Tag Archive for 'quickmaps'

Elephants in the sand pit: Video

Published
by
Wildcaster
on December 6, 2006
in photopost
. 3 Comments Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The 40’s got trashed today and we’re into the low 20’s. What a relief!

Happy family
I was out before dawn when the clouds started rolling in and a gentle drizzle resided over the reserve nearly all day.
I only got to Mandlovu and her herd late this afternoon when the weather lifted slightly.

Loving
On my way out at dawn I stopped to watch an elephant bull casually cross the road in front of me. When I turned the key to move on, the battery gave that typical dead, slow uumph… sound. Luckily I was on a little slope and managed to roll start her. Then parking further down the road on a better slope I went through all the checks and cleaned what I could. Still no start.
I headed back to camp as the rains came down and I needed to sort out the car, which I eventually managed.
Late in the afternoon I was out again and found Chipfongwe having a great time in a sandpit his mom had dug for him. He just wasn’t getting enough of it.

High Step
Then other family members got the bug and joined in. The cool weather had all in a very relaxed and pleasant mood.
And of course the boys took the time to wrestle. I mean, what else would boys do?!

Sparring

On my way home after dark I found this Parabuthus scorpion near the rode. These guys have small pincers but a huge sting from which they are known to squirt venom. This venom is extremely poisonous and has been known to kill a child. And an adult I know was paralysed for a day after the scorpion stung him. Carefully positioning my spotlight and getting down on the ground to take the photo I was very aware that he might have friends.

Parabuthus Scorpion

Elephant mud dance: Video

Published
by
Wildcaster
on December 5, 2006
in photopost
. 3 Comments Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wow! 44 degrees C in the shade! (111 degrees F)

Chimbiya seep
The elephant have been making the most of the new flush of vegetation and taking advantage of the night and cooler daylight hours to feed. This gives them extra time to take it easy at the mud wallows, which they don’t really need encouragement to do.

Scratching
Mandlovu and her herd were at the wallow 3 times today, whereas on a normal day they might only go once. It was hot! And while they had the luxury of cooling off I was in the sun filming their pleasures.
At least in between their wallows they retired to the shade and I was able to join them there.
I also spent more time at the Chikwelane spring waiting for elephant to come and drink but no takers today. Instead I fell asleep on the rock above the spring. Luckily no hungry pythons were lurking in the area. (What made me think of that was a photo sent to me recently of a man swallowed by a python. He’d been sleeping out in the field and was taken by surprise)
Chipfongwe’s limp is getting worse and he’s only using the heel of his front left leg. Hopefully the thorn or whatever it is will soon work its way out.

Clay sculpture
There was a moment this afternoon where he stepped over a log with both front feet but then found himself stuck on the log. He panicked and squawked. Help came running and his big sister lifted him over with her trunk. They are such caring animals and the little ones are always priority number one.

Black Rhino & calf
On my way home past Chivi pan, the short flush of green grass had attracted 5 black rhinos. These guys are browsers but this tender fresh flush of grass was obviously irresistible. Not wanting to disturb then by driving closer to get some photographs I walked and was able to at least get some images until this cow gave me the look. That typical black rhino stance. Head held high sniffing the air. I was motionless but looking for trees to climb. She suddenly spun around and took off.
Black Rhino cow

Elephant calf on jungle gym: Video

Published
by
Wildcaster
on December 4, 2006
in photopost
. 6 Comments Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


The big mud party continued today as temperatures soared over 40 C (over 100F).

Dusting up
Chipfongwe had a great time playing all over his sister early this morning. Just after this Mandlovu gave her daughter such a hiding trashing her into a bush. And then the younger sister too got the treatment. I was given the look but luckily not the treatment.
I don’t know what got into Mandlovu today but her mood was not the most comfortable to be around. Hormones?
The herds moved to the mud wallow near Chimbiya really early as temperatures rocketed. I was parked in the sun and for 1 ½ hours I locked the camera off and recorded the whole scene of elephants coming and going.

Mud patterns

And then the camera did a wheels up on me. It got so hot from working that long and also the hot sun, even though I had a cover on it, that it malfunctioned.
So we, camera and I, retired to the shade to get ourselves back to some normality. Not so easy when it’s this hot.

Queue
Chikwelane spring is fairly close to here. Not sure if it was flowing again I took a stroll up that way. I found a young bull drinking from the spring but he soon moved off when he got wind of me.
Heading back down the path in the narrow gorge to the car, I almost walked into another young bull on his way to the spring. Turning round I went and lay in ambush close to the spring to get what photographs I could. With the wind in my favour the dude came and drank about 10m away from me in the rocks. But I needed to move to get a better angle and that’s when he mock charged spraying up all the water he could.

Splash

And then as if nothing had happened he happily went back to drinking.
He was going to be drinking for ages and I needed to get back to Mandlovu and the herd. As I moved away he gave me another of his mock charges but I was safely behind some big boulders.

I'll eat you!
Mandlovu took her herd back up to Chimbiya spring. This time I lugged the camera and heavy tripod. In the it was all worth it as I got some great footage of the herd from high up on the rocks. It’s all such beautiful and different country to see elephants in.

Mirror image

Elephant dust and bathe: Video

Published
by
Wildcaster
on December 3, 2006
in photopost
. 1 Comment Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


One huge party was had near Chimbiya spring.
The elephant again spent most of the day in the Albizia woodland. There is just so much for them to feed on there right now, and such diversity that they really don’t need to move. The only moving they are doing is to water.

Waterbuck woodland
Lucky for them, since the rains there is water nearby. Chimbiya top spring is full and the spring is running. Then just down from that in 2 places there is water in deep pools too. The elephants mainly use these for bathing. And when they can, they drink from the spring in a crack in the rocks at the top pool. But when bulls secure the spring the cows and calves just don’t get a chance and have to drink from the pool below.

Save me!
Chipfongwe was having an easy day with his family and enjoying his personal dust bathing sessions and later headed into the hills to drink at Chimbiya spring.

Mud wrestling
But around midday all the elephant moved up north to a mud wallow close by. This had filled from the rains and being in clay provided the elephant with the most perfect mud. When Mandlovu arrived there were already about 20 elephant in this small pan going absolutely ape and having such a great time. Even the cows were getting right down into it and rolling, splashing and throwing mud.

Splash!
Mandlovu’s herd too approached with excitement. But Mandlovu, running in, slipped in the mud on the edge of the pan falling on her side and totally losing her dignity. She got up, gathered herself, gave me a look as if it was my fault, called her herd and promptly left. They never came back.

Cow gets down
But for the next 2 hours I was entertained with this most awesome spectacle of elephant coming and going, and giving new meaning to mud wrestling. There was FUN written all over them as they came in relays. After about a 20minute wrestling session they would move off to feed in the bush nearby while others took over the wallow. Then the guys in the bush would come back for another session. They just kept coming and going. Parked in the shade, apart from taking some photos, I decided I would sit back and just enjoy the spectacle. (I have already shot a lot of this sort of material) Eventually as it was getting cooler they moved back to feed in the woodland.
In it together

Good and bad for elephant calf: Video

Published
by
Wildcaster
on December 2, 2006
in photopost
. 0 Comments Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


I’m sure Chipfongwe’s asking if he really has to do this?
He was having a good day. Had a great cool dusting from the other elephants and didn’t have to travel too far on that little limp of his.

Red elephant
But having to eat elephant dung……….. Well is that not pushing it? Not at all. They need the bacteria in it to start up the whole digestive process in their stomachs once they start eating solid foods. Just one of those essential things one has to do in life. It can only get better!

Playing leader
I searched for the wild dogs at dawn and really don’t know where they’ve headed off to. After a couple of hours of searching I left the area to follow up on Chipfongwe.
I’ll probably leave the wild dogs for a while unless they make an appearance up in the north again. And so for now will be concentrating my efforts on the elephants.

Impala parade
The elephants are having it really great now that the Albizia woodlands have sprouted. There is so much food for them here. But once the grass reaches a height that makes it easy to harvest they’ll probably move into the grasslands in the south.

White rhino bulls

Elephant confrontation: Video

Published
by
Wildcaster
on December 1, 2006
in photopost
. 2 Comments Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I was glad to be out my car filming today.

Dust pipe
The elephant herd was in the vicinity of Chimbya waterhole in the hills, an area I was really keen to film them in. Filming on the rocks I was totally safe.

Chimbiya spring
This raging elephant cow trashing every bush in front of her and nearly my car suddenly disturbed the peace. I was just happy not to be in the vehicle at the time.
I really don’t know what got into her. She sure was having a bad day, but obviously not bad enough as she didn’t actually trash my car.

Cows sparring
Poor little Chipfongwe’s limp is getting worse and I’m beginning to wonder if he maybe doesn’t have some other injury. But these guys are tough and I’m sure he’ll be fine.

Following
The dogs were well fed at dawn but still went for a walkabout encountering a herd of buffalo, which the pups took great delight in chasing and seeing them run away.

Bushveld pan
The rest of their day was spent south of Bandama pan.
On cue the dogs were up greeting each other half an hour before sunset, and then at sunset headed south. They encountered this herd of sable antelope, which stood their ground protecting their young. The pups were keen but each time the bull advanced they scattered. (I have seen a single sable bull keep 2 lionesses at bay. He went down on his knees and with any advance the lions made he swept his lethal horns across their path. The lions eventually gave up)

Sable and wild dogs
With night moving in I left the dogs still heading south on the eastern boundary as they continued with the hunt. The ¾ moon will provide them with plenty of light to accomplish their mission.