The wild dogs spent most of their day chilling out in the hills but awoke for their normal late afternoon greeting ceremony. With that all out the way it was time to chill out again, but the peace was soon disturbed. Danger! No, just a bunch of zebra coming through AND of course time for fun and games!

• 5/24/09
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The elephant herds came in to drink at the pan, but all ended up having a jolly great wallow. And the young bulls, happy to have cooled off, found time to wrestle in the pan before moving on to catch up with the herd.

• 4/26/09
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The elephants moved in to wallow at Ganyani pan. Big ones and littles ones. While the adults got to wallow in a serious way, the little ones were just having fun. But for an even smaller observer, a Knob-billed Duck, this was all a bit much as she watched them trample the area where she possibly had eggs or even little ducklings hidden in the grass.

• 4/18/09
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The giraffe came out in the open just as the sun was setting and I had just landed. Perfect timing as I clambered for my camera and was quickly nestled on the ground as the giraffe kept on with their approach. What is this thing? Such a typical African silhouette.

• 4/17/09
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With my day revolving around the airstrip and flying, the impala were at one stage on the move. The big impala migration takes place several times a day as they for some reason all get together and head west. And then later repeat the same thing heading east! And often times they get impatient and take off!

• 4/16/09
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With flocks often numbering in their millions, Red-billed Quelea are the most plentiful bird in the world. They have the fastest breeding cycle of the birds with only 3 weeks from egg laying to fledging and can breed 2 to 3 times in a good season. It is then that one sees these massive flocks feeding across the savannah.

• 4/12/09
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It’s the annual dung ball race. Jockey’s are in place and the rollers are rolling. Ball 1 maintains a lead until he has a runaway ball. Ball 2 pulls up alongside him and overtakes. But can he hold the lead. He faulters and Ball 1 takes the lead again. Then Ball 1 has a runaway ball and Roller 1 loses his ball. Can he find it in time before Ball 2 takes the lead? This video came straight back to mind when I found myself rolling car tyres up and down the river bed today.

• 4/11/09
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I haven’t seen the dogs for a week now, so was overly excited to see them today. And even happier that they’re all accounted for, all 10 of them. They’re all looking well fed and in great condition.

• 4/10/09
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It’s a constant battle to control prime real estate along the Bandama pan shoreline for these Sandpipers. And they’ll fight beak and claw to hang on to their prize hunting grounds.

• 4/9/09
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Manyari was still chewing on her wildebeest carcass. The 2 young male lions had been chased off and Sjambok now dominated the scene. With no respect for Manyari or the fact that she was dining, Sjambok mated her right there on the carcass. She stopped briefly for the short interlude and then continued to feed. The next time round Manyari’s morals took her away from the dinner table for her activities.

• 4/8/09
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The wild dogs weren’t really interested in the zebra until they started walking away. And the zebra weren’t really concerned with the wild dogs approaching them. But both teams played along and played the game.

• 4/7/09
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Once the herd had been in the mud wallow, the usual grey elephants had turned to bronze sculptures of amazing shapes and proportions. And loving it they all did. Especialliy the little guys going wild in the mud.

• 4/6/09
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As the early morning rays shine through the Acacias, the yellow-billed oxpeckers awake, having spent the night roosting on their host. The zebra foal isn’t too impressed with their morning activities, while other oxpeckers enjoy the ride and catch the early morning rays on mom’s back.

• 4/5/09
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The lions had killed this wildebeest bull at dawn and already well fed, this young male took it upon himself to try and drag the carcass, much the same weight as him, into the shade. The 20m drag took him a good 10mins of hard work but once in the shade and out of sight of vultures he had the rest of the day to feed at his own pace.

• 4/4/09
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These Marabou storks had gathered for a ‘conference’ along the shores of Chiloveka dam, all minding their own business and grooming themselves. The flock of swallows were real busy bodies taking a bath while on the wing soon before sunset.

• 4/3/09
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After many unsuccessful chases, it was eventually Jiggy that made a kill all on his own. Having fed he was off to call the pups. A vulture was hoping to cash in during his absense, but my presence seemed to keep it away. Jiggy was soon back with Puzzles and Chevvy and a little later the rest of the pack arrived. The small impala kill was soon over and the pack moved down to the Chiredzi river, again almost tempted to cross.

• 4/2/09
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Before dawn the pups were hassling a couple of hyaenas. The game carried on into the day. They had cornered the hyaenas in some bush and were tormenting them. All really just playing a game. Bored with the hyaenas the pups played with each other while the hyaenas watched from their bush. A third hyaena arrived and the pups were onto it. By the sound of it, it wasn’t a happy hyaena and took off.

• 4/1/09
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The dogs were still sleeping at dawn when I joined them. I took up their cue and chilled out too. The morning was quiet with just a few crickets calling. The peace and solitude were just magical. The pups eventually got up to a slow start and then the sudden frenzy to greet mom and dad before all bedding down again for the day.

• 3/20/09
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After the soft gentle rains fell all morning, the bushveld was left covered in these little droplets like jewels hanging in the wild. Even a Golden Orb Spider had its own jewels all over its body and ‘pearls’ hanging from its web.

• 3/19/09
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The wild dog pups were all huddled up together in the rain looking very sorry for themselves. But when the rain stopped they all sprang back to life and with mass excitement ran off to greet mom and dad.

• 3/18/09
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Jiggy and Puzzles had already fed and were off to find the pups. Finding mom, the pups managed to get her to regurgitate and then the frantic search was on to find the remains of the carcass, if there was any. The long grass made going tough with the dogs jumping their way through.

• 3/16/09
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Having moved a long way north this morning, the dogs enjoyed their all day siesta and were now slowly waking with lots of social grooming from all pack members. Jiggy and Puzzles have their own private session while the pups work as a team grooming each other.

• 3/15/09
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The wild dog pack got straight into hunting mode on seeing the herd of impala on the airstrip. Ears flattened they advanced like a brigade, walking with purpose. At 400m the impala were unaware of them in the open. They kept advancing as a unit led by Puzzles. At 200m they picked up there pace to a trot. Only when less than 100m off were the impala suddenly alarmed. The dogs were out of their starting blocks with incredible speed and the chase was on.

• 3/13/09
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http://blip.tv/file/get/Wildcaster-ElephantCalvesDash559.flv

• 3/12/09
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The wild dogs caught a waterbuck calf in a very short chase. The calf still full of energy cried for help but its mother was nowhere to be found. She'd probably left her little one stashed away while she went off to feed. The pack made short work of the calf feeding on as the full moon rose.

• 3/11/09
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The pack were back on the Chiredzi River this morning and Jiggy was desperate to cross. Eventually he did and was followed by Puzzles but the pups didn’t dare it. Then Puzzles came back and the pack followed Jiggy on the opposite bank moving up and down the river. A huge croc came swimming by, hoping to get lucky. Thankfully Jiggy was aware of it and managed to cross somewhere upstream.

• 3/10/09
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As the moon sets and dawn breaks the wild dogs head out single-file on the hunt. Today the pups lead the way. it's all seems very regimental as they march their way down local vehicle tracks with one mission in mind - kill for breakfast.

• 3/9/09
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These young giraffe bulls are just playing and practising. Practising for the real fight one day when they challenge another bull for the rights to a female. But for now it's more like neck wrestling.

• 3/8/09
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