We finally found some
cubs at a den in south territory last night! At first we assumed it was boyk,
the youngest cub, as some of the older ones may have graduated the den, but we
soon IDed Star and Sula, at Hatch Den, not at lighthouse den where the cubs
were last. There was also someone whooping in the lugga. Hatch Den has the
misfortune (or fortune) to be situated on a mound that it somewhat a part of
this lugga and has a nice good ditch on all sides of it that I am sure fills
with water when the lugga is high. It also has several large bushes on top of
it obscuring visibility. Doing obs when this den is busy must be a pain in the ass!
However we were able to make out two cubs close to graduating age and I got
some photos that were good enough to ID star and indicate the other cub as sula
or bron.
At the top of the hill across the lugga we also got some tantalizing glimpses
of five more hyenas, including a collared female. They were too far for us to
ID and in order to cross the lugga and get up the hill we’d have to go around
the def leppard crossing and then attempt to find a route off-road back to this
hill. So we left them unID, but this is still the most action I’ve seen in
south territory yet! Nice to know that not all of south’s cubs have
disappeared. However, as Wes points out we are now obligated to check and wait
at this den every time we go to south now, and if these cubs ARE graduated but
were just chilling there for one day that will make for a lot of boring
sessions. But if we’re lucky and the clan IS using Hatch den then hopefully we
will see more hyenas there.
This morning we got to
see LogC nurse her little black cub, the tiniest most adorable thing ever,
though Wes assures me that I will see tinier ones before my year is out. Now
that we’ve confirmed his ID we can officially give him a name and a date first
seen. Wes has chosen Costanza after a character from a tv show he likes. We
still have to wait and see what gender this little guy is though.
Went up to the lodge for
water today (the salty non-drinking water) and talked to James the manager of
the lodge for a bit since we have to ask permission to get water and got his
phone number and have been told to invite him to fisi camp. And just as I am
writing this I just got a text from allen, a guy who works at the lodge asking
for my facebook! Everyone is very friendly but I am soo shy! However it is good
to get to know local guys and Allen is also maasai which is neat. I am feeling
more comfortable talking to everyone at the lodge and the gate but I am not
nearly as sociable as Wes, who also (to my ear) sounds very fluent in Swahili.
I’m getting there though!
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