27 August - Tree Clearing (and Rhinoceros)

The standard Tuesday routine is that the newcomers get their arrival brief and the rest wash the two vehicles we use; they get very dusty in a week. That done it was off to the reserve for another session of tree felling: another copse of black wattle required our attention. The route to our work area was devoid of animals which can not have been fun for the new arrivals. Luke, our ranger, did his best to point out things of interest (mostly geared around animal droppings) but this, and my telling those seated by me how unusual it was, did little to cheer them I think.

After an hour we arrived at a large copse and set about felling tress with saw and machete. It was as usual hard and hot work but we made a big impact before heading off to our lunch stop.

The afternoon was taken up animal monitoring and we took a long hour drive to the south and to where we had seen the rhinoceros yesterday. I assume this was a decision by the two rangers in the hope of giving the newcomers something good to see. The rhinoceros were still there along with zebra and various antelope and after a long period of watching and manoeuvring around we identified them all before heading off to find elephants. We had to return briefly as the second vehicle had a puncture right among the rhinoceros (the vehicles receive a fair bit of punishment and are fairly tatty but I have the impression that any repair work for those with the conservation team is a low priority compared with that for the people paying big money to stay at the lodges). Unfortunately no elephants were found despite scouring the scrubland area where we had seen them yesterday so we headed back towards the lodge. On the way we still saw little but then heard a report of a lion sighting over the radio. We headed towards the area but as we approached we saw on a hillside opposite a lodge vehicle parked and, with a powerful pair of binoculars, a small dot that was the lion. Those paying big money to be here understandably have priority over us so, if they are at a spot or they arrive when we are there, we have to make ourselves scarce. It was not turning out to be a successful day.

We were now not far from our lodge so we headed back and for dinner. Then Luke's phone rang and with a smile on his face and telling us there might be 'something' nearby we headed off. It turned out Jamie in the lead vehicle and some way ahead had seen a lion and had phoned Luke, rather than radio, so as to get him there and allow us time with it before reporting it in. It was laying in the grass some distance away - a young male - but as we watched it got up and headed straight towards us. Slowly and deliberately it approached and then walked between our two vehicles seemingly focused on some zebra in the near distance opposite. Most of them made themselves scarce but we watched for while as it stalked a couple still in the scrub before making what seemed a half hearted dash for them and failing to get near. By now we had been joined by a lodge vehicle so we headed home.

I had arranged a taxi into the town for a beer run so, armed with order and money for most at the lodge, four of us set off to do the shopping. Upon our return I settled around the fire pit again with some of the younger set and enjoyed some of my purchases before heading off to bed.