"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.

"T" is for Termite!

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 blog entries, I will use these pictures to illustrate some of the wealth of animal life in Namibia – about one species per week.  I hope you will enjoy seeing a little more of our world here in the bush.

T is for… Termite.  Technically we only have photos of termite mounds, but I hope you'll like the entry all the same.

There are several hundred termite species in the area, none of which are listed on the IUCN redlist.  At CCF we are lucky enough to have fungus-growing termites, from which we harvest a small number of the large mushrooms produced (typically 30cm diameter) to supplement our own table at mealtime. 

These termites feed predominantly on vegetable matter, and can be highly damaging in areas where crops are grown.  Here, however, they have ample food sources amongst natural vegetation, although they do sometimes consume wooden fence posts.  Elsewhere in the world, termites have been known to burrow through all sorts of building materials including concrete, and annually cause billions of US dollars of damage.

The mounds created by termite colonies hereabouts generally range in size from 1-2m, although I know of one that is around 4m.  What is seen on the surface is only about 25-30% of the total mound size, with the rest buried beneath the surface.  Air temperature within and without is about the same as the surrounding temperature, although it is believed that the maze of tunnels may help with air purity within the colony.  The queens can be found in large chambers underground, and many species mate for life, each with a single breeding male.

Most other insects are repelled either by soldier termites, or via a system of 'chemical' warfare with some species able to produce powerful insect repellants that are dispersed through the nest.

Termites are high in protein, even more so than beef, and are considered a delicacy in many countries, including Namibia.  Fried termites taste rather like roasted peanuts.  In other parts of Africa, termite flour is made, and even termite stock cubes. 

Although much research is still needed, termites do not appear to be in any way endangered, with numbers estimated to be either stable or in some cases increasing.

A cheetah standing on a termite mound

Gobabis to Otjiwarongo: The Translocation of Four Females

On 7 November 2012, Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) staff was called to pick up five cheetahs that were caught inside traps set out by a farmer in the Gobabis region of Namibia (~ 6 hour drive from CCF headquarters).    Before the CCF team arrived, they were informed that one of the cheetahs, a young female, died under unknown circumstances.   The farmer led the team through a maze of gravel and dirt roads, and finally arrived to the site of the captured cheetahs.  A chicken coop, a water trough, a metal trap-cage and a group of four highly stressed female cheetahs were what we found.  After assessing the situation, we decided to capture the cheetahs into wooden boxes in order to transport them back to CCF.

Considering the heat of the day and the stress level of the cheetahs, the team worked as quickly as possible, eventually moving all 4 cats, one at a time, into the trap cage and then to the the transfer crate.  The long journey home was not the end of the day.  Around 21:00, CCF staff were still working up two of the females.  One was an older female (3-5 years old)  and the other was an older cub (~18 months).  The two cats appeared to be in decent health.  The following day, the other two females were worked up.  One was a cub, which was in good health, the other was an adult female, whose condition was not as fortunate.  This female had old injuries on and in between her paws and pads.  Due to the degenerative state of her paws, Otjiwarongo veterinarian, Axel, assisted in the amputation of one of her toes, which had been severely broken.  After the procedure, the cheetah recovered normally in a safe, cemented quarantine pen, to prevent her from moving too much and possibly worsening the wounds on her feet.

The amputee female, who was given the name “Toeless,” was scheduled on 15 November to go to the dentist to have two root canals performed on her canines as well as an incisor removal  She was taken to Otjiwarongo, and the procedures were carried out by human dentist and loyal friend, Dr. Profitt.  Under anaesthetic  the condition of her paws was assessed, and although they were getting much better, she still needed more time to heal.

Three weeks later, “Toeless” was anaesthetised gain, but this time Dr. Profitt came to CCF to perform another root canal.  Also during this time her pads were checked again and they were looking much better!  She was fitted with a satellite collar and the bonding process between her and her previous chicken coop mates began.  The four females were all in one pen the following day, and all went well.  “Toeless” seemed anxious to have a large pen that she could move around in, so she ran up and down the fence line, while the “Mom” and two cubs hid in the grasses and watched.  There was very little interaction between the females as a whole.

The next day, on 8 December 2012, CCF staff captured “Mom,” the other adult female, who may or may not be the mother of the two older, near independent cubs.  She was anesthetised and also placed with a GPS/VHF combination collar.  After a speedy recovery all four females were once again reunited.  We kept the foursome together for another week and tried to bond them by having them share several warthog carcasses.  The two adult females showed promising wild behaviours as they quickly opened up the carcass, which can be a very difficult feat for the inexperienced.  The two cubs were more hesitant and usually waited to feed after the carcass was already opened.

Finally, on 15 December, the four females were once again captured in transport crates and taken on a 45 minute drive to CCF’s soft-release camp, Bellebenno.  This 4,000ha (nearly 10,000 acre) game camp is filled with premium game for these cats to feed on.  Oryx, eland, kudu, red hartebeest, steenbok, duiker and warthog are all on the menu, and this time of the year is calving season.  We decided on this location as it would give the females the best chance at survival, especially if they all split up.

A warthog carcass was placed in the centre of the four crates that temporarily held the cheetahs.  The release was in place.  The crate doors were lifted and out ran the four females, in four separate directions, without even a glance at the free warthog.  The CCF team quickly departed as to not interfere anymore with their behaviour.

In the following days, the two adult females’ satellite collars fed CCF staff information on their whereabouts.  They remained separate from one another and “Mom” went onto our neighbours property after the first day of release.  The second day, “Toeless” also left Bellebenno, but returned on day threee.  The two cubs' locations are unknown as they were not fitted with satellite collars.  Hopefully, several of CCF’s camera traps and ground tracking team will be able to observe the cats in the future, to assess their condition.

All releases are complicated and must be carefully thought out, since each cheetah is different. As these four females were all wild prior to being captured, and are deemed to be healthy, our expectations on their ability to survive are high. With this, we are happy to know that four more cheetahs are back where they belong –in the wild.   The survival of the species depends on it.  

Ryan Marcel Sucaet
Assistant Cheetah Keeper & Research Assistant
sucaetry@gmail.com

"S" is for Serval

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 appeal 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.

The letter "S" brings us back to the cat family, with the acrobatic Serval.

Although rarely seen by visitors, the serval is present in over 40 countries south of the sahara, and has also been reintroduced into Tunisia.  There may also still be a few in Algeria, but this isn't known for certain.  The Namibian population is limited to the north-eastern portion of the country, with CCF just on the edge of the range.  During five years of field work, I have only had two sightings, and even on camera traps, they are highly unusual.

The total population size isn't known, but most national parks within their range report healthy populations and as a result, the species as a whole is listed by the IUCN as Least Concern. 

Servals mainly eat small mammals, such as rodents, and are also good at catching birds - sometimes in flight.  They are talented jumpers, able to jump over 7m to land on their prey, and typically are successful about 50% of the time with this kind of attack.  Hunting occurs during the latter portion of the afternoon and throughout the night.  Servals stand 62 cm at the shoulder with males weighing around 11 kg.

Although the population is stable, servals are hunted for their pelts in several west-African countries, where they are used for both medicinal and ceremonial purposes.  Elsewhere in Africa their range is being reduced as wetland areas are drained to support increasing human populations.  They do not kill small livestock, but do sometimes take chicken and small poultry.  Servals actually can be beneficial to farmers by reducing local rodent populations.

"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. 

"Q" is for Quelea

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.

Q is for… human wildlife conflict on a MASSIVE scale.  Sometimes described as Africa's most hated bird, the diminutive Red-Billed Quelea stands just 13 cm (5") tall yet is responsible for more than $50 million US dollars of agricultural damage every year.  Tens of millions are culled on an annual basis using chemical sprays, high explosives, and even flamethrowers. Yet despite the massive effort to reduce the population, it remains stable, with a range spanning 20% of the total area of Africa. Evidence suggests it may in fact be the world's most numerous bird species. The IUCN lists them as Least Concern. 

Although individually small, and consuming just 10g (0.35 oz) of grain per day, flocks can number in the millions, eating tens of tons of grain every single day. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization lists them as one of the most significant threats to grain production in Africa.  Annual international conferences are held to address control methods, but so far all efforts to reduce the impact of the quelea on African grain crops have met with failure.

In the part of Namibia where CCF is based, the landscape is too dry to support large scale grain crops.  We are surrounded by game and cattle farms and the flocks of Red-Billed Queleas that we see are small, numbering in the hundreds.  Since they can also eat insects and wild seeds, there is still plenty for them to eat, but not enough to support the massive flocks seen elsewhere. 

Queleas are monogamous, with each couple laying up to 5 eggs per breeding season.

Although too small to trigger camera traps unless they pass very close to the sensor, queleas are sometimes seen in the background when other, larger animals pass by.

Puppies on the Move!

Today, our intrepid little explorers made their biggest move yet of their young lives. A day trip out into the large, enclosed grazing area next to the kraal! They weren’t too sure at first and didn’t even want to follow mom, Aleya. After much encouragement (and by that I mean having to carry them!), they were safely ensconced in their new environment. But they weren’t happy about being somewhere strange and, at first, tried to find a way out through the fence!

We left them for a while to settle in and to make friends with the dairy goats, and then all went quiet. Who needs a huge field when there’s a lovely spot of shade next to the water trough and under a lovely tree? These little guys aren’t stupid, that’s for sure.

They will spend every day for the next couple of weeks out here, getting used to a bigger area and being able to stretch those short, stumpy legs! Good training for when they go off to their new homes. We’ll keep you updated on their progress! 

"P" is for Porcupine

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.

Absolutely unmistakable for anything else in the area, the Cape Porcupine is one of three porcupine species in Africa, but the only one to be found in Namibia. They can also be found in southern Kenya, Uganda, and the DRC, and throughout most of the mainland countries further south, though they avoid desert regions in Namibia and Botswana.  They are relatively common, and believed to be stable in numbers, with the IUCN listing them as "Least Concern".

The Cape Porcupine is large for a rodent - up to 1m (39 inches) in length and 24 kg (53 lbs).  They are almost entirely nocturnal and are commonly seen on night game counts, and foraging among the kitchen scraps at CCF's HotSpot cafenhere in Namibia. 

Porcupines are one of the few species that mate for reasons other than procreation.  They mate every day, in order to maintain the bond between the pair.

They are predominantly vegetarian, preferring roots, bark, bulbs and other plant material, but have been known to scavenge from old carcasses.  Although quills are popular souvenirs, porcupines shed enough of them to satisfy the demand and therefore are not usually hunted.  

Puppy Visits!

The puppies that went to their new homes a couple of weeks ago were due their 12 week rabies vaccinations so a dog road trip was in order. The puppies had been placed in the Otjiwarongo, Okakarara and Grootfontein areas so I was able to do a circular trip over two days. I was also visiting four adult dogs for their annuals and boosters.

The trip started nice and early on Monday morning (5.30am) amid a crashing thunder and lightning storm. But the sun soon came out and the temperatures rose! It had rained overnight in certain areas and what a strange sight it was to see great puddles in the road.

I am happy to report that all of the puppies have settled in well at their farms and they are all working well with the young goats and lambs. They have also grown at a rapid rate. One of the females is very advanced for her age and is already going out for a couple of hours in the morning on a leash with the herder! 

Apparently she loves being out in the bush and she’s already becoming an excellent guard dog.

They all received their rabies shot, some more calmly than others, and I gave them a spot-on formula (Advantage Multi) for fleas, ticks and internal worms and parasites. Thanks to some generous donations I was also able to leave de-worming medication for the puppies to ensure they are kept healthy during our hot, wet summer season.

The puppies will receive another visit when they reach six months to check on their progress and we’ll post another update then.  

--Anja Bradley

The donations that Anja is referring to is an example of our "Wish List" in action -- click here and see if there is something that you can donate to assist our team in Namibia.

A Small Event with Lifelong Impact

Todays blog post comes courtesy of one of our visitors, Beirne Konarski, and provides a terrific example of the notion that even small experiences when we are children can have a lifelong impact on the adult we become:

I was about 11 or 12 the first time I ever saw a cheetah, at a Big Brothers event north of Los Angeles.  The picnic was held at a park and the thing that stood out was a cheetah that a man had brought.  I went up to see it and the cheetah licked my hand.  It's tongue was rough, like number 40 sandpaper, but it was real neat having my hand licked.  I then got to have the photo taken that appears below, one that I've been able to keep through the years, including two times where I moved and could only keep what I could fit in a suitcase.

Years later after looking at the picture again I got curious and searched for "cheetah" on the Internet.  I discovered the CCF and soon became a sponsor.  I followed their work and when I found that they accept visitors I put together a trip to Namibia to see the CCF with my fiancee.  This took a few years but I'm real glad I went.  We had a great time seeing cheetahs up close and learning more about the creative work that the CCF is doing.

You never know how an experience will affect your life years later but I'm real glad I got to meet the cheetah when I was a kid.

Beirne "Bern" Konarski
http://www.genvoyage.com

To learn more about planning your own visit to CCF, click here.