Just missed
Category: Uncategorized | Date: Mar 06 2008 | By: admin
Howzit everyone,
Wow! Do you guys have this blog on an RSS feed or something? My last post had a comment within three minutes and that was quickly followed by several more. Not that I’m complaining…
This morning, we were just setting off to collect the guys’ pay and to get some supplies, when I thought I heard a dog calling nearby. No one else had heard it, so, thinking I was mistaken, we carried on.
When I arrived at my destination, I got a radio call to tell me that wild dogs had killed an impala by the Turgwe river, in full view of the camp next to our house. I just know they do this sort of thing to annoy me!
I returned and set out to follow the spoor, which meant wading back and forth across the river, but I lost the tracks eventually. When I was walking back I came across the spoor of a single dog and I think this was the snared female. Maybe she heard the commotion and came to investigate. I was wondering if she had teamed up with the pack but, just as I was sitting down to start this blog, I heard a dog calling close by. Hoping it was the female, and wanting to check her condition and if she was still snared, I grabbed my kit and ran out to find the source, but it stopped calling before I could locate it. I then tried to mimic the call but my impersonation can’t be as good as Reuben’s. Maybe I haven’t got the accent right or something.
If it was the female, and if she keeps hanging around in this area, I’m sure I’ll find her eventually.
Not wild dogs.
I haven’t had any sightings for a few days now, which is very frustrating. I did see three cheetahs yesterday, which I was very happy about, having never seen any in the wild before.
The scouts are on their days off now, so I’ll take the opportunity to take it easy. I’ll still be on standby to follow up any sightings and may try to pick up the collared Maera pack (as my tracking ability is pretty poor at the moment).
Sarai zvakanaka,
Mike
-
Rosemary Groom is a post-doctoral research scientist with the African Wildlife Conservation Fund -
100% of your donation, minus a small bank fee, will go to your intended purpose.
Donations made here are safe.
-
Donations Received
- Oct 2nd Theresa B. USD11.00
- May 17th Theresa S. USD50.00
- Apr 18th Theresa S. USD25.00
- Apr 15th Emerentiane M. USD200.00
- Mar 4th Lucia C. USD30.00
- Mar 4th Theresa S. USD50.00
- Feb 21st Antonio C. USD50.00
- Feb 12th Wendy J. USD380.00
- Feb 1st Sherri S. USD25.00
- Jan 24th Theresa S. USD50.00
8 Responses to “Just missed”
Christine C., on 06 Mar 2008
Mike — beautiful pictures of the cheetahs!! I hope you find that poor snared girl soon.
F. J. Pechir, on 06 Mar 2008
Thank you mike for your efforts and hard work!
sheryl, washington dc, on 06 Mar 2008
Mike, I think most of us are slackers without any real career potential so we hang out here all day.
Nice cheetahs.
s.
Theresa Siskind St Petersburg FL, on 06 Mar 2008
Hi Mike, If it is the same snared dog, it’s almost like she is asking for help. I really can’t get these images out of my brain. You mention wading through the river, are there crocs in it?! BTW how did you know posting pictures of cheetahs would win my heart?
Paula, on 07 Mar 2008
I love your dedication - blogging literally out in the bush - please send us a photo, it’s just so exciting to get your news as its happening
Paula, on 07 Mar 2008
Ok, I’m curious, what on earth is Svai Svakanaka?
Mike, on 07 Mar 2008
Paula, ‘Sarai zvakanaka’ is ChiShona for stay well. It is usually said as a goodbye by a person who is leaving. The person who is staying will say ‘Famba zvakanaka’, meaning travel well.
Further to Peter’s answer (in a previous blog), Clem Coetsee died around the same time as Steve Irwin, which is probably why it wasn’t really reported. There is a very short account of Clem’s life in Keith Meadow’s book ‘Sometimes When it Rains’. Hopefully, a more comprehensive biography will be written in the future.
Theresa, that dog is asking for help, but from her pack rather than me.
Elephants with shorter tusks (comment from a previous blog) could, ironically, be a man made situation, as the genes for big tusks have been shot out over years.
There are crocs in the river, but at the moment the water is mostly knee deep, so we ’should’ see them if they’re there.
Oh, and everyone knows that women are suckers for big cats!
Theresa Siskind St Petersburg FL, on 07 Mar 2008
Hey Mike, thanks for answering all our questions. Steve died Sept. 4th, 2006, one of the saddest days in my life. I’ll keep praying that you come across these snared dogs. Keep a careful lookout for those crocs(gotta love em). And yes, we girls dig the cats.
Trackback URI | Comments RSS
Leave a Reply