Tag Archive for 'polls'

Hyena Walkabout: Video

Published

on January 11, 2010

. 15 Comments Tags:adventure, africa, animal-kingdom, blogumentary, bush, bush-knowledge, conservation, Cubs, den, documentary, education, elephants, endangered-species, experience, film, filmmaker, flickr, GLTP, gonarezhou, Great-Limpopo-Transfrontier-Park, hunting, hyaena, hyena, IUCN-Red-List, malilangwe, narrowcasting, Open-Content-Alliance, pamushana, photos, podcasting, polls, predators, teach, video, waterhole, wild, wild dogs, wildcasting, wilderness, wildlife, wildlife-documentary, youtube, zimbabwe

It seems quite unnecessary for humans to have so many distractions in life, some which are pleasant and others that just waste our time.

I hope this year will be one with less of the latter and more of the useful ones, but more importantly just less distractions.

I think most people are back to the grindstone and gearing themselves for the long haul. I took the long road to find the dogs the other day while Kim was on holiday. We like to keep tabs on them to make sure they are still doing well. It took me two days to find them, but when I did they were up to their old sports and all eighteen dogs were doing well.

For the wild animals everyday involves one thing – survival. The hyena cubs are growing up now and are beginning to stretch their legs, widening their territory as they explore the lie of the land.

This last year, I’ve had the privilege of being with the cubs as they’ve grown up, as each one developed their own personality and this year I continue crossing the divide between man and wild animal.

Join us on the adventure, make your life an adventure and invite others to come along for the ride.

I’ll catch you on the flip side.

Lion Cubs on the Hunt: Video

Published

Wildcaster

on December 27, 2009

in videopost

. 14 Comments Tags:adventure, africa, animal-kingdom, birding, birding-african-birds, blogumentary, bush, bush-knowledge, conservation, documentary, ecotraining, education, endangered-species, experience, film, filmmaker, flickr, GLTP, gonarezhou, Great-Limpopo-Transfrontier-Park, hippo, hunting, IUCN-Red-List, kill, lions, malilangwe, Marahou Stork, mashable, narrowcasting, Open-Content-Alliance, Osprey, pamushana, peace-parks, photos, podcasting, polls, predators, Secretary bird, teach, video, waterhole, wild, wildcasting, wilderness, wildlife, wildlife-documentary, youtube, zimbabwe

Christmas Day has come and gone, I spent the day with family in Mutare and enjoyed the sunset in the hills.

In case you’re wondering, there was no Chanel No. 5 to celebrate our anniversary, but a little form was shown with a sunset cruise on Malilangwe Dam where we spotted an Osprey having an argument with a Marabou Stork, the Marabou ended up with the fish, but the Osprey looked pretty determined to teach the Marabou some table manners.

Banyini Pan has been drying up with the intense heat, but half a kilometer to the south is natural pan teaming with life. This is where I found a secretary bird for the first time in our stay at Malilangwe - graceful birds, always a great sighting.

I also managed to catch up with the lions on Banyini one evening. Magwaza’s three cubs are out and about, they are joining the hunt now and outdoing the adults at times - when they can stop playing about and focus on the task at hand of course. One of the cubs pulled down an Impala calf, interestingly enough, the lionesses left the cubs to fight over the small impala on their own without interfering. There are so many young impala around it’s difficult not to run into them around every corner.

Holiday season will soon fade away, but for the baboons every day is a swing in the trees.

Happy New Year, rich blessings, stay safe!

Mopane Shredders: Video

Published

Wildcaster

on December 15, 2009

in videopost

. 7 Comments Tags:adventure, africa, animal-kingdom, black-rhino, blogumentary, bush, bush-knowledge, conservation, cubs den, documentary, ecotraining, education, endangered-species, experience, film, filmmaker, flickr, GLTP, gonarezhou, Great-Limpopo-Transfrontier-Park, hunting, hyaena, hyena, IUCN-Red-List, malilangwe, mashable, narrowcasting, Open-Content-Alliance, pamushana, pan, peace-parks, photos, podcasting, polls, predators, teach, video, waterhole, wild, wild flower, wildcasting, wilderness, wildlife, wildlife-documentary, youtube, zimbabwe

After a week away from Malilangwe one is already home sick, the bush has a tendency to do that to a person, besides the concrete jungle has little to offer me these days.

I arrived back only to head straight to my hyenas to spend the morning chilling taking photos around a natural pan they’ve discovered. The light was amazing and it gave me a chance to try out the new lens I purchased (one of the benefits of the concrete jungle).

The mopane worms have come up out of the ground to feast on the healthy looking mopane leaves.

You can always tell which trees have them in by the collection of droppings on the ground around the tree. It’s like guano, I wander it has any value as a fertilizer? Maybe one could make guano bowls out of it at least - then collect the whole set!

The bush is looking like a pasture, green and colourful. While the grass is still short it makes it easy to spot animals against the green background, like the two black rhinos we saw as we did the loop around the khayeni area, which I’ve been neglecting for a long time.

Christmas is around the bend and I did a little shop myself, but I can’t disclose whether I have actually come away with a gift yet. My wife and I will have been married three whole years on the 17 December, which I can thankfully say have been three great years!

Maybe I’ll collect some wild flowers as a unique gift, which is also within the budget… or maybe I did manage to find a romantic streak and choose a Chanelle no.5 to complement the fresh smell of the falling rain.

Hyena Dunkers: Video

Published

Wildcaster

on December 2, 2009

in videopost

. 3 Comments Tags:adventure, africa, animal-kingdom, blogumentary, bush, bush-knowledge, conservation, documentary, ecotraining, education, endangered-species, experience, film, filmmaker, flickr, GLTP, gonarezhou, Great-Limpopo-Transfrontier-Park, hunting, hyaena cub, hyena, hyena den, malilangwe, mashable, narrowcasting, Open-Content-Alliance, pamushana, peace-parks, photos, podcasting, polls, predators, teach, video, waterhole, wild, wildcasting, wilderness, wildlife, wildlife-documentary, youtube, zimbabwe

The clan has moved to the very first den that we found them at nine months ago, I’ve been catching the sunsets at the den with the cubs emerging for their late afternoon suckle.

I spent a few late nights at the den, but the hyenas were pretty unproductive. The one morning they carried a baboon carcass back to the den there was a tug of war over who was going to get to rip the limbs off it, but the mothers are very protective over their carrion and only let their own cubs nibble on the carcass.

I did manage to catch up with two playful males at Manuchi Pan though.

I must say, the water sports got a little rough with the one trying to dunk the other - all in the name of a little fun though.

All sorts of creatures emerge after a little wet weather, I’ve seen plenty of toads just plodding around the den area, along with five water monitors in the Manuchi/Sosigi area.

In between the light showers during the last few days we get to see the wild flowers emerging, not to mention the grass shooting to provide the grazing for the next season.

Hyena Chop Stix: Video

Published

Wildcaster

on November 6, 2009

in videopost

. 7 Comments Tags:adventure, africa, animal-kingdom, blogumentary, bush, bush-knowledge, conservation, den, documentary, ecotraining, education, endangered-species, experience, film, filmmaker, flickr, GLTP, gonarezhou, Great-Limpopo-Transfrontier-Park, hunting, hyaena, Hyena cubs, IUCN-Red-List, kill, lions, malilangwe, narrowcasting, Open-Content-Alliance, pamushana, peace-parks, photos, podcasting, polls, predators, teach, video, waterhole, wild, wild dogs, wildcasting, wilderness, wildlife, wildlife-documentary, youtube, zimbabwe

The dark clouds have been rolling in over Malilangwe, but with nothing more than the promise of rain. It is November already and anytime from mid-month onwards we can expect the down pours to start. I can still remember last year, when I was caught in a heavy storm and the water was flowing straight through my clothes as I cautiously navigated the muddy roads– it makes one feel like a kid playing in the rain.

I’ve been getting some daily exercise walking up and down the hyena hill to check on the new den.

I eventually found the two older mothers using a den right on the top of the hill in a different den than I thought previously. When I first spotted one of the older cubs roaming the hill I used my “special call” to attract their attention so they wouldn’t freak out by my presence. They came straight away to inspect and then strolled over to a crack in the rocks.

I followed and took up a position on a nearby rock. One big mother then came out the den to see what new clan member had arrived; surprisingly, she was completely relaxed with me being there. I stayed for the morning to observed and take photos and get them used to me being around the new den.

The hyenas and wild dogs had a huge confrontation South of Manyuchi two mornings ago, but nothing serious enough for them to eat each other.

I received an update on Magwaza the lioness and her three cubs. They were hanging around Chitindigova Hill just North of Bandama Pan, always in the hills these lions, the cubs are growing strong and the ex-Nduna lioness is still mixed up with the pride with one other lioness. This unknown lioness seems to be lactating, which means there might be some more little ones on the way. It may be too soon to jump to conclusions, there is really no way to tell for sure, unless some mad person climbs into the hill to take a look. I think I might camp out in my vehicle over next few days to see what I can spot.

Pin the Tail: Video

Published

Wildcaster

on October 31, 2009

in videopost

. 6 Comments Tags:adventure, africa, animal-kingdom, blogumentary, bush, bush-knowledge, conservation, den, documentary, education, endangered-species, experience, film, filmmaker, flickr, GLTP, gonarezhou, Great-Limpopo-Transfrontier-Park, hunting, hyaena cubs, hyena, IUCN-Red-List, malilangwe, mashable, narrowcasting, Open-Content-Alliance, pamushana, peace-parks, photos, polls, predators, teach, video, waterhole, wild, wild dogs, wildcasting, wilderness, wildlife, wildlife-documentary, youtube, zimbabwe

I was standing on top of a rocky hill where the hyenas had crept into overlooking the northern section of the reserve and some ominous looking clouds blanketed the sky as I enjoyed the toposcope view.

I was just thinking how quickly the year has gone and how it’s so important to savor every moment. “Do what you love… and you’ll never work another day in your life,” my friend always said to me, today I’m in agreement.. But I also say, “do what you love and love what you do, “ that way you’re never disappointed.

I’ve been trying to track down where the older cubs have been disappearing to with a few of the other adults. They always come in to Manuchi from the Southern side of the pan, while the others from the old den in the North. I had finally found their secret den in the hills and while nobody was home, I heard some shuffling off as I found the den site.

This is an old den they’ve used before and one the wild dogs have use also. I climbed down the hill side to get back to Manuchi before I missed out on the sunset sports, but none of the hyenas were there. They were all at the old den carrying on with the usual social activities. The younger cubs are both competing for a medal in bravery going on walk about and also all over my car. The one cub has a nice nature about it, but the other looks as if it will be a spirited one.

I’ve been out with Kim on the dogs during the last two afternoons, they are doing well and starting to stretch their legs again. With the pups growing fast , they are moving greater distances and also killing Impalas by the half dozen. The other day they killed five in one hunt! They had a festive morning with hyenas at Forma Danga pan. The dogs got the better of them and chased them off, but never underestimate those spotties. We are making headway on the film side, but as one project draws to a close so it marks the birth of a new idea and project – exciting times.

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Tag Archive for 'polls'

Hyena Walkabout: Video

Lion Cubs on the Hunt: Video

Mopane Shredders: Video

Hyena Dunkers: Video

Hyena Chop Stix: Video

Pin the Tail: Video

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