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Report: Oct 05 Course
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RETURN TO WILDLIFE
COURSE OCTOBER 2005 CONSERVATION COURSE REPORT
Esingeni Bush Camp, Eastern Cape, South Africa
By Travellers Volunteers, August 2005
(Karen Clark, Kate Conroy, Cristina Paternoster) and Wayne Vos, Course
Leader |
This month we were almost eaten by an
elephant! We spent 10 minutes trapped in the jeep in Bushman Sands Game
Reserve with a very curious bull elephant sniffing us with his trunk. Once
we had made a swift escape, we needed sundowners and cracked open the
beers to calm our nerves.
A visit to a private ostrich farm revealed the problems and conflicts
experienced by ostrich farmers in the district: bird flu and wildlife
predators. Whilst the EU still holds a ban on ostrich produce since the
bird flu broke out, leopards escape from neighboring reserves and kill his
breeding birds. The stock and huge financial losses, lead to a law suite
against the reserve, which the ostrich farmer won.
We have learnt never to do an insect survey after a late night at Louis
pub having consumed large quantities of alcohol. As part of our vehicle
maintenance training Wayne made us change the wheel of the vehicle in the
pouring rain, even though there was nothing wrong with it, just so he
could be sure we knew how to do it. After a short bout of pneumonia, due
to being left outside in the rain, we recovered in time to have shooting
practice and firearm maintenance the next day.
A hike on Stuart Connacher’s reserve revealed 20,000yr old Bushman
paintings, of people and animals of yet unknown identity. A total of 63
animals were counted on Connacher’s reserve, the data will help Stuart
determine the stocking density and grazing capacity of this newly
established game reserve bordering our camp.
Our fence maintenance of last month has proved futile in preventing a
female mountain reedbuck from escaping into the adjoining reserve owned by
James Thompson. The reedbuck we frightened during a nature walk ducked
swiftly through a narrow hole under the fence recently dug by a warthog
next to our old fence repair of 2 weeks ago. Today Craig Rippon, the owner
of Springvale Farm and the AGCA camp, gave us a bottle of Olives and an
Olive tree talk at the Olive house where the fruits are processed.
The hardest part of this month has been saying goodbye to everyone.
Unfortunately we have to leave tomorrow (21st) and our attempts to get
people to adopt or marry us so we can stay have proved unsuccessful. Once
you get here you will never want to leave as it is so wonderful.
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