 'blod'

We were airborne at first light in search of the wild dogs. Of course I didn’t expect anything else but to find them still on the western side of the Chiredzi River. But I was hoping to see them and be able to get a count, but in the thick bush I wasn’t able to get a visual. My concern is though, that they’re very far west and out of the control area where we’re allowed to carry out anti-poaching patrols. The problem with that is, this area is alive with snares. A very real threat for the dogs. I just hope they have the sense to come back east again. Tomorrow I’ll be flying again to check on their whereabouts.

Puzzles was also showing signs of coming in to oestrus. Something I was not only hoping to see but also to film, but looks like I may have been totally snookered on this one!
Heading back to land I did a short reconnaissance flight for Manyari and picked her up on Banyini with a freshly killed wildebeest bull. On landing we found her with 2 young male lions. They were all already well fed. As it got hotter the one male dragged the carcass into the shade. Quite a feat as the carcass must have weighed much the same as him.

For the rest of the day the lions had no plans on any other activity but to lie around looking after their prize.

Further north on Banyini this young zebra seemed to have lost it’s family and had taken up residence with a bachelor herd of impala. Even if his mother had died, he should still have been with the rest of the herd, or if his mother was alive, why didn’t she come looking for him? All those questions will remain unanswered, but the good news is, in the late afternoon I saw him again and this time happily with his family.

We joined the lions again at dusk, of course their activities hadn’t progressed much as they continued to lie around in a dazed bloated state.