Tag Archive for 'scavenging'

Wild Dogs maintain pack cohesion: Video

The good times didn’t roll too well today. Hunting at dawn the pups were running amok and got left behind. Eventually the adults realising they weren’t being followed returned to find the adventurous bunch. In the meantime One-eye had killed himself a baby impala. None of the dogs were aware he’d killed. Eventually he came running back to join them with the impala’s head in his mouth. Of course the alpha pups thought they’d at least get a taste but One-eye wasn’t in for sharing today.

Simple death
Moving south through the hills the dogs encountered this herd of zebra with a very young foal. This caught the interest of the adults AND the pups of course. A brief advance from the stallion sent the pack clambering over rocks.

Young target
Moving through the hills they soon came out at Nyari pan to rest up.

Refreshing

They’d all been sleeping for a while when suddenly the place erupted and I heard the death cries. Not 50m away they’d caught a Sharpe’s Grysbok in a steep little gully. At first the pups stood nervously on the bank watching the adults feeding, but then piled in shoving them aside.

Grysbok kill

The little antelope didn’t fill any tummys and the pack spent the rest of the day in the shade at Nyari pan, where they were joined by their entourage, Hooded Vultures. They will often follow hunting wild dogs to take advantage of pickings from their kills. But with no pickings today they feasted on wild dog excrement. At least it was fresh I suppose?!


BB’s pups are still not sure how to handle these avian creatures and approaching cautiously they take instant fright when the bird suddenly takes off. At least it keeps them entertained.

I'll get you!

The dogs really didn’t have it in them today. Even as the sun set they were slow to get going and slow on the move eventually resting up near Banyini as it got dark. There is a slight chance they may still hunt tonight as the moon is now sitting at a quarter.

Hyaenas love water: Video


My good friends the hyaenas were entertaining as usual.

It took me many hours to find the elephants this morning. Mandlovu had moved right up into the north into some of the thickest bush on the reserve. After bashing around after them for several hours I eventually came out on a track. Finding a suitable mopanie tree with good shade I took a break waiting for them to reach the road.

Mopanie feast

Lying on my camera box with feet on the dashboard, things were pretty good. Shortly my peace was interrupted. Mama-notch, a big elephant cow with a notch in her right tusk, sidled up to my tree and proceeded to strip leaves from it. As innocent as I was lying there, she innocently fed without concern as to my presence. Having stripped what she could she moved on.

Feet?

Chipfongwe was also having a day of leisure until his sister pushed him aside. She wanted to get to the wet cool soil that he was lying on. Lethargic as he was, he just rolled over and passed out again.

Move over

Not having any joy with the elephants in this rough country and with little chance of them moving out (they had water all around them with pans full from the rains the other day), I moved out.

Split

I picked up on the wild dogs sleeping close to Sosigi dam. They all looked really well fed and didn’t budge until just before sunset. They all awoke with mass excitement and greeted each other as they do. I always find it amazing how they can get so excited to see each other, even though they’ve all been lying together and have already greeted each other several times that day. It all helps to reinforce those very strong social bonds.

Interesting?

The pack headed out hunting at sunset but not with much enthusiasm and we abandoned them once it got dark. This was when we picked up on the hyaenas in Manyuchi pan.

Rolling

Elephant boys go mud!: Video

The morning started excitedly with reports that our wild dogs were down at Nyari pan.

By the time I had got there they had moved off into the hills. But on chatting to the rangers, it appears it was the other pack of dogs. They also have 12 pups but these guys are all the same age.

Just down the way from Nyari pan piles of vultures were scrumming it over the remains of an impala carcass. A couple of Marabou Storks stood around like soldiers guarding the carcass, but they didn’t get anything for their services.

Scrapping over scraps

I was on a mission today to find the breeding herd of elephants. Sounds easy! Well they manage to hide day in and day out. I had those bulls at Hartebeest pan and then only late in the afternoon did I pick up a small breeding herd right up the top end of Malilangwe dam. By then it was too late to follow after them AND they were in Devils Jungle, which is just that!

This herd of Lichtensteins Hartebeest were down at Chiloveka dam drinking from a seep on the limestone. The country down there is so very dry and I often wonder how any animals manage to survive on that dead dry grass and trees with not even the slightest tinge of green.

Hearty Hartebeests

I was so chuffed (happy) to see these Ground Hornbills again on Banyini. They seem to be hanging out here and are fairly relaxed. I’m sure these guys will soon be my stars for the Ground Hornbill film when I get working on that. I first need to habituate the birds that I can walk with them, which will allow me to get all those great camera angles. And the bargain with these birds is, they’re predatory and don’t fly off to kill something over there. They do it right infront of you on the ground!

Ground Hornbills

Leaving the breeding herd of elephant near the dam, I saw this flock of Open-billed Storks all take off. I thought they were leaving to roost elsewhere. But they just seemed to be catching their sundowner thermal. Then suddenly some of them would twist and dive hundreds of feet before swooping up again. They really are incredible fliers and seemed to be having a real blast. And after about 10 minutes they all folded their wings into a dramatic dive, swooping from side to side and landed on the shores of Malilangwe dam.

Squadron

Close to where the storks landed this buffalo bull was lying in the mud, probably having been there for several hours cooling off. These old bulls get their name from doing just that and always being covered in mud. Dagga Boys. (dagga means mud)
Dagga Boy

Wild Dogs chase Vultures: Video

Attack from the rear

I’m away for a while attending the Wildscreen Wildlife Film Festival in Bristol, in the UK. I’ll also be on a panel discussing Wildcast.

Just missed
While I’m away I’ll be putting up video clips of events I filmed in the last month on Malilangwe. These are all new clips of stuff that just didn’t fit the blog when they occured.

Getting serious