This was a conservation trip with Wildlife ACT. My contribution was based in the Thanda and Tembe Wild Life Reserves. The monitoring programme in Thanda was focused mainly on African Wild Dog, Rhino, Cheetah and Spotted Hyena. In Tembe Elephant Park, a Government Managed Reserve, the emphasis is primarily on Lions, Elephant and hopefully in the future on Wild Dogs.
If you wish to visit the Tembe Elephant Park first please click HERE
Thanda Reserve
Here are some photos which I hope will give some idea of what it is like working as a volunteer on the reserve. A more detailed record of the birds and animals seen appears at the end.
Around Thanda Research Camp
Views around the Reserve
Activities
Michelle and Leisa identify a Rhino A night drive. Cutting up a Warthog for use in Rhino capture Cheetah capture to remove collar
a trap to enable the collaring of an Hyena
Telemetry- Rob Leisa Rob
Captures
Tagging a White Rhino
After the darting. Drilling a hole for the transponder - an aid against poaching.
Tagging the ear to aid identification Simon helping to collect a sample!
Removing collar from Cheetah
The tracking starts. Getting closer. Phil still with his collar. Rusty follows.
Phil darted but not down. Rusty very confused. Removing the collar. Paws.
Forgot to wash after lunch. Sedated. Recovering. Rusty trying to find out what is wrong.
Up but not on the move yet. Rusty still confused. Surely you can get moving after two hours.
Still need a rest.
Wild Life seen
These are just a few of the hundreds of photos taken of the animals of the reserve. A more accurate and scientific record may be found by following the links given.
Mammals
African Elephant
Banded Mongoose
Black-backed Jackal
Blue Wildebeest
Buffalo
Burchell's Zebra
Bush Pig
Cheetah
Common Duiker
Common Waterbuck
Greater Kudu
Impala
Indigenous Mouse
Leopard
Lion
Nyala
Red Nyala
Porcupine
Red Duiker
Serval
Scrub Hare
Southern Reedbuck (photos of a Reedbuck can be seen in Tembe Elephant Park.htm)
Southern Giraffe
Spotted Hyena
Malcolm
Thick-tailed Bushbaby
Vervet Monkey
Warthog
White Rhino
Wild Dog
Total 29
Birds (listed from the Thanda Bird List)
Babbler, Arrow-marked
Barbet, Acacia Pied (Pied Barbet)
Barbet, Black-Collared
Barbet, Crested
Barbet, Red-fronted Tinkerbird (RF Barbet)
Batis, Chinspot
Bee-eater, Little
Boubou, Southern
Brubru
Bulbul, Dark-capped (Black-eyed Bulbul)
Bulbul, Sombre Greenbul (Sombre Bulbul)
Bunting, Golden-breasted
Bustard, Black-Bellied (Black-Bellied Korhaan)
Buzzard, Lizard
Canary, Brimstone (Bully Canary)
Canary, Yellow-fronted (Yellow-eyed Canary)
Chat, White-browed Robin-chat (Heuglin's Robin)
Coucal, Burchell's
Crombec, Long-billed
Crow, Pied
Dove, Cape Turtle-dove
Dove, Emerald-spotted Wood-dove (GS Dove)
Dove, Red-eyed
Drongo, Fork-tailed
Drongo, Square-tailed
Eagle, Bateleur
Eagle, Martial
Eagle, Wahlberg's
Egret, Cattle (photos of a Reedbuck can be seen in
Tembe Elephant Park.htm)
Firefinch, African (Blue-billed firefinch)
Firefinch, Jamieson's
Fiscal, Common (Fiscal Shrike)
Flycatcher, African Paradise
Flycatcher, Fiscal
Flycatcher, Southern Black (Black Flycatcher)
Francolin, Crested
Goose, Egyptian
Goshawk, Little Banded Goshawk or Shikra
Guineafowl, Crested
Guineafowl, Helmeted
Gymnogene or African Harrier-hawk
Hoopoe, African
Hornbill, Southern Yellow Billed
Ibis, Hadeda
Kingfisher,Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Kite, Yellow-billed
Lapwing, Crowned (Crowned Plover)
Lark, Flappet
Longclaw, Yellow-throated Longclaw
Lourie, Purple-crested Turaco
Melba Finch or Green-winged Pytilia
Mousebird, Red-faced
Mousebird, Speckled
Myna, Common (Indian Myna)
Nicator, Eastern (Yellow-spotted Nicator)
Nightjar, Fiery-necked
Owl, Spotted Eagle-owl
Oxpecker, Red-billed
Pigeon, African Green
Plover, Three-banded
Quail, Common
Quelea, Red-billed
Robin, White-browed Scrub-robin
Robin-chat, White-throated
Robin, White-starred
Juvenile
Shikra
Shrike, Gorgeous Bush-shrike
Sparrow, House
Sparrow, Southern Grey-headed
Starling, Cape Glossy (Glossy Starling)
Stork, Wolly-necked
Sunbird, Collared
Sunbird, Marico
Sunbird, Scarlet-chested
Sunbird, White-bellied
Swallow, Lesser Striped
Tchagra, Brown-crowned (Three-streaked)
Thrush, Groundscraper
Thrush, Kurrichane
Vulture, White-backed
Vulture, Lappet-faced
Waxbill, Blue Waxbill
Waxbill, Common
Weaver, Spectacled
Weaver, Village (Spotted-backed Weaver)
White-eye, Cape
Whydah, Pin-tailed
Woodhoopoe, Scimitarbill (Common)
Woodpecker, Bearded
Woodpecker, Cardinal
Unidentified
Total 90
Other Wildlife
Aloe Fever Tree Ipomoea Fever Trees
Candelabra Tree Thistle
Swallow-tail Butterfly
Skink
Water Monitor Lizard