Wrapping up reedbuck, wrestling rhino and some roaring

 

The stars fade and the blue brightens in the east. It is 4:30am, again, and Kristal and I are up a tree. At the junction close to home where the game capture team will collect us. Waiting on the sand road we heard the buffalo crashing into the boma through the bushes a few hundred metres away. Then, a few moments later, baboons alarm call from the same direction. It could be a lion passing by. It could just be a leopard. But it could also be a lion! Less than 2m off the ground on a horizontal branch we have only created a tiny illusion of safety. But, it is something at least. And the view is different and interesting.

We break out of the woodland onto the marsh, and from the bouncing back of the bakkie we spy two male cheetah off to our right.  The two brothers. Closeby. They gallop off into the bush in slow motion, covering ground effortlessly. The Robbie 44 is perched up on Hennie’s Dam wall to our left. Danie will follow us to the capture site.

Ten minutes more and we arrive at the same site as last time. How many escapees from then will be wise to our plans? I wonder.

Nets are unloaded from the bakkies. Poles too. We string up a giant 90 degree V. Up against the game fence it makes a U. At the back of the U the nets are 2 and 3 deep. Hung up on poles and thorn trees.

“Chase them against the fence and bring them in to the nets” Marinus advises Danie before he takes off. Danie flies low checking the set up. He banks hard and disappears over the long grass in which we have taken cover. Kristal, Gavin and I.

And then he returns. Flying low. And straight towards us. The female reedbuck bounds in right at us, ahead of the whirring chopper blades. She careers straight into the net. And through it. We are all running. A Bundox guy dives. And misses. And I half trip over him. The reedbuck dodges us all easily and rushes on. A second net lies ahead of her. A net from which she does not escape.

The next four reedbuck come right along the fence. Too far away for us to assist. So I move there, to the hot-spot. And then the next one comes right to where those more patient than I have stayed. Phillip and Kristal have secured her by the time I arrive.

It’s a lottery. Hundreds of metres of nets. Maybe 40 people catching. Reedbuck running scared. I feel lucky to have experienced the thrill of the capture last time. And glad that Kristal also got to experience it. It is not the capture itself that is the thrill. One cannot help but share the distress that the reedbuck feel. It is the intimacy of experiencing these animals, in all their beauty, power and speed. Up close. That is what is so special.

It is just before 7am. Another 12 reedbuck are loaded and Phillip rushes us off to the next adventure. Rhino capture. And we will be joined by 6 or so Hungarian guests.

We arrive with Phillip, at Junction Dam. Still up on the marsh. The green grazing lawns up here are full up with rhino. A quick guest briefing and we are on our way. The chopper lifts Danie, Phillip and Stuart and on the ground we follow. A handful of us on the back of the Landcruiser. The guests follow in another vehicle with ranger Craig.

The dart is in! We move in to the area at speed. Ducking off the road, through the bushes and there she is. A 3 year-old female. Still on her feet. Guided by Phillip and Stuart, and blindfolded, she stomps around drunkenly before she collapses. Measurements are taken. The data sheet is filled up. The trovan chip is drilled and glued into the horn. Guests notch the ears. And we are on our way.

Again. The dart is in! I note down the time. Phillip directs us with a handheld radio from the sky. We race to where he tells us. And wait. Three rhino burst through the bushes. A large male and two youngsters. One has the pink dart flight sticking out of its rump as they bolt past us. And then the darted rhino splits from the other two. The chopper backs off. Still the rhino runs. They move in and let fly a second dart. Still the rhino runs. I look at my watch as we chase after it. Twenty minutes since the first dart went in. Usually they are down in five. From the chopper Danie directs us to where he has dropped Phillip and Stuart.

The four year-old calf is dragging the two of them around. Blindly. We lend a hand. And then she finally goes down. Stuart injects the anti-dote to the M99, to wake her up partially. And she swings her head to try rock onto her feet. Many feeble humans hold her down. I cling to the horn as she tosses me almost off my knees with each swipe.

She settles somewhat. Enough to get the trovan in and take some measurements. “Hold on tight” Tristan warns me just as the guest is about to clamp the notch out of her ear. I do. And, as predicted, she winces and swipes with the sting.

We need to get her over to the other side. To notch the other ear. As we rock her, she rocks straight up onto her feet. I’m still on the horn. Musa and I walk with her. Well, she pushes us along as we push back. We try the notching mid-stride. Not easy. We zig-zag up and down. Someone ties one of her legs to a tree. Then, with the notching done we release her. Only Stuart and I remain. She picks on the pace a little, with only me holding on now. Blindfold off. Anti-dote in and a second rhino is notched!

Back home for breakfast of pancakes with Stuart and Ross. And a nap. Four of the last five days we have been awake by 3:30am!

“You have to meet at Rock Lodge at 4. Cooper is your ranger” I read the sms excitedly to Kristal. We’re going game driving in the south. Where the male lions live. Swiss couple, Eric and Cybil, are luckily also keen to see a male lion. We head to where he was seen earlier this afternoon. Four vehicles move into the area, all checking different roads. “Located this animal”. The good news crackles over the radio. Ranger Richard turns the Cruiser and we shoot off to Izwe gate to view the beast.

There he lies. Upright. Head held high. Behind that dark, lush mane he knows he is beautiful. But he is also lonely. And calling for his brother. His whole body heaves, summoning the energy to let out a roar from deep inside his belly. A roar that will resound for miles. The ground feels as if it shakes. What a special sighting for Kristal’s first male lion in the wild!

We drive home, smiling from ear to ear. What a day!

And then just turning off Corridor Road, towards the sand forest and Forest Lodge, a big male leopard darts off the road. Only metres ahead of us, he disappears into the bush. We reverse and back onto Corridor. Just in time to see him bound into the bushes on the other side. We stare at him in the spotlit bush 10m away. He stares back. And then disappears and quickly and quietly as he arrived.