ASKARI WILDERNESS CONSERVATION PROGRAMME The Askarian March 2018

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1 ASKARI WILDERNESS CONSERVATION PROGRAMME The month in view Coming up.. Sable & nyala darting Elephant relocation Reserve work Conservation & sightings R&R Students from Fleming college, Ontario, Canada embark on the third month of their semester abroad programme which they are carrying out at Askari. Sable darting hoof trimming & emergency treatment This month the team assisted reserve management and Doctor Pete Rogers with some sable darting. Our first job was to trim the hooves of a number of females whose genetic line means their hooves become overgrown. The nails are cut with bolt cutters while the animal is under anaesthetic. We also treated a sable who had experienced a run in with a porcupine. This often happens to females when they are trying to protect their calves. This one still had a quill stuck in her face! The quill was removed and the wound treated with antibiotics while she was under anaesthetic. Remember to Like the Askari Facebook page to receive daily sightings and project updates to your news feed Pg 1

2 Reserve work & Projects Work was carried out on a big erosion site on Langa langa this month to restore the integrity of the soil. This is done by building gabions and placing them in the ground to slow down and re-direct the flow of water. Gabions are metal cages filled with rocks. The rocks need to be collected and the cages built so there are plenty of jobs to go around. We then use a digger to make the holes, perfected by hand with spades and pick axes. Once the cages are filled with rocks, they are covered in a geo-fabric to catch vegetation seeds and then closed up. The 3 teams finalised data collection for their research projects and results were analysed. This included the production of a brand new geo-referenced map for our new Pidwa east section and Langa langa. Also a new insect diversity list for Pidwa has been created. Alien plant control continued with treatment against Prickly pear cactus. The nyala camps received their monthly clean out and monitoring took place each week in preparation for the upcoming relocations. Remember to follow us on Twitter to receive daily sightings and project tweets. Follow #Askarivolunteer Pg 2

3 Elephant relocation The team were lucky enough to be involved with the relocation of elephants this month. In a fenced reserve, with limited resources and no natural enemy, elephant populations can increase exponentially and management interference is a necessity. These elephants were destined for a new reserve in the Waterberg region and we were privileged to be able to join the operation. Elephants targeted for removal are darted by the vet from a helicopter. The pilot then communicates with the ground crew where the elephant falls asleep. 2 trucks travel to the elephant s location. One has a crane and the other a flat bed. A rope is tied around the feet of the elephant which is then lifted upside down (for a short time) to be placed on the flat bed. The truck then travels to the loading area where the elephant is transferred into a huge container where it is woken up and can stand. It travels in this container by road to it s new home while awake. Follow the Askari blog and be the first to read new entries and updates. You can subscribe at Pg 3

4 Sightings & Conservation It s been a long time since we caught up with any of the big southern male lions but this month we came across Zamula in Pidwa south. Our camera trap also managed to capture a photo of Mumu and her pride with a tiny new cub. More spotted hyaena were seen as well as elephants and during our Kruger trip this month, one team managed a very quick leopard sighting. The brown hyaenas continued to be good to us with 2 more sightings throughout the month. Nyala darting & relocation A number of nyala were darted this month and moved from the breeding camps into the wild on Pidwa east. Unfortunately, during the operation, we realised that many of the animals were suffering from an eye infection. Due to a culmination of climatic conditions, the infection was spreading quickly and needed immediate attention. Darted individuals were treated and a medicine was then mixed into the food for those remaining to prevent further damage to the eyes. Read what other Askarians have to say or add your own review to Askari on Trip Advisor. and search Askari Wilderness Conservation Programme Pg 4

5 R&R Taking a break from all our hard work on the reserve, the team took a group trip to the Blyde canyon for some kloofing action! We wound our way through the river, fighting all our fears to jump off the ledges and plunge into the water below! There were some spectacular views to be enjoyed along the way. Askari and Pidwa staff members past and present took on the challenge of The Wik Triathlon this month. In this sprint triathlon, a 500 metre swim, 15km off-road mountain bike and 5km run had to be completed. We had both individual and relay competitors and everyone did a great job with all miles being donated to Elephants Alive. To find out more and sponsor their miles for elephants initiative..follow this link Read what other Askarians have to say or add your own review to Askari on Trip Advisor. and search Askari Wilderness Conservation Programme Pg 5