Don't tread on me!

Week 3 has been the best so far! Monday was just incredible, and the rest of the week hasn't been bad either! I've been on Elephant research virtually all week again, and have seen some amazing things this week. We've identified a new breeding herd, having seen them in the same place 3 times, and they have a TINY calf that can only be about 3 or 4 months old! It's so cute! Still at the stage where he's not really in control of his trunk.... "What is this thing on my face?!" But even without that guy there, Monday was still by far he most wonderful afternoon I've had since I arrived. We found a herd of 11 elephants almost as soon as we left camp and, since they seemed to be going to keep moving for a bit, we decided to follow them and try to complete the movement corridor we've been building up. Not only did we manage that, it was just a magical afternoon following them along like that... They headed through the open areas so we got fantastic views of them from both sides (which also is extremely useful for making ID cards!) and it was.... wow.... no other words! At one point we were on this section of road that we knew they were about to cross, so we turned off the engine and just waited... and it was at that point that the birds all stopped singing... In complete silence (bar the odd cricket and fly), we watched these elephants emerge from the undergrowth, and walk in single file across only about 20 metres in front of us, with the evening sun shining behind them... The first time in my life that I've truly experienced the feeling of being utterly tiny, and totally awed by nature and life... Pure majesty, and a moment I will never forget.

Having a sunset drink

Talking of majesty, I had my first experience of the semi-wild pride in the Dambwa release site on Wednesday. There are 12 lions in the 440 acre (I think...?!) enclosure, and they lay in the same spot and slept the entire time! Doing what lions do best.... We did an activity budget survey of them (1 hour, record what they're doing every 2 minutes), and they never moved! They were given a scavenge the day before which they had clearly found because all of them had these huge round bellies where they had thoroughly stuffed themselves! Zulu, the pride male, was so fat he couldn't even be bothered to stand up, so simply opened his legs and peed from lying down, onto the lion next to him! Lovely Zulu....

Leya's cubs, LE2, LE3 and LE1

Conservation Education on Wednesday was the advantages and disadvantages of sustainable vs intensive farming, and we had a debate with them. The kids got really involved, and the final decision was that sustainable farming was best (thank goodness!) so really successful! All I can say is that next time boys, try not to get quite so dominated by the girls!
  

Conservation Education Debate