Week 9 – Cheetah Capture

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Friday was possibly the best day yet, we were asked to assist with the darting and capture of Damara and her two cubs. The objective of the exercise was to dart damara and move her into the boma for surgery to replace the transmitter which stopped working a couple of weeks ago and is essential for the monitoring programme undertaken by the conservation centre. The aim was also to take the cubs as well, both adolescent. This would enable measurements and health checks to be done as well as keeping mum and cubs together. It was a precision operation with the cheetah being tracked for around 3 days prior to the darting.

We found them on a fresh kill and we were the back up vehicle tasked with keeping an eye on their movements post darting when they ran off into thick cover. Once the animals went down the slick operation started as a team of vet nurses from the UK sorted the animals for transportation and we loaded them up onto the game viewers. We helped move the young male cub who started to wake up halfway, needless to say by the time we got him to the Boma he came round, cue panic and trying to pin him down while he growled and scratched. The lead vet sauntered over and told us to leave him as he would be out of it. We did and rather than attack anyone he tried to run but kept collapsing, we left him and his sister to it and they recovered very quickly to adjust to their temporary home.

The operation to Damara was more detailed with several vets working on her in the next boma replacing the internal transmitter which was massive. After the operation we all stood around chatting, reassured by the vet that she wouldn’t wake up for a while. Next minute she started to stir, we made a hasty retreat out of the boma. We then left her to recover, and despite doctors order for her to remain in the boma she escaped the very next day by jumping over the fence with the cubs and has since been sighted with no apparent ill effects. It was amazing being so close to a wild animal and looking at the detail of her markings close up was definitely a privilege. Comedy moment of the day was when the vet wandered up to the two cubs and enquired “who have we here” at which point Chris volunteered ‘I’m Chris’ and extended his hand before saying ‘oh, you meant the cheetah’ - easy mistake to make.

We spent most of the week on approaching animals on foot and tracking which was extremely interesting. You have no idea what sort of signs and tracks animals leave, you can even use the saliva residues they leave on vegetation to age spoor. Not to mention using the position of urine relative to faeces or the size shape of tracks to determine a male from a female. A short trip to the river found lots of tracks like Black Rhino, cape clawless otter, buffalo, elephant bull and mongoose. We also did some great walks on the reserve observing elephants and white rhinos in their natural environment.

Thursday night we also got to sleep out again, this time at the canoes, which meant we could do some canoeing and more importantly for me a bit of fishing. Unfortunately run of bad luck continues as I still have yet to catch any fish here. The weekend was a quiet one we helped to move some rocks around on Ulovane’s new site and found one large scorpion and two small buthidae scorpions in the process as these are southern Africa’s most venomous scorpions we decided to leave well alone. All in all another tough week at the office.
SANDRA
Finally I’ve beaten Matt at a written test - today I scored 95% for ‘Astronomy, Approaching animals on foot and tracking’ and came 1st. Now when he annoys me I can track him and shoot at him!!

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Photos

A barbel....
...which Matt wishes he caught!

Rhino crossing
Mother and calf

The dominant bull elephant....
...after a mud bath

Comments

[Andrea]

The Cheetahs are beautiful!
I have just managed to find some time to read your blog. Wow, so much has been happening since I last looked. You guys are having such an amazing experience although i shudder to see the snakes and scorpions. I absolutely loved the last story about the cheetahs - aren't they beautiful - you are both so lucky to come into such close contact with the magical animals. Bit scared of the shooting and the skills you have managed to acquire - steady chaps!! take care and keep posting your experiences. We love to see them whilst we sit in ice and snow and full of stress and exhaustion! Andrea

[Maya Moo]

who is this chris? he sounds HILARIOUS! your pictures are amazing and I think you are all so brave!