A request for photos…–Elephants of Botswana

A recent blog of mine was followed by a comment asking for photos. Unfortunately I don’t have any photos of‘the rain’- but here are some results of it…

Baby impalas

Flame lillies

Charlie

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Merry Christmas–Elephants of Botswana

Thanks for all your support in 2010 and we hope that 2011 is good to you all.

Best wishes

Kate and the EFA team

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First Delta leopard–Elephants of Botswana

Yesterday was a packed day for Mphoeng and me. It started early with the monthly road survey, for which we had resigned ourselves only to be able to drive the dry parts, as the flood is still high and some of the crossings are pretty precarious (see a post from a month ago with a video link- pictures paint a thousand words!!) This idea went out of the window when Joseph, one of the guides, said he was going to join us for the survey, as he was very keen to investigate that side and see where is drive-able now. So investigate we did. Amazingly we didn’t get stuck, although we came pretty close on a couple of occasions. There is a lot of water still, and it’s certainly not good for the vehicles to be crossing channels like that every day. However, it was great to get that side again and I look forward to a time when those routes can become part of our daily traversing.

Kudus

In the afternoon we were out again to put the infrasound recording collars on the captive herd for a night time recording session. We met the herd in the bush, and between there and the boma saw Pula and Nandipa again with a young wild bull, and left the boma to return to camp just as the sun was setting. There was several of the Seba staff also at the boma in need of a lift, so we all piled onto the vehicle and with lots of chatting and laughing headed back to camp. Not long before camp, just beyond the airstrip, Mphoeng stopped the car and pointed at a Leadwood some 80m or so into the bush, and sprawled on one of its horizontal branches was a young female leopard. I had been warned about Mphoeng’s leopard eyes, and it was a fantastic spot. We approached slowly as she lay watching us, legs either side of the branch below her. She lay looking at us for a while before moving down into the fork of the tree, and then into the bush and away. Beautiful. The journey from there to camp was practically silent and if anyone else on the vehicle was feeling anything like me, I sat with that quiet and content glow that few things can instil in me like a leopard sighting.
Charlie

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Bridget gets her fruit–Elephants of Botswana

On an afternoon research drive we are headed for the airstrip. On the way we came across to young males between the ages of 10 and 15 years who were standing side by side gently rubbing heads together. Unfortunately they were a little skittish, being so young, and soon moved off into the thicker vegetation. They crossed the ro

Bridget shaking a palm tree

ad in front of us, and with the lovely light will able to get some good measurements and photographs of their footprints. Male elephants continue to grow throughout their lives, and it has been found in Asian and African elephants that the size of their feet is related to their height. So by measuring their feet we get a good idea of age. It is said that the footprint of an elephant is very individual, much like a human fingerprint and so we are starting to take photographs of the footprint to add to their ID files.

Once we had done that, we carried on with our route. Near airstrip we spotted an elephant shaking palm trees, I immediately concluded that it was a male elephant. As we got nearer to the individual I started questioning my decision as he looked remarkably like a female; with an angular forehead and breasts! But why was she alone? And did I really see her shaking the tree from the distance? With binoculars and camera at the ready I started to figure out the mystery. It was a female, and it was a female I know. It was Bridget, a dominant female of the B herd; in fact I thought she was the matriarch. We stood on top of the vehicle and had a good look around any other elephants, there were none to be seen or heard. As I pondered on why she was away from the rest of the herd, she did something I have never seen before. She successfully shook a palm tree and got some nuts down. In the eight years I have been researching elephants in the Okavango Delta I’ve only ever seen an adult female trying to shake palm trees once before, and she was unsuccessful. So here was Bridget proving my conclusion wrong that female elephants can shake palm trees and get nuts down.

The palm nuts are seemingly a really important resource for the Male elephants of the Okavango Delta, as they spend a lot of time during the months of July and August (when they’re in fruit), shaking the palm trees. Until today I thought it was a resource that only males were able to harvest; how wrong I was!!

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Busy Day–Elephants of Botswana

Hal the pilot

It was a particularly busy day today. The alarm went off at 0545 was the rest of the camp  still asleep, even the birds were quiet. I headed up to the kitchen and got the water on before packing up the car with the equipment ready for our monthly road survey. Mphoeng and Ish soon join me and we enjoyed a cup of tea and some breakfast before heading out.

These monthly survey is not only include elephants but all the mammals and some of the more endangered birds that we find here in the study area. By monitoring the demographics of the mammals to look out the interactions between certain species over time.

The first mammal we came across, I was a troop of baboons. They were surprised to see us, as they were still in their reasoning site at the top of some palm trees. They all began alarm calling and getting down as fast as they could. There was one youngster that a third of the way down the tree decided he didn’t like anymore and started alarm calling. Mum came back, but wasn’t prepared to go all the way back up the tree and waited for him partway. He eventually got his courage together and came down to Mum before the whole of the troop retreated to nearby termite mound and peered at us as we carried on our way.

We managed to complete the road survey without getting stuck, which is quite an achievement at this time of year with the floodwaters being so high. As we head towards summer the waters are retreating somewhat, making our lives easier. We saw elephant, kudu, Impala, two herds of buffalo, baboons, birds, squirrels and amongst the birds; saddled billed storks, wattled crane and some ground hornbills.

Having stopped to write down a couple of trees squirrels, I carried on my way managed to surprise the young elephant Vishna who was feeding on the palm tree only a couple of metres away. Mphoeng and Ish I thought I’d seen him that’s why they have not said anything, but I was completely oblivious to his presence, which is a little shocking considering I had spotted the squirrel! This show was hanging out with B571 or more affectionately called by Mphoeng,‘The Grey One’– they were busy making the most of the seasonal resource of the palm nuts.

We got to act to camp out about 12:30 and I raced around getting stuff together to do aerial tracking for the collared elephants. The pilot and camp electrician, and solver of all things technical, Hal, was flying back to town, but had trying to find some of the collared individuals. So off we went and tracked for Thando and Mthondo, two with the released male elephants that we have been following. Unfortunately we did not get the visual of Mthondo, despite flying around for about 10 minutes with a very loud signal. I was very disappointed with myself but figured Mthondo was hiding somewhere enjoying the palm nuts. Thando was alone on the edge of a wild palm island I looked in good health.

Elephants from the air

When we landed back at the airstrip, it was quite a busy time with two planes already there bringing in clients to the safari camps. One of the planes had also brought in Simon who had been in town trying to sort out the importation of our vehicle. Having both missed lunch we were fairly peckish and after all the plane had taken off safely we headed to camp for a late lunch. It was now 15:30 and having been on the go since 0545 I was a little peckish. There had been a great day for data.

Flying over the delta

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Kate and Sim get married…again!–Elephants of Botswana

This last week there’s been quite the party atmosphere in camp. Kate and Sim got married officially in the UK back in July, but it wouldn’t have been a complete union for them if they hadn’t marked it here also. So last Monday Kate and Sim’s family and friends, many travelling from the UK and all over Africa,started arriving in Seba Camp.

Friends and family fly in

The actual ceremony was last Friday and everything came off marvellously, even after the inevitable last minutes rush to get everything ready! They had picked the idyllic Abu bush dinner site as the spot for the ceremony, a peninsular that goes out into one of the huge lagoons. It had everything a bush wedding site should, and more- the backdrop of the bush, palm trees and water surrounding it, a fabulous sunset and stars that only Botswana can deliver.

Kate and her bridesmaids

The party continued late into the night, with wine and dancing flowing until the early hours. An event worthy of a great couple.

Traditonal dancing

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Lions, lions, lions–Elephants of Botswana

We have all been racking up the sightings this week- and normally it’s pretty much just elephants! Poster got to see a leopard the other day when he was out for the afternoon, and the morning before last I saw my first Delta honey badgers. For anyone who hasn’t been lucky enough to see a honey badger in the bush- it is hard to explain just how wonderful they are! They strut around like they own the place- I like to call them the gangsters of the bush! I was driving to check Mthondo early, and as it was completely overcast it was still almost pitch back around sunrise. As I approached tractor crossing there they were in the road. Two honey badgers just strutting around! I watched them for a few minutes in my lights before they headed into the bush. Wonderful.

And lions… we just can’t get away from them right now! A couple of weeks ago a group of seven killed a baboon RIGHT by camp, you could see them from the table I am sitting at right now! We all agreed that was a LITTLE too close. Since then I was lucky to bump into a lovely looking male a few days ago when I was drivinga route looking for elephants. Last night again I drove straight past a lioness lying in the grass by the road, I noticed her just as I passed and she twitched. And this morning there were seven very FAT lions lying by Mthondo camp, when I was in fact tracking Mthondo again. I called the guides inand was in a bit of a rush to find Mthondo so carried on. But when I returned a couple of hours later they were in exactly the same place- digesting whatever it is in those fat bellies, that they must have killed last night or this morning, as they lay behind a bush. I picked up the others from theboma, where they had been collecting and preparing dung samples this morning in the brand-new-sparkly lab over there, and we went back and were able to watch them for a while. The kings of the bush… resting… they do a lot of resting!

Male lion

Charlie

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Steve and Alex Harris Visit Seba–Elephants of Botswana

Professor Harris is a commonly spoken about name amongst the research community of Maun, as it does seem that he is personally supervising most students studying mammals in northern Botswana?! So it was fantastic to finally be able to put a face, and indeed a personality, to that name. Steve, and his wife Alex, have just returned to the UK following a month trip visiting the various projects Steve is supervising in this part of the world. They visited us here in Seba for the last few days of their trip.

Many meetings were had, but there is always time to be found to drive out at the end of a day and just enjoying being in the stunning setting that we work. One such evening took us driving up the old airstrip just before sunset. There was a huge troop of baboons slowing eating and grooming in the last hour of light. We also stopped to take photos of red winged pratincoles who seem to have taken the newly abandoned airstrip up as their new nesting ground- brilliant news.

A break from work

I believe Steve’s visit was deemed successful on all levels. Mphoeng is leaving camp imminently to travel to the UK to take up a term of study in Bristol as part of his MSc, and so he was able to speak in depth with Steve about how this will pan out. Kate went through a couple of papers that she is looking to publish very soon with Steve, and I was able to chat about future opportunities and possible areas of study too.

We look forward to having them both in Seba again soon.

Charlie

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Arrival at Heathrow Airport London by Mphoeng Ofithile, the journey continues next edition–Elephants of Botswana

Prior announcements were made before landing at Heathrow so I had my eyes open to see the Airport that I had long heard of while in Botswana. As a consequence of an incident in Johannesburg where I almost lost my bag, I made arrangements in advance to make sure I do not experience the same problem. I was sitting next to the American couple from Johannesburg to London so I had conversations with them about the fact that it was my first time overseas and they offered to help me in the Airport. When we disembarked the plane I just walked down with them into the Airport. Although they were in transit to America they paused and showed me where to go to reclaim my baggage and the immigration procedures. I was humbled by the couple good gesture and in London I did not experience any problems of leaving my bag behind.
After doing all Airport’s checking I had to locate Terminal 5 to board a bus to Bristol. I did not struggle to locate the National Express Offices. I arrived a bit early about two hours before the departure. The personnel at National Express Offices advised me to change boarding times if I wish but I was not bothered tochange times, I was swamped into seeing the magnificent Airport. I went into the waiting room earlier though; there was a lady of African origin in the waiting room. I asked her where she was going so that she could show me the way if we were going same direction (Bristol). She responded negativelywhy do you ask me where I am going? You know I got unhappy with the bad manners that she was displaying. I asked her what the time was as my watch was also disorientated and I had to reset it. She was not willing to help which was irritating to me. Then after sometime, John came into the waiting room he had a good sense of humor, he helped me with time and I was able to reset my watch. He checked my ticket and he found out that we were boarding the same bus to Bristol.
On the way it was raining slightly, and the sky was completely Grey and I must say very cold weather. In Bristol I got out of bus to collect my bag, so I was disorientated even when the bus was coming down it was as if it was going in circles. Now my worry was to find Ruth and Ben who kindly offered to pick me up from the Bristol Bus Station and accommodate me for some time. I had a cell phone with Botswana card which was not helpful so I needed to locate them visually and by being on time. I fetched my bag and I turned around to look for Ruth and Ben. I saw Ruth waving immediately I picked my bag and went to the direction of the waiting room. They were a lot of people in the waiting room, I lost glimpse of Ruth for some time which gave me a scare.
Ruth and Ben kindly took me to the University of Bristol before driving home and got an excellent reception from Ruth and Ben.
I was perplexed by the number of roads, streets and every road being paved no pot holes and even no dust. The shoe polish companies supposedly are not making any profits in Bristol or anywhere in England.
The Journey continues

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The first day at University of Bristol by Mphoeng–Elephants of Botswana

I was dropped at the University by Ruth in the morning. She had photocopied a map that I was to follow to get to the house after lecturers. I did not have an England mobile number to be able to communicate with Ruth if I got lost after lectures. When I got out of the University in the afternoon, I had lost direction completely I did not even know the direction we came from when Ruth dropped me. I immediately went back into the Biological Sciences asked for directions from the porters. They did all their best to direct me one of them even said he should be to blame if I went missing; he said it will mean he directed me wrongly. I went into the road as directed to try to get home. I must say reading a map is something that I do not do often even at school I opted for History and did not do Geography. Should I have known I will have studied Geography that is a subject that I need in Bristol, map reading. I walked down the streets of Bristol with this piece of paper to direct me home asking people that I met with for directions. At last I saw a gentleman presumably was waiting for buses. I asked him to help with the directions whilst he was still helping out other gentleman who was walking down the street came in to help with directions too. He looked at the map tried to direct me and he said oh! I can even drop you there my car is just parked on the other side of the road.

Bristol University

He was very talkative talking about football world cup football is my knowledgeable subject all recent world cups starting from 1998 I would still remember the teams that had gone to the semifinal stages. As a consequence of him be talkative I did not even had an opportunity to get his name so I was concerned.

Bristol University

When we arrived at Ruth place, I asked him what your name he replied, Malcom. When I got home Ruth asked were you able to find home, I replied Malcom dropped me home. She asked who is Malcom? I told her that I was asking for directions on the street and he offered to drop me. It is amazing people in Bristol are very helpful.

Thank you Malcom!

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USA trip continued. Chicago Zoological Society by Kate Evans–Elephants of Botswana

Last Sunday I travelled from Pittsburg to Chicago.

I am in town to met with various people from the Chicago Zoological Society to learn about how they may be able to assist

Elephants get everywhere, an Beno mask in the Field Museum

Elephants For Africa through infrastrucutre and connections to their projects rather than financial alone– although they have commited to another year’s funding which is great news.

Thanks CZS (www.czs.org).

It was an intense week of meetings with various personnal from animal ethologists, endocrinologists to educators. Their Conservation Education team was running a week long course for South American conservation educators aimed at play nature learning for young children. They were staying at the same hotel as I and so I got to meet with them and learn some Spanish!!!! Thankfully most of them spoke very good English but it was amazing to see how much we could communicate without language through gestures and facial movements, and to see how they could communiate through play with the youngsters they interacted with.

Chicago

After our mutually busy days we would meet in the evening for supper and enjoy some of the delights of Chicago, whilst having a heated tri-lingual (I& Lucas from Argentina common language was German– but I was really scrapping the barrel to remember my school German) debate about conservation and how to get people conservationally aware and concious that their everyday decisions affect all of the world, from the rainforests of South America to the elephants of Botswana.

I love visiting America, I am always greeted by kindness (although perhaps not from the immigration staff) and generosity but I do find the amount of waste created by everyday activities such as eating frightening. Even when you choice to eat in not take out my meals at times have often been served with throw away plates and utensils. I have brought my own termal mug this year to ty and limit my affect this trip (Iknow the whole flying thing is not helping my cause….we are trying to limit the flying).

I encourage all my friends to use a termal mug when buying take out drinks, have a refillable water bottle…..together we can make a difference.

Try hard we only have one world.

Next stop Dallas

To be continued.

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A day at Bristol Zoo seeing Bristol outskirts–Elephants of Botswana

On Saturday, I visited Bristol Zoo. It started raining on my way to meet Susan Lees. I thought the rain was going to spoil the tour of the Bristol Zoo but we went on to the Zoo. After a while the storm cleared, I had an opportunity to see the animals in the Zoo. Some of the animals I have never seen before. I was shown around the Zoo by Susan Lees and she taught me a lot about the animals in the Zoo. It was nice to go out and refresh my mind after weeks of hard work doing statistical causes and writing thesis simultaneously.

Mphoeng feeding the animals

Raining in Bristol!!

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