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Jason Gue, White Oak Conservation Center rhino keeper, traveled to Namibia Africa, to assist in Black Rhino monitoring programs. He kept a daily record of his travels....

Click here to read days 1-4

Click here to read days 9-10

Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8

Day 5

Today started a little earlier than the other days.  We had to break down camp and still get to the water hole just after first light.  As we walk to our new camp we still tried to track rhinos; but unlike the other days, if the tracks headed south we would not follow them.  We walked to the spring and we were in luck: fresh tracks.  We followed them for about a kilometer or so before they took a decisive turn towards the south.  We started a new course back for the ridgeline that we had climbed yesterday before returning to camp.

 The 20km walk to the new camp was the hardest one yet.  The climbs were long and steep, and the descents required your full attention to avoid sprained ankles or worse.  The trek took about 7 hours to complete.  Even though kudu and mountain zebra were the only wild life seen today, it was a great day.  I love the landscape, I wish I was in better shape for the terrain, but I walked through a region of this country that most people will never get to see and experience.  Axel told me this was his favorite part of the country, and I can fully understand why. 

As I mentioned yesterday, we would be taking the donkeys and camels to the new camp.  Well, this is the part of the trek that hurt the worse.  We could see the trees that lined the riverbed where our new camp was suppose to be; it was about 3km away.  The trackers told me that this was the last chance to get on a camel for a ride.  I thought it would be fun, so I accepted the offer.  It was fun, but riding camels is not the most comfortable.  I was very thankful to get to camp.    

Later that night, the trackers went up to the spring to refill our water jugs. When they returned we found out that the spring was nearly dried up.  This could be the biggest reason why we were finding so many tracks with so few rhinos.  They are moving to the south for better water sources.    

Day 6

            The day started out slow.  Most of the trackers were heading back into town for the day to attend a funeral.  After a very relaxing breakfast, we started to break down camp, and the slow long drive back.  We needed to get back to Otjiwarongo.  Axel is owner and the main operator of the Otjiwarongo Veterinary Clinic, so needless to say he had to make sure everything was still running smoothly.  I am also going to spend the day out at the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) farm tomorrow. 

Day 7

I’m in Namibia, Africa having coffee with Liz Lester, who I worked with at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs about 3 years ago.  It always amazes me how small the world is.  Liz is CCF’s Vet tech and runs the livestock guard dog program.  CCF is a working farm that is home to more than 50 cheetahs.  They do some great conservation work by not only showing local farmers that it is possible to live with cheetahs in the area but they also have classes to teach everything from farming to conservation efforts.  Liz’s position is funded by Gilman International Conservation.

Liz and I met up with one of the keepers for the morning feed run, where I got to see some of the cheetahs that will soon be exported to White Oak Conservation Center as soon as the government permits come through.  After the feed run, we toured around until it was time to go feed the baby cheetahs.  CCF is currently hand raising three cubs that were orphaned when a farmer killed there mother.  As the sun went down they (CCF staff, about 7 of us) took me out to “The Field,” which is a large open field.  We went up a three story stand to watch the sunset and the wildlife.  No cheetahs but plenty of kudu, hartebeests, and springbok. 

Day 8

Today was an eye opener.  Axel and Liz have been working together on treating the CCF live stock guard dogs for tongue cancer.  With no funds being allocated from CCF yet, Liz and Axel work together on their days off to travel and treat these sick dogs.  Since Liz can only do this on her own personal time there are a lot of dogs that have not been checked, but of the dogs that she has checked about 1/3 of them have some stage of tongue cancer.  Axel has provided about N$50,000.00 worth of treatment to keep these dogs working but still get the treatment they need.  Liz showed me the pictures of what happens to the dogs if they don’t get treated.  Dogs that literally have no tongue, and they have to submerge their head to be able to drink water.  It saddened me to realize that more is not being done to help. 

After we treated one of the cancer dogs that is currently at Axel’s clinic, we started loading up the truck to head for Ongava Game Reserve.  This is the main reason that I am here.  We will be catching young rhinos to collect biological information and implanting radio transponders in their horns.   

We arrived at the Ongava Research Center on the game reserve just as the sun was setting.  We met Ken and Sabina Stratferd and Abbie Guerier who make up the research staff.  We prepared the trucks so that we could be on the road at first light.  About 100m away outside of the fence that surrounds the research center and Ken and Sabina’s home is another fenced-in yard and home, where Stew Crawford lives.  Stew is Ongava’s game reserve manager.  Right outside of the fence between the two homes is a man-made water hole.  As we were eating dinner over at Stew’s, two adult male lions came to the water hole.  I was amazed. 

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