Thanda

Monday, December 6th

Today was the day we headed back to the airport to return the rental car and meet the volunteer group with Wikdlife ACT. With Pjilip's help and Google Maps we found the airport on the first attempt and were ready with two hours spare. The pick-up time came and went, but having been here for a while we figured, hey, it's Africa, they'll show up. They did, a half hour later. The group is an English couple that lives I. Switzerland and a younger guy from New Zealand - pretty funny, since those are the next two places we're going. We drove in a minivan past St Lucia where we had just been, and we got to watch the driver drive the roads as they should be driven. That is, much faster and taking more risks. I found it easier to watch the countryside and not the road. 

The reserve we're on is called Thanda, a 7000-ha private reserve, home to the Big Five, and fairly uniquely, wild dogs. On the road into our cabins we saw buffalo, giraffe, and impala. There's nothing quite like being greeted by these leggy creatures.

The accommodation was described ad basic, but our cabin is an A-frame thatched cottage with a private bathroom and deck looking out on the reserve. There are no fences, so we've been warned to expect visits from ANYONE, including lions and elephant. At the briefing we finally learned what to do if we do meet one of them: DON'T RUN. Sounds easier said than done, so we'll keep you posted should that come up. As it turns out, our job is to go out twice a day, starting at 4am and 4pm, to track and monitor wild dogs, one of the more reclusive endangered animals you're likely to find. We climbed into the back of a Jeep and headed for the hills, and along the way, learned how to use the telemetry and GPS equipment. Philip was first-up at that, and after a few turns, he had just said "they should be right over there" when a dozen dogs came trotting through the bush. They're thin dogs with calico-cat coloring, Mickey-Mouse ears and a bushy white tails. So, nothing like pet dogs. They also don't sound anything like pet dogs, sounding more like birds. We got to hear them call to each other, yip for more food, and play tug-of-war over a dismembered impala leg. Overall a great first day.