We were out early this morning. We were on the road at just before six. It was the first misty morning we’ve had over here that we were actually out in the field. There was a very eerie feeling to the place. The mist drifted up from the ground and all around we could see the dew draped webs of millions of spiders. There wasn’t a sound from the bush initially and then the dawn chorus erupted. We could hear a vast array of birds all rejoicing the fact that they had lived through the night! Africa is a harsh place and I do not say that in jest about living through the night. We made our way West into the bush and as our eyes and ears became accustomed to the dawn we began to focus on the various fauna around us.
We used our senses and could detect a strong odour on the wind. What was it? There are so many different smells over here that it’s not easy to decipher. We act more like detectives now to figure things out and we could smell musty urine, could see spoor on the ground and hear the faint echoes of animals carried on the breeze. Then the dawn was shattered with the unmistakable sounds of Buffalo. Not just one though. This was a mass. We were in the midst of a massive herd. All around us now we could hear the sound of branches breaking and the bellowing of the Cows for their calves and the big Bulls bellowing orders.
It was an awesome sight. They came trouncing through the mist. A mass of solid Bovidae. There were literally hundreds of them. They came from all around us. We also noticed Zebra, Impala and Warthog intermittently. The Buffalo’s though were intimidating. It’s not like a herd of domesticated cattle. These guys mean business. They present a unified front. Big “Dagga Boy,” dot around the periphery of the herd while the Cows and Calves stay in the middle. We were not so much of a curiosity as a nuisance. We were parked in their way but they kept a respectable distance. It was perhaps the fact that the wind was not in our favour.
It was strange to notice that there seemed to be some kind of invisible line that they would not cross. The animals of both sexes would walk up to a certain point and turn sideways and skirt around us. They were unwilling to challenge our position. Even the big Bulls showed the same submissive behaviour. We were obviously a big stationary beast but with a human smell. We weren’t to be taken lightly and we were perceived as a threat of some description. We noticed the herd consisted of mostly healthy individuals but there were a few unhealthy looking ones too. Some were obviously suffering from some form of disease. The herds in this area are rife with TB. The problem has become so great that a disease free herd is much sought after. The statistics show that up to 80% of Buffalo in this region are carriers of TB. This also affects the predators that prey on the Buffalo. Lions in Kruger have been affected to the same extent. It eventually leads to loss of condition and death. A TB free Bull will set you back one hundred and sixty thousand Rand. That’s the equivalent of fourteen thousand Euro. That’s a big investment in any man’s language for a Cow and you certainly don’t want any Lion taking down that investment in its first few weeks!
We watched the Buffalo stream by us for well over an hour. The time seems to pass you by so quickly. We spent the best part of six hours out in the bush and it went by in the blink of an eye. Everywhere you look there are items of interest. Life is so vibrant here. Even the ants have their own story. ( I think Spielberg made it into a film!)
We used our senses and could detect a strong odour on the wind. What was it? There are so many different smells over here that it’s not easy to decipher. We act more like detectives now to figure things out and we could smell musty urine, could see spoor on the ground and hear the faint echoes of animals carried on the breeze. Then the dawn was shattered with the unmistakable sounds of Buffalo. Not just one though. This was a mass. We were in the midst of a massive herd. All around us now we could hear the sound of branches breaking and the bellowing of the Cows for their calves and the big Bulls bellowing orders.
It was an awesome sight. They came trouncing through the mist. A mass of solid Bovidae. There were literally hundreds of them. They came from all around us. We also noticed Zebra, Impala and Warthog intermittently. The Buffalo’s though were intimidating. It’s not like a herd of domesticated cattle. These guys mean business. They present a unified front. Big “Dagga Boy,” dot around the periphery of the herd while the Cows and Calves stay in the middle. We were not so much of a curiosity as a nuisance. We were parked in their way but they kept a respectable distance. It was perhaps the fact that the wind was not in our favour.
It was strange to notice that there seemed to be some kind of invisible line that they would not cross. The animals of both sexes would walk up to a certain point and turn sideways and skirt around us. They were unwilling to challenge our position. Even the big Bulls showed the same submissive behaviour. We were obviously a big stationary beast but with a human smell. We weren’t to be taken lightly and we were perceived as a threat of some description. We noticed the herd consisted of mostly healthy individuals but there were a few unhealthy looking ones too. Some were obviously suffering from some form of disease. The herds in this area are rife with TB. The problem has become so great that a disease free herd is much sought after. The statistics show that up to 80% of Buffalo in this region are carriers of TB. This also affects the predators that prey on the Buffalo. Lions in Kruger have been affected to the same extent. It eventually leads to loss of condition and death. A TB free Bull will set you back one hundred and sixty thousand Rand. That’s the equivalent of fourteen thousand Euro. That’s a big investment in any man’s language for a Cow and you certainly don’t want any Lion taking down that investment in its first few weeks!
We watched the Buffalo stream by us for well over an hour. The time seems to pass you by so quickly. We spent the best part of six hours out in the bush and it went by in the blink of an eye. Everywhere you look there are items of interest. Life is so vibrant here. Even the ants have their own story. ( I think Spielberg made it into a film!)
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