One to Remember

Unusually for me, I’ll start with a very serious point :

HIGHLY SENSITIVE material

There is a huge problem with rhino poaching – please do NOT share any of the pictures and info in this particular post outside this private blog, or link to it from any other sources. We were privileged to be allowed to take pictures of this procedure and I have promised they will not appear on social media.   Thanks for your understanding.

Friday was an unbelievable experience : we were invited to accompany the vet team on a mission to dart and examine a black rhino that has lost its GPS- tracking leg band, and was believed to be heavily pregnant.

The lead vet himself ( “Dr Will” ,  owner of the Leeuwenbosch lodge we are guests at) drove us out to meet his team. On the way he discussed methods of restoring biodiversity to the land after it had been intensively farmed for generations (before his family and those around came together to set up Amakhala – apparently the only such ownership of a game reserve in ZA).

The team had ecologists, vets, perimeter guards, cutting / moving team, anti-poaching unit … almost a military operation.

The Game’s Afoot !

(But the people have transport)

Will sets off in chopper to locate and dart the target.  We all follow below in land cruisers – he circles, then veers off to opposite side of road – seems the target made a run for it in unexpected direction.

We are directed to nearest vehicle-accessible spot and meet Will.

First job is for chainsaw team to hack away the bush around where the rhino collapsed. It needed two darts to get her down – they are not sure why the first was ineffective ( but layers of armoured hide might not help).  Then she needs to be rolled over and into position with ropes and elbow grease.

A rhino is so heavy that it cannot be left on its side for too long or legs can be damaged by the weight. 

Then Chris asked for volunteers to clear the way for an examination of uterus by clearing out the colon. There was a deathly hush, until finally a hero stepped forward …taking one for the team.  Or  actually, taking Number Twos.

It was a bizarre sensation : you don a long protective glove, lube it up, and then try to push through the muscly bits . It’s not just the outside of a rhino which is tough – they also possess super-sphincters. ( An unexplored area for new Marvel films?) . Eventually I did get as far as a softer zone, but despite grubbing around , came out empty-handed .

But it seems I had been dispatched on a wild poo chase – Chris couldn’t get any material either, so they concluded that she (the rhino, that is) must have taken a recent dump. Well, the shock of someone throwing a triple-twenty in your backside could do that to any of us.

Dr W then got properly stuck in to feel for signs of pregnancy, while Chris checked with ultrasound scanner

Turns out that all is good. The pregnancy is at a much earlier stage than they thought, but no issues.  And the new tracker will allow them to follow her progress better throughout the term.

Wrap up

Time to get everyone clear, administer the wake up drugs and retire smartly to the transport. Black rhino are renowned for  turning very aggressive , we now discover.

There’s a stirring and shuffling in the bush – and then she comes out and poses beautifully for us .

Sniffing people smells, there are a couple of furious snorts and a lunge at a tree she doesn’t like – we did feel a bit nervous, but that seemed to be the extent of her tantrum. She wandered back off into the bush, turning to give us a ” don’t EVER try that again” look.

We ride back standing up in the jeep with Chris and the anti-poaching team – they have not yet had to deal with poachers face to face, but had a chillingly clear view of how they would respond to any force ( They are prohibited from initiating it, but after that..)

We got back to the lodge just BUZZING with the whole experience .

AND IT’S STILL ONLY 9AM !!!

I must be overwhelmed, cos I part with hard cash to buy trinkets in aid of the LB project  ( carved rhino , wooden giraffe , and bowls) and a very fetching camo-cap.

Afternoon – Game Ride #5

After lunch, the guide team sneak us into a small personal safari group,  avoiding the obnoxious  couple in the main vehicle.  It means we have a new driver –  Oubutoe (?? Spelling ??)  instead of Lungi.

He asks us what we want to see, and duly delivers –  cheetah !!

We see plenty more glorious wildlife before ending up on a bluff above the hippos water hole at sunset

Since we delayed our start from the usual 3pm, we were heading back through a glorious sunset, and Ouboet is feeling very relaxed. Seeing Raheem as a black vet has made a big impression.

Just a lovely, lovely, lovely day.