Canada Bound In One Week

In one weeks time I will be boarding my flight home and finally be back on Canadian soil. The past seven weeks here have not only taught me the weird and wonderful ways of elephants, but have also taught me more about myself than I could have imagined. I know I won’t be returning as the same person I was when I left and I can only hope I have changed for the better. The daily routine that I have fallen into has opened my eyes to the things I take for granted everyday at home, and how much more complicated it has become in the past few years.

Here at the PGR the gates open at 6am and close at 6pm, secluding the reserve from the outside world. This schedule has confined the inhabitants of the reserve and has created a world amongst the people who live here. I have had a taste of this life for seven weeks, and although I probably couldn’t cope with it for long periods of time, the lifestyle has allowed me to recharge and find a focus. I have been disconnected from the world other than the occasional email and phone call home. It has been wonderful and I will never forget how peaceful it has been.

But enough about me and more about elephants. The past few days have been somewhat slow with most of the elephants being on the Mpalane property that we can’t access. If we are lucky, one of the bulls will be roaming alone and when (or if) we find him the day will be relaxing and tension free. Yesterday we were fortunate enough to have a signal for Ntini who appeared to be meandering around Leeuwspoor East. We set off at 8:30am, as usual, and eventually narrowed our search area down to a river line. As we circled the thicket it seemed as if Ntini knew that we were there and was toying with us. As we made our way through the midsection of the thicket a second time we came across a set of tracks that were most definitely not there before... Ntini has managed to sneak through the area within ten minutes. The worst feeling in these situations is knowing that the elephant can probably see you but no matter how hard you look he will remain unnoticeable. Elephants have turned out to be incredibly elusive in terms of their ranging tactics and it is at times like these that you want to throw your clipboard in the lake and head home.

We eventually found Ntini and were able to track him long enough to take four scans and complete two focals. After finishing our first focal we were required to wait an hour before conducting another one, so during this time we took things easy and made sure we didn’t lose sight on him. Heike eventually moved the vehicle within ten meters of Ntini without disrupting his feeding session. We watched him for ten minutes until he decided to cross the road directly ahead of the vehicle. Keeping one eye on us he made his way towards the middle of the vehicle and then backtracked towards the front. As he came around the front he turned to face us, ears splayed, trying to appear as big and as intimidating as possible (Unfortunately for him, he is way too cute for us to take these antics seriously). At this point Heike turned the vehicle on so that we could back away to give him his space. As she pressed on the gas, instead of moving backwards, the vehicle moved forwards a foot or two. This was the first time Ntini had ever experienced this and the surprise in his eyes was accompanied by a loud trumpet. He looked completely taken aback by the situation and after backing up a few steps he turned to make his way across the rest of the road.

Our next scans and focals went well and we ended up tracking Ntini to the border of Mpalane before heading home. I also had the chance to collect a fecal sample from Ntini along the way... yes, a fecal sample. Not only have I been collecting plant samples for the past few weeks, I have also been privileged enough to collect large amounts of elephant dung. This is no easy task as the average elephant terd weighs at least a kilogram. Nothing makes my day more than using my mom’s handy gardening shovel to break off sections of the dung and pack them into containers.

It hasn’t really set in that I only have four days left on the PGR and then three more in Joburg. While it seems like it was only yesterday that I was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown before boarding my first flight, it also seems like I have spent ages here and the idea of leaving is strange. Within one week I will return to my life and the reality that comes with it. And just like before I can glance over to see the pile of my clothes and other supplies that I somehow managed to cram into my backpack the first time around. The pile is daunting and packing will be a nightmare, but if I can handle elephant feces (literally), I think I am up for the challenge.

Another Unofficial Day Off

Nothing too exciting happened over the weekend; hunting is taking place on the majority of the northern properties limiting our chances of seeing the elephants. On Sunday we managed to take one 30-minute scan of Ngani before he moved into a restricted area, on Saturday it was relatively the same story for the main herd.

Yesterday things finally started to look up when we managed to find the Orphan herd and were allowed to enter the property despite the hunting. The herd was extremely calm and relaxed as they browsed on a ridge overlooking the Homestead. As we conducted our 15-minute focals we could even hear someone blasting tunes while washing a vehicle in the nearby staff village. Around 10:00am the herd had finally moved over the top of the ridge toward an artificial watering hole. Naturally, we followed them in the Ele-truck to continue our data collection. As the elephants entered the vicinity around the water Heike took signal for Kohlewe, who we suspected of trailing the herd. Not only was he trailing the herd... but as we looked behind us to see if we could spot him, he was already within fifty meters of the vehicle making his way down the adjacent hillside. We reversed the vehicle up the road to prevent blocking his way to the watering hole but apparently he had a different idea. We were watching him closely with our binoculars as he came toward us but he unexpectedly stopped within the thicket and began playing around with an unidentified object. It wasn’t until he lifted the pipe upwards towards his mouth that we came to the realization he had stumbled across a waterline; there was no need for the watering hole after all.

The fifteen minute focal consisted of two behaviours, RE (resting) and FE (feeding, in this case on water). We watched as Kohlewe wrapped the end of his trunk carefully around the open end of the pipe and let the water run into his trunk. Each time he lifted his trunk to pour the water into his mouth he didn’t even bother to release the pipe from his grasp. We watched him do this over and over, only being able to decipher his behaviour by the water dribbling out of the pipe when he took each drink.

Eventually, Kohlewe made his way down the hill but the Orphans had already moved deeper into the thicket. We watched him for another hour before going in search of the herd. When we eventually found them it turned out to be the best sighting we have had of them yet. Within thirty minutes of spotting a few elephant backs within the river line, three juveniles were brave enough to make their way towards the edge of the road and to where we were parked. Umvula was a part of this group; he is a seven year old juvenile male and because of his inexperience around the vehicle he is amazing to watch. As Luke and another youngster neared the vehicle Umvula decided to investigate further. He moved through the thicket ten meters or so behind the vehicle, stopping every now and then to push a shrub over or test his strength against a tree. This form of behaviour was his attempt at intimidating us before making an approach. He eventually made his way onto the road behind the vehicle slowly and cautiously. He often stopped to mock feed or rub his eye with his trunk (this is a sign of being uncertain). When he was within five meters of the back of the vehicle Heike had no choice by to turn the engine on. The sudden noise somewhat startled Umvula but he managed to stand his ground. Within seconds of moving Lydia and I, who were sitting in the very back, could hear an incredibly deep vibration bring created by Umvula. His nasal cavities and forehead shook rapidly due to the air flowing through his trunk. We moved a few meters forward and Umvula continued to pursue us slowly. After five minutes though he appeared to be unsure about the situation, shook his head, and backed up to turn into the thicket.

I managed to capture most of the confrontation on film which was exciting; it is a rare occurrence for an elephant to get so close to the vehicle. The pictures I took as well are fantastic and when looking at them you can almost tell what Umvula is thinking as he peers at you through his massive brown eyes.

By the time we made it back to the Loose the wind had picked up. By dinner time it was too windy to even make a fire so we huddled in the kitchen as we ate our dinner. To our dismay it began raining around 9:00pm and it hasn’t let up. This morning Heike didn’t even need to come and tell us that we wouldn’t be going out today.  I took one look out my door at 7:00am and immediately crawled back into bed. The rain has drenched the camp and has forced us to take cover within our rooms. The day ahead is going to be long and most likely filled with movies. “Despicable Me” here I come.

Six Weeks Down

Yesterday was a very odd day here at the Loose Mongoose and the new atmosphere is only just setting in. Abbie, Eva, and Louise finished their time here in Pongola and left Friday morning for home, or in Eva’s case, Mozambique. Yesterday also marked the end of my sixth week and it is amazing how fast the time has gone.

Thursday night we threw a send-off Braii for Abbie, Eva, and Louise with the help of Lionel and Andre. The festivities began around 8:00pm and the theme of this Braii was “Animals”. With the very few resources we have here at the Loose, Abbie and I managed to pull together two vulture costumes with the use of garbage bags and two orange insemination gloves (I had brought them with me to collect fecal samples). With the use of Eva’s crazy make-up skills we somewhat resembled vultures. By the end of the night not only did we look the part, but we also acted it as well. For dinner we enjoyed Kudu sausage, Impala kabobs, chicken, lamb, and even had the chance to try white rhino (The white rhino on the reserve were recently hunted to prevent illegal poaching making it available for the Braii). The night started off fairly tame but by the time we had finished eating dinner we had broken out the Amarula and were enjoying round after round of shots. With Lionel’s car pumping beats it was only a matter of time before the Braii turned into a dance party in the bush.

At 1:00am I managed to find my way to my room and collapse on my bed. Abbie was only few minutes behind me... and then Lionel showed up... and then Andre... and then Sarah... and lastly, Butch and Tiny. The party had somehow found its way into our room but luckily the conversation only lasted thirty minutes before everyone decided to call it a night. Lionel, who has a flat at the Homestead, spent the night on our floor in a sleeping bag. Butch and Tiny on the other hand climbed into bed with me and slept on my feet for the majority of the night.

. . .

I would be lying if I said that Friday morning wasn’t rough. Abbie, Eva, and Louise were scheduled to leave at 7:00am. Knowing this, Abbie managed to get herself up and out of bed by 5:30am to have a shower and make sure all her things were in order. At 6:00am Lionel’s alarm went off and he too got up to get ready to head home. Unfortunately for him, his car battery was dead and he only managed to make it 30 seconds down the road after his car was push started. I had managed to pull myself out of bed around 7:00am, took some Tylenol, and slowly but surely got ready to go out for the day. By the time the buses finally arrived and whisked the girls away it was nearly 10:00am.

The day that followed taught me two things. The first fun fact of the day was that trying to view elephants, or anything for that matter, through binoculars is exceptionally difficult when nursing a hangover. My once steady hands were shaking continuously for the first half of the day and my eyesight was slightly wonky. One elephant easily turned into two and I often found myself squinting severely while trying to identify them. Fortunately, by the afternoon I was feeling much better aside from feeling the effects of not getting enough sleep. The next thing I learned was how much a miss Eva, Louise, and Abbey. We met six weeks ago and for five of them have spent every waking moment of every day together. The four of us saw the elephants for the first time together and even witnessed the introduction of a new calf into the herd. We have seen elephants roll around in the mud and spray each other with water, we have seen elephant calves learning to use their trunks, and we have seen what it is to be an elephant. Sitting in the Ele-truck with the extra space is bitter sweet and I miss having Abbie to talk to about who knows what. Last night was even odder sleeping the entire night through without waking up to her mumbling in her sleep or yelling about data entry. Having a room to myself is a big change after five weeks of living with Abbie and the week spent in Intibane with twelve other girls.

It was also different without Louise there to count the train cars or to record something with her camcorder. In the first few weeks of the trip her camcorder was basically mounted to her hand, recording everything from the birds flying above us to the giraffe poking their heads out from behind trees. I am also going to miss hearing Louise’s stories and the look that Eva and I often exchanged during them (If you are reading this Louise... your stories were always wonderful). Eva’s absence was made apparent by the lack of “stuff” in the Ele-truck. On any given day Abbie and I could find Eva’s water bottle and pencil case amongst our things or her jacket lying underfoot. It was also strange not having to stop the vehicle when she accidently dropped her camera case or her clipboard out of the truck.

The Loose Mongoose is also eerily quiet in the morning without Eva jogging around the camp or the sound of the shower running at 7:00am because Abbie never could take a quick shower. The kitchen isn’t cramped during the rush to make breakfast or pack lunches, and only cooking for five people is a breeze. The last six weeks would not have been the same without them. I came to South Africa without any real expectations for making lifelong friendships, but after meeting three amazingly crazy women and getting along with them ridiculously well I have done just that. They may be situated halfway around the world but surely another eight hour flight from hell will be worth the trouble. With less than two weeks to go before heading home I can’t help but wonder where all the time has gone and reminisce about all the memories that have been made.  

Elephants and Politics

This blog was especially hard to write without losing my head and turning into a rant. I have been contemplating whether or not to post this but decided it plays too much of role in my stay here in South Africa to ignore. For the past few weeks we have been hearing rumours about the future of the elephants here on the game reserve. Disney Corporation, Space for Elephants and OpWall have been working with the PGR to develop a management plan for the elephants, but apparently it hasn’t been enough. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t have some idea of what was going on behind closed doors here. The majority of the owners of the PGR are sugarcane farmers and their main concern is the business surrounding the reserve. And business as usual means money. Sunday morning at 8:30am, when we were scheduled to set out for the day, Heike called a meeting. What we refused to believe a week ago has become reality.

On Friday afternoon the owners of the PGR had a meeting concerning the future of the elephants and their future management. Whether or not the main herd of elephants would remain on the reserve was put to vote. The main concerns surrounding the elephants are based on the environmental degradation they cause and the incident with the game vehicle being charged. Heinz, the owner of Leeuwspoor and the man who worked to bring the elephants to PGR 14 years ago, stood alone in voting for the elephants to stay. The majority vote determined that the main herd of elephants would be completely eradicated from the property. Whether or not the elephants will live to see a new environment has yet to be decided. 

The first option for the herd is translocation. This would mean tranquilizing every member of the herd, moving them into trucks, and transporting them to a new property. Unfortunately, there are two obstacles in doing so. Firstly, the process and time it takes to relocate a herd of this size is incredibly expensive. Most of these expenses would have to be covered by the reserve receiving the elephants from the PGR. The other reason this option may fail is because it isn’t legal to translocate a herd of elephants more than once. Whether or not this law can be overlooked will depend on the worth of the lives of the elephants involved.  This particular herd has many advantages though. The most recent calf born should technically be the last due to the vasectomies and the hormone treatments for the bulls. This means that this herd is static in terms of population growth. The bulls associated with the herd are also sterile. If a game reserve was interested in a herd it would make sense to introduce such a herd to avoid the problems that the PGR is now facing. 

The second option is to eradicate the herd through a mass cull. Once the matriarch of the main herd, Antares, is taken down, the rest of the process would fall into place. Elephant herds are known to stay within the vicinity of their fallen matriarch to mourn making it easy to slowly eliminate each one. There are 48 members of the AB herd and 6 or 7 bulls that would be subject to this terror. The youngest member of the AB family is approximately four weeks old. When elephants are hunted for gaming purposes a permit is always required, but when it comes to extermination no such permits are needed. 

With any luck, large corporations such as Disney and conservation groups such as Space for Elephants will step up to defend the lives of these amazing creatures. The worth of elephants in Africa has significantly decreased in the last few decades. The appeal they once had has vanished and tourists just aren’t as interested as they used to be. On the Pongola Game Reserve the elephants serve no purpose other then to be viewed by the occasional guest. The reserve caters to the hunter, and a species of animal that threatens the environment for the game animals are a threat that can’t be ignored. Looking around the PGR you can see the elephants’ presence everywhere in the form of elephant paths and massive footprints. Knowing that the PGR is home to over fifty elephants is enlightening and seeing them in the flesh is absolutely breathtaking. To condemn these animals because of an environmental problem that can’t even be proven as of yet is not only an example of human ignorance but also of how we, as humans, deal with any problems of such scale.

Hearing the words Heike had to tell us was a slap in the face. Here we are, volunteer students trying to help find a solution for the population problem the PGR has been faced with. As of now, finding the motivation to continue with our work, in vain, may prove to be harder than I think. Although the news pertaining to the herd was difficult to accept, the hardest part of this ordeal will be the emotional side of things. Especially for Heike. Heike has played a role in the daily lives of the elephants for two years; she has been there everyday, witnessing the good and the bad. The elephants are her life and I am sure she will do anything to prevent the worst. I was more angered by the news than sad. I’m not one to become emotional about these types of situations but the severity and scale of this one will not be overlooked in my mind. Hopefully, with the use of our knowledge and persuasion, we can work to save the lives of the animals we have come to know and love.

St.Lucia Here We Come!

The lifestyle that has been created at the Loose Mongoose is a simple one. We wake up every morning at the allotted time, make breakfast, head out for the day, and then come home. The confinement to our camp has protected us from the realities of this country and inevitably we have gone on with our lives as if living in isolation... which we are.

As soon as our tour guide picked us up at 7:00am and our ten person van exited the game reserve our physical and mental environments changed. We pulled onto the N2 Highway and headed south towards St. Lucia. The savannah landscape dominated by mainly Acacia species dramatically changed into acres upon acres of sugarcane fields. As traffic whipped by we watched the outside world fly by as well and were often left deep in thought when our van passed small, scattered villages. The common house on the outskirts of Pongola has a single room with two or three windows. The majority of these living spaces are made of rocks, neatly stacked and supported by thick branches, or simply concrete. The clusters of houses usually surround fenced areas used for grazing cattle, sheep, or goats. Clothes could be seen swaying on clothes lines with children running in all sorts of directions. The life they live appears to be very simple; they are always smiling and laughing, always enjoying the small things. The schools were very noticeable, long, rectangular buildings, usually divided into two separate classrooms, most of which had broken or shattered windows.

We drove south for two hours but unfortunately we still couldn’t escape the rain. By the time we were in St. Lucia is had started to rain again and continued to do so for the majority of the day. The dry landscape we were accustomed to had turned into a tropical oasis. Green, fleshy leaved trees grew everywhere with other tropical plants and vines filling in any empty spaces. Since it was 8:45am our first mission was to find a place to stop for breakfast. Our driver took us down the main street in St. Lucia and within minutes we had pulled into the “Mighty Bites” Cafe. The breakfast menu contained at least thirty different combinations of sausage, bacon, eggs, toast, baked beans, eggs, bacon, sausage... each meal was almost identical with the exception of one ingredient. After breakfast we all bought ice cream and posed in the pouring rain outside the cafe for one of the very few pictures we managed to take throughout the day. We were finally tourists and even if the sun wasn’t shining the least we could do was pretend.

After our photo op we made our way to a market a few minutes down the road. Luckily there was a hefty overhang to protect us from the rain while we browsed. Like any tourist destination, the merchandise consisted mainly of knick-knacks, wooden dishes, figurines, paintings, and the odd giant warthog statue. The women supervising the stands were quick on their feet and offered everyone the “exclusive discount” and the “best prices”. Of course these were never the best prices and it only took a matter of minutes to cut any of their prices in half. When the rain and wind picked up even more we retreated back into the van. Most of the tourist attractions in St. Lucia involve the outdoors and range from deep sea diving to hippo watching. With very few options our driver took us to another market to shop and luckily this time it was located inside. After making more purchases we decided to head to the Crocodile Center, which, to our discontent, was situated mostly outside. The main building contained the front desk, the gift shop, and four or five small displays on South African wildlife. After paying our admission prices and purchasing brightly coloured ponchos we made our way outside to the crocodile enclosures. For half an hour we endured the pouring rain while we made our way from enclosure to enclosure, the end couldn’t come soon enough. As it turns out crocodiles are incredibly boring (in a good way of course), and the most interesting thing we saw was a sign depicting a wheelchair racing downhill into the jaws of a croc. Once we were back inside the gift shop we removed our ponchos and attempted to dry our feet before leaving again.

It was noon by the time we were all back inside the van so we headed back to the main street to find an authentic South African restaurant to eat lunch. This was easier said than done due the extensive presence of seafood restaurants in the area. We finally settled for Fur Elize, a restaurant catering to most preferences, including South African. I was looking forward to trying some local fare but unfortunately the crocodile pizza had too much cheese for my liking and the other crocodile dishes were large entrees meant for dinner. Instead, I decided to try a local type of fish with chips.... this turned out to be a terrible decision and by the end of my meal I realized I should have sucked it up and had the pizza. While trying enjoying our meals the weather outside changed from raining to a torrential downpour. The clouds were dumping buckets of water making seeing more than a few feet outside the windows impossible. We paid for our meals and by this time it was almost time to head home. We had to make it back to the game reserve before six or we would be locked out for the night. For the first time during the entire day the rain stopped briefly and we were able to make one quick stop to the beach before we left.

The beach was absolutely amazing. It stretched for a far as we could see with large waves crashing against the shore. The white sand was clear of any rocks or debris. I rolled up my jeans above my knees and a few of us made our way to the waters edge and were surprised by how warm the water was. If the weather had been nice none of us would have hesitated to go swimming. We took our shoes off and set our backpacks twenty meters from the water and walked towards the surf. Each wave brought in enough water to completely cover our knees. As we stood looking out at the waves making their way towards us I couldn’t help but notice a very large wave fairly far off in the distance. As I looked at the wave I thought about the fact that it was large enough to completely soak us. This thought passed through my mind quickly and seconds later I discarded it. Less than a minute later the wave slammed into our legs, sending a splash of water up our legs and backs. Abbie and I turned around and attempted to scramble our way back to the sand. As I struggled to move my legs I noticed that the tide had made it far enough up the shore to where I left my shoes and backpack. Lydia scrambled to grab my shoes as they were dragged out to see but my only concern was my backpack which contained my spare clothes, money, and camera. I managed to grab my bag seconds after the water had reached it and immediately took my money and camera out of it. Everything was fine and it wasn’t until Lydia passed me my shoes that I even realized they were missing. This concluded our beach trip.

Back at the parking lot we made our way to the bathrooms to change out of our wet clothes and rinse off our sandy feet and flip-flops. By 3:30pm we were once again huddled inside the van and headed out of St. Lucia. We had one stop to make at the supermarket before making the drive home. We had been instructed by Lionel to pick up specific groceries for the Potjie (“Poi-kee’) we are planning to have Sunday night. Potjie means “small-pot” in Afrikaans and is basically a stew cooked over the hot coals of a fire for three hours. He had mentioned making a potjie at our camp some weeks ago and we are all looking forward to it.

The drive home seemed to last forever. The excitement of the day had been exhausting and soon enough we all had our heads leaning against the headrests or windows, fast asleep. We re-entered the park at 5:45pm and were back at the Loose Mongoose by 5:55pm. We thanked our driver for a great day and made our way back to our rooms to relax before dinner.

Our relaxation time didn’t last long and it soon dawned on us that we hadn’t been keeping up with our data entry. Abbie, Louise, Eva, Kirsti, and I decided to hammer it out before dinner so we wouldn’t fall too many days behind. By dinner time we were all caught up and our brains were fried. After eating the wonderful dinner that Emily had cooked we sat around one of our large stone tables and chatted away. Lionel eventually showed up and contributed to the various topics we were discussing. Our topics are usually far from normal and tonight we spent quite a bit of time discussing people who have bees as pets... not bee keepers mind you. The people who actually freeze bees into hibernation, tie dental floss around them, and then proceed to “walk” them. You really can find anything on youtube if you are imaginative enough. At 9:30pm, Abbie emerged from our room and demanded that we form a “massage society” to relax. Eva, Abbie, and I set up three chairs in a row and proceeded to bond through the art of massage. By 10:00pm we even convinced Lionel to get in on the action. The exhaustion of the day soon caught up with us and within another half hour we said goodnight to Lionel and finally dragged ourselves to bed.

Days Go By

After two days of amazing sightings the weather finally out did itself. A constant patter of raindrops could be heard on the roof of the Loose Mongoose as soon as Abbie and I had woken up. I knew it was only a matter of time before Heike would come to tell us that we wouldn’t be going out that day. We continued with our morning routine as usual in case the rain let up before our scheduled departure time. At 8:30am, as predicted, Heike gave us the news that it was too wet for us to track the elephants. With the entire day ahead of us, K decided that it was the perfect opportunity for us to become familiar with the methods we would be using to analyze our data for our dissertations.

At 10:00am the seven of us made our way to the museum in preparation for the information session. After a brief overview of what we would be covering we broke off into two groups to learn how to use pivot tables on excel as well as the ArcMap program. At noon we took a lunch break and at 2:00pm resumed. The rest of the day was miserable with the rain being a constant presence. Because our covered sitting area is quite limited we stuck to our rooms for the majority of the afternoon. Abbie and I took advantage of our spare time to catch a few hours of sleep before dinner. I also snuck in an episode of Lost since I have yet to finish the final season. After dinner we didn’t waste anytime getting ready for bed and spent the rest of the night reading or using the dongle for internet access.

. . .

The weather had slightly improved on Thursday. We had expected to get our laundry back today, but unfortunately we did not. Due to the state of the pants I have been wearing for the last four days I was forced to wear shorts in the face of the wind and rain we experienced throughout the day. We set out at the usual time and were soon on the trail of Ngani and Kohlewe. We found the bulls five minutes from the Loose Mongoose in a deep river line, somewhat sheltered from the elements. Every other bull and both herds are currently on Mpalane, an area of the reserve we haven’t had access to since the second week on the PGR. Focaling the bulls in the pouring rain was a new experience for all of us and neither of them seemed to be phased by the weather. By 2:00pm the bulls had retreated into the river line on Leeuwspoor West so we decided to call it a day.

. . .

We were up bright and early this morning at 6:45am to get ready to go out at 8:00am. I made the executive decision not to shower this morning because I have been planning to shower later tonight instead. Our plans to spend the day in St. Lucia are official and we will be leaving tomorrow morning at 6:30am.

Once again the majority of the elephants were on Mpalane aside from Ngani and Kohlewe. We took signal at the Homestead for the two bulls and decided to head towards Leeuwspoor East to try and track them down. It wasn’t until we were backtracking toward the Homestead that we found them. With Ngani in the lead, the two bulls crossed the road just ahead of us and each found a tree to feed on. Our data collection for the day had begun. We tracked the bulls through the thicket on Leeuwspoor West and after taking five scans and conducting four focals our day was complete. We were back at the Loose Mongoose by 1:30pm. For the past three weeks I have been collecting and drying vegetation samples as part of my thesis so I spent the afternoon chopping one of my grass samples up into 2mm pieces. Since I started the “processing” of my samples I have averaged four hours for each one and it has been anything but riveting. But it is all part of my research so I am grinning and bearing it... most of the time.

Since we have been here we have become accustomed to the presence of Nicholas the Nyala. He is a Nyala buck, probably 3 or 4 years old (based on the size of his horns), and he isn’t fazed by our presence whatsoever. He usually strolls into our camp around 4:00pm and grazes on the outskirts of the main sitting area. During the night we can always spot him a few meters away from where we sit around the fire and afterwards, when we have put the fire out and gone to bed, he grazes in the garden. Never mind the hyena and wild dogs prowling at night, nothing will scare you more than walking out of your room in the middle of the night to use the washroom and being face to face with a Nyala. He may be harmless but his silhouette in the garden usually startles you enough to send you straight back into your room.

Today though, he decided to bring all of his friends into camp. As I was slowly chopping strands of grass five Nyala bucks nonchalantly made their way into camp to feed on the pods that had fallen from the Acacia trees. They occasionally looked up at me as I worked away in the kitchen, but other than that movement within the camp didn’t bother them. They scoured the camp for at least an hour before they moved off when Sarah made her way up to the kitchen from the lower building.

By 5:00pm I was finished my sample and was ready to crash. After uploading the photos I took during the last three days, I organized my clean clothes and cleaned my half of the room. Tomorrow is going to be a long day; we are scheduled to arrive in St. Lucia around 8:00am for breakfast. We are planning on spending the day at the beach, exploring the markets, and acting like tourists. I have been in South Africa for 5 weeks and unfortunately have been confined to the game reserves. Aside from the occasional Braai, I have yet to experience true South African culture and am looking for to it. I have heard great things about culture shock and can’t wait to experience it.

Elephants and Groceries... The Highlights of Our Lives

The last week has been so slow that our days were bound to look up eventually, and the last two days have done just that. Both days were incredibly warm with relatively no breeze meaning that the elephants were basically forced out of the thicket and into the open. Not only did we manage to view the elephants for most of the day yesterday and today, we also managed to set a new record in terms of data collection.

Yesterday morning we set out to a new area of the reserve, Pongolwane, to find the AB herd. This property is located at the northern end of the lake with red soils and vaste savannah habitats. By 9:15am we had already spotted the herd within the sparse thickets, and within the hour we took two scans and five focals. Since the herd had already been to the water’s edge earlier that morning they made their way back into the thicket and out of view. As per usual we waited patiently for their return and were caught off guard when they returned to the floodplain after only an hour or so of waiting. Everything went as it usually does with one memory more prominent than any others for the day. As I was focaling Mgangane near the waters edge a young elephant, probably two or three years old, had followed her mother onto the floodplain. After a minute or two of assessing her surroundings she started to wander away from her mother amongst the other members of the herd. Ten minutes into my focal Mgangane had moved behind another elephant just in time for me to hear Eva exclaim “OMG! What is that elephant doing?!”. Expecting the worst we all turned our attention to the young elephant calf. She was flapping her ears with her trunk raised above her head, rapidly shaking her trunk in an upwards and downwards motion, faster than any regular trunk movements we has seen so far. It was unnatural and hilarious. As we strained our eyes to see what she could possibly be doing I managed to glimpse a few pieces of grass she had grasped in her trunk. The grass itself was spotless of any dirt or foreign material, but the calf continued to fling the grass back and forth with what looked like an extremely happy grin on her face, her eyes alone displayed her excitement with her new found ability. After a good laugh and quick discussion we all turned our attention back to the task at hand. Luckily, Mgangane was still resting behind the other elephant out of view and I hadn’t missed a second.

The rest of the day was incredibly successful. We tracked the herd in the Ele-truck for two more hours. By the time the herd had moved back into the densest part of the thicket we had collected a total of six scans and fifteen focals. On the ride home we all sat silently reminiscing about our successful day. Back at camp we were reunited with K who had returned from Intibane. It was great to catch up with her and we were all very happy to have her back. Afterward we got to work entering the data we had collected during the day... and the data from the day before... and the day before. By the time we were finished dinner was ready and we all migrated to our fire pit to relax and enjoy the rest of the night.

... ... ...

This morning we headed out at 8:00am in order to make a stop at the Homestead to fuel up and have time for Lionel to look over the truck engine. We were once again headed for Pongolwane to try and find the AB herd. During the night Shayisa and Khumbula had made their way north and their signals were strong for the area where we expected to find the AB herd. We also had signal for Ntini as well, and his presence usually means that OJVM2 will be in the area as well. Over the past month we have come to know each bull’s personality and preferences. It became apparent early on that the bulls were usually found hanging out in pairs, Shayisa with Khumbula, Ntini with OJVM2, Lucky with Aspiphephe, and most recently, Ngani with Kohlewe.

We spotted the first individuals of the AB herd in the thickets around 9:24am. Heike decided that we would have the best view of the herd if we drove around to the opposite side of the thicket. But our trip around the thicket didn’t go as planned, within twenty minutes of turning around and driving to get a better view, we had found Shayisa and Khumbula. The two boys were resting fifty meters or so from the side of the road. Their massive bodies were slowly swaying from side to side  while they dozed in the sun. We took a scan and began a focal on each bull. New behaviours are popping up everyday, and today we were lucky enough to see our first elephant lying down. Halfway through Shayisa’s focal he decided to have a good lie down with Khumbula watching over him. His massive body was completely camouflaged in the thicket. Lying completely on his side, the only way we could glimpse his body was to stand on the sides of the truck or sit on the roof. By the end of our focals both bulls were up and headed in a southern direction toward the area where the AB herd was. Our data collection started at 9:45am and continued at a steady rate until 3:30pm. We collected ten scans in total accompanied by nine focals. At the end of the day we left the AB herd and the bulls to make our way back to the Loose Mongoose.

Today was also grocery day (which was fantastic because we ran out of peanut butter this morning). Immediately after getting back to camp we bombarded the kitchen to see what had been added to the fridge and cupboards. Without noticing a newly written announcement on the wall, we all made afternoon snacks. It wasn’t until we were returning the bread, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, peanut butter, butter, and all sorts of other things to the fridge that we turned our attention to the piece of paper on the wall. Long story short, after a long day of sitting in a vehicle the first thing we want to do when we get home is to eat... and we eat way more food than is humanly acceptable. K has taken the liberty of making a detailed list of what foods we could and could not eat at certain times during the day. For example, breakfast foods consist of bread, eggs, cereal, milk, etc etc. I read the list and agreed that we do eat the most random foods throughout the day and it would be in our best interest to show some restraint. After reading over the list of food associated with each meal time we discretely cleaned up the kitchen and slunk out of the kitchen.

Tonight, after we finished our data collection (yah!), Louise and I lit a fire with the use of a handy dandy lighter and a wad of toilet paper. Unfortunately our alcohol supply has run dry but we have decided to opt for ice cream and lime jello as a plan b. Sitting around the fire is always an amazing way to end our days and tonight we will be discussing the possibility of making a day trip to St. Lucia or another place during our next day off. We have been confined to the PGR since our first day and the four of us that have been here for over a month are a little restless. With the promise of a trip and with our data collection finally back on track life is good, and I couldn’t be happier.

Chasing Boys (July 10th, 2011)

The last few days have been incredibly slow. The elephants have been hiding out in the thickets and we have hit an all time low for focals. Our scans are somewhat more successful because they are instantaneous, although the majority taken since Thursday have been classified as “Out of View”. We had higher expectations for today because it rained last night, clearing up the sky and allowing the temperature to rise during the day. 

We took our first signal at 8:53am on Leeuwspoor West in hopes of getting a good signal for any of the collared elephants. The signals were strong for Ngani, Kohlewe, and Lucky. Since their signals were all relatively in the same area we were confident that they would be hanging out as a bachelor group for the day. When the bulls associate with each other our focals are always more interesting and different behaviours emerge. The bulls are always expressing dominance behaviours toward each other through displacements and sometimes, if we are really lucky, through combat. At 9:44am we crossed paths with Lucky. He was headed in a southern direction at a very leisurely pace. A few minutes later we identified Kohlewe trailing Lucky. Separating us from the bulls was a large river line with mature trees and very dense brush. We detoured to the opposite side of the river line and were within sight of the bulls once again in less than fifteen minutes. We took a scan and started a focal on Lucky. Part way through Ngani strolled into view and Heike was immediately on her cell phone calling Heinz. Ngani is the only mature bull on the PGR who isn’t vasectomised. Due to his immense size the operation performed on him a few years ago was unsuccessful. Thus, Ngani has been undergoing treatments with GnRH to suppress his hormones and impede his ability to breed. Ngani was five months over due for his last shot because it can only be administered by Heinz on Leeuwspoor. 

By noon we had met up with Heinz and had the three boys in sight. They had stopped to graze at a natural waterhole on the outskirts of a bush camp. While we waited in the vehicle Heinz positioned himself in one of the camp buildings and waited for an opportune moment. Since the beginning of the treatment regime Ngani has become used to receiving the shots and in the past has been known to turn his backside toward Heinz when he senses his presence. At 12:08pm Heinz successfully darted Ngani with 3.0mls of GnRH. 

Heinz soon departed and the nine of us settled back into the vehicle to prepare to track the bulls once again. Before we had even started off Heike received a phone call from Heinz. The bulls were on the side of the road less than a minute from the bush camp. This gave us another great opportunity to perform more focal samples and finally have data to enter into our records at the end of the day. During our focal on Kohlewe we noticed that he had broken off his right tusk. It was approximately half the length it had been originally. 

Breaking tusks isn’t completely uncommon due to the amount of time elephants spend using their tusks for removing obstacles, for knocking over trees, and for so many other activities. After the focals we decided that since it wasn’t possible to find the AB herd that we would continue to follow the bulls and collect more scans... we just had to find the bulls again. In any area of the reserve the elephants can slip out of sight within seconds and due to our constriction to the roads we often find ourselves creeping in and out of thickets in search of a visible trunk or tusk. We managed to find Lucky feeding on acacia but he soon disappeared, forcing us to drive around a section of thicket and wait for him on the opposite side. Wary of the other bulls potentially in the area, we slowly manoeuvred the Ele-truck through the thicket on the winding road. At 1:38pm we suddenly came across Kohlewe browsing on the side of the road. He was out of view until we were approximately five meters from where he was standing. Heike reversed the vehicle to give him enough space but suddenly realised a major problem... Ngani was behind us in the thicket; we were now stuck between two bull elephants weighing 12,000kgs between the two of them. Heike assessed the situation and decided that our only way out was to drive extremely slowly past Kohlewe and out of sight. The bulls know Heike well and with the help of her voice Kohlewe remained calm as the vehicle inched past him. We were less than five meters from him when we passed. Heike didn’t stop the vehicle until we were back on the main road, far away from the bulls. We were incredibly fortunate that the situation didn’t escalate and we made it safely out of the thicket without any problems. Had it been Buga or another temperamental individual the outcome may have been different. 

With the entire afternoon ahead of us we decided to head south to try and locate Shayisa and Khumbula... it wasn’t until we were nearly at the end of the lake an hour and a half later that we came to the conclusion that the signals we had been receiving were deceiving us. The two bulls were clearly on the opposite side of the lake once again, enjoying the hospitality of the nature reserve. 

We arrived back at camp around 5:00pm. Tonight the rota had K as head chef... but unfortunately she is still in Intibane assisting with the biodiversity surveys. I volunteered to cook dinner and surprisingly enough it only took an hour. As it turns out we have mastered the stove... apparently the element dials are backwards. I managed to bring water to a steady boil on the level 1 section of the dial. Brilliance. 

As we have learned, the sun brings the elephants and tomorrow brings more sunshine and a projected temperature high of 23 degrees. The sun also means that I won’t have an excuse to stay in my bed due to it being too cold in the morning. With the help of extensive amounts of polysporin and Band-Aids my knees and palms are well on their way to recovery, and what better way to celebrate then to go for a run that could potentially destroy me? If I survive and the sun is shining, hopefully the AB herd will leave the mysterious thicket and bask in the open. If not, we will once again be headed west to Leeuwspoor to do what we do best, chase boys.

Vigilance is Key

The first thing I learned when I arrived in bush camp training a month ago was the importance of always being vigilant, always watching for the animals that could potentially harm me. The guides and instructors tested us time and time again and ensured that we were always aware of our surrounding and alert. Having lived around animals all my life and encountering certain animals during their “moments” I have taken these lessons to heart. In turn, I have developed great respect for the wild animals that roam the game reserve, especially the elephants. But with all the lectures on safety and survival there was one area that was quite lacking. The lecturers failed to inform us about the feral creeping roots, the viciousness of 2-inch thorns, and the ferocity of the hanging branches. All along I should have known to look out for such dangers... I should have been wary of these incredible menaces.

This morning two new OpWall recruits arrived, meaning that the night before Heike had told us we wouldn’t be going out to find the elephants until at least 10:00am. So, this morning I was up at 8:00am and ready to run laps around the camp. In the past my workouts have been very uneventful, I had become accustomed to the route I ran every morning, weaving in and out of trees, but I had forgotten the most important lesson... always remain vigilant. What had begun as the usual workout to start the day had, in a matter of seconds, turned from being a semi-happy experience into one that was definitely not enjoyable. As I made my way off the gravel road and onto the area along the fence line, immersed in thoughts about home and elephants, innocently running along, the shape of an old shrub stump emerged from out of nowhere. But it was too late. Before I even knew what was happening I was airborne, my right shoe had caught the edge of the bush, there was no saving myself now. Had any bystanders witnessed what was unfolding, they would have seen what can only be described as my body superman-ing forwards, my ipod grasped tightly in my left hand. I hit the ground palms first, followed by my left shoulder, then my knees, and lastly my left hip. I skidded to a halt in two or three feet, shards of tiny shale rocks piercing my skin and scraped palms. Today would also be the day I decided to wear shorts and tank top whilst running. I turned over on my back and lay motionless for a minute or two before hauling myself up and attempting to continue my run. When I had finished my lap (30 seconds later) I had no choice but to stop due to the streams of blood and grotesque appearance of my knees and elbows. I made my way back to my room to clean myself up and when Louise appeared in the doorway and asked what had happened I could only reply with a measly “I fell”.

By the time the newcomers had arrived I had showered and had already removed the Band-Aids off my knees. In such a situation there is nothing worse than Band-Aids that won’t stick to your skin because of their location, knees being the worst. When I introduced myself to the newbies, Lydia and Emily, my knees had started to bleed and my palms were oozing. I always knew how to make a great first impression.

We set out just after 1:00pm and unlike our first day when we saw the AB herd in all its glory, Lydia and Emily had no such luck. Manzini was occupied by hunters, as was Mpalane, leaving Leeuwspoor as the only accessible area. Two bulls, Ngani and Kohlewe, were in the area but after three hours we only managed to glimpse them twice. When we arrived back at camp we decided to catch up on our data entry, I was exempt due to being head chef tonight. I had many options because this morning we finally received our delayed grocery delivery. I had decided to cook an assortment of vegetable, garlic mashed potatoes, and pork sausages. I started the potatoes on the stove at 5:30pm with the intention to cook the sausages and vegetables while mashing the potatoes.... two hours later I finally pulled the potatoes out of the microwave as potato wedges and swapped in the cabbage and carrots. After attempting to fry the sausages on the stove I eventually moved them outside and onto the bbq. At 7:45pm, I finally called everyone into the kitchen to dish up.

Tomorrow calls for sunshine and after three very slow days in the Ele-truck hopefully we can find the AB herd and show Lydia and Emily the ins-and-outs of 30 minute scans and focal samples. There are seven of us in total now, not including K, and another researcher, Sara, sponsored by the Disney Corporation. The Ele-truck is completely full up and if we don’t get any action soon I will be forced to finish my fourth book by tomorrow afternoon.

Random stats:
Days in Pongola – 22 days
Slices of toast with PB and PB sandwiches – 67
Pages Read -  approximately 2230

It’s Raining in Africa (July 5th, 2011)

Here in Pongola we have been exceptionally lucky. Our sightings have been amazing and we have been able to collect lots of data on a daily basis. But with good days come bad days... and today was one such day. The first indication was the weather. When we went out this morning it was cloudy with no sign of the blue sky, it was also very breezy with gusts of very strong winds. We set out at 9:30am and made our way to the Homestead to take signal. The Orphans were supposedly still on Leeuwspoor and we were hoping that we would get a good sighting. We were too late though, the herd had moved further north into areas that had deeper thickets and more canopy cover. Ntini had also moved north during the night and most likely OJVM2 had travelled with him. Our only option was the AB herd, which we knew could be a problem because of an event that had happened the afternoon before.

Yesterday, as we were headed back to the Loose Mongoose, we crossed paths with Andre and a group of guests on a game drive. Andre was hoping to find the elephants for the guests to view. We learned this morning that Andre has successfully found the herd... and Buga. He had parked the vehicle approximately 120 meters from the heard when Buga went on the offensive. Partially due to the loud diesel engine, Buga decided that enough was enough and charged across the 120m to confront the vehicle. Luckily, Andre was able to start the vehicle and reverse quickly enough to turn the vehicle around before she made contact. The only damage was to the rear of the vehicle from being submerged into the thicket during the three-point turn. With this information, Heike knew that if the herd was agitated we would not be sticking around to test Buga again.

After taking signal on the Manzini property we made our way to the bush camp we had occupied a few days before. The AB herd was in the area and would most likely be accessing the waterhole throughout the day. We arranged ourselves on the deck and within fifteen minutes OJVM3 entered the thicket with three other individuals. After a scan sample and a brief focal the four elephants made their way back into the bush. It is becoming more apparent, based on the ranging patterns of the herd and their behaviour that something is happening within the ranks of the herd. Whether it is solely due to weather or for social reasons we will probably never know. We waited for four more hours before we decided that the herd would not be returning for water and were most likely heading towards the lake. The gloomy weather had made us all weary and we were glad to finally be on the move again. As we made our way onto the eastern side of the railway tracks we kept an eye out for the herd, it wasn’t until our second pass down the road that I managed to spot two elephants 300m or so to our left. They appeared to be moving in a northern direction allowing us to predict where they would be crossing roads. We turned the vehicle around and drove down a road heading west to watch and wait. The herd finally arrived and we were able to do two more scan samples before having to call it a day. 

At 5:00pm we were back at camp. The first thing we noticed was that the hot plate Lionel has lent us was missing, our only means of cooking food efficiently since the stove in the kitchen is quite sketchy. Apparently, our inadequacy was the reason the stove didn’t work and the hot plate was too dangerous to be used in the kitchen. Louise had the privilege of cooking dinner tonight and figuring out how to most effectively use the stove. We also noticed that our grocery order didn’t come today. Fortunately, the next one is scheduled for Friday so the five of us will survive.... but until then I may or may not be hoarding the last of the peanut butter as a precaution. While Louise cooked dinner I built a fire to cook our baked potatoes over and kept her company in the kitchen. It wasn’t until around 6:30pm that the first rain drops began to fall. Within minutes there was a constant drum of raindrops on the tin roof of the Loose Mongoose. I was ecstatic and still am. It has been raining on and off for the last 2 hours and the smell of fresh rain is a nice change from the dry and dusty air. The rain has also brought many different frog and toad species to the camp. They have gathered at the corners of the building to soak in the small puddles that have formed under the gutters. The skinks and geckos have also emerged as well, making their way from their usual home in our bathroom to the outside world. 

The rain has been a blessing for the time being, but it also comes with a flipside. The clouds overhead and the dampness will mean that the elephants will most likely remain tucked up in the thickets. As always, we will be going out to try and find them, and with luck the sun will come out, and with it, so will the elephants.