The above picture was taken on a game drive in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.  There are 3 different animal track in this one photo, can you see them? The matchbox is there to give you an indication of size.

A –  This is the back foot print of a Chacma Baboon.  The large size indicating an adult male and the average track length is 90 mm.

B – This paw print with the massive size can only belong to the biggest cat in Africa.  The lion’s paw print is on average 110-130 mm broad and 90-120 mm long.

C – The claw marks and round shape indicates the track of a hyena.

Professional trackers must be able to identify the small details that are left behind by the animals they are tracking.  A vast amount of information can be collected about the animals and their movements and this was how I explained the scenario to my guest.

Track A belongs to a primate, the baboon and their behaviour is sometimes more ‘human” than animal.  One example: baboons will sometimes follow big predators, like the lion, this has been documented many times.  They will even mock the predator.  We might think that the baboon is mad and putting himself in danger, but it is actually saver when the baboon can see the enemy, that means that the predator is not busy stalking the troop.

Track B is a lion paw print, or pug, it is slightly miss-printed because the lion step on a small stone.  The stone is clearly visible under the front, right digit.  Lions can consume 30 kg of meat in a sitting and that makes them very heavy.  This lion clearly had a full belly.  The extra weight was the reason the lion almost tripped over a little stone.

When lions are done with a carcass, the pride will move to the nearest waterhole to quench their thirst.

Track C belongs to a Brown hyena and this scavenger was heading for the carcass the lion just left behind. Lions do kill Brown hyenas and the latter will only approach the carcass once the lions had left the area. The spotted Hyena, on the other hand, will even chase lions away from their kill.  The Brown hyenas are strictly scavengers and can smell meat over vast distances.

This ability to smell meat is effective only if there is a prevailing wind in the area and with this information a tracker can calculate the previous days wind conditions.  The hyena was heading in the opposite direction of the lion, the heading was north-east.  That means there was a South Wester blowing the following night and that can be used to predict the next rains. Remember, I am only telling you what I saw in the tracks.

This is why I love the art of tracking. I am able to show my guest all these miracles with out even seeing the animals.   The subject of my next article will be on elephant tracks and until then, “Totsiens”.

Rangerriaan

The slender hoof prints of Impala were clearly visible in the morning dew.  Tracking the antelope and explaining the art of tracking was the aim of our morning walk.

The Impala herd we were following left clear imprints on the slightly wet soil.  The herd followed a well-known route from their grazing grounds to their nightly sleeping area.  The sleeping area is overgrown with buffalo thorn bushes and keeps the Impala save from their archrival, the leopard.

I followed the track through a narrow gorge, anticipating the same feeling of danger that went trough the Impala herd. This was the perfect place for a hungry leopard to ambush the herd and I told everybody to proceed with caution.

The ability to track wild animals can be mastered if the student learns to look for disturbances that are left behind by all living creatures. The tracker then analyse these disturbances and try to form a picture of what happened in the area. You need the tracks to be able to do tracking and suddenly, the tracks I was following disappeared.

All the factors leading to the disappearance of the Impala footprints formed a picture in my mind and this was how I explained it to my guest:

The impala species are the most numerous antelope in Africa and they are widely distributed throughout Africa.

Their numbers and medium size make them ideal prey for most of the large predators in Africa. This intense predation altered the Impala species evolution process and they developed some amazing adaptations.

One of these adaptations is the scent gland situated on the lower hind leg. The gland release a musky sent unique to the species and when the herd is fleeing predators it acts as a scent trail. The impala need the scent trail because they evolved yet another defence strategy to outwit their enemies.

When predators charge the Impala herd it should be their first reaction to bundle together, but the opposite happens. Each individual impala leap in to the air in a different directions.  This action causes major confusion for the Leopard and the result is a reduced success rate for the predator.

Predators have very specialized eyes. Front facing eyes to calculate dept perception, large cornea to enhance night vision and binocular-like abilities. The only down side to the predators eyes is the fact that all the specialized vision can make the predator very confused. The brown leaping forms of the impala herd will put the predator’s brain into overdrive, to target an individual impala will be very difficult. This fact alone can reduce the success rate of predators to less than 40%.

a Few meters down the path the tracks re-appeared. The area showed no indication that there was a kill and the impala herd can relaxed till the following morning.

Tracking wild animals is a major part of the guide’s ability to educate their guest on the many aspects of the African fauna and flora. That is why I will publish the next couple of articles with the following headline, “Tell Tale Signs”. In these articles I will share my love and passion for the art of tracking and the African bush where I am living.

Rangerriaan

Please note the above photo was taken from the Wegevonden Website, Welgevonden is a 55000 Ha Game Reserve here in the Waterberg.

Just do it, easier said than done for the majority of tourist to Africa.

Most people will refuse outright to do their private toilet ritual under the nearest Acacia tree.  Mostly the Ranger gets blamed for pushing large amounts of alcohol down their throats, on the six hour game drive.  No matter what, if you need to go, you need to go.

Ten guests and myself experience a rather average game drive, the tick-list slowly showed some ink, but nothing very exciting. We where driving down a road that was almost covered with foliage and the visibility was not good at all, when one of the ladies asked me to make a bathroom stop.

Well, I am a professional with foresight and I am always prepared, this time with 2ply toilet paper, a bag for the toiletpaper and wet wipes for the hands.  I handed her all this and pointed to the nearest Acacia tree. She looked at the tree and she looked at me, but before she could say anyting the warning cramps reappeared and she decided to take the walk to the tree.

Everybody was warned that it they even dare to look in her direction, she would make the trip home a living hell!  Everybody turned their heads the other way and looked at some imaginary bird species.

Halfway through the process I decided to sweep the area with a quick glance, just to make sure there where no dangerous animals in the area, after all the lady was in a rather vulnerable position.

I spotted trouble, but not in the form of an animal.  Twenty meters behind the Acacia tree (with the croucing lady under it) was another Game vehicle and Murphy made sure it was full of intoxicated men.  They all had their binoculars firmly focused on the crouching lady under the tree!

We must have spotted them at the same time, because the next second the lady screamed a high dicibel scream, just to draw even more attention to her humorous predicament. Well, lets just say: lady will trip and fall if she attempts to run fast with panties around ankles…………..

RHINO CALF - Welgevonden Private Game Reserve, South Africa

The toughest amongst us know vulnerability.

Quotes to consider:

“There can be no vulnerability without risk; there can be no community without vulnerability; there can be no peace, and ultimately no life, without community.” – M. Scott Peck

“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability… To be alive is to be vulnerable.” – Madeleine L’Engle

“The supreme reality of our time is the vulnerability of this planet.” – John Fitzgerald Kennedy

An added bonus of connecting with Christine (which has happened entirely thanks to blogging and twitter) is that she uploaded our very first bit of video for us onto YouTube…call us web-dinosaurs, but there you have it! And here it is, also included in the SA-Venues article, amongst other pretty cool stuff:

I shot this (with some trepidation, admittedly!) in the Waterberg mountains, not far from Johannesburg. Unfortunately the sound didn’t make the upload, but I’m sure you get the gist of it?

We have tons more unique footage from the African bushveld, so will do a little research and get up to speed on sharing it with you. Please let us know if there are any animals in particular that you fancy seeing

KLIPSPRINGERS - Welgevonden Game Reserve, Waterberg, South Africa

Quotes to consider:

“”Stay” is a charming word in a friend’s vocabulary.” – Louisa May Alcott

“My thoughts are my company; I can bring them together, select them, detain them, dismiss them.” – Walter Savage Landor

“And enough for me that when my hand touched your shoulder, you leaned on me; and when you felt me slip away, you called my name.” – Orson Scott Card

RHINO IN THE GRASS - Welgevonden Game Reserve, Waterberg, South Africa

Quotes to consider:

“Every man dies – Not every man really lives.” – William Ross Wallace

“Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.” – Horace

“A person starts to live when he can live outside himself.” – Albert Einstein

LIONESS - Welgevonden Game Reserve, Waterberg, South Africa

. . . and certainly of hearing.

Quotes to consider:

“The fruit of silence is tranquillity.” – Arabian Proverb

“Please explain why your silence makes more noise than thunder.” – Unknown

“Silence is one of the great arts of conversation.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

SECRETARY BIRD ON TAKE-OFF - Wegevonden Game Reserve, South Africa

Quotes to consider:

“Laughter is the best medicine.” – Proverb

“Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.” – unknown

“Even if there is nothing to laugh about, laugh on credit.” – unknown

“She laughs at my dreams, but I dream about her laughter.” – unknown

What are your thoughts on this image and/or topic?

SPITTING COBRA - Welgevonden Game Reserve, South Africa

Quotes to consider:

“Suspicion is a mental picture seen through an imaginary keyhole” – Unknown

“Suspicion is the courageous side of weakness” – Unknown

“Pure love and suspicion cannot dwell together: at the door where the latter enters, the former makes its exit.” – Alexandre Dumas Père

INTO THE SUNSET - Welgevonden Game Reserve, South Africa

Quotes to consider:

“It’s so lonely when you don’t even know yourself.” – Unknown

“Remember we’re all in this alone” – Lily Tomlin

“Solitude is the profoundest fact of the human condition. Man is the only being who knows he is alone.” – Octavio Paz

“It is strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely.” – Albert Einstein

FEMALE KUDU - Welgevonden Game Reserve, South Africa

Quotes to consider:

“The first duty of love is to listen.” – Paul Tillich

“A wise old owl sat on an oak; The more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard; Why aren’t we like that wise old bird?” – Unknown

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” – Robert McCloskey

HOEPOE + BREAKFAST - Welgevonden Game Reserve, South Africa

Quotes to consider:

“There is no sincerer love than the love of food.” – George Bernard Shaw

“Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.” – Socrates

“I am not a glutton – I am an explorer of food” – Erma Bombeck

“Forget love, I’d rather fall in chocolate.” – Unknown