We piled into the truck ready to depart at 07.30 with coffee and ‘panga’, traditional machetes, already loaded. I knew part of the day’s plan included hard labour but when they said we’d be cutting down trees, I wondered just how big those trees were going to be.
White Rhino sighting
As we entered the reserve we came across 2 white rhino. Monitoring the animals is an essential part of our duties whilst we’re here. The rhino are all individually identified by the ‘notches’ on their ears with a W or B to denote if they are white or black, followed by 2 numbers. The first number relates to the generation and the second to the number of calves the generation rhino has given birth to. Once the individual has been identified the details are logged along with GPS co-ordinates, allowing the ecologists to map the annual movements of game over the 25,000 hectare reserve.
Cutting down trees
We passed endless game as we headed off to the area we would be working on that morning. The tree cutting involved chopped down small pine trees that are alien vegetation so that the natural bush flora and fauna has a chance to rejuvenate. Believe me, it’s hard work as the temperature began to rise. After clearing about 800 trees we enjoyed a blissful picnic under the shade of an ancient tree on the soft grass. The craic was ninety as we munched our pack lunches.
On the hunt
Then we began trying to locate a lioness from the northern pride that they were hoping to dart to insert a rice sized contraceptive implant. The careful management of the number of animals on the reserve, especially lion, ensure prides don’t compete for food or overcrowd the reserve, which would result in dominant males killing the cubs of other males and greatly reducing the gene pool.
En route we set up a camera trap by a watering hole with plenty of animal footpaths. It has to be well camouflaged from the animals, especially the elephants, if it’s going to last the week.
We came across a family of elephants having a splashing good time in a watering hole. Again we identified the individuals by the tears on their ears, noting down the GPS co-ordinates before hitting the dusty red road again in search of our lioness.
We were pipped at the post by the other voluntourist group. She was resting from the heat with 3 of her offspring under bushes on the edge of the savannah. The vet, Murray, one of two permanently on site, met us with John O’Brien, the reserve’s ecologist to explain the entire procedure using 2 types of non-morphine based tranquillisers.
Feline contraception
The dart, which has pink feathers on the end, hit the lioness’ shoulder but the plunger only went down half way.
Her daughter came to her rescue and pulled out the dart. After a quick munch on the dart the lioness swallowed the feathers. John said they never find them so they have no idea where do they go! The lioness was out after 10 minutes.
Once she was asleep, Cindy chased off her offspring so Murray could insert the implant in her shoulder. Then the best bit – we were allowed to get out of the vehicle and approach.
Her tongue was forked, meaning she must have snagged on something which is incredibly rough because of the tiny ‘hooks’ used to strip the meat off carcasses. Lions also have a ‘claw’ on the end of their tails hidden from view by the soft black hair.
After another shot that reverses one of the drugs, we waited. It took about 30 minutes before she come round, her children rejoined her and they disappeared into the bush.
A final treat
It was time to head home. Just by the entrance to Rippon’s Safari Lodge we came across the young cheetah. Their radio collars confirmed they were the male coalition from the Northern part of the reserve. The GPS co-ordinates were noted and we relaxed to watch them groom each other and wander off onto the grass plain looking like they might make a kill.
The day ended with a stunning sunset and the full moon rising. What a day.
Rachel Hill
I have a great passion for wildlife & conservation, after an 8yr background of selling South Africa as a destination and Shamwari Game Reserve I have recently been lucky enough to get involved with Worldwide Experience and contribute towards making changes in people lives. The projects we offer are truly amazing and I hope together we can make a difference.
It seems that everybody has something to say about travelling! Some people seem to think that humans need to travel to enjoy life to the full, others that travel gives knowledge and wisdom, and there are more that believe travel ...
