Selati Wildlife Experience 2023

 After a late return to our lodge last night, we quickly unpacked, showered and slept—6:30 departure this morning. The game farm was relatively close by, and had hired Rita for the day to dart and move young sable bulls from one camp (essentially one pasture) to another. They were currently in with some very large dominant males, and they were getting old enough to be seen as a challenge. They would be driven out of the herd to form a bachelor band in nature, but without the y fenced space to do that, the older bulls will kill the young up-and-coming competition.  The students have come together to form a highly efficient retrieval, treatment and recovery team, so we were able to divide up the tasks and work quite quickly. Rita farted several young bulls, and each student would spot to see where their particular animal lay down. Then they approached, placed the animal lying upright on their sternum and held their head up and nose down. As soon as the recovery team arrived, the...

 After a peaceful overnight at a hunting camp above Nelspruit, we headed out to our next job. A luxuriously late 7:30 departure had us on-site by 9:00.  We arrived on a macadamia farm, where harvest had just been completed last month. We were to dart bushbuck, a small antelope species. They had been purchased by a game dealer, and would be sold on to reserves where they are needed or wanted to fill a specific niche.  The team by now is functioning well, with students able to perform retrievals of darted animals, administer medications and reversal agents quickly, accurately and efficiently.  Stock photo of a bushbuck. They are about the size of a small white-tailed doe or a Great Dane.

 We packed our overnight bags and lunches, and we’re in the van at 4:30 am. Poor Carli had to drive, but the rest of us slept most of the 3-hour drive.  Arriving in Nelspruit, we returned to the large reserve and housing estate where we worked last year. We needed to dart 6 nyala for transport, then some kudu bulls. The nyala were difficult to find, leaving us driving around the reserve for hours looking for them. Eventually, we were able to dart and transport 4 nyala. By the last two, the students were confident in monitoring the sedated animals’ condition, keeping them in correct recovery position, and administering medications under the skin, into the muscle, intravenously, and topically.  On of the perks of having to drive around searching for our patients is seeing what else is around. Today it was giraffe and great views! We went out to supper, then drove to the hunting camp where we stay the night. Tomorrow, we don’t have to leave u til 6:30!!! 

 Nice late start today—we didn’t leave until 6:30! We met Rita at a lovely game reserve where they had a sable antelope with a large abscess. The reserve managers regularly fed the antelope near the lodge, so the plan was to simply wait for the group of sable bulls to appear, dart the affected one, and treat the abscess.  So we waited…. And the golden wildebeest came, along with the wrong 2 sable bulls.  And the nyala came and went. And the Cape buffalo came and took over the feeding area—they’re pretty aggressive and don’t share well. So we piled into the back of a pickup and went out looking for the injured bull. We drove all over the reserve. Plenty of other antelope, but our patient remained elusive. Back to the lodge to watch the feeding station. No bull. Back to the truck to drive the reserve. No bull. Back to the lodge to enjoy our packed lunches on the terrace overlooking the feeding station. And the moment everybody’s mouth was full…there he was!  Back to th...

 After finally getting my international phone service to work, I can post more complete updates!  Today’s departure was 6:00 am, headed out to help with a rhino transport. The young bull was fighting with other males, and had been sold to another reserve, where he will start his own breeding herd. Again, locations are not posted to help prevent poaching. It was daylight (after a spectacular deep crimson sunrise) when we arrived, but chilly enough to see our breath in the air. Again, a drive through the bush with plenty to see along the way. We rode in the back 2 rows of a large game-viewer vehicle, which is much like a roller coaster with much better scenery.  This time, Rita (the vet) would be darting from a helicopter, allowing us to find the correct rhino, position it where the transport vehicle could reach it, and safely dart it. In addition, Andre’s capture/transport team was present, as they would be loading the rhino into a trailer and transporting him to his new h...