Leopard!!

The last week has been a long and at time trying week, but ended on a fantastic high on Thursday with a sighting of a leopard in a tree.

We started the week with a rifle handling lecture, where we learnt more about a rifle than I ever thought I would know-now I just need to learn to shoot one with accuracy and speed and I wll be all set! We then headed off on a game drive in the afternoon where as seems to be the way lately we didnt really see anything at all. I did get to drive again though so still thoroughly enjoyed it!

Tuesday was spent trying to book in for our drivers test-a long and very trying/boring day! We left camp about 6 so as to get to the centre just before it opened at 7, and then spent the rest of the day waiting in a queue outside in the sun until we gave up on that idea and went and sat in the shade, then we went inside to wait in another queue, then were kicked back out into the sun to wait a bit more, then were allowed back into wait inside again, finally after being there about 8 hours we finally went though to do our eye tests again, and by that time we had had more than enough, so after waiting in another queue for about half an hour we gave up and didnt actually end up booking out test at all. By the time we got back to camp it was late and after a quick rifle dry run, we had all had enough and called it a day.

Wednesday was much more productive, we again headed into town, this time to do our rifle competancy test. Luckily we didnt really have any waiting around, but spent most of the day doing tests and then actually shooting the rifle-we had to shoot the target at 15 meters and hit it to pass-nice and easy and I even managed to get three bulls eyes!!!!

Thursday turned out to be the highlight of the week, where we started with a game drive, and saw two Spotted Hyena early on, and after following them for a little bit, saw one of them chase a warthog. We didnt get to see what the result was, but was nice to see proof that Hyenas do actually hunt, and dont just eat carrion. While on our drinks break we got a call that the other group had spotted a Leopard in a tree, so we rushed down to see if we could get there in time-luckily we did and got to sit and watch the leopard for about half an hour. She didnt look very comfortable, and we were hoping we were going to get to see a kill when a waterbuck walked close an she became very interested, but it didnt come close enough and the leopard just lay down and went back to sleep.

Friday I headed down to a local animal orphanage/education centre, with a couple of the others, as we are doing some education there every couple of weeks, trying to educate the local kids on the wildlife. After that it was back to camp and study for the rest of the day ready for rifle and animal behaviour tests tomorrow. I am not confident on these two, rifles I dont know much about, and animal behaviour is such a big topic, and we only covered it on Thursday that there hasnt been enough time for it all to sink in.

We also got our tests back that we wrote on amphibians and reptiles last week-thought I had completely stuffed the reptiles one up, and done not badly on the amphibians. Ended up getting 93% on amphibians, and 100% on reptiles-clearly I didnt stuff it up!!!!

A long week

This week has felt like a long week, I am glad it is over. Maybe it was the break we had that got me out of the habit.

We only had lectures on reptiles and amphibians but it seemed like we had so much to learn in those two topics. At the same time as trying to study for them, I was also studying for my learners theory test which I had on Friday morning-effectively removing the day that I do the majority of my study in.

Luckily I passed my learners, so I am now allowed to "learn" how to drive-feels weird to be back to being a learner though :) Saturday the rest of the group who didnt sit their learners on Friday sat their tests, then came back and we all did the weekly test-it was much better than anticipated, a nice surprise!

Not a lot of game drives this week, and those that we have been on all the animals seemed to be hiding from us-however it did give us a nice opportunity to do some tracking, learn a few more birds and try to identify some trees. It doesnt seem to matter what we see on a game drive they are always enjoyable!

We have some nice weather today after it being clowdy and cold the last couple of days I am not used to wearing jumpers and scarves in the middle of the day here, so am going to spend the rest of my day out in the sun enjoying it and trying to make a head start on my readings for next week.

Lazy week

So not a whole lot has happened in the last week, been our week off and 7 of us stayed at campus, which was nice and quiet and relaxing. Spent the majority of the week just lazing around, reading, sewing, and doing the odd bit of study in between (gotta try and get a head start for next semester)

We did head into town to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre, where they have breeding programs for a several of the endangered species (cheetah, black footed cat, ground hornbills etc) I had been wanting to go here for ages as they also have King Cheetahs, a genetic mutation that is recessive, and results in stripes and a lot more black on the animal than usual, and also a slightly smaller size. There are only about 45 of them in captivity and two known in the wild-they are disadvantaged in the wild as they head up a lot quicker due to the large amount of black, so are less able to hunt effectively.

I did get an up close view of our resident honey badgers during the week as they were raiding our rubbish bins so I went out to try and see them. After initially running away when I stood still, they got curious coming right up to about half a meter away before I lost my nerve and moved backwards scaring them away-a honey badger climing my leg is not something I want!

Busy Studying

Our resident honey badger

Home sweet home

King Cheetah

Cheetah cubs :D

As is always the way, time has gone too quickly and tomorrow brings the start of a new semester and a knuckle down to some proper study again.

Semester over!!!

So another week has passed, and while at times it feels like time is dragging (particularly those days when I am studying for 12 hours preparing for the weekly test), time in general is flying by and it is hard to imagine that I have been here for 4 weeks, and the first semester has now finished, and we are enjoying a relaxing week off.

As usual it has been another busy, interesting, week filled with lots and lots of learning. We started out with an astronomy, survival and navigation lecture, then Monday night went on our first sleepout of the course. We were all very excited about sleeping out in the middle of a river bed, in Big 5 country-needless to say there were several very loud snorers which combined with the numbing cold meant it wasnt so much a sleep out as a wake out-but fantastic none the less as we got to listen to hyenas calling most of the night, and watching the moon cross the sky (would have watched the stars, but with the moon so bright there just werent any to be seen) We all had to take straws in keeping watch to make sure that there werent any animals that decided that we either looked nice and tasty or didnt like the look of us at all!!

The rest of the week passed in more lectures (learning about taxonomy and ecology), and doing a sweep across our reserve for snares (poaching is a real problem here at the moment), game drives, and topped off by a bushwalk in Big 5 country. The walk turned out to be a big highlight of the week, as our group got to see Lions up close on foot, one of the best sighting we are likely to see-chilled only 100m or so in front of us-you know it is a good sighting when the guides want a photo of themselves with the lions to show their friends!!!!

I also got to drive my first game drive, a fantastic experience which I cant wait to do again. It is a bit of a challenge seeing over the bonnet, and round the tracker on the front seat, but all in all I did very well, only driving the tracker into one thorny plant (a buffalo thorn which is one of the worst your can get caught in!) I even got a round of applause from my fellow group members when I finished!

Spotted Hyena (sorry it was very dark an wouldnt co-operate by standing still)

Sleepout

Sleepout

Lions on our bushwalk (I promise there are lions there!

Friday we had to head into town to buy groceries for the next week as we cater for ourselve, and those that were heading off collected their cars, then back to camp for some much needed study. Luckily the tests this week didnt seem as hard, or the information has just sunk in a lot easier but I feel like I have dont quite well in them-a nice feeling!!! Time will tell on how I have actually done though.

Another week, another test

So the last week has been very hectic, lots of study and some very long days. Our topics this week were Geology, Grasses and Trees-a nice big topic for us to try and wrap our heads around. As well as our lectures, we also went on a couple of game drives, (saw some more lions, Elephant at night, and FINALLY found our cheetah) The cheetah and Lions were hunting so while it was great to follow them, it also meant it was at times to keep sight of them-but seeing them do something other than sleep was fantastic. We didnt get to see them make a kill, but watching them move through the bush hunting animals was well worth it.

We also had a couple of presentations to do, each of us had to do a talk on a mammal (mine was Aardvark), and one on a topic out of the Kingdom Plantae from our tree and grasses lecture (instead of our trainer presenting the topic we did most of it).

We were also supposed to do a tree presentation, but this has been put off as the day we were supposed to do it we went to book in to sit our learners test, and ended up sitting there for 7 hours (we did manage to get our eye test done in that time, then spent the next 6 hours waiting to pay and book in, before we got kicked out at 2pm and told to come back the next day, needless to say we left our forms with our driving instructor and he was going to book us in instead). By the time we had had lunch, done some shopping, and got back to camp it was too late to do our talks-shucks :)

On the upside the 7 hours at the driving place did allow for plenty of study even if it was while sitting on a plank against a wall crammed in like sardines, while 50 odd other people around you talked. Then Friday was spent doing another 12 hours study, before our test thismorning-one which I will do my best to forget!!!!! :D


Never to old to play

Yellow billed hornbill

Most of my books-a couple more to buy!

Morning game drive-it is COLD!

Finally a good sighting

Study

So it is the end of our second week and we have our first exam/test tomorrow. Slightly scared about it, as there is a lot to know about it already, Vehicles, radio, communication, introduction mammals, stuff from game drives-not sure how it is all going to stick in my head. Today is going to be a long day of study, then test tomorrow morning and back to the study on Saturday afternoon and Sunday ready for next weeks learning!

Had a good week, finally got to see a lion after two days of tracking it, but have also learnt a lot about mammals some more tree names, got plenty of homework leant a couple of birds AND their calls (not enought though!) and passed my driving assesment (not the driving test havent had that yet) but am now allowed to drive the vehicles on the game drives, still need the driving license so I can take guests out while on my placement.

White Backed Vulture

Steenbok

Lion playing/lazing

Learning Learning Learning

So we started our proper study this week, although last week I have made a start on learning my trees....35 to learn by identification, common name and Scientific name. It all sounds like spells to me.....Acacia nigrescens, Combretum imbebe, Combretum hereroense etc We have also had our vehicle theory and prac, so I now know how to use a high lift jack (get the big male tourist in the car to jack it up for me as I almost had to jump on the jack to get the car up, not quite heavy enough!!!! Was entertaining for the rest of the group as they cheered me on though), and how to check the oil, water etc. More game drives have been had, not a lot has been seen, but I am begining to be able to identify the trees, and have made as start on the 160 birds we need to identify-I know about 4 of them now! I have been running each morning before morning lectures and drives, means a lot of early mornings as the lectures start at 7 and game drives start at 6, so a lot of 5am starts and today I was up at 4 to do my 9km run before our game drive-it is mightly cold and dark at 4!!!!!

Game Drives

So having been here a couple of days, we have now got our uniforms, done our first aid course (which we have all passed with A+'s apparently just waiting for the certificate), and been on a couple of game drives. Havent seen a huge amount yet, some eagles (A great sighting of a Bateleur Eagle) Dark Chanting Goshawk) and sat and watched some Rhino for a while, there was a female with calf a couple of juviniles and a large male. Off on another game drive this morning. Have even been managing to get some exersise in running each morning (a 6am game drive does mean getting up at 4.30 for a run though) and yoga in the afternoon. Sorry no photos yet, but there are a couple up on facebook for those who are on facebook.

A quick update

So I have net up at my coarse, but it is somewhat slow and painful. As a result this is just a quick update. For the rest of my time in Cape town. Simons town, I caught up with my friend and we climbed another mountain with her, getting some lovely views over the area. Again just as we reached the top the weather closed in and we lost the view. Wednesday I again caught up with my friend and we headed down to Cape Point with a couple of other people, with the aim of doing several walks. However we got distracted by the views and just taking it all in that we only made it to Cape Point and the lighthouse, before we had to head back. The upside was that we did get to see a whale off in the distance. 2d a compartment to myself, which was just as well as it was very cozy, enough for one person but it was supposed to be for 2. It was supposed to be a 27 hour trip but we got stuck behind a goods train so it was delayed by 3 hours, just as well the scenery was lovely-however being stationary in the same spot for an hour does mean that you get a little sick of the same mountain or trees! On the upside I did see my first osterich for the trip, which makes penguins, zebra, whales before I even make it to my coarse!!! Friday was spent entirely on the train, then Saturday I organised a tour of the aprartide museum in J'burg and Soweto township. These were both depressing as well as very interesting, ti was good to learn some of the history of the country. Sunday was driving up to my coarse, a 6 odd hour drive, during which we all got to know each other which was good considering we will be living together for 6 months. Today has been health and safety and introduction. Photos when I have internet that is faster than a snail!

Simons Town

Today was a little more relaxed, headed down south to check out Kalk Bay and Simons Town. Both are cute little seaside towns, with lovely buildings. I travelled down with a girl that I met at the hostel, and we stopped first in Kalk bay where we had a bit of a wander around and then had a hot chocolate and some food in a lovely bakery. We then got back on the train and headed down to Simons Town. As Lauren had to catch a flight home tonight, she just had a quick walk down main street before she had to get back on the train and head back for her flight. I continuted on, and headed down to the African Penguin colony at Boulder rock. This colony started in the late 1980's with just one pair of penguins, and now has over 3000. They are cute little things, which you can view at any time, they just seem to sit around on the beach or forshore all day doing not a lot! I then decided that I wanted to head up the hill to have a look at Just Nusances Grave, a Great Dane who was a mascote for the Navy during WWII. Looking at the map it didnt look like it was too far up the hill to his grave, however by the time I eventually made it to the grave, I was at the top of the hill-more hill climbing for me. Luckily the view was well worth the climb as it had finally cleared and I could see right down the coast. On the way back to the train, I had a quick look at a waterfall.