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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 11-12 and closing thoughts

Day 9

At 5a.m. Axel and Stew left for the airfield; they were in the helicopter.  Abbie drove the truck with the anti-poaching unit (APU), Liz and Rudi (of SRT) were in another truck, and I was with Chris (ecologist from CCF), Ken and Sabina.  Our goal was to immobilize at least 4 white rhinos before the day got too hot.  The helicopter crew would dart the rhino and try to keep it near a road, as the rest of us would drive to the rhino.  Most of the rhinos would go down within 100m of a road/jeep trail. The way this group worked together was so fluid.  The first rhino took about 30min.  Its ear was notched for identification, with the tissue from the ear being saved to run a genetic profile of the animal. Blood was collected, measurements, and transponders implanted.  The team works very well together.  We ended up doing six rhinos today, with the immobilizations lasting all around 30 minutes.  Except for the last one, which made the day extra exciting.

            The last rhino; we hit a giraffe!  We didn’t physically hit a giraffe. We had the darted rhino walking down the road, which would have been perfect, easiest one of the day.  But right before the rhino went down; a giraffe came out from the bush and scared the rhino off the road and up a hillside.  At this point we could not see the rhino anymore, so the helicopter crew guided us down the road as close to the rhino as possible.  Every one grabbed the gear out of the trucks including six 30-liter water jugs to help cool the rhino down.  Once we got to the rhino, we all worked great together once again.  Debris was cleared out from around the rhino, so when the rhino woke up there would be less chance of him getting hurt.  As the days work ended, I think the feeling was mutual; we had a great day.  It put us a head of schedule, and left us with two rhinos for tomorrow. 

            A great way to close a day is to see an adult male black rhino come to the drinking hole outside of the research center.  Ken and Sabina said his name is “Brutus” and he doesn’t actually belong at Ongava.  He broke through the fence from Etosha, and never went back.

  Day 10

           The plan was the same as yesterday.  Shortly after the helicopter was in the air, the first rhino was found.  Our only black rhino for this trip, she was a cute little girl that was in great shape.  The procedure took about 30min. and she was off to live her life.  The helicopter was off and we moved to the other end of the 125sq. mile game reserve where the white rhinos tend to be.  After a few hours of searching, the rhino could not be found, but two of the female lions that needed to have their broken GPS collars removed were found.

            Ken explained to me that the lions were equipped with collars to track their movement patterns within the prides home range.  However, the collars had stopped transmitting a signal.  This particular pride is the largest on the game preserve, but often breaks down into smaller hunting groups.  The group that we located had two males (the same two that came to the water hole a few nights ago) and two adult females (both with collars).  The lion work was scheduled for the nights after we had finished the rhinos.  But, they were in a good location and we had the helicopter.  The work with the lions is usually done at night because during the day it is hard to see the lions in the bush.  At night you can use a search light and get a reflection off of their eyes.  The helicopter allowed us to get closer to the lions without having to use bait, and it allowed for an over head view of the area, which helped locate any other lions in the area. 

            The first lion was darted and went down in an area that the trucks cannot get to.  The helicopter pushed the other lions away, while we drove as close to the lion as possible.  Ken removed the collar.  We then carried the lion to one of the trucks, and loaded the lion in the back.  We drove the lion out to a field were she could be reversed, and a vehicle could keep watch over her until she was able to protect herself.  Once, Axel administered the reversal drugs to the first lion, he rejoined the helicopter crew.  They found and darted the second lion about 500m away. 

            As we drove up to the lion, she was already on the ground, and Axel was getting out of the helicopter.  He walked up to the lion; she was still a little responsive.  After a few more minutes, he slapped her on the backside, no response.  Ken and I walked up as Axel pulled on the tail to get her to lay out flat on her side.  Then as he went to put on a blind fold, she jumped up growling; still very out of it and not walking very well.  We all ran back a few steps to give her space and let the drugs kick in a little more.  Once she went back to sleep we were able to remove the collar and give her the reversal drugs.  Both lions were back up and on their way within a few hours. 

            Back at the research center, the collars were hooked up to the computer.  Even though they had both been damaged and had stopped sending out data, they both had still been collecting GPS data points.  Several months’ worth of data was recovered.  We all rested.  Stew took the gyrocopter out to see if he could get a fix on the hyena that was wearing a collar. 

            The hyena’s collar still worked, but it had been on long enough to collect the data that they needed.  The only problem was the hyena would go into Etosha National Park where they do not have permits to dart animals.  Timing luckily was on our side, Stew got a signal, and it was from within Ongava’s property.  In preparation, two large speakers were mounted to the top of one of the trucks; they will play hyena calls to encourage our hyena close to the truck.  The sky was only lit by the stars, as we drove up the hillside towards the area the gyrocopter received the signal.  The bait was connected to the bumper and the menacing sounds of the recorded hyena played over the loud speakers as we drove. 

                 The two vehicles that did not have speakers and bait stopped in a large clearing on a hill top, while the other one drove into the valley.  After a few minutes we got the call the hyenas were following the truck and they were headed our way.  As the truck drove into the clearing, they passed in front of our headlights.  As they passed, shadows flew through the trees on the edge of the clearing.  I’ve seen hyenas on TV, but seeing them move through the trees in the dark, gave me a thrill.  The bait was now attached to a tree with lights shining on it.  We could see how the hyenas were moving around.  Cautious, wary of our presence, wanting the bait, but not trusting enough to come up, they watched and circled.  We counted at least nine, and we were in luck, one had a collar.  We heard a roar in the distant darkness.  Two female lions came into the clearing; the hyenas disappeared back into the thick bush.  Our bait had just become dinner for the lions.  It was already past midnight, we had all been awake since 5a.m., so we decide it is too late to get more bait and try again.  Tomorrow we would try again. 

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