Come to Paradise Wildlife Park (Browbourne) - Sat 31st March 2012.

Come and have fun with cats on Saturday, 31 March, at Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne!

6 – 7:30 PM – Wander in the Cat section

7:30 PM – Presentation by Dr. Laurie Marker on the progress of CCF's work.

Tickets: £6 advanced purchase or £7.50 at the door. Visit www.pwpark.com for information and bookings, or call Louise at 01992 470490 ext 236.

Paradise Wildlife Park

White Stubbs Lane

Broxbourne

Hertfordshire

EN10 7QA

Also stay tuned for Laurie's talk at the Wildlife Heritage Foundation on 26 March!

Spot you there!

Patricia

The NamibRand Lady Cheetah is Back in Touch!

I didn't expect to hear anything further from this cheetah, or to be able to make any more updates, however the situation has changed again.  I've been able to re-establish contact with the satellite collar and hope that this will be the first of many more weekly updates.  

 

Since it has been a little while since the last report, I am including data for the whole of March and have also attached two maps (a close-up, and a more general area map showing where she is in relation to the NamibRand Reserve and Namib-Naukluft National Park.  

 

For the past several weeks the female appears to have been operating exclusively on the farm of Lahnstein and has been sticking to the river valley in the south of the property.  Our most recent data point, recorded at 03:36 this morning, places her 58 km NE of the NamibRand Reserve, 55 km NW of Maltahohe, 41 km SE of the Namib-Naukluft border, and 1.5 km N of the Lahnstein border with Kamkas.

 

Rob

 

Amani's Annual Health Exam

On 7 March, Amani the cheetah had her annual exam performed as well as having some extensive dental work due to several broken teeth.  She had a root canal performed on two canine (fang) teeth, and one premolar tooth.  Performing root canals instead of extracting these damaged teeth will allow Amani to continue to tear, hold, and chew the meat she is fed without problems.  Amani was also found to have a lesion on the cornea (surface) of the right eye.  A corneal lesion is generally caused by trauma, for example walking into something and getting a scratch on the eye, or a piece of grass or sand that gets into the eye and scratches the surface.  Infectious conditions can also cause eye ulcers in cats, including  Herpes virus and several different bacteria.  Amani’s corneal lesion will be treated with daily eye drops and monitoring closely.  She is also receiving several days of anti-inflammatory pain medication and antibiotics due to her root canals.  Otherwise Amani was in good condition and all parameters on her annual exam were within normal limits.  She recovered well from her procedures and was back to eating meat pieces by the next morning. 

Gaby

 

Puppy Blog Udpate

Kiri’s puppies are growing up fast!  They are now six weeks old, and received their first vaccination against distemper virus, parvovirus, adenovirus and parainfluenza this morning.  The vaccine is a combination of all four diseases, and each puppy will receive a series of three of these vaccines at 6, 9, and 12 weeks of age.  When they are 12 weeks old they will also receive their rabies vaccinations. 

All the puppies were well-behaved and hardly noticed their vaccines being given.  They are happy and healthy and cute as can be!

 

Gaby

 

Safaris, Cheetahs, Africa – The Best Way Is to Show ‘Em

Today we welcome our first guest blogger, Alan Feldstein of Infinite Safari Adventures, who recently visited CCF.

Safaris, Cheetahs, Africa – The Best Way Is to Show ‘Em
BY ALAN FELDSTEIN

In 2000 I made my first trip to Africa. It was during that safari I fell in love with Africa and everything about it – the people and their culture, the animals, the natural beauty of the landscape. The first time a giraffe bent her graceful neck to peer into my safari vehicle – well, she had me at jambo (Swahili for hello). All I had to do was see it for myself.

When I came back I told anyone that would listen how amazing Africa was and that they had to go – tomorrow, if not sooner. Most would nod and say – yeah sure…someday. I would reply you have to see it for yourself.

But I could not shake my passion so I went back to Africa. Again, and again and again. Finally I took my son and daughter on their first African safari On that trip, I got the chance to combine a wildlife safari with my other passion – kayaking. I had become friends with our safari organizer, Steve Chumbley, on a previous African visit and discovered we shared a love of kayaking. So, during this trip, the two of us set off exploring in kayaks Steve had built himself. Launching off the coast of Tanzania, we explored remote areas no other kayakers had ever been. But even that was not enough for me. So, enlisting Steve as my Tanzania-based business partner, I decided to start a safari company – Infinite Safari Adventures. Now, when people tell me they want to go to Africa “someday,” I can tell them “Someday is Now!” And help them see it for themselves.

Seeing is believing. I will never forget taking my kids to pet gray whales in Baja Mexico. After the long bus and vehicle travel from Tijuana to Baja, they were, to put it mildly, not happy. But all the whining, complaining and texting to friends was forgotten when we first set out on the water motorboat. Within, 10 minutes, a gray whale appeared close enough to our little motorboat to touch (and kiss). The next thing I heard was that this was the most awesome trip they had ever been on. After witnessing a mother whale and her babies playing, you will do anything in your power to save the whales. My son is now pursuing his degree in environmental education. All he had to do was see it for himself.

Petting a grey whale with my son in Baja.

Last December I was one of only a handful of travel company owners invited by the Namibian Tourist Board to visit Namibia for the purpose of seeing what the country had to offer in the hope that I might add Namibia to our safari offerings. I jumped at the chance (I am always up for a good adventure) plus it gave me the opportunity to take Laurie Marker up on her offer to visit CCF. We had met at the Explorer’s Club where we are both members. We had gotten to know each other better when she visited Los Angeles and came out to my wife Diane and my house for dinner.

With Laurie and my dog Heidi who became a fast friend to her.

When I arrived I got to see CCF’s amazing operation and facility. I got to watch cheetahs run. I got to go with Laurie and feed a mother and her 3 natural and 3 adopted cubs. And I am proud to say I helped to release “Chester” in the Bellebenno reserve to be reunited with his 3 “bros.” The task should have taken an hour but because of the muddy roads it took four times that long. Using radio telemetry we found the other 3 “Jedi warriors” who met us on the road. Stopping the truck we unloaded Chester in his box. I picked up the back corner and as I did saw through a couple of holes the glowering amber eyes of one very wet, very unhappy cheetah. “Hang on Chester,” I said reassuringly, “We are getting you out of here.” And we did. Seeing a cheetah leap out of his crate to see his pals, and then turn with them to go out and live free – well you would do anything to help after that. All I had to do was see it for myself.

If you are reading this blog item you are most likely a fan of CCF. But no matter how big a fan you are you have to see it for yourself.

That is one of the things that make me most passionate about Infinite Safari Adventures. Taking people on safari to see wildlife, meet the local people and experience all there is to see and do is the start of “paying it forward.” One person becomes inspired, who inspires others, who inspires still others and eventually there are enough inspired people that cheetahs, whales, rhinos, elephants and yes, even lions whose populations have been decimated will have a chance to live on for future generations. All you have to do is see it for yourself. Want to know how? Just ask me.

Alan Feldstein
Infinite Safari Adventures
www.infinitesafariadventures.com

Gooey the Hornbill: A Sappy Story

On 29 February, the CCF staff was having a normal lunch at the “Hot Spot,” our cafeteria and meal location. Niki, one of the ecologists, noted a recently fledged hornbill chick on the ground in distress. Gaby, the CCF veterinarian, rushed over to its aid, discovering it was stuck in the sap of the tree which had dripped on the ground. The feathers were covered in sap and the poor sticky bird could not escape. Together Gaby and Erina, CCF’s research veterinarian who has years of experience treating birds and other native wildlife in Australia, transported the bird to the CCF clinic for triage and treatment. “Gooey,” as he is now called, was anaesthetised and a tiny IV catheter was use as a breathing tube to give him oxygen and anaesthetic. He was tenderly washed in warm soapy water, removing all the sap from his feathers. Then he was thoroughly dried using a hairdryer to preserve his feathers, essential for flight. He was given warm fluids to keep him hydrated and stayed in a bird condo (a box with branches and leaves) in the clinic overnight.

The following morning Erina released Gooey at the nest site with his parents and siblings present. Contrary to popular belief, bird parents will take back their young even after handling by humans. Gooey flew into a nearby tree and started calling; and his mother immediately flew over to him and the family was reunited! Gooey has been seen at the nest box repeatedly since the incident and is doing fine! We covered the site on the ground where the sap had dripped to avoid a repeat problem, and Gaby’s cutlery from lunch the day before was still lying on the ground next to the place where Gooey had been rescued.

Thanks!

Gabriella Flacke, DVM, MVSc

Vulture Close Up?

CCF has been using motion sensitive camera traps to record wildlife movements for many years. With the coming of the digital age however, the sophistication has increased considerably along with the quality and quantity of images. It can be a costly business however, with the best cameras ranging in price from $450-$550USD each, and every now and then, the very wildlife we are trying to track will turn around and shred the cameras that are silently observing them.

Last year a brown hyaena took exception to one such camera and chewed it to death, and on several other occasions cameras have been pulled off of trees and carried off into the bush by roving bands of intensely curious baboons. Generally the baboons lose interest within a few minutes, but finding the cameras can still be a challenge; they often sustain damage in the process, and one ended up at the bottom of a waterhole.

The hyaena got it. (c) Cheetah Conservation Fund

The most recent incident involved a pair of animals working in unfortunate harmony. A warthog got past the defensive circle of acacia thorns that had been arranged around the camera, and proceeded to batter it off of the post we'd tied it to. Still functional, although now pointing skywards, the camera was able to record the subsequent attack of a lappet-faced vulture, who pecked repeatedly at the front of the camera and eventually wrecked the lens that covers the sensor. I can only assume that the vulture assumed it was something dead on the ground, and by the time it had finished pecking, it was indeed something dead on the ground.

Lappet-faced vulture extreme close up. (c) Cheetah Conservation Fund

Through the kindness of one of our donors, we have recently obtained a small number of security boxes for the cameras, enabling us to increase the protection for few of them. These steel enclosures are custom-designed for each camera trap model and retail at between $40-50USD each. Unfortunately they are by their very nature heavy and therefore expensive to ship. None of the cameras they've been fitted to however have suffered any subsequent mishaps and we're keen to acquire more such enclosures.

We are also looking to considerably extend the range and coverage of our camera trapping survey and are hoping to increase our number of cameras in the next few months. You can help with CCF’s invaluable ecological research into Namibian wildlife by purchasing one of these cameras for us. Our preferred camera trap models are the Bushnell Trophy Cam Pro model 119436 ($200USD) and Reconyx Hyperfire HC500 ($450USD). For more information on CCF’s Ecology wishlist, please visit the CCF's Ecology Wish List page by clicking here.

Thanks!

Rob Thomson
Rhino Ecologist

Minja's annual exam and dental appointment

On the first of March, Minja went to Otjiwarongo to visit the dentist and to have her annual examination.  Annual examinations are generally performed in April of each year on all of CCF’s cheetahs, but since Minja has been waiting to see the dentist for some time now, we decided to combine her dental appointment with her annual exam so she would only have to be anesthetized once.  Dr. Profitt, our human dentist friend who graciously takes care of all of CCF’s cheetahs, examined her teeth and took several dental radiographs.  Fortunately she did not need a root canal!  Her annual exam included taking blood samples for overall health evaluation, taking a vaginal cytology to check her stage of the estrus cycle, performing an ultrasound (sonogram) exam of her abdomen to check her kidneys and other organs, removing all ticks, applying Frontline parasite prevention, collecting a fecal sample for gastrointestinal parasite check, giving her annual vaccines against rabies virus and feline distemper, and a general physical exam to evaluate her body and hair coat condition, feel her joints, and check her weight.  Minja checked out just fine, she is a healthy cheetah who now also has clean teeth and a beautiful smile! 

 

See attached photos.

Thanks!

Gabriella Flacke, DVM, MVSc

Veterinarian

 

Xena and Luna: Weeks 3 & 4

7 February 2012 - Day 17

In the morning we mostly followed Luna through the previously burnt area of Bellebenno. At one point Erlend and I scared an adult female steenbok that ran away from us, passing a very relaxed Luna. Luna heard the approaching antelope, sat up and instantly began chasing the steenbok through the open bush. When we finally caught up with her, she had already given up the chase and stopped at a puddle shaded by dense bushes. As she drank, she was extremely vigilant looking up and around at any foreign sound. This cautious behavior was refreshing to observe because when any wild animal drinks, it is at its most vulnerable state, thus constant attention is needed to escape approaching danger. She drank on and off for eight minutes. Afterwards we went to Xena’s duiker carcass from yesterday. As I approached the kill to observe the remaining parts, Xena exploded out of the yellow flowers only 10m away. She charged me for getting too close to her kill, with her shoulders erect, head down and eyes pinned on me. I backed off and she returned to the kill, picked up the duiker by its ear then continued to feed. In the evening Luna moved 2.38km from her position earlier in the morning and Xena abandoned her kill. Only a few parts remained. I also observed some conspicuous claw marks in the soil beside the carcass.

8 February 2012 - Day 18

While searching for Xena, we accidentally found Luna. She was very tired and wet so we instantly left her to search for Xena. Four hours and many travelled hectares later, Joel (CCF intern from Holland) and I gave up our search for the morning. In the afternoon (after a torrential storm), a similar situation unfolded. We unintentionally found Luna again, this time nearly 3km from her spot this morning. It was not until 19:14 (after another 3.5hrs searching) that we had our first signal for Xena. We got a visual for her just as the sun was setting. She still had a large belly from her duiker kill. It is still a mystery to me how she escaped our tracking equipment all morning, afternoon and evening. We call her Xena “The Phantom Cheetah” as a result.

9 February 2012 - Day 19

After Joel and I rid our clothing and skin from the hundreds of pepper ticks crawling across our bodies, we went to look for Xena for the second time today. Instead we found her spoor all over the roads, seemingly hunting warthogs. The tracks showed that as she hunted one warthog, it ran through a swing gate to escape. At this gate, Xena’s tracks abruptly stop, ending the hunt. We found her later, and she did not appear to have eaten again, although she looked healthy and fit. In the evening, when we found Luna, we sat with her as she lied beside the road. When we began to drive away, she instantly got up and began walking again. It seemed she waited for us to leave before moving! We observed her from our car as she walked away into the bush. If she does not make a kill tonight or tomorrow morning we will have to supplement feed Luna.

10 February 2012 - Day 20

In the morning Xena darted away from us and we could not find Luna, although we did observe her spoor walking along the wet road with brown hyena tracks beside hers. Later we found Luna in a completely new territory. She was actually close to where we last saw Xena, near the Bellebenno entrance. When we found her, lying just beside the road/fenceline, she was not alert and nearly sleeping with her front paws crossed. She seemed comfortable with our presence, especially compared to Xena. Although I am certain Luna has been feeding (just not observed) I supplement fed her anyway as she appeared hungry and lethargic throughout the evening.

11 February 2012 - Day 21

Joel and I found Luna first thing in the morning. She was still sleeping in the wet grasses and was located only 200m from where we supplement fed her last night. The rest of the morning (4+ hours) was dedicated to trying to find Xena. In the evening we got a signal for Luna heading away from the entrance gates and nothing for Xena. We spent the small remainder of daylight successfully getting our extremely stuck vehicle out of a muddy road.

12 February 2012 - Day 22

Luna was once again sighted in the same general area as before (near the entrance gates) and Xena was still missing. We are beginning to assume that she has escaped the game camp. In the evening we found Luna again only 30m from a road feeding on a kill! This time she was tearing open a sub-adult female steenbok (~7kg) beneath the shade of an acacia bush. This was the third species (that we observed) she has killed. Luna ate for nearly an hour, consuming all but the skin/fur, head, leg bones and G.I. tract. She choked on some of the smaller rib bones but eventually continued feeding as normal. When finished, Luna slowly walked 3m from the carcass and slept the remainder of the evening.

13 February 2012 - Day 23

After a late start, I received a message from Rob (CCF’s Technical Specialist) explaining that Xena has escaped the Bellebenno game camp and is making her way towards the Big Field, a large plot of savannah-like habitat with few encroaching acacia bushes. We tried to find her based on this information, but it seemed that she had already moved away from her last location. Throughout the day we found Luna. She was either sleeping or lying, not alert in the shade digesting her meal

14 February 2012 - Day 24

Once again we observed Luna sleeping away the majority of the day. Erlend and I spent the afternoon searching for Xena in the Big Field. Unfortunately we could not find her again, but in our search we had the privilege of observing three ostriches (2 male, 1 female), a rock monitor lizard and a paradise wydah!

15 February 2012 - Day 25

In the morning, Joel and I found Luna lying in a large bed of grasses. She remained there even when she was completely exposed to the morning sun. Usually cheetahs will go find the best shade, but she seemed too comfortable to even move. Later we observed Luna hunting a steenbok through the bush. She was only metres behind the prey, but the chase ended unsuccessfully. She slept under acacia bushes the rest of the evening as a massive storm approached us.

16 February 2012 - Day 26

Today was decided to dart (anaesthetise) Luna to remove her radio tracking collar and place her back in captivity – temporarily! Here is CCF vet's report:

"Luna had proven herself to be a good huntress and had brought down a variety of smaller prey animals in the almost four-week period she had been out. Since she was going to have to be immobilised anyway, she also had her annual examination and vaccinations at the same time. She was found to be in very good condition, quite lean, with a healthy hair coat and a low tick burden. She had a full set of samples collected, including blood and urine samples, vaginal cytology, hair, a dental exam, and ultrasound exam of her abdomen and kidneys. She was vaccinated for Feline Distemper and Rabies, and had Frontline applied for tick prevention. The team who worked with her in the field included CCF veterinarian Dr. Gabriella Flacke, volunteer veterinarian Dr. Erina Young, veterinary nurse Rosie Glazier, cheetah husbandry team members Rachel Shairp and Ryan Saucet, and two volunteer zoo keepers from Norway, Erland and Jimmy. Everything went well, and now that she has proven herself, hopefully Luna will soon be released into the “real wild” again in the near future."

Luna was then placed her in a small holding pen where I observed her as she recovered from the anaesthesia.

18 February 2012 - Day 28

While leading the track for Xena, followed by Deg (CCF Bushblok) and Juliette, I came across an adult female steenbok kill wedged beneath a small bush. I instantly knew it was Xena’s and quickly backed away from the carcass. No more than five seconds later a hidden Xena came charging the three of us away from her kill. We gave her the space she needed and listened as she began feeding off the steenbok. Her kill was made in a completely open area with crippling tall yellow grasses that would seem quite difficult for a cheetah to hunt in, once again showing the adaptability of this amazing female.

20 & 21 February 2012 - Days 30 & 31

Only having to track Xena now, Rachel found our free female on both days. On the 20th she was seen sitting on a termite mound then walking away. On the 21st she was observed near the edge of the Big Field. As it rained so heavily, Xena approached the car and Rachel decided to leave.

23 February 2012 - Day 33

I found Xena today lying under a very small bush in the Big Field. She seemed hot, as she heavily panted beneath a small fragment of shade. I left her alone as she began walking, obviously trying to get away from me.

We will continue to keep you posted!

Ryan and all the Husbandry Team

Dog encounters warthog!

Firat, one of our breeding male Kangal dogs, had a serious encounter with a warthog in early January.  He was gored through the abdomen with a tusk and sustained wounds that went through his intestines. He endured a four-hour surgery to put his intestines back together and flush and clean out his abdomen. His recovery was slow but after several days he started doing very well. After losing several kilograms he also started eating well and gaining weight again. He is now back to his pre-surgical, healthy weight and is feeling fine. The fur over his abdomen and on his front leg where his IV catheter was placed is even starting to grow back. Firat is a lucky dog, as the injury could have easily resulted in death if the CCF veterinary team had not gotten him to surgery so quickly after the incident. A special thank you to Paige Seitz and Stephanie Pearce, our interns who nursed him back to health after his surgery. He will now live to father many more litters of future livestock guarding dog puppies. For an update on the latest litter he sired see our blog update on Kiri’s puppies. 

 

Attached are two recent pictures of him; posing for the camera and sniffing a tree!

 

CCF