"U" is for Unknown

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.

U is for… Unknown!

With every camera trap survey, there are always some pictures that we just cannot identify.  In some cases it is because the animal is too far away, especially at night.  In others, it is too close, so much so that we get an extreme (and unfocused) close-up of the hide.  In still more cases the animal is moving too fast, or just catches the edge of the frame and all we see is a tiny part of a leg or tip of a tail.

Different camera traps react in different ways, and have radical differences in performance.  Some have a very narrow field of view, others are very wide.  Some react slowly, the more expensive ones react faster.  A few see colour at night, while most use infra-red LEDs to illuminate the scene and therefore produce purely black and white images.

The basic theory however is simple.  The vast majority of camera traps work in the same way as motion sensors in many burglar alarm systems, by tracking a warm body moving against a colder background.  They are generally ineffective in the desert because the ambient temperature is often similar to body temperature, and also cannot detect reptiles such as crocodiles while in water. 

To avoid running through batteries at a fast rate, cameras generally wait in standby mode with just the motion detector active.  When that is triggered, the camera powers up and take a photo.  In some cameras it can mean a delay of several seconds during which time a fast moving animal may have exited the frame.  There is also a further delay while the first image is processed by the camera before it can take a second image.  This can be more than 15 seconds, which means that if there is a coalition walking past, you'll only get the lead animal.

As I mentioned above, night time images are generally illuminated using IR LEDs, thus avoiding animals being spooked by the bright glare of a regular flash.  LED flashes also recharge faster than conventional flashes, so multiple pictures can be taken as rapidly as the camera can process images.  The downside, however, is a reduced distance over which animals can be illuminated.  Many cameras can only light up an animal up to 10m (33 ft) away, with the best reaching out to double that. 

Our initial deployment of cameras used the Bushnell Trophy Cam which is a good middle-of-the-range camera trap, and probably the best you can buy for $200USD each.  Over time, however, we've seen quite a high failure rate of these cameras in the harsh conditions of the Namibian bush.  All of our cameras are deployed continually for years at a time in bright sunlight, torrential rain, and temperatures ranging from a few degrees below 0C (32F) up to 40+C (104+F).  Some are knocked by passing antelope, played with by tenacious baboons, chewed on by hyena, or infested by ant colonies.  Protective metal security boxes help extend their lives, but even with those they are far from invulnerable since the most delicate parts, the lens, sensor, etc, have to remain exposed.

Taking the lead from the Smithsonian Institute, and several other large research bodies, we have been slowly switching over to cameras manufactured by Reconyx.  They are built to much more exacting standards, and have proven much more reliable.  In addition, they are significantly higher performance cameras with lightening fast trigger speeds, and almost as rapid processing and recovery times.  In every performance category they outperform the competition. However, this comes at a price.  The basic model is $450USD, with others in the range costing up to $650USD. 

Far fewer unknown images are recorded by our small group of Reconyx cameras, and most of those occur at ranges where cheaper cameras would have picked up nothing at all.  Ideally we'd like to switch over entirely, especially as the older cameras die, but I suspect the cost will force a compromise.  Hopefully over time however we will slowly reap the rewards that faster, more reliable, and longer ranged cameras will bring.

"R" is for Red Hartebeest!

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.

I'd like to make a special appear to everyone who reads this blog.  Please think of CCF this Christmas.  Many of our camera traps are beginning to feel the ravages of time and will soon need replacement.  Some have been out in the bush in the heat and rain for three continuous years now, and have taken hundreds of thousands of pictures.  However, I very much doubt they'll all survive another year.  We have recently received two brand new camera traps from our generous donors in Germany, but many more are needed if we are going to be able to continue this form of research.  Details of the types of cameras we need can be found on our wishlist.

Now, back to why you're here… R is for… Red Hartebeest.

The Red Hartebeest is one of seven surviving sub-species of Hartebeest and can be found in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and the south of Angola.  It was extensively hunted in the past, but has undergone a significant come-back as a result of it's popularity with both tourists and modern hunters.  It has therefore been reintroduced into a great many private reserves and game farms.  The IUCN lists the Hartebeest as "Least Concern", and the sub-species, the Red Hartebeest, is the most populous with an estimated total of around 130,000 individuals.  A number of the other sub-species are faring much less well however, and may become extinct in the not too distant future.

Hartebeest are striking looking antelope with an impressive capacity for speed.  They stand 1.3m at the shoulder, can weigh over 150 kg, and run at speeds of up to 70 km/h.  Males are usually slightly darker than females, and also somewhat bigger, although both have horns.  Generally hartebeest are social herd animals, although some non-territorial males do live alone.  They breed annually, live to their mid-teens and are commonly found in herds of between a few dozen animals to a few hundred.  Historically even more massive herds were found in Botswana, but the establishment of the veterinary cordon fences there restricted migratory movement and ultimately led to massive population reductions.

 

Here at CCF, we see red hartebeests commonly on game counts on our big field, and also at waterholes.  Currently the main herd has around 10-12 calves with them, although this number will probably be reduced by the large number of predators in the area. 

"O" is for Oryx

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 - usually one species per week.  I hope you will enjoy seeing a little more of our world here in the bush.

Today’s blog will highlight the oryx.This antelope is one of four large species belonging to the Oryx genus.  Three of these four are native to arid parts of Africa, and the oryx (gemsbok) in particular inhabits southern Africa.  They have pale fur with dark markings on the legs and face with long, almost straight horns.

This species prefers semi-arid conditions and can go without water for long periods of time.  They are grazers, eating mostly grasses, and can live in herds consisting of up to 600 individuals.  Horns of an oryx are lethal and it has been known to kill lions.  Oryx are listed as not threatened on the IUCN red list. Although the oryx in southern Africa is not particularly threatened, the subspecies of the Oryx genus that live in the northern parts of Africa and in the Arabian peninsula are severely decimated, in many instances killed for their distinctive horns.

Volunteer Blog: Andrea Pieroni

Today we present a guest blog entry from one of our Earthwatch Volunteers, Andrea Pieroni. Enjoy!

My name is Andrea Pieroni and I’m from Watt, Switzerland close to our largest city, Zurich.  My country is 20 times smaller than Namibia and has about 42,000km² comparing to Namibia with 812,000km².

I was always interested in wildlife, especially the big cats.  When I was in South Africa in 2006 and had the chance to hold a cheetah, I immediately fell in love with this animal.  When I went home, I started to get more information about cheetahs.  I found the homepage for Earthwatch, which had all the information I needed.  Due to my job (IT consulter) I could not become a volunteer until this year. 

I am happy to be here and escape from the rain and cold in my country.  At CCF, I like to do all the necessary work and not just the work involving the cheetahs.  I enjoy doing whatever is needed to do in order to help run this beautiful place.  Of course I would want to be with the cheetahs all day, but I learned that CCF is more than just cheetahs.

I have worked very hard on camera trap data entry where I have been able to see what animals are doing throughout the day and night.  There are funny pictures too, like a warthog that was smiling into the camera.  I also loved doing the evening game counts where we record all the species we see on the drive.  When I did the waterhole count, I had the chance to observe giraffes: 1 female and 3 younger males drinking from the waterhole.

I look forward to my next project at CCF as well as my next plan in life.  It is hard for me to go back to my cold country and work behind a computer screen all day.  But I still have a dream to come back to this beautiful place and revisit all the wonderful people I have met here.  I especially want to thank Belinda Hans (CCF Administrator) and Brian Badger (CCF Operations Manager) who helped make my dream come true. 

Thank you all and I wish I could stay here longer.

Andrea

"N" is for Northern Black Korhaan

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.

When referencing African wildlife, most people automatically think of the mega fauna while the smaller species tend to be forgotten.  So today’s blog will highlight one of these overlooked animals: the Northern Black Korhaan. 

This bird species belongs to the bustard family.  Its key features for identification is its lain black neck, bright yellow legs and red base of the bill.  This species is most commonly solitary.

Males defend their territories from each other by attacking outside males with its wings, causing the other males flying off.  The males mate with multiple females who incubate 1 to 3 eggs and raise the chicks alone.

They are found in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho and Angola where they occur in the nama Karoo, sandveld areas, open savannah and grass covered dunes.  They prefer open grassland and scrub.  The diet of the Northern Black Korhaan consists mainly of insects like termites, beetles and grasshoppers, but it also eats seeds from grass and fruits.  The Northern Black Korhaan is listed on the IUCN Red List as a not threatened species.

"M" is for Mongoose

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.

When referencing African wildlife most people automatically think of the megafauna while the smaller species tend to be forgotten.  So today’s blog will highlight one of these overlooked animals: the banded mongoose.

The banded mongoose is a small yet sturdy animal that can weigh between 1.5 to 2kg.  They are dark brown/grey in colour with brown bands running down their body and tail.

Unlike most mongoose species that are solitary, the banded mongoose lives in large social groups where all the females mate and produce young.  When the groups get too big some of the younger females will be pushed out of the group by the older females and males and will form groups of their own.

They are listed as least concern by the IUCN and can be found throughout East and South-central Africa; they are extremely adaptable and live in a variety of habitats such as savannah, open forests and grassland, although they do prefer to stay near water.  Their main diet consists of beetles, millipedes and other insects but they will also feed on small frogs, birds and eggs to sustain their diet. 

"L" is for Leopard

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.

It gives me considerable pleasure to talk this week about my undoubted favourite of the big cats; the Leopard. Graceful and lethal, males can weigh up 90 kg, and are nearly 2m long.  Yet despite their size, they are rarely seen, and most historical estimates of their population have been found to have been produced using highly unreliable methods.  We do know that they existed over a significantly larger range than they do today.

Despite that range reduction, leopards can still be found in over 70 countries across sub-saharan Africa, the Middle East, India, and SE Asia.   They are highly adaptable and can survive in a wide variety of habitats from deserts to swamps, to grasslands, and even rain-forests.  They seem most at home in mountainous and rocky areas, however.  Leopards are often portrayed as the most intelligent, and dangerous of the big cats. San Bushmen in Namibia have reported that while their hunting parties will sometimes chase lions off a kill and take the meat back to their village, they would never dare to steal from a leopard for fear of it following them home and taking something, (or someone) else, in return!

The IUCN lists the leopard as "Near Threatened", but also say that it might be reclassified as "Vulnerable" in the future, due to habitat losses and the numbers of leopards killed in an effort at "pest control" (mainly to protect against livestock losses).  It is legal to trophy hunt leopards in most countries, and while these hunts may or may not have a significant impact, their inclusion in that most infamous of hunting lists -- "the Big Five" -- has resulted in massive numbers of leopards being killed for their skins.

Leopards eat a wide variety of prey, from small rodents, arthropods and birds, to larger antelopes, and, where wild prey is unavailable, they will, like other predators, take domestic livestock.  Such incidents are less common than is generally believed, and many leopards are unnecessarily killed as a result of perceived and unfounded threats.

Here at CCF, we have a large and healthy leopard population dominated by an 8 or 9 year old male that some staff have nicknamed Goliath.  Both our field staff and camera traps see leopards frequently, and they never fail to inspire a sense of awe and joy.

-- Ryan Sucaet

"K" is for Kudu!

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.

This week we have a magnificent giant, the Greater Kudu.  Standing up to 150cm at the shoulder and weighing in at 315kg, with males mounting horns of over a meter, this is one of our larger and most distinctive animals.  Kudu's can jump fences from a standing start, and have ears sensitive enough to hear our supposedly silent camera traps triggering.

Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, there are close to half a million greater kudu spread across 17 countries from Ethiopia and Chad in the north, down to South Africa. Nearly two-thirds of the population exists on private land, where it is highly valued as a trophy animal - indeed, without this demand the population today would undoubtedly be much lower.

Kudus are browsers, and eat a considerable range including many herbs, fruits, succulents, and foliage, with acacia being a major staple. Providing their diet is sufficiently moist they have no need to visit waterholes for additional fluids, although in the parched environment at CCF, they are a frequent visitor at our dams. 

Over the last few years many of Namibia's kudu have succumbed to an ongoing rabies epidemic.  More research is needed on the topic, but it's believed they are particularly susceptible to spreading this disease because of the way multiple animals often chew on the same spiny branches of the acacias, thus passing the disease via their bloodied lips and tongues.  Numbers still appear to be high however, especially where populations are actively managed.

"J" is for Jackal

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.

The jackal is the most heavily persecuted carnivore in Southern Africa and has been relentlessly hunted, trapped and poisoned for decades.  Fortunately for the species, they are extremely clever animals, and seem capable of surviving almost any amount of human hostility, while continuing to prey on small-stock species such as sheep and goats.  A former colleague of mine once described a fascinating video sequence taken in NW South Africa that showed a jackal and a gin trap… The jackal approached cautiously, sniffed the trap, circled the trap, stared at the trap, and then finally, lightening fast and quite deliberately, triggered it with one foreleg without loosing so much as a hair in the process! Many jackals are killed by gin traps, poison and bullets, but those that survive seem to breed ever trickier offspring, and each generation becomes harder to eradicate.  Millions of Rand have been pumped into schemes to eradicate Jackals, but none of it seems to slow them down.

At CCF, where animals are not persecuted, the jackals are commonly seen.  Elsewhere, in places where they are actively hunted, they are almost never seen by human eyes.

The black-backed jackal exists in two very distinct sub-species, one in southern Africa, and the other 1000 km away in East Africa (where it's sometimes known as the Silver-Backed Jackal).  There are no reliable estimates of their population, but it appears to be stable, and the IUCN lists them as "Least Concern".

The black backed jackals prefer open grassland or woody savannas, as opposed to dense bush and can be found up to 3000m amsl.  They appear quite fox-like, are up to a metre long, and weigh around 10-12 kg.  They will opportunistically hunt, but may also try to take carcasses away from other larger predators, including cheetah.  Jackals are intensely family oriented, and both the parents and older siblings will aggressively defend young pups, and attempt to keep other predators far away from their dens. 

Jackals are seen day and night on camera traps, and are a common, and welcome, sight during our monthly waterhole counts.  We have also seen on a couple of occasions a rare, pure white jackal, probably an albino.

-- Rob Thompson, Volunteer

"I" is for Impala

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.

This time I have the chance to talk about a rare visitor to CCF.  Given that Namibia (aside from the far NW) is not part of their range, we were rather surprised to spot Common Impala on our camera traps.  There have been just enough sightings to convince us that they seem to have settled, but we think it's probably quite a small group.  We've no real idea where they originated, but given that the species has been introduced to numerous game farms in Namibia, it's probably safe to assume that they escaped from one of those.

The IUCN lists Impala as Least Concern, since their population is large (approx. 2 million) and stable.  More usually they are found much further east ranging from Kenya in the north to Botswana, and north-western South Africa in the south, and all the way across to the Indian Ocean.  A numerically smaller sub-species, the Black-Faced Impala is resident in Namibia's Etosha National Park.

A mixed browser and grazer, the impala can usually be found in areas with both woodland and open grasslands.  They seem to prefer grass in the wet season, and bushes in the dry season, although many exceptions occur.  Impala are about 150cm (59") long and stand 90cm (35") at the shoulder, with gracefully curving horns on males only. Unique to impalas are scent glands on the fetlocks thought to aid lost members of a herd by laying 'trail markers' as the group moves. 

Males can be extremely aggressive to each-other while competing for females, and deaths do occur.  Courtship displays also involve both long and high jumps, with members of a herd often becoming so involved in what they are doing that they become oblivious to everything else.  Barring accidents impala will live to around 15 years, although 50% of calves are lost to carnivores within a few weeks of birth.

H is for Honey Badger

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,we use these pictures to illustrate some of the wealth of animal life in Namibia - one species per week.  We hope you will enjoy seeing a little more of our world here in the bush.

This week we're introducing one of our favourite carnivores, the Honey Badger.

Found throughout sub-Saharan and north-western Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian sub-continent, and even up in Turkmenistan, the Honey Badger has a huge range and possibly a multitude of sub-species, although there has been insufficient research done for anyone to be sure.  They can live almost anywhere from arid deserts, to dense rain-forests, and from sea-level to the dizzy 4000m heights of the Bale National Park in Ethiopia.  Despite this vast range, they nonetheless appear to exist in a very low population density throughout.  Unfortunately, there are no reliable estimates for their population size either now, or in the past, but it appears that this is likely always to have been the case. 

The Honey Badger is a small and cute looking carnivore, but that soft exterior masks a ferocious temperament that is backed up by a powerful body and sharp claws.  Males measure up to 75cm (30") with a 30cm (12") tail and weigh around 16kg (35 lbs), with the females up to 20% smaller.  They feed on a wide variety of prey, from insects, through snakes (many of them extremely venomous)  all the way up to sub-adult antelope, but are also known to have a sweet tooth, and can often be found stealing honey straight out of bee hives… and eating the bees too.  They will aggressively defend their territory against all comers, including much larger animals such as lions or cape buffalo, and small groups have been known to chase equal numbers of sub-adult lions off of a kill before stealing the meat.

Little is known about Honey Badger reproduction, but they appear to have between 1-4 young after a six month gestation period.  In captivity they have been known to live up to twenty-six years.  At CCF Honey Badgers are only rarely seen in person, although a number of staff have been lucky enough to see them seemingly unconcernedly strolling along the middle of roads pointedly ignoring the large vehicle following them.  On camera traps they are usually seen in pairs, but even here, the sightings are infrequent.