Hi Guys, Me again!
Craig Spencer of the Balule Conservation Project
I am writing to you from Paradise Camp for the first time since our old generator snuffled off its mortal coil! The sound of our happy new Yamaha generator drowns out much of the bush sounds as well as my rantings as I try to spell words that have more than three letters in them! The tem has just left to embark on the monthly bore-hole monitoring and there is promise of some exciting elephant data en route. We bumped into a large herd of 35 animals last night at camp and managed to see one of our collared friends amongst them – we think it was Erwin the young bull! We hope that the team will be able to pick them up again!
Anyways, we have staged yet another break-through with our work here and Amy Clark who has been part of the Transfrontier Africa team since its inception, has just completed some training with Save the Elephants, under Dr. Michelle Henley. Amy is now holed up in our research bunker (a dark and dingy den with computers and maps, etc. all over the walls) entering all manner of research data into the required formats. Amy spends most of her time working through the last three years worth of elephant photographic finger-printing raw data and matching them up with the international data-base which is maintained by Save the Elephants. So, Amy, we wish you the best of luck and are very pleased with your progress. If you don’t mind………….I will continue to conduct the field work, which is the best part of the job (and helps with my tan). Shoshangan and his buddies keep pestering the research house and ripping the water-pipes out of the ground. This has become a daily exercise for them and is still a great cause for excitement amongst the researchers as they sit behind their brick-and-mortar walls. Ha! The poor neighbours at the Paradise Research Camp (the rest
of the Transfrontier Africa TeamA team) must brave this on a regular basis, without the comfort of a solid wall! We are 20 km away from the research facility and live like Bushmen, working our fingers to the bone to gather the data in the field that the researchers require for their work. Sounds unfair??? Let me tell you that I would not swap places for all the Gin in Colonial Africa! I have played both sides fo the coin and have made my choice! Paradise or Bust!
Our partnership with the various universities is working well and we often have a full vehicle when we go out these days. Many students from USA and UK who are working on all manner of research in our section of the Greater Kruger Park enjoy spending time with our little team as they stand a m
uch better chance of seeing some great wildlife, even if it is not their research subjects.
Cheetah getting the once over from the vet.
Our cheetah that we have been fighting for to be re-released into the Kruger system should be here tomorrow and we are all very excited at the prospect of these two young males arriving. They originate from the Mountain Zebra National Park where there is not enough space for them anymore.
We will have them in our boma enclosure for a while to allow them to acclimatise to their new surroundings and we will fit them with radio/satellite collars just before they are allowed to leave the boma. This has been a very costly exercise and we are now quite destitute (financially), but will keep you all up-to-date on their progress.
The new fence-line that we have erected in the “Western Wedge” has now been electrified and will help to stop predators and elephants from escaping out through the Western Boundary of the Greater Kruger Park.
This is a major coup for the reserve as this area has been a major head-ache for many moons and has cost us a lot of resources trying to relocate animals that have escaped, etc. The Olifants West Lion Pride has been using this area to hunt as they know that if they get the buffalo herds here or any other unsuspecting prey species; they can just set an ambush! I must extend a thanks to Piero, the owner of the Tremisana Lodge, who allowed us to erect this fence on his property.
Cheeky Baboons making a run for it....
The damned baboons have raided camp almost every day and although I understand that it is winter and very dry out there………………I would like to implore them to give me a break! So, baboons, if you
are reading this (I know your internet connection is dodgy at the best of times), please have a chat to Borris the Badger and time your raids to coincide with his raiding nights. You are costing us way too much money and if you do not like some of our food, then just leave it alone – it is not necessary to fling it around and jump all over it! Also, please do not poop INSIDE the crockery!
The reserve is still on track to receive 20 black rhino later this year (after the first rains) and we are working hard to get our house in order before their arrival. We have been in contact with the Western Kentucky University for a research grant to study the success of this re-introduction into the Greater Kruger.
Paradise Camp entrance
We will be looking at habitat preferences, movement patterns and Spatial organisation on the landscape.
So, that is that from the bush and thanks again to Adam and Adrian for their help with finding us volunteers and also to the volunteers for their help and putting up with us, the baboons and other wild animals!
Cheers
Craig
If you would like to volunteer on this project, please visit Afreco Tours or Transfrontier Africa
