Tracking Down our Adopted Rhino

Today started early as most days do in the bush. Tea n rusks at dawn then onto the Landy and out tracking rhino. Today's mission was to make contact with our as yet unnamed rhino.

We found tracks early on but not fresh tracks. Maybe they were from the previous night. It seemed that we followed these for hours. Our boy was obviously on a mission or training for a marathon as he moved a significant distance.We finally got onto him at the crest of a hill and started on foot. He was very jittery and sensed we were there almost from the start. I managed to get a quick photo but very much in the distance and through thick bush.

The tip of his horn has broken off where the transmitter was growing out. The hole for the battery makes a weak point and as this grows out there is a risk of breakage. It is no problem as over the next year it will be honed back to a point from normal wear and tear.

As we continued to follow him on foot we became aware that he was following a female with a calf. No wonder he was jittery, he was chasing a lady! Her number is 201 and needs adopting as well. Phil asked me to look out for rhino for SPL to adopt and I thought this one would be perfect. Our boy being the dominant male in the area is likely to be the father of 201's calf and will also likely breed again with her in about six months.

We finally lost them as the bush got thicker and I was getting more exhausted. It was amazing to get so close and quite an experience to track them when we couldn't actually see them for most of the time.

We made our way back to camp where we talked of ways we can make a difference here at this reserve.There are many people watching this project develop and supporting it in many ways. As the local communities take over more land it is vital for long term habitat that these communities can make a success of owning reserves.

I will talk more about the projects that we can be involved in here later as they are quite complex and time is short.

The picture is of a pride of lion that we spotted last night in Phinda game reserve. I need to send this quickly as i have the opportunity to track these beauties on foot this morning but we need to be up before first light.

Later today I meet with the Project Rhino team and will join them in the air on rhino spotting and anti poaching patrol. Lions willing that is.