Wildlife vet work: Day 1

We left early this morning: Van pulled out at 6:30 am, and we were all in! We drove a long way and met up with another group--4 US vet tech students--and a game spotter, the vet and the game preserve's two game workers. We drove along the outside of the game preserve fence over an incredibly rough road for about 15 miles before we reached the gate. Once inside the preserve, the roads were narrow two-tracks, uneven, rutted and up and down steep hills.

Our job was to capture and confine 2 additional nyala, a male and a female, along with the 4 females captured yesterday. This particular game farm has exceeded its carrying capacity for nyala, so moving several to another preserve will help prevent disease and malnutrition due to overpopulation. The four females captured yesterday were in an enclosure called a boma, which is made of tarps so that they don't see the activity going on around them. This keeps their stress levels lower. However, these animals are also quite acclimated to the presence of humans, so we were able to peek in and see them. They look a bit like small white-tailed deer with big ears and white vertical stripes. I could never figure out why they had stripes, until I saw them in their native habitat, where their brown bodies and white stripes perfectly conceal them against the dirt, leaves and white tree trunks.

We crowded into a small pickup and the game spotter/relocater drove with the vet riding shotgun. Except she was actually riding dart gun. Once we found nyala in a spot where she could get a clear shot, the vet shot a tranquilizer dart into the left shoulder of a medium-sized female. The group of nyala immediately ran, but the darted female became unsteady on her feet quite quickly, and went down about 100 yards from where the dart struck her. We carried her back to the truck and drove her back to the boma, examined, vaccinated and treated her for ticks. She had a huge number of tiny ticks in her ears.

Nyala is down and tranquilized. Chloe is supporting her head so that she doesn't regurgitate rumen fluid into her respiratory tract.

Hannah and Kait vaccinate the nyala. Behind them is the tarp forming the side of the boma, or enclosure, where the other nyala are held for transport.

The sedation reversal agent has been given and she will be up in about a minute. They need to get her into the boma before then!

We went back out in search of the male, but were unable to find him. This was likely due to the cool, breezy weather driving them into deeper cover than usual. Eventually, we gave up the search and decided to move on to checking the hippos that were awaiting transport at another game preserve. After a coffee run, we drove back to a natural pond area, and as we parked, 3 hippos waded into the pond and submerged themselves right in front of us. Looking further down the road, we also spotted giraffes, kudu and warthogs. As we climbed up the boma to look in at the captive hippos, we realized that they were quite depressed. They had destroyed their water container, and one had some serious skin issues. Walking around to the pond side, we saw a crocodile watching from the shallow water. Water tank was repaired, hippos were hosed down and sprayed with antiseptic for skin wounds.

What looks to be a grey ball floating in the water is in fact a hippo's head. They just hung out in the water while we worked on shore.

Here you can see all 3 hippos, an adult and 2 juveniles, in the water. At one point the adult surfaced and made a loud "chuff" noise as he exhaled through his nostrils, which close underwater.

Today's (and tomorrow's) fearless guides, Rita the vet and Jessica the program coordinator and She Who Makes Everything Happen. Hippos in the water behind them, and just to Rita's right there is a small crocodile in the water as well.

The hippos in the enclosure. They are clearly stressed, partially at capture and confinement, especially without a way to enter the water. Note the severely cracked skin on the one in the center. Because he cannot be handled directly, we sprayed antiseptic on him from above....

...which we accessed by climbing up the sides of the boma. It's a bit of a scramble!

As we drove back out toward the gate, we spotted 3 cheetah brothers eating their freshly killed kudu. We were less than 6 feet away from them, and could hear them chewing!

Cheetahs are well camouflaged! You can see one of the 3 young male littermates right in the center of the photo. Please rest assured that we remained inside the vehicle, as there were 3 huge cheetahs less than 6 feet away!

A slightly clearer look at one of the cheetahs

These two brothers are changing places. One eats at a time, while the other 2 keep watch for other predators. They are such proficient hunters that, if threatened by another predator, they will simply leave this kudu and go kill another. The kudu's curly horn is clearly seen to the left of the photo, and you can see that the cheetahs have eaten the hindquarter muscle first, and are just now beginning on the abdomen. Also note how fat and full-bellied the cheetah in front appears!

The second cheetah approaches the kudu to eat again.

He sniffs a bit...

...looks around....

...and sets to work. He is chewing pieces of tough skin off from the abdomen, and the abdominal muscles can be seen underneath.

He is magnificent! 

We know that these are 3 related males because female cheetahs are solitary, and males would not cooperate with unrelated others.

We watched them for perhaps 10 minutes; they were minimally concerned with our presence.

The conservation worker started his 4-wheeler back up, causing this guy to look his way, 

then return to eating almost immediately.

This lighter day's work left us time to stop at the local shops. There were locally produced tapestries, wood and stone carvings, metal sculptures, rugs, etc. and we all found some great souvenirs. We also stopped to buy fresh fruit: Oranges and grapes are in season!

I had an interesting conversation with Jane this evening after supper. She does the cooking and cleaning here and she is amazing. She is from Zimbabwe, and has been in South Africa working for the past 10 years, since she couldn't find work in Zimbabwe. We discussed their recent elections, the struggles she and her family have had when their economy went bad, and her ongoing sense of hope for both herself and her country. I hope I can talk to her again; I learn so much more about places when I can talk to people!

I am going to post photos quickly, then head for bed. We leave at 6:15 tomorrow morning to work with capture and transport of several nyala at a different preserve, and it sounds as if we will have a full day. We also have plans to visit a big cat sanctuary, swim at a waterfall, and have hands-on encounters with elephants and hippos, in addition to our horseback days and ongoing vet work. We figure we can sleep on the planes all the way home!

Our first FULL day

We had an easy start today: Breakfast at 9:00, with 10:00 am departure for visits to 2 different wildlife rehabilitation facilities. Jane served a full English breakfast: eggs, grilled tomatoes, sausage, toast, muffins, coffee, tea, cereal etc.

We packed lunches to take (I forgot mine!), but I had so much breakfast that I wasn't hungry anyhow. Of course, they drive on the left here, and Jessica drives pretty fast, but safely. We once again spotted wildlife all the way along the road, including lots of baboons! Apparently they are a nuisance species here, numerous and into everything! I have high hopes that the students will also post here, but meanwhile, here are some of today's photos. We have had supper and the students are down in the pool; I may join them if my photos upload quickly. Supper was rice and a chicken and potato dish cooked in sauce, and lovely mixed vegetables with a cheese sauce (I think Jane overheard Hannah saying that the only way she liked vegetables was with cheese!). We also had a cucumber and tomato salad with slices of green apple in it--delicious! And I have to admit that I am really proud of all the students--everybody pretty much tries everything, and likes it.

It was a day full of close encounters with species we have never seen up close before. By the ride back to the lodge, our brains were at overload! Not enough so to prevent our seeing impala and warthogs beside the road, however.

(Update: Photos took forever, so I never made it into the pool. Made it an early night, as we depart at 6:30 am for our first day working with the vets. We are scheduled to help tranquilize and relocate several Dakker (like little deer) and a, get this, for real, a giraffe!)

The gang in front of the gate of the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre. This facility rehabilitates injured wildlife, with a specific emphasis on cheetahs. All of these facilities are fenced and gated, as poachers will steal animals otherwise. We watched a demonstration of one of their Belgian Malinois tracking and detection dogs in action!

Inside HESC

Cheetah at HESC

African wild dog. This is one of the most endangered species due to human encroachment on their habitat. These dogs are highly effective hunters with enormous territories. With so many fenced game reserves, they are  unable to roam far enough to hunt effectively. They are the size of a large, lean German Shepherd, with coloring like a spotted calico cat.

Although not endangered, most rehabilitation centers have a "Vulture Restaurant", where they put out offcuts and other unusable parts of the meat that they feed their animals each day. The vultures pick the bones absolutely clean, preventing waste and supporting the species. Even vultures are under attack from poachers: Poachers will kill an animal, take what they want--typically tusks or horns--then poison the remainder of the corpse. Thus when vultures feed on it they are killed, which avoids a cloud of circling vultures giving away the location of the kill and helping the poachers evade detection and capture.

The rhino. This guy is massive and was quite curious about us in our open vehicle. He was rescued as a baby, and has imprinted on humans. For that reason, he cannot be released into the wild: With no natural fear of humans, he is too dangerous to anyone he encounters. You can see that even here in the rehabilitation center, he has been de-horned to remove the motivation for poachers to kill him. They cut off his horns about once a year; this one has grown back about halfway.

Two rhinos. I had never realized how strangely shaped their heads are! These are Southern White Rhinos (distinct from the now extinct Northern White Rhino), grazers with necks built for eating from the ground. Northern species are browsers, with necks much more upright so that they can eat from bushes and trees.

They kicked up some dust as they approached. When they began to get too close, the driver moved the vehicle pretty promptly.

My best photo of the rhino; notice the weird head shape! Watching them move around, they are surprisingly agile for something so ponderous-looking. They seem to possess a kind of casual grace that I had not expected.

The zebra. We Americans call this a zee'-bra. Everyone else calls it a zeb'-ra!

Cheetahs at rest. These animals are built for speed: Lean, long-legged and streamlined, they can be clocked at over 60 mph! Since they are speed hunters, they are also the only cat species with non-retractable claws--their nails are like dog toenails!

This pair of cheetahs was hand-raised, so cannot be released. They were confiscated from someone's home as they apparently didn't realize that cheetahs don't domesticate particularly well.

This meercat is adorable! He is in an enclosure near the entrance to our second stop, Moholoholo Rehabilitation Center, and really puts on a show for people as they come by. Here he is stretched out in front of a viewing panel after trying to teach a watching child how to dig. Later, he popped up onto the tree in his area, appearing suddenly next to Chloe's head! She was certainly surprised!

Forgive the repetition, but I wanted to post pictures of each student petting a real, live, wide-awake cheetah. 

This is one of two "ambassador cheetahs" held by the center. After undergoing 2 years of training, they are taken to schools, farm meetings and hunting clubs to educate people about cheetahs in hopes of slowing their decline in the wild.

This cat came when called and jumped onto a table to be harnessed, then walked out on a leash!

The other cheetah in the enclosure appeared to feel left out, as he immediately jumped onto the table as well, and tried to follow them out of the gate!

Cheetahs are built much differently from leopards: They are longer, leaner, and have solid spots, whereas leopards are "chunkier" in build and have "rosettes", or black outlines of spots with brown centers.

His fur is quite short and feels like that on a short-haired outdoor tomcat. His tail is remarkably long and heavy, with longer hairs on it. I could have stood there all day!

This hyena was fascinated with Brooklyn. We all were surprised at the size of them: They are much larger and more solid than we had envisioned. They howl to communicate within the pack, and make the laughing noises as they are about to kill and eat their prey. 

Fortunately, this one is not laughing at Brooklyn! A hyena has one of the highest bite strengths of any animal on earth.

For contrast, an African Wild Dog. This guy immediately brought us his stuffed teddy bear, just like a pet dog would. Once again, he is here because he was rescued as an orphaned pup and handraised, making him too comfortable around humans and thus dangerous.

Chloe taking a selfie with a Black Vulture. Several of these solicited head scratching from us as we wandered the enclosure! 

The rarer African White-headed vulture (left) and White-backed vulture (right). Who knew that scavengers could be so fascinating?!

Brooklyn is impressed by the wingspan of this mature black vulture!

Likewise, Kait says this one is heavy!

James is the tallest of our group, but the vulture makes him appear quite small!

Yes, we were this close! A healthy male lion, confiscated from a home where he was extremely malnourished.

Kitty, kitty! 

Those paws are enormous! He has been known to slap the fence of his enclosure hard enough to break the back of a person leaning on it!

What can I say?! He came right up to the fence and I so wanted to touch his mane! However, I want to retire with all of my appendages even more, so I didn't.

Even the king of the jungle (who doesn't even live in the jungle) has a bad hair day now and then!

I hope you have enjoyed a tiny glimpse of our day! This is about 5% of the photos I took, and I anticipate more tomorrow. We are scheduled to go to Kruger National Refuge over the weekend, and Jane is doing our laundry for us  before we go! I'm getting soooooo spoiled, I may never come home!

Late night update

It is 2:30 am Tuesday morning here, although for most of you it is still 8:30 Monday evening Apparently my brain has made the time change seamlessly, as this is a time I am typically awake at home as well. After 2 consecutive nights sleeping in smushy airplane seats, six hours of blessed horizontal sleep has felt wonderful, though!

Our first twelve hours here have been so extraordinary that I keep recalling more and more to record here for you. The reality of Africa finally hit, bringing Brooklyn repeatedly to tears. After swims and showers, we met around the campfire circle, nestled just uphill from our cottages between enormous round boulders the size of houses. Jessica made enormous steaks and buttery garlic bread over the fire, and we ate it with sweet mashed pumpkin, green beans South African style, with onions and potatoes, and a cucumber, tomato, onion and feta salad. I don't think starvation will be an issue! We ate and laughed and ate some more, but eventually our full stomachs and long journey caught up to us, and we wandered off to bed.

I have my own room and bath! This turns out to be super, since I often awaken during the night, and can catch up our blog without waking anyone else! My room is large with 2 twin beds, a pair of chairs, and a balcony! Tile floor and a real thatched roof complete the wonderful feel; I must remember to take photos tomorrow! Apparently the thatch has its own ecosystem: James found a large spider in his shower, and Kait found a lovely gecko, sort of transparent tan with black spots, perfect for being camouflaged  against the rocks here.

Apparently we will be seeing lots of animals--on the 35 minute drive from the airport, Hannah spotted an elephant, Kait saw a baboon, everybody saw various antelope, wild boars, and birds, especially red hornbills. There were huge anthills, as tall as a house, cone-shaped, and we learned that the light colored ones have been abandoned, while the darker ones are occupied. We discussed snakes, and although none were spotted, that is likely a good thing since the two most common species here are the cobra and the black mambo, both of which are so venomous that one would never reach medical care in time if bitten. So, no snake charming! Someone spotted a bonobo, and there were countless other animals that we weren't able to identify. We practically melted the pages of Kait's field guide trying to look things up as fast as we spotted them!

We really are out in nature here. I woke and went out onto the balcony a few minutes ago to feel the vastness of the space. At first, all was dark and silent, but soon my senses opened and widened to perceive more of what was there. The sky is sprinkled thickly with stars, but the constellations that keep me company over our barns at home aren't here. I did identify the Southern Cross earlier as we sat around the fire, and Kait used a star identification app to show us more of what was up there. Now, though, I am just marveling at the vastness of the sky and stars. Soon, smooth grey sky separated from sharp, craggy rocks below, and I realized that even in complete darkness I could see outlines of the rocky landscape. Nearer, trees appeared outlined dark against the starry backdrop.

It is so quiet. I feel myself settle softly into the rich, comfortable silence, but then again my senses awaken and I begin to hear. A tiny rustle here, a faint, far-away insect, cricket-like. Then, off to the northwest, a musical call, soft, smooth, almost like that of a mourning dove, but more lyrical. I have no way to know who is calling, but I listen appreciatively. The softest cool breeze stirs my hair, bringing with it faint scents of earth and dry leaves. I think I can smell an animal, but that seems too fanciful.

I can't stand not capturing this, so my bare feet pad softly across the cool tile floor, I pick up the laptop and try to share. This will likely not be my last late night entry; I hope to capture every second, but also want to live in each moment. There is so much here to take in, and although we have access to books, television and internet, somehow Africa was never really real until now. I could see images of it, but now I can feel it, breathe it, be in it. My sense of wonder is overwhelmed!

WE HAVE ARRIVED!!!

With intermittent WiFi and the laptop securely packed, I haven't had the opportunity to post our updates. First, we have arrived at Boulders Game Ranch in Hoedspruit, South Africa. It is positively gorgeous here! I am currently sitting on the lodge deck overlooking our pool and thousands of acres of South African wilderness, waiting for the sunset and supper! But I want to back up a bit and let you share in the journey a bit:

We departed Chicago at 8:00 pm Saturday evening, and arrived in London at 10:30 am Saturday morning, after a 7 hour flight. Smooth flying, a huge plane that was only half full! Although I slept well, the students did not rest as much and arrived in London a bit tired. However, they were eager to explore London as much as our limited time allowed. A quick lesson in currency conversion and a trip to an ATM equipped us with English Pounds, which we found that we didn't need many of. With James's intrepid uncle as our local guide, we set off!

We rode the Underground (subway, "tube") from Heathrow airport into central London, about an hour's trip. We emerged into central London and saw Horse Guards Parade ground and a couple of members of the Horse Guards, who apparently don't like it when members of the public grab their horse's reins! (Ask Kait--she wasn't the culprit, but he sure got her attention!) We walked on to Downing Street and checked out the Prime Minister's residence, Parliament, and Westminster Abbey. Big Ben was mostly hidden by scaffolding as it is undergoing restoration. A short stroll took us to Buckingham Palace, which was crowded but impressive. We bought ice cream from a stand in Green Park and walked back to catch the Tube back to the airport. Japanese food in the airport fueled us up, and we soon boarded the plane for the 11-hour flight to Johannesburg.

This flight was full, so it was a somewhat cozy 11 hours. We ate Thai red curry, then slept as best and as much as we could. Those who woke in time had Full English Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, grilled mushrooms and tomatoes, sausage, and ham, served with fresh pineapple and a raisin bun, and, of course, tea with milk and sugar. We were all pretty glad to land and walk around!

Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg was nice, and people were so orderly! Everybody just seemed to sow up at the gate and get in line at the appropriate time, no PA announcement at all! By then we were all wanting a shower and clean clothes pretty badly--wipes in a public restroom and re-applying deodorant just weren't doing it any more! More currency conversion (changing dollars and/or pounds to South African Rands), Immigration, and Customs. It seemed a long wait to board our flight for Hoedspruit, but the flight itself was brief and we flew low enough to be able to see the terrain below.

The airport terminal in Hoedspruit. Yep, that's the entire complex!

After 2 days of travel, we are on the ground in Hoedspruit! Tired, wanting showers and a change of clothes, but actually HERE! The building in the background is the airport terminal.

The airport terminal is the size of a small ranch house! It was a bit crowded with a plane larger than a DC-10 unloading! However, the major issue was the long line for the Ladies' room! Our guide met us, and we drove about 45 minutes, the last 15 along a red dirt 2-track that climbed steeply toward the end. We were amazed to see our lodge!

We are housed in a complex of small brick buildings built into the sides of a rocky hill. Each thatched-roofed building houses 2 rooms and 2 baths, and the central lodge a dining and living area, huge deck and swimming pool! We have wi-fi here, so I will try to post updates regularly. We have already seen antelope and rock hyrax (like cute sleek big guinea pigs) with their baby from here on the deck! At the moment, I'm closing out to watch the sunset over the rocky hills. The hills have turned misty shades of grey, and the sun is becoming a red orb sinking toward the horizon. It is silent other than the sound of a bullfrog in the nearby water hole, and just enough moisture is condensing to give the air a sweet, dusty woody smell. The sun is just a sliver now, disappearing rapidly behind the hills, and birds are beginning to sing.

View from the deck of the main lodge. Small balcony off to the left is my room!

Looking southeast off from the lodge deck. Just down and left are where the hyrax were playing.

Wide views. In summer this is all green grass!

Looking west just before sunset

 

The lodge deck. This is where we have supper!

Looking down from the deck onto the swimming pool. A bit cool, but we are from Michigan!

Group meeting to review our schedule, followed by supper and shower and organizing my things; most of the students have already been swimming and showered. Our adventure is off to an amazing start!

I will add photos tomorrow; mine are slow uploading.