Tag Archive for 'vultures'

Puzzles’ last day: Video

Published
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Wildcaster
on June 29, 2009
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It might just be happening…………!!!
The dogs still travel far and wide but were back in the hills again yesterday.
Coming out at dusk they killed a young impala. They were just finishing off their kill when baboons started shouting madly to the north.

Ever hopeful
Following up I saw all these vultures in the trees. Then found Manyari, Magwaza and her 3 cubs and another female all on an adult male kudu.

Kudu kill
I headed back to the dogs as it was now almost dark, only to find they’d moved into the hills towards where the lions were. Bad idea!!
We were out early as usual into the very chilly dawn all wrapped up in our sleeping bags. Me too! I’ve mastered the art of driving while sitting in my sleeping. It’s called ‘survival’!
The dogs’ signal was well into the hills to the east. Then we heard the distress calls of a dog. We waited and the calls would come intermittently.

Denning?
I didn’t get a chance to walk in there after them as more important matters took over. I needed to attend to Penny’s birthday party. We’d invited a bunch of friends and all met up on the river, the ideal place to play in the sand and water. Even a herd of buffalo and a lone elephant graced the party briefly.
I was anxious to get back to the dogs. Why had the pack been calling incessantly and for that long this morning? Had one of them been taken by a lion last night? Now I was getting concerned.
I battled to find the dogs in the afternoon as they’d travelled so far north and were in the area of a den Puzzles had dug several weeks ago.

Shoulder wrestling
As Murphy had it, I arrived at the top of the hill just when they’d moved off to the bottom.
So I’m not sure if they were at the den I suspect, but when we were able to count heads, there were only 9. Puzzles is missing!
Hopefully this is a good “missing”, cos she’s got pups!

Dawn sun
Tomorrow morning I should know what’s going on.
There’s still that little butterfly in my tummy that thinks something might have happened to Puzzles. But then again, if it had, the pack would be calling incessantly for her.

Puzzles’ Scores: Video

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Wildcaster
on June 1, 2009
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The Wild Dogs haven’t been keeping up their hunting tempo and for the last few days some dogs haven’t eaten.
Today they were again at the confluence of the Chiredzi and Runde Rivers. I’d lost them crossing the river and instead of driving about an hour and a half to get to them, I went walking along the river bank looking for a potential crossing point.

Easy stuff

Just then an adult male impala came running along the bank and past me. He was tired but continued down the river bank. A little later a dog arrived following his scent trail, but the dog never found it.

Contemplating

With several dogs milling around on the top of the river bank, I then found a path out the river. As I started climbing out, another male impala came tearing towards, jumped over my head (literally) and down to the river. It was hotly followed by a dog. And just then another male impala came tearing past followed by 2 dogs. But this was the impala’s mistake, running in the soft river sand where their cloven hooves sink deep into the sand compared to the soft pads of the dogs. When they were about half way across the sandy river the dogs had caught both of them. And then it was time for the big feast.

River trap
The dogs ended up spending the rest of the day in the river, playing and chasing vultures.
Puzzle’s has been receiving lots of attention recently. Her swollen tummy and enlarged teats provide for a great attraction for the now year old pups. Puzzles just lies there and takes the abuse. Well actually it can’t be abuse as she really seems to be enjoying it!

Hassling Puzzles'
So far I’ve only found one suitable crossing point on the Chiredzi River and invariably when crossing in the middle of the day there’s some animal to greet me.

Giraffe quencher
I was filming these giraffe coming and going to drink, when this elephant approached from the front. He seemed adamant that I was in HIS way. I had no escape route as I was parked right in the water course and wouldn’t be able to get away in a hurry. The big dude eventually realised what he was up against.
In his spot

Wild Vulture Chase: Video

Published
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Wildcaster
on March 25, 2009
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How is it when you’re looking for something you can’t find it? Then when you’re not looking, you find it every where! Those Lions I was looking for – found. From what I can tell, it was Magwaza with… wait for it… three cubs! It was still dark and I was on my way up to the dogs, she was in the road and not too unhappy with me imposing. She walked up the road a bit with me following from a distance, and then she didn’t like it when I turned the lights on to get a picture. Not enough time to get a quick snapper unfortunately, but at least we know what the story is and that she still has the cubs.

Full and lazy

Yesterday afternoon the dogs lay around a waterhole, full as ticks. Their swollen bellies were even making it difficult for them to breath. However, it just takes one instigator and the rest fall in line, so before sundown they had a good old rough and tumble then off to find a spot to sleep. This morning was hectic and as I said before, one instigates the others follow suite. They had their eyes on the other side of that fence again, except this time one was determined to get out on the road.

Fat tummies

He found a spot where the ground had fallen away from the rains and made a dash for it. I managed to keep the others from going out at first, but I had to leave the fence open for the dog to come back in. Before I knew it there were five out on the tar road. Three buses screamed past almost flattening the pups, it was crazy! At least that gave them a good scare, in the mean time I opened up another way in. At first they were up and down the fence like Kangaroos, then eventually found their way back in, they’re kind of stupid that way.

Morning shadow

My heart had sunk into my guts by then, but then I could breathe easy with a feeling of relief. After that it was business as usually, hunting up and down the fence line, but they had to settle for what looked like an abandoned kill, which Jiggy had commandeered. The vultures were already swooping in, but they didn’t stay long as the dogs demolished the carcass in front of their eyes. In the afternoon, the vultures also tried their luck, but the only thing they got was a mouthful of something a little more processed.

Telephone Sunrise

Hyaenas ruffle vultures feathers: Video

Published
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Wildcaster
on February 11, 2007
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Long night with the lions.

Friends
I spent last night with the lions only getting back to them soon after midnight. They were still chewing on the carcass in relays.

Zoo
Somewhere in the night the hyaenas had moved in and tried to make a stand trying to intimidate the lions with their giggles and whoops. But there just weren’t enough of them and they had to spend the rest of the night lying in the wings waiting.
At dawn the lions were into a renewed feeding frenzy, all trying to get their last bite of what really was nothing.
The young male was the last to hang on stuffing himself.

Companions
As he moved away the vultures flung themselves at the carcass in numbers and seemingly in desperation. But their feast was short lived.
Descending on the carcass as they did was the cue for the hyaenas that all was safe and they could move in.

Red-billed Oxpeckers
They moved in cautiously but soon had command of the carcass and tucked in to what the lions just couldn’t chew. But with their tremendous jaws the hyaenas were soon working the carcass all the time on the look out for the possible return of the lions. They never did come back.
About 8 hyaenas feasted and having all but cleaned up the carcass they left the scraps to the vultures.

Cleaning up

I headed back to camp for a few hours nap before moving out again for the afternoon.
The Marabou’s were still on Banyini along with giraffe, impala, zebra and of course thousands and thousands of quelea.

Waterbuck

Elephant calf survives challenges: Video

Published
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Wildcaster
on January 25, 2007
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Where did those lions get to?

Giraffe herd
Hopefully for them they’re sitting on a buffalo kill. And sorry for me if they really are, but I wasn’t able to pick up any trace of them.

Impressive horn
The elephants were in the Albizia woodlands again but at midday headed southeast. All along the way they were dropping in at mud wallows to cool off.

In Between

So when they got to Bandama all they really wanted was lots of refreshment and then it was back on the move again.

Moving in to Bandama
There aren’t many bulls accompanying the herd at the moment. This could be that they are spending their time more to the south where the grazing is better and the cows are relying on the productive Albizia woodlands to sustain them.

Leaning post
I had a great jog today running along the shores of the Malilangwe dam. I came across about 20 vultures and some Marabou storks milling on the ground but closer investigation didn’t reveal anything. Really don’t know what they were up to. Further on I disturbed 2 buffalo bulls wallowing in the dam and they ran away. I also encountered some impala, zebra and a waterbuck with a small calf. The waterfowl that are usually in abundance around the dam are not there at the moment probably having moved on now that the veld is full of other surface water.
Marabou flight

Vultures maintain a healthy environment: Video

Published
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Wildcaster
on December 22, 2006
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We rushed out to the lions on the buffalo carcass being sure to get there at first light.
But they had beaten us to it. Just as we arrived the lions were on their way out having finished that whole buffalo bull in less than 24 hours. Now that takes some eating!
And then of course the vultures piled in. Not 20minutes later the carcass was nothing else but clean bones. Those birds are so efficient in cleaning up carcasses. And they’re lucky too they can’t smell. That carcass was truly high when we were there.

Tap dancing vultures
There was very fresh evidence of a herd of buffalo having moved through the area and they must have disturbed the lions and possibly chased some of them off. When buffalo smell blood they go wild and are not pleasant to be on the receiving end of.
We later picked up the herd drinking at Bandama pan.

Buffalo at Bandama
And the elephants were right in the north at Chipanguchi pan loving the water and brilliantly green grass.

Elephants at Chipanguchi pan
About an hour later they moved into the shade in the mopanie woodland to stay cool. The girls and friends then took to the mud and I confess I just had to join them too!

New Hair lotion
Eventually I managed to get the girls out of there to give the elephants another turn in their wallow.

Loving touch
The wildebeest started dropping their calves about a week ago. These little guys on Banyini, stay close to their mother’s sides at all times until they are a little older. This is their only defence should any predators try their luck. Hyaenas and wild dogs sure will do if they come across them. But for now there’s been no sign of the wild dogs for a week or so.

Wildebeest calves