Wild dog relocation

The African wild dog is a highly Endangered predator and the icon of Madikwe Game Reserve.  They need a lot of space, as they traverse and hunt over vast areas. They are therefore only found in larger parks and reserves and have been doing very well in Madikwe, since there’s plenty of land for them to roam.

It is normally only the Alpha pair that breeds while the other pack members help bring up the pups and provide food. Dispersal takes place when a few individuals, of the same sex, break away to find another breakaway group, of the opposite sex, from another pack to join up with, thus establishing a new pack.

Since they aren’t territorial, dogs from the north-west could potentially make it all the way to Kruger, KwaZulu Natal or even East Africa with ease, if there were no fences. Most wild dogs live in the larger reserves and parks, which are fenced in and therefore don’t have the opportunity of naturally dispersing. Hence they need some help in doing so and keeping the gene pool of the population healthy.

Madikwe saw a handful of males breaking away from the main pack about two years ago and it was an excellent opportunity to catch them for relocation to another reserve, in the Northern Cape. They were temporarily put in an enclosure for monitoring, while waiting for the transfer go ahead.

It seemed like a rather straight forward procedure, but unfortunately the initial plans didn’t work out and the brothers were kept under surveillance, awaiting another opportunity. Later another possible home was negotiated, in Kruger National Park.

However, around this time the researchers and ecologists in Kruger were investigating why their own wild dogs were disappearing from the northern part of the reserve, where the Madikwe males were to be released. The plans of moving them were yet again halted, as it wouldn’t be good to bring in new blood if there was a risk that they would vanish shortly after their release.

Many of the guides in Madikwe have been following these dogs over the last few years and often the remaining free roaming wild dogs have been seen close to the boma where the brothers have been kept, greeting each other through the fence. It seemed a shame that they had to stay there, away from their relatives, but it’s been for the greater good of the population, since there would otherwise be a risk of inbreeding. We have therefore kept our fingers crossed, hoping for them to soon find a permanent home.

When this finally happened it was all very sudden. A request for guests wanting to assist with the capture was made from the park’s board, guests who would be interested were then identified at Jaci’s Lodges and a sponsor quickly stepped in to help with the financial side of things.

Only a few days later the plan was ready and it was all actually happening! At 7am on a chilly and overcast morning in mid-June, two of the guides and our five guests met with the head ecologist in Madikwe, a veterinarian and a few field rangers, just outside the enclosure that had been the dogs’ home for the better part of two years.

We were told that a dead impala was going to be tied to a tree and used as bait, as this is normally the easiest way to get the dogs to stay in one place to be darted.

But, even the best laid plans are sometimes outsmarted, especially by these clever and agile canines. After a few bites of meat, they had already figured out that this event wasn’t about a free meal and ran around, crisscrossing each other’s paths, making it difficult for the vet to get a clear shot. As they are very slender animals, the darts need to be perfectly placed, to not injure them. The veterinarian explained that he’d rather let this operation take all day than risking harming them in any way.

After some strategizing, a plan was made and soon the three males were staggering around as if drunk, and then finally slumped down on the ground.

The mixture of drugs that they were darted with apparently makes them lose memory of the last half hour or so before they’re actually darted, preventing them from being traumatised from the stress that obviously is associated with being handled by humans.

The guests were all happy to learn about this fact, even though the veterinarian and rangers did work efficiently to minimise the impact on them from this event and the guests all joined in to help carry them to the awaiting crates.

As the brothers were loaded onto the vehicle that was going to take them outside the boma for the first time in a long while, it was with a tear in my eye, and a huge smile on my face, as it was a bit sad to finally see them go, but I was also very happy for their sake. The guests were all very grateful to have been part of this experience and to learn that the three brothers would be on their way to a life in freedom.

They have now be taken to Mkuze Game Reserve in KwaZulu Natal to join up with a female. Once they’re successfully acquainted and settled, in a few weeks’ time, they will once again be roaming free, hunting and investigating their new surroundings.


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My Back Yard

Madikwe Game Reserve has been my home for just over two years now and has provided me with fantastic sightings and photo opportunities over the months. Going on a game drive is always exciting as you never know what you’ll encounter around the next corner. However, staying in camp at Jaci’s Lodges can some days prove to be equally as interesting, as the wildlife doesn’t always understand the concept of fences.

Summer is a great time for macro photography. After the first rains a great variety of insects and other little critters pop out everywhere. Extraordinary colours and lifeforms appear; butterflies around every puddle, tiny mantis, huge beetles, millipedes, scorpions and grasshoppers.

The abundance of tiny critters in turn attracts their predators. A group of banded mongooses has made the lodge their home and they go on patrol regularly enough for you to basically set your watch for their appearance. It’s very interesting to follow the family affairs of this group that we call the ‘Bandits’ and to see the youngsters grow up.

My favourite bird, the yellow-billed hornbill is also a resident species around the lodge. Unfortunately the couple that hang around outside my room enjoy knocking at the window at all hours of the day, as they can see their own reflection in the glass. However they are also used to people enough to be able to get some good close-up shots, which is great.

For a while there was an absolute racket outside my door every day and at first I couldn’t make out what was going on, as there were many different bird species voicing their opinions. I thought maybe there was a snake around, but the ever present tree squirrel wasn’t joining in on the noise, which would be unusual for them. I realised it was a Levaillant’s cuckoo chick begging for food from its arrow-marked babbler ‘parents’ – cuckoos are parasitic birds which lay eggs in the nests of other birds.

A crested barbet then decided to add to the chorus. It’s really interesting to see the enormous chicks being fed by their small, unsuspecting parents and it always amazes me that they don’t get suspicious when their newly hatched baby is bigger than they are.

Another noisy bird that’s become a real character in my life is Nathan, a Natal spur fowl. He’s so used to the guides’ presence by now that he doesn’t hesitate investigating your room if you leave it open, or even jumping up into your lap if your lunch looks interesting enough. While this may all seem funny and charming, his announcement of it being time to get up while it’s still pitch dark outside is less so. Especially since, for some unknown reason, all these noisy individuals have decided that the best place to stir up trouble is on my doorstep.

Luckily a huge water monitor has also taken up residency and has chosen a river bushwillow nearby as her nightly resting place, keeping the fowls at bay during the warmer days. She seems to be the boss of the garden, having all other animals scattering as she approaches to bask on the lawn. She loves it when the grass is being watered, running up to the hose pipe, enjoying the gentle spray on hot summer days.

Guests often ask if the elephant dung found around the lodge has been put there to fertilise the ground or to add some excitement. The truth is that at the end of the dry season, the elephants start feeling the stress of the drought and go looking for some greenery to eat around the lodges. One bull in particular has made a habit of breaking in and then slowly letting himself be herded out the main gate by us guides. Eventually the fence was moved closer to the river, making it difficult for the bull to push it down again. So, this behaviour was stopped before it got out of hand and became a real problem for us and the guests.

The numerous bushbuck around the lodge are very used to people and barely offer you a glance as you pass by. As the presence of humans most likely indicates a lack of other predators, the antelopes feel rather safe around us and even the females with tiny young will let you near enough for some nice close-up shots.

So, taking a walk through your own backyard in the bush can be a real photographic safari, with monkeys peeking down on you, frogs and lizards hiding in the foliage and snakes quickly slithering across the path in front of you. If you have your camera at the ready, you never know what you may be able to capture.

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Cycling in Madikwe

On 21st May Jaci’s Lodges arranged the first ever biannual cycling event in Madikwe Game Reserve. This ride marked the launch of the lodge’s new ‘Madikwe Mountain Biking Weekends’ that give cyclists the opportunity to peddle through Big Five country over two days with nothing more than a bicycle and the helmet on their head.

The beautiful sunny morning saw seven enthusiastic participants meet for their pre-cycling brief, just after breakfast. One of the lodge vehicles went ahead with all the snacks and cooler boxes and with the important task of keeping a look-out for any dangerous animals and to scout for good drink stop spots along the way. A second vehicle drove in front of the cyclists to keep them safe in case of any large game that may be encountered. The last vehicle drove behind the group in case any of the participants could not continue or there were any technical difficulties with the bicycles. All three vehicles were in constant radio contact, to ensure everything went smoothly.

Their 40 km journey would take the group past the terrapin hide at the lodge’s waterhole. The stunning scenery as well as the rich birdlife seen made the morning excursion even more pleasurable. As the participants started the incline towards the boundary of the reserve, they were greeted by some impalas who were no doubt curious as to what these two-wheeled creatures were. After the ascent, the much anticipated 2 km downhill towards the Molatedi gate was greatly appreciated, and even had a few of the participants breaking the reserve’s speed limit.

Once the cyclists reached the Molatedi gate, they passed onto one of the main roads which is more even than the previous section and allowed the cyclists to enjoy the scenery more. Both impalas and wildebeests were passed at close quarters and most of them looked rather confused, but didn’t budge until the cyclists were right next to them. Only once they realised it was humans at a racing speed of about 20 km/h, they scattered in disbelief.

The first pit stop took place next to the road, with a wonderful view of a waterhole and the mountains, drenched in early morning sunlight. Drinks, dried fruits, nuts, biltong and date balls quickly emerged from the lead car and were devoured almost as rapidly. An energy re-fill was much needed by this time. After the short rest, the group continued with just a slight breeze stirring the air. The vehicle in the front also helped out by asking oncoming cars to stop or slow down for the cyclists, as to not spray dust all over the group.

We had heard on the radio that a pride of lions had been seen close to the road the cyclists were headed to. After this news we kept in radio contact with the other guides that were out on game drives to find out what their movements were. As we approached the junction where the big cats had been seen, we were relieved to hear that they were slowly moving away from the main road. It could have been an interesting sighting, but maybe a bit too exciting!

At the 20 km mark, which was also the turn-around point, a second pit stop was enjoyed under the shade of a few big trees whilst watching impalas feed in the distance.

Cycling back on the main road proved to be much easier and quicker as the group were now on a decline. The group progressed quickly, but also had time to keep a lookout for animals. An elephant herd was spotted in the distance and we all stopped to enjoy the moment – which also allowed the cyclists to catch their breath again. The elephants went about their own business without even noticing that they were being watched.

A third and final stop at Molatedi gate meant a long good look at the 2 km long uphill stretch along the fence, which earlier in the morning had entailed an exhilarating 45 km/h ride, with no effort. This time around, I imagine the hill seemed less enjoyable. As brunch time was approaching, I think most of the participants were eager to get back to the lodge however and they were making good progress. Rounding the waterhole in front of the lodge, big smiles were on everyone’s faces, as a great outing and a 40 km ride had been accomplished.

On the second day another 20 km were accomplished, but this time outside the reserve. With sore legs and bums from the previous day, the group still managed to cover this route faster than the first 20 km the day before. Although the animals encountered were a little less wild, the scenery was just as beautiful.


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