Gilman International Conservation

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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 5-8

Click here to read days 9-10

Day 11

      Yesterday was the last day we had the helicopter, so the last rhino will have to wait until next year.  Sad to say we are done with the rhino work for the rest of my time here in Africa.  We still have the hyena and one more lion to retrieve collars from.  Liz and Chris also left for CCF at first light; it was great working and getting to know them both. 

      Today we decided to take a day trip through Etosha National Park.  The main gate to Ongava is only about 20m from the Anderson’s Gate into Etosha.  As we entered the park we stopped for snacks at the gift shop and to walk over to the water hole next to the bungalow camp.  I think you could have a lot of fun staying in one of these huts; there is a lot of activity from zebra, oryx and springbok.  Going in to the park I was just hoping to see elephants.  And, we saw three about 10 minutes after leaving the gift shop area.  They were off in the distance, but still amazing to see.  We went from water hole to water hole.  I think we saw as much as you could ask for.  We came across a group of lions eating a freshly killed zebra at a water hole.  A young male elephant playing in a water hole; I found him very entertaining to watch.  He had his section of the water hole, and every time something would come near he would chase them to the other side of the hole.  The wildlife and the landscape were unbelievable, and I think it’s one of those places that you will just have to visit, because I could never do it justice trying to describe it in words and photos. 

      With an amazing day trip behind us, we returned to Ongava with enough daylight left for Axel to take a couple practice shots with the dart gun he would be using tonight.  We decided to try for the lion first.  Stew had talked to the guides for the Ongava Lodge and they reported seeing a collared lion north of an area called “concrete block” (the name refers to the 2x2 foot square block of concrete that is left from an old structure that was torn down several years earlier).  We moved into the area and put bait under a tree in a large clearing.  Axel called over the radio “to play that Disco” and Stew obliged by playing the recording of a pig squealing.  And we sat and waited. 

      We got our first guests, those two big males again.  As they went to work on our bait, it was discussed what we should do over the radio.  It was decided to try to save the bait by having the truck with the speakers drive away playing the hyena call, which should make the two males give chase.  The truck drove away, and the female we wanted followed.  She did not come alone though, we now have two adult males, two adult females, and five sub-adults at our bait.  Axel waited for his shot, and then took it.  The female was darted; the pride was still near her.  The call was made that we were going to have to grab her and get her out of the area so we could get the collar off.  The truck with the speakers drove away playing the hyena calls, and the two males started to follow.  With the other two trucks, we raced in and boxed the sedated female off from the sub-adults.  Not fully sure where the other adult female was, but with search light making sweeps over the area, Axel and a few of the anti-poaching unit guys grabbed the lion and put her in the bed of our truck.  Axel and I jumped back into his truck and raced out of the area and back down to “concrete block.”  The roads we were using were so soft that the others could not follow us because we were kicking up so much dirt they could not see.

      Once we got down to “concrete block” Axel and I started examining the poor lion that was now covered in dirt from the race down the hill.  While we waited for the others to help us get the big girl out of the truck; we dusted her off, cleaned out her mouth and eyes with water.  The others arrived shortly.  The night was still early, only about 10:30pm, and we had one more piece of bait.  We returned to the research center to get the bait for the hyena. 

      We went to a small clearing deeper in the hills than last night.  We set out the bait and started calling.  At least three hyenas came into the area. Our friend with the collar was one of them.  While waiting for a clear shot, the same two female lions came back again.  The “disco” was turned off.  Knowing that this was our last piece of bait, we used the trucks as blocks so that Stew could load the bait back into his truck.  We started driving up the road, heading back to the clearing from the night before.  This time we were going to try something a little different: just drag the bait, up to the next clearing, and hope the lions didn’t follow.

      We attached the bait to the back of Stew’s truck and started to drive to the next clearing about 3km away.  It was too dark to see any movement in the bush, but we started to receive a signal from the collar on the telemetry receiver.  The hyena was following the bait.  Once we reached the field, the bait was placed under a tree, and we positioned our truck down wind from the bait.  We positioned the truck down wind from the bait because Axel was trying a new drug combination that was easier to reverse; the drawback is the concentrations of drugs he had available made the darts heavy.  We could not afford to have the wind interfere with the trajectory of the dart.  We waited; the hyenas came in, still very nervous.  Axel took his shot, and the dart was in.  I managed to keep a spotlight on the hyena until it disappeared in the bush like a ghost.  Now, it was a race to find the hyena before any lions. 

      We all loaded into Stew’s truck and using the telemetry antenna drove as far into the bush as the truck would take us.  The signal got stronger, and the bush got thicker; we dismounted and started a ground search on foot.  We found the hyena sleeping under a tree; the dart has been in for over 40 minutes.  It was late and we had our hyena; talk of a celebratory glass of whiskey gave us an idea.  The idea was to take the hyena back to the research center with us, wake her up outside of the fence so we could keep an eye on her as she woke up; and so we could drink without staying up until 2am.  We all thought this sounded like a great plan, but Ken decided he was still going to take off the collar before we loaded her into the truck.  Once the collar was off, one APU guy and I lifted the hyena up and started to walk for the truck.  The hyena started to kick and throw its head around.  As we quickly tried to put her down she jumped out, landed on her feet, took a few wobbly steps and then ran at full speed into the bush.  We all started to laugh, and make jokes about the hyena not wanting to go back to camp, and not needing any reversal drugs.  As it turned out the hyena only got about a half dose of drugs, and when it took us over 40 minutes to find her, the drugs had time to wear off. 

      We returned to camp with a clear mind knowing we had accomplished our goals for the week.  One rhino did not get ear notched, but it is the only sub-adult without notching.  Monitoring will not be affected.  I can’t speak for the others, but Mr. Walker on the rocks was a great way to close the night. 

Day 12

      After breakfast; Ken, Axel and I sat down to review and discuss a proposal they are working on to build a rhino orphanage and rehabilitation center.  The proposal for the government is still in the works.  But, the basic infrastructure is in place to make it a reality in the near future.  The hearts and minds of the ones involved are in the right spot.  This would be a facility to better the lives of the animals that need the help.  Not for public show or a new tourist attraction.  I hope I will be able to contribute more to this project as it develops. 

      As all great things do, our time at Ongava ended today.  With happy adieus given by all, Axel and I headed back to Otjiwarongo.  My trip is nearly over.  Just one last stop tomorrow…the airport. 

My closing thoughts

      Sadly my time here in Namibia was short, but it was packed with eye opening memories that I will take with me for the rest of my life.  Some say “once in a life time” and I guess I can agree with that; the events and feeling are a one time thing, but I hope I can return to this beautiful country again soon. 

      Everything is linked together, and in order to save the rhino, we must save its home and give it land to move and live.  By saving the land needed for a healthy rhino population, it means you give all the other species of plants, reptiles, and animals a chance to live too.  The way that individuals are linked to populations, populations to environments, environments to ecosystems.  We have the moral responsibility to work together.  During the last two weeks I have worked with or a part of: White Oak Conservation Center, Gilman International Conservation, Cheetah Conservation Fund, Save the Rhino Trust, Ongava Game Preserve and Research Center, and the Otjiwarongo Veterinary Clinic.  The funding for these groups comes from all over the world; ideas of how to operate are as diverse as our cultures.  But, the end goal is the same: conservation. 

      I would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Axel Hartmann for his invitation, hospitality, and generosity in having me as his guest.  And to Steve Shurter and White Oak for having the confidence in me to represent White Oak Conservation Center on an international level.  I also hope that the friendships I have made can result in new ideas and connections that will benefit how we all work.