Trip to the South & Feeding the Cheetah

Today we drove down to the south side of the property to do a mammalian survey. We saw lots of zebra, springbok, eland, gemsbok, red hartebeest, and a few impala, which aren’t even supposed to be on the property. We came back, had a little lunch, and waited until Faunie gave us a call, telling us that he is going to feed the cheetahs at the boma. Faunie is the land manager, and is the one who has been working the hardest on habituating the cheetah. After we saw the cheetah eat zebra meat, we went on a short night drive and we saw a waterbok, a very photogenic ground squirrel, and some guinea fowl. We are going to make a braai tonight, and go on a night drive later. Should be a good night to see some animals.

Pics

Another Day in Samara

Today we went on a nice hike through the river to find Sabella. We found her but couldn't keep up with her because she was moving so fast through the bushes. We had so much rain the past 24 hours that the roads were so slippery, and we got stuck once. It was pretty fun cruising through the huge mud puddles though. We then came back for lunch, and went on a nice walk to the land rehab spot to see if my reed project worked or not. I was scared we would get there and all the reeds would be washed away, but they weren't and it seemed like they were doing their job. Just got back from the walk, and the sunset is going to be a great one. I think we're going to go on a sun-downer soon.

Bat Pics

Overcast and Rainy

Today is the day of rest. It is cloudy, cold, and has been spitting rain all morning. I don't think we are going to do anything today but watch movies and relax. It's nice to have a day to unwind, take a day off from activities. Last night we were playing some poker, and a bat flew in the room. We caught it, put it in a sock for an hour or so, which makes the bat fall asleep, and then we checked it out. I'll post a few pictures of it.. it was pretty cool to see a bat that close with out it trying to bite you. Can't wait for the World Cup game tonight. I bet Spain will win, but I don't want them to.

Peaceful Day

Today I woke up at 9, just after some of the volunteers left for Addo Elephant National Park. It’s nice to have some peace and quiet for a day, with less people bunched together in the hang out area. We went to the main house, where the owners of Samara live, to watch the South African rugby team play New Zealand. South Africa lost, and didn’t play well (according to the South African fans, since I don’t know a whole lot about rugby). We came back to our living quarters after the game was over, and saw a Vervet monkey on top of the roof where the kitchen/hang out area is with an orange in its hand. The monkeys quickly retreated back into the bush, and we soon after realized that they had snuck through a cracked window, and had taken full advantage of any food in the open. We cleaned up the mess, and went on a short game drive, because we had heard there was a group of giraffe near the lodge. The group of giraffe was so close to our cruiser, and they were so curious as to what we were as well. After our game drive, we headed into town to get some much-needed groceries, since the monkeys cleaned out a fair amount of food. We just got back from town, and are trying to find a couple of hand held spotlights, so that we can do a fun night walk tonight.

Walk Pictures- Vervet Monkey print, Jackal print, Leopard Tortoise