Tag Archive for 'buffalo-stampede'

Forced Takeover: Video

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Wildcaster
on October 10, 2009
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When you hear the thunder of a few hundred hooves and the dust swirls into a whirlwind that chokes your nasal cavities and the first thing you see is a pair of horns parading in your direction, then you know… you’re in a buffalo stampede.

Dusty Pink

This is part of a buffalo capture, where we willfully place ourselves in the path of a herd of buffalo being herded by a chopper into a boma. When they run past, the curtains get closed and the buffalo are then ready to be selected and inoculated. It may sound simple, but it is not easy - it is very hard work! Temperatures have been hitting the 40 degree mark in the shade, this is how Africa treats its finest.

Single File

I have been at this buffalo capture for the past three days now and being out in the sun really knocks you out. I also managed to squeeze in an aerial shoot, so I might put a grand aerial clip together to end the week with a bang.

Heat Exhaustion

Besides doing the buffalo capture I managed to slip away to spend time with the hyenas and I caught up with them at Manuchi Pan where they had completely taken over. One of the cubs wanted to investigate a young giraffe waiting its turn to drink and the other five older cubs came in to enjoy some water sports. All in all there were thirteen hyenas at the pan wading in the water and just enjoying the cool water after a scorcher of a day.

Subdued

I hope to catch up with the hyena on Sunday again after the buffalo capture is on its back. For now I need to get some shut eye so I don’t fade on the last day of the buffalo capture.

Chekwa’s Water Birds Survive The Elephant

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tracker
on February 18, 2007
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The water birds at Chekwa were not happy when the herd of elephant came by for a drink. Egyptian Geese, Black winged Stilts and many more were scattering in all directions to avoid being trampled by the towering grey bodies.

Elephant Herd at Chekwa
Around the 20th Century, Black winged Stilts were much less common residents to Southern Africa than they are today. The numbers are still on the increase especially in urban areas around man made water sources.

Elephant Bulls Drinking
Although the Egyptian Goose is no longer found along the lower Nile, it is still a common resident through the rest of Africa. These birds were regarded as sacred by the Pharaohs. Malilangwe surely got a healthy population of these birds.

Waterbirds

All were very relieved when the Elephants decided to move off.

Marabou Waltz: Video

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on February 10, 2007
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The Marabous Storks were still on Banyini this morning, giving me the chance to recapture the footage that was ruined yesterday when my camera overheated.

Marabou Dance
They kept me busy for several hours and I only left them once they had cooled off in the pan and temperatures were soaring.

Bald gathering
I went on to find the Nduna pride on a buffalo kill right down in the south east of the reserve. The kill was probably made last night and all were well fed. But when I got there, only one lioness was lying in the shade near the carcass, which was out there in the sun.

Buffalo kill
The others had moved off into deeper shade.
This lioness wasn’t budging. The skies were full of vultures and others were already landing in nearby trees. Had the lioness given them the slightest chance they would have descended en masse and polished off the carcass.

Vulture litter
She spent her day guarding the carcass.
Only at sunset did the others venture from their shade and continue to feed. And as overloaded as they were I always wonder how they manage to stuff more meat down their throats.
I’ll be spending the rest of the night with the lions to be with them at dawn when they probably move off and the hyaenas move in. That’s if the hyaenas don’t challenge the lions tonight and take over.

Reflections don't lie

Good times for elephant: Video

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Wildcaster
on December 16, 2006
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The elephant are having it really good at the moment.

Chip follows Auntie
Just about wherever the elephant are and which ever way they turn there’s plenty of food around.

Hairy eyeball
Most animals are doing well at this time of year. The herbivores of course, because of the new flush of leaf, and the predators because of all the new young afoot.
But as the bush becomes denser and the youngsters grow up things will get tough for the predators until the dry season is again upon us.

Sunset flowers
We had fun with the girls today. A herd of buffalo were at Makeche and weren’t hanging around for us. But a white rhino cow and calf continued to graze in the area. I took the girls and we stalked up to get a closer look before the wind gave us away and the rhino bolted.

Nyala does
The girls weren’t convinced the characteristic slit-shaped hole in the sand on Banyini was made by a scorpion. So we dug away and about a foot down found a huge lad. It was dark and had a small sting and big pincers. Not the very poisonous Parabuthus.

Spot the tortoise
When temperatures raced towards 100F we all nearly took a mud wallow at Chekwa pan. No doubt that is bound to happen if the days get hotter.
At sunset I surprised this black rhino bull in a wallow. He shot out the wallow and then like a lone warrior stood there trying to locate me. Their eyesight is really bad so they rely heavily on scent and sound. Eventually I gave away my position and snorted. He jumped to face me and then bolted.

Lone Warrior

Buffalo en masse: Video

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Wildcaster
on October 30, 2006
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[Click here if you cannot view the video, above]

We found the elephants early this morning, including the mother with her tiny calf. So we looked forward to a day with the herd.

Flowing sand

By 8 am as temperatures again soared the herd had taken refuge in the shade of a huge Pod Mahogany. And the little guys took advantage of this to collapse and pass out.

Reassurance
Even a couple of subadults followed suit while the mothers stood around slowly waving their huge ears to keep cool and occasionally throwing cool dust over themselves. All of this they seemed to do in their sleep, sleeping standing up.

Team rest

Midday came and went and they were still in the shade. Luckily I’d found myself some shade too. Eventually by 5pm I threw in the towel leaving the herd in the same place, and headed down to Banyini where this huge herd of buffalo were drinking.

Heading out

Once they had left and with the sun almost on the horizon the Quelea flocks came pouring in for a last drink before moving off to roost in the reedbeds.

Catching the light

So what do I have to show for sitting it out in this summer heat all day? Well nothing from the elephants thank you.

But the golden sunset hour produced a great spectacle of buffalo and dust and the Quelea finished it off in a flurry of feathers. So in the end I was a happy camper.

Elephants Struggle to Survive: Video

Published
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Wildcaster
on October 26, 2006
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[Click here if you cannot view the video, above]

Although it was not quite stepping out of London into Africa, it sure is hot! (England was great for that short while and I had a very successful trip to the Wildscreen Wildlife Film Festival, with a lot of interest in Wildcast. But it’s sure great to be back)
With temperatures around 100 degrees F in the shade, it was just great to be back smelling the dust, the heat, the sweat and all the animals there to great me.

Being away for 2 weeks I was expecting so see some big changes in the bush at this time of year. Trees in full green flush and animals happily taking advantage of them. But none of that. No rains have fallen yet and with temperatures soaring daily the way they are, nothing is going to chance sending their innocent lush green leaves into the torturous world of heat and instant attack by many hungry animals. One of the few mopanie trees with it’s stunning flush of shiny green leaves was the first victim. Being the only green in sight the tree was felled by an elephant bull to statisfy his desires.

Although Africa is harsh, the animals have adapted over the millenia. The zebra were their usual fat selves. It’s extremely rare to see a thin zebra.

Patterns

The giraffe hugged the river banks where some trees were sprouting green.

Giraffe herd

The warthog are taking strain. They are always some of the first victims in a drought. Although this lad is looking rather lean he’s still got lots of life in him and will be sure to survive into the rainy season. Well unless he’s that unlucky that a predator makes dinner of him.

Warthog dude

The impala are great survivors. Being grazers and browsers they are extremely hardy and often survive bad droughts.

Thirst Quencher

The little Sharpes Grysbok too is a great survivor and doesn’t need that much food. Browsing in the lower canopy these little guys do well, except when they have to compete with big impala herds. So they tend to keep to the thicker bush and in the hills.
Sharpes Grysbok

The buffalo though are looking rather lean. Being bulk grazers and with grass cover right down, they are taking strain. But they adapt too and with any green flush they are known to resort to browsing for a while until the rains come.

Buffalo undercover

Apparently the forecast for this year is not that bad. The rains will start a bit later than usual but they expect we’ll have a slightly lower than average year. Whatever the case, these animals are used to dry years and well adapted to it. It’s just extra hard on the old.

So Africa goes on.