A final farewell to Shades the livestock guarding dog

After having worked loyally for the last 12 years protecting CCF’s livestock and training the up-and-coming young livestock guarding dogs, we had to say goodbye to Shades, our male "senior citizen" dog, this Sunday. Over the past ten days Shades' health started to deteriorate. We retired him from guarding his stock and moved him up to our clinic so that he could be monitored constantly. We increased his food intake as he had lost some condition and gave him antibiotics as, following x-rays, he was diagnosed with bronchitis. While he would have most likely recovered from his bronchitis, we were up against a rapidly aging body. Shades was also struggling with his back legs, which was likely caused by compression of the spine and did not improve despite the administration of corticoids.

 He remained upbeat and started to gain weight but, unfortunately, although his heart was willing, his body was very tired. He was determined to get back to the kraal to be with his goats, and was brought daily to the kraal in the morning to allow him to spend the warmer hours of the day with his goats.  However, on Saturday his strength did not allow him to walk back all the way on his own and he had to be carried part of the way. 

 On Sunday, following a further deterioration in his health, the hard decision was made to euthanise him. Shades was surrounded by the care team and he was first injected with an anaesthetic so that he gently went to sleep, before the final euthanasia drug was administered. After 12 years of loyal service, he went peacefully and quickly. Later, during a necropsy, a growth of the size of a tennis ball was discovered on his spleen and we are awaiting results from the histopathology to identify the nature of this growth. 

He will be greatly missed and remembered by all at CCF. 

If you would like to make a donation in his honour, please visit this link.

Best wishes,

 

Anja Bradley

Livestock Guarding Dog Programme Coordinator

Cheetah Conservation Fund

All photos copyright (c) Cheetah Conservation Fund 2012

E is for...

CCF has carried out a number of camera trapping surveys, and also maintains a network of cameras positioned for ongoing monitoring of the wildlife on our land.  While we are mainly focused on cheetahs, there are many other species out there, and the cameras will trigger no matter what passes them by.  In this series of weekly blog entries, I will use these pictures to illustrate some of the wealth of animal life in Namibia - one species per week.  I hope you will enjoy seeing a little more of our world here in the bush.

 

Female eland with abnormal left horn

The common eland (Tragelaphus oryx) is one of the biggest antelopes in the world.  With a huge stature, brown coat and twisty horns present on both males and females, these are very elegant and impressive animals.  Males, with more robust horns and a large dewlap, can weigh nearly one tonne, with females ranging from 300-600 kg.  They can measure between 2 – 3 metres in body length and live in herds of up to 60 individuals.  Occasionally, groups of up to 1,000 have been seen in the rainy season!

Leopard (left) spots an eland (right)

Common elands are of Least Concern according to IUCN RedList classifications, with a global population estimated at 136,000, with roughly 50% of this population resides in protected areas.  Historically, their range extended throughout southern and eastern Africa, but this has contracted by more than half due to the increase in human populations.  Their populations were also severely affected by civil wars across Africa.  Being a sought-after trophy animal, their numbers have increased on game farms across southern Africa.  Due to this, their population appears to be stable and possibly increasing in Namibia.  Although not the most common antelope seen on CCF land, we do observe them quite regularly both on camera traps and game counts.

 

Being very adaptable ruminant antelopes, they can thrive in a diversity of habitats ranging from sub-deserts to alpine moorlands.  They are browsers and can migrate long distances in search of good forage.  Being picky about their food, they choose plants high in water, and therefore are not dependent on water.  This may be why elands are more often seen feeding at night, when vegetation has the most water content.  They can live up to 25 years in the wild.

Stay tuned for our next Animal of the Week next week!

Best wishes,

Niki Rust
Ecologist

Cheetah Conservation Fund

All photos copyright (c) Cheetah Conservation Fund 2012

Wild male cheetah trapped on game farm is received at CCF

On 18 July we received a telephone call from a game farmer to the south of CCF who was having perceived game loss to a cheetah.  He had trapped the cheetah in a cage trap, ready for us to transfer to a large transport wooden box for secure transit back to CCF.

 

The next day, we performed a veterinary examination on the approximately 18 month-old male cheetah.  He was anaesthetised and brought to the clinic for sample collection, including blood, hair, skin, scat and ectoparasites, as well as full body measurements.  A transponder and an ear tag were placed onto the individual; the ear tag will tell us that we have worked on him at CCF if he is seen on camera-trap footage in the future.  He received vaccinations and Frontline treatment, as he will be housed at CCF in the interim until released once again into the wild once a suitable site has been determined. 

 

This young cheetah is in very good condition, except for a few superficial wounds on the pads of his paws and scratches sustained from the capture cage.  The veterinary procedure went smoothly, and after recovery, he was placed in a holding pen later in the day and fed before we left him for the night.  Today, 20 July, he is looking calm and has eaten well.  We shall update you on his progress.

 

Best wishes,

 

Cheetah Conservation Fund

 

All photos copyright (c) Cheetah Conservation Fund 2012

Update on the Erindi "Leopard Boys" Cheetah Re-wilding

Following the two-week long, post-release monitoring of the CCF's four male captive raised cheetahs (Omdillo, Chester, Obi-Wan and Anakin aka 'Leopard Pen Boys' ) who were released at the Erindi Private Game Reserve, Omaruru, Namibia on June 28, 2012, the monitoring team is now back at the office.

I was teamed up with Ryan Sucaet, the Head of Cheetah Reintroductions at the CCF, to follow the male cheetahs by radio tracking them early in the morning and the late afternoons everyday. After locating them, Ryan would start taking field notes and the observation data, while I took photographs, trying to capture all their behaviors. It took some effort to locate them on the very first day of our monitoring, as their radio signals indicated that they had moved towards the north from the site of their release. After few minutes we found them walking in the open savanna where they were going by their natural instinct of marking territory by scent spraying on trees and termite mounds.

Soon after, we saw a herd of blue wildebeests approaching and the males just started running towards them, not giving any considerations to the proper stalking technique of hunting. That was the moment when we thought they would struggle on their own, however we were proved wrong on the third day of the release when we found Chester feeding on an eland calf carcass. Just minutes later, we found the rest of the cheetahs feeding on a second eland calf carcass. In the next eleven days, they made at least five more kills comprising an oryx calf, a steenbok fawn and three unknown animals.

During the fourteen days of the post-release monitoring of the released cheetahs, we recorded their spatial positions in much of the northern, north-eastern and the north-western parts of the Erindi Private Game Reserve, where we observed them exploring and marking the territory. We had a moment of worry when we found Omdillo injured and licking his wounds on the seventh day and we considered putting him in a boma to provide him with antibiotics, but the next morning we found him walking just fine, though he was sore. Omdillo seemed completely recovered on the tenth day and soon after we found him feeding on an oryx calf kill with his mates.

The re-wilding of the 'Leopard Pen Boys' have been very successful so far. They have also been able to avoid resident male cheetahs and other predators such as hyenas and lions in their new home. The next milestone of their new lives in the wild would be to see them finding females and mating, as the complete success of this re-wilding will be achieved when they foster a new generation of cheetahs in the Erindi Private Game Reserve.

Best wishes,

Sanju
Intern
Cheetah Conservation Fund

All photos copyright (c) Cheetah Conservation Fund 2012

D is for Duiker

CCF has carried out a number of camera trapping surveys, and also maintains a network of cameras positioned for ongoing monitoring of the wildlife on our land.  While we are mainly focused on cheetahs, there are many other species out there, and the cameras will trigger no matter what passes them by.  In this series of weekly blog entries, I will use these pictures to illustrate some of the wealth of animal life in Namibia - one species per week.  I hope you will enjoy seeing a little more of our world here in the bush.

 

The common (or grey) duiker is one of the most numerous and widespread antelopes in Africa. It can be found in 37 countries from Senegal to South Africa, and numbers in the millions. As a result, the IUCN lists them as "Least Concern" and anticipates little or no change in their distribution for the foreseeable future.  Here at CCF w''ve found that they are commonly confused with the slightly smaller and lighter steenbok - especially in camera trap photos.  They nonetheless are quite distinctive when seen in the wild, standing just 60cm (23") at the shoulder and weighing up to 16 kg (35 lbs).

 

Generally nocturnal, the common duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) eats a wide variety of food including grasses, roots, fruit, seeds, human cultivated crops, and even sometimes insects. The English name derives from the Afrikaans word for "diver", so named because of the distinctive diving motion of the species when fleeing from danger.

 

In most cases only the males have horns, although the females are usually slightly heavier. Both males and females have a “mohawk” on their heads too. Pairs of duikers mate for life, unless one partner is killed, in which case they will seek another.  In captivity they live for up to 12-15 years.

 

Since duikers tend to sleep during the day, we don't see very many of them here at CCF, and even our camera trap network only snaps a few of them.  This is more likely to simply mean the cameras are not ideally placed for this type of animal however, than that their numbers are low.

 

Stay tuned for another camera trapping animal of week next week!

 

Rob Thomson

Ecologist

Cheetah Conservation Fund

 

All photos copyright (c) Cheetah Conservation Fund 2012

A BEAUTYful Success Story from our Livestock Guarding Dog Programme

Earlier last month we received a call from a farmer concerning one of our livestock guarding dogs. He has been a wonderful owner of our dogs since 1999 and, in 2010, he gave a good home to one of our dogs, Beauty, after she was removed from her previous home due to lack of care. Following the death from old age of their first dog (funnily enough called ‘Cheetah’), the farmer received another puppy from us in April of this year. The farmer asked if we could find another home for Beauty, as she wasn't working well with his herder, so that she could continue to do the job she was raised for.

 

When she arrived at CCF, she was anaesthetised to get a good look at her teeth and take some x-rays of her joints to check for injury and the onset of arthritis. She had a few tooth problems, so lots of roots were removed on one side, but the x-rays showed no other issues.

 

After almost two weeks at CCF, Beauty was finally ready to go to her new home in the pretty region of Outjo.   The journey began early in the morning with a sedative to keep her calm during the long journey ahead. It quickly took effect and she was loaded into the truck for what we hope is her final car journey.  After the initial shock of the sedative taking effect, Beauty relaxed and took the rest of the trip very calmly indeed.

 

Upon reaching her new home, she needed a bit of help as her legs were still feeling rather wobbly from the sedative, but she quickly introduced herself to her new family with her tail wagging! They were thrilled to meet her and she was shown a great deal of affection.  The farm worker remarked that Beauty was definitely the right name for her!

 

We have checked up on her since her re-homing and everyone is really very happy with her. She is very good with the livestock that she is there to protect and is doing a great job.  Another success story for our Livestock Guarding Dog Programme!

 

Best wishes,

 

Anja Bradley

Livestock Guarding Dog Project Officer

Cheetah Conservation Fund

 

All photos copyright (c) Cheetah Conservation Fund 2012

C is for Caracal

CCF has carried out a number of camera trapping surveys, and also maintains a network of cameras positioned for ongoing monitoring of the wildlife on our land.  While we are mainly focused on cheetahs, there are many other species out there, and the cameras will trigger no matter what passes them by.  In this series of weekly blog entries, I will use these pictures to illustrate some of the wealth of animal life in Namibia - one species per week.  I hope you will enjoy seeing a little more of our world here in the bush.

 

This week’s entry is of a smaller felid species, the illusive caracal.  The taxonomic classification of this tawny-red cat has been historically disputed, being grouped either in the Lynx genus with European and Canadian lynx or the Felis genus, along with domestic and African wild cats.  However, recent molecular testing has shown it to be monophyletic, i.e. in its own taxonomic group, Caracal.  This is much like the cheetah, (also a “C” animal spotted on our camera traps!), which is also in its own group, Acinonyx.

 

Approximately three times the size of a domestic cat, a short stubby tail that looks like half may have been cut off, and tufted ears like that of a lynx, this carnivore is present across much of sub-Saharan Africa, ranging into the Middle East and as far east as northern India.  As an adaptable meso-predator, the IUCN list this cat as of “Least Concern”, although we do not actually know the exact population numbers worldwide.  It is thought with the reduction in large carnivores such as leopard and lion, this has left a niche for caracal to expand their range in these areas.

 

Caracals (Caracal caracal) weighs between 6-19 kg and stands 30-50 cm at the shoulder.  A very rare melanistic (black) caracal has been noted in the wild, but only a couple of sightings have been confirmed.  With tremendous speed and agility, the caracal can leap 3 metres vertically, catching birds mid-flight.  Common prey of caracals are game birds, which unfortunately can lead to human-wildlife conflict on chicken and fowl farms. Because of this conflict, caracals are extensively trapped, poisoned and shot, particularly in southern Africa.  However, effective livestock husbandry can almost eliminate this depredation, including locking chickens up at night into coops and having livestock guarding dogs present.

 

Caracals are solitary hunters with relatively large home ranges (up to 316 sq km) in arid habitats of up to 2,500 m in elevation.  They exhibit a range of vocal calls, ranging from miaows to coughing calls.  Females can give birth to six kittens, although a total of three is more common.  The young then stay with their mother for 9-10 months before becoming independent.  They can live up to 16 years in captivity, but no published studies have confirmed their longevity in the wild.

 

We are unsure of the population density of caracals on CCF property as they are very shy animals, extremely rarely seen in person, and not often photographed with our camera traps.  Further studies on caracals, as with other smaller predators, are essential for effective conservation planning.

 

Stay tuned next week for another camera trap animal blog!

 

Niki Rust
Ecologist

Cheetah Conservation Fund

 

All photos copyright (c) Cheetah Conservation Fund 2012

A day in the bush with the livestock guarding dog and goat herd

This blog was written by CCF volunteer, Kerstin Krahwinkel, who is currently undertaking a study on the livestock guarding dogs.  A GPS collar is placed on the working dogs and she accompanies them out into the field to determine the movements of the dogs in comparison to the herd that they protect.

 

The anxious goats and sheep are waiting for me at the Kraal after a Sunday inside. Armas, CCF’s goat herder, and I fastened the GPS collars on the leading goat and Aleya, the livestock guarding dog.  Our adventurous day has begun, departing from the goat kraal at nine, and following the herd into the bush to track their movements.

 

While Aleya runs around in big circles with her curious senses, Shades (the other working dog) remains  amongst the sheep and goats as a calm, conscientious warden. Even though most of the time Aleya was hard to see in the bush-encroached land, her GPS collar told me where she was. To catch up with Armas and the herd, I trusted that Shades would lead me through the thorn bushes. He always ensured I was close behind.  When the herd decided to rest under a tree, to eat fallen seeds and leaves, the protective Shades also rested with them, but always remained on sentry duty to any potential danger or threat.

 

Suddenly, the ever-attentive Aleya sensed a strange scent. She was immediately alerted by the peculiar brown animal that was sharing the same waterhole, which turned out to be a thirsty warthog. Quickly, she made it clear that at this moment the waterhole was for her herd by standing proud and barking at the potential threat. For her great success she rewarded herself with a bath, cooling her from the hot midday-sun.

 

The herder and dogs ensured that the herd were protected all day long from possible intruders and, at the end of the day, every goat returned to the kraal unharmed from predators once more.

 

For more information on our livestock guarding dog programme, please visit http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=guarding_dog_program

 

All photos copyright © Cheetah Conservation Fund 2012

Harry goes to the dentist!

On the 4^th of July 2012, Harry the cheetah went to see Dr. Profitt, the human dentist in Otjiwarongo who helps take care of the teeth of all of CCF’s cheetahs.  Harry is a seven year old female and is one of the Hogwarts Trio of captive cheetahs at CCF, along with her sister Hermione and her brother Ron. 

 

During her annual wellness exam in April of this year, it was discovered that Harry had two teeth affected by gum recession and infection under the gingival.  She was taken to the dentist to have radiographs taken of the affected teeth and to determine the appropriate course of treatment.  Her left upper third premolar was found to be affected by bone loss surrounding the tooth and root resorption secondary to infection; it was elected to remove that tooth as nothing could be done to save it with the advanced periodontal disease.  Her right upper third premolar was affected by a similar condition but it was much less severe. 

 

Fortunately the tooth on the right side was not suffering from advanced periodontal disease and so instead of having to be removed that tooth was cleaned and dental antibiotic gel was instilled between the gingival (gums) and the roots to help prevent future infection.  The remainder of her teeth all looked good and healthy. 

 

After her procedure, Harry will receive several days of oral antibiotics, and of course she also received pain medication.  The day after the procedure she was looking good as if nothing had happened to her, and she even participated in a cheetah run! 

 

Please see attached photos:

 

1.        Harry’s bad tooth

2.       Dr. Profitt working on Harry’s tooth extraction

3.       Harry having digital dental radiographs taken of her tooth

4.       Harry in the dentist’s chair

 

 

 

Gabriella Flacke, DVM, MVSc

Veterinarian

Cheetah Conservation Fund

 

All photos copyright © Cheetah Conservation Fund 2012

Update from the Leopard Pen Cheetahs at Erindi

Last Thursday, we loaded Omdillo, Anakin, Chester, and Obi Wan (aka the “Leopard pen boys”) onto a truck at CCF and headed south to Erindi Private Game Reserve. After a long drive on a dusty dirt road, we arrived at our release site; an open area with large trees, a giant termite mound and a watering hole nearby. This site was chosen for its convenient access to multiple watering holes, important for the four cheetahs of whom were used to being provided with water back at CCF.

At around 4 pm, we offloaded the crates and Ryan, the Head of Cheetah Reintroductions from CCF, did a quick scan of the radio frequencies to make sure there were no lions in the vicinity. After the “all clear,” Ryan and Juliette (Cheetah Curator at CCF) walked about 100 meters from the crates over to a large tree with an oryx carcass beside it. The two began calling for the cheetahs and the crates were opened; out ran the four brother cheetahs. After the initial sprint, they began to walk around slowly, taking in their new surroundings.

Three of the four cheetahs soon made their way to the carcass and began their feast. However, Omdillo, of whom Ryan has observed to be the leader of the coalition, took off into the bush, perhaps a bit dazed and confused from the long journey. Little did he know that this 172,000-acre protected reserve would be his permanent new home.  Juliette, Ryan and some of the Erindi crew drove off to check on Omdillo, who was found calling for his brothers. With some concern for Omdillo, we left the release site just after sunset as the other cheetahs continued to eat their meal.

The next morning, Ryan and Juliette went back out to see how the cheetahs were adjusting to their new home. Fortunately, we received the good news that Omdillo had reunited with his brothers and all were at peace near the carcass with fat bellies!

Photographed and written by Jed Winer, CCF intern

Photo 1: Release!

Photo 2: Anakin, Obi Wan, and Chester feast on an oryx as birds drink at a nearby watering hole in Erindi Private Game Reserve. The fourth cheetah to be released, Omdillo, took off, but was found to be reunited with his three brothers the next morning.

Photo 3: Two of the males pause briefly while feasting on an oryx carcass at sunset after their release into Erindi Private Game Reserve.

All photos copyright © Jed Winer 2012

B is for brown hyena

CCF has carried out a number of camera trapping surveys, and also maintains a network of cameras positioned for ongoing monitoring of the wildlife on our land.  While we are mainly focussed on cheetahs, there are many other species out there, and the cameras will trigger no matter what passes them by.  In this series of weekly blog entries, I will use these pictures to illustrate some of the wealth of animal life in Namibia - one species per week.  I hope you will enjoy seeing a little more of our world here in the bush.

 

Although there are far more than 26 species to be discussed, I thought I'd continue the alphabetical scheme for the time being, and talk this week about the shy, and oft misunderstood, brown hyena.  With a sharply sloping back, large pointed ears, and a long, lush brown coat, these animals are both distinctive and handsome. Unique to southern Africa, they are almost entirely nocturnal and very rarely seen by visitors to the region.  Listed as "Near Threatened" by the IUCN, estimates place their current numbers at between 5,000-8,000 and decreasing.

 

The brown hyena (Hyaena brunnea) weighs about 50kg (110lbs) and stands 80cm (31") at the shoulder.  While many people believe that they prey extensively on livestock, leading inevitably to their being hunted, poisoned, and trapped, their main diet is actually bird's eggs, small mammals, insects and fruit.  Along the Namibian coast, they also sometimes feed on seal pups.

 

Hunting primarily at night, they tend to spend their days in former Aardvark burrows or hidden within rocky hillsides.  Brown hyenas are intensely social animals, with family groups living together and controlling territory between them, although each individual tends to hunt alone.

 

There appears to be a large and healthy population here at CCF, but although they are one of the most commonly seen carnivore on our cameras, very few people have seen them in person. 

 

Rob Thomson

Ecologist

Cheetah Conservation Fund

 

All photos copyright (c) Cheetah Conservation Fund 2012