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.
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