Dear friends,
Again, I am following a bit behind on my
reporting and for that I apologize. But I hope the nice photos and interesting
contents can make up for the delay!
As anticipated these two months were the
busiest in the year, during which we did the 2011 capture operation.
Expectations were high and results didn’t come short.
The core team was the same as in 2009, with
Barney O’Hara and his Hughes 500, and Pete Morkel as leading vet. We also had
our friends the Traguedo’s and local vet Ary Jeronimo to assist throughout the
campaign. As in 2009, the Angolan Air Force proved to be a most reliable
partner, and provided for heavy logistics including making available a
heavy-duty military chopper MI-17.
With the third fence completed in due time,
just before the start of the operation, the last minute preparations included
building temporary bomas and distributing drums of Jet A1 on different base
camps in Cangandala and Luando.
In the first few days we erected a large funnel
with plastic boma material, as we hoped to be able to chase with the chopper
the hybrid herd through a 200mt gate into the third camp. However, chasing the
hybrids inside the larger camp proved to be a much harder enterprise than we
expected. First thing we realized was that as soon as we approached the herd
the dominant hybrid bull would break away and take a different route. Catching
the hybrids while leaving behind the bull would be highly unsatisfactory as the
latter posed the most immediate threats to the pure sable. Therefore we decided
to capture the bull first. This was done cleanly, and he turned out to be a
superb specimen, even if of a non-existing species. With dark brown skin color,
black face, hints of gold in the mane, 40’ long horns and powerfully built, he
could be a worthy type representative of a new Hippotragus breed!
This bull was the younger of two half-brothers
born in 2006 which we knew very well by now. We had named them Sherikan and
Scar respectively, as all our hybrids were named after Disney villains. They
had been raised together within the sable mixed group till late 2008 when the
older Scar became dominant and chased away Sherikan. The later wasn’t seen for
quite a while, but earlier this year he had broke through the fence and invaded
the larger camp and subsequently fought and replaced Scar as dominant bull in
the hybrid herd. This was a surprise as we had assumed Scar to be still in
command, although if we had checked the photos carefully we would have picked
up the swap before (they are very similar but have a slightly different facial mask).
But what had happened to Scar? He could have been killed by Sherikan, or chased
out of the camps through the fence… or he could even be somewhere inside the
big camp, although we hadn’t picked him in the photos for quite a while.
In any case, we dealt with Sherikan according
to plan: castration. Relieving of his masculinity should quickly transform his
mind set, making him more docile and unwilling to fight other bulls, not to
mention that sterility is from now on physically enforced and guaranteed. We
then released him with a VHF collar and as final touch we painted his ear tags
of pink color (sorry, I couldn’t resist).
In the meantime flights in Luando had begun
very well, and following the on-the-ground info gathered by our trackers in
previous weeks, we quickly located what is likely the largest surviving giant
sable herd, numbering over 20 animals, including a dominant bull, breeding
females, calves and some young animals. Over the following weeks we did dozens
of operational hours over Luando, covering the best terrain and areas where we
had reasons to believe there could be giant sable groups. We located a few
other, smaller herds and we darted in total 18 different individuals. On the
other hand, huge areas of prime habitat in Luando where giant sable used to be
common are now empty of sable, but small herds of roan still persist. We
reached this conclusion following long operational flights, in conjunction with
ground information and witness reports. Roan antelope somehow seems to have
resisted to the last decades of uncontrolled poaching and are now slowly
recovering in the reserve.
As result of the last few months’ efforts we
know now much better than ever before, the real situation on the ground. I
believe we know how many herds there are left, exactly where they are all
located, how many animals in each herd, and even the detailed population
structure. There must be no doubt that this magnificent creature is in
desperate condition, on the verge of extinction.
For security reasons I will rather not divulge
much more information about the giant sable in Luando, other than we have few
herds left, totaling less than 100 animals. We do have a fair number of animals
being permanently monitored, and with assistance from the military forces we
are implementing action against poaching but also preventive measures against
animal theft attempts. For obvious reasons, details about these operations must
remain confidential.
What does come across very clearly is that not
only was excessive poaching that reduced the giant sable population to the
current condition, but also it is still very active at the moment and has been
impacting the population very severely during the last few years. The most
widespread technique is the use of leg snare traps laid around natural water
holes and fresh grazing spots. The snares are made using nylon ropes or steel
cables, attached to long wood poles cut from trees. In 2009 virtually all the
water holes were trapped and the animals were dispersed and under enormous
pressure. Since then the situation improved slightly in the areas within the
influence of the local shepherds, but not much elsewhere. This year we still
found quite a lot of snares, but even more alarming was finding several mature
females with leg injuries, some in shocking condition, like one we photographed
very weak and with the lower leg in advance stage of necrosis with an obvious
snare scar – she had just survived a snare encounter but she wouldn’t live much
longer. As sad as it sounds, there wasn’t anything at all we could do to save
her.
The observed population structure is also very
informative to help us understand what has been going on. The structure shows a
time glass type, with a lot of old animals, a good number of young calves but
very few animals in intermediate age classes. This shows that in recent years
very few young animals have been recruited annually into the herd. This
exaggerated young mortality rate is almost certainly resulting from the
poaching pressure as calves and yearlings are the most vulnerable to snare
trapping.
On a positive note, it seems that, unlike 2009,
this time the climate has worked in our favor. Turns out that in 2011 the rainy
season extended well beyond average, with the last rains coming as late as
June, just after the calving period. During the operation there was still lots
of water available and the seasonal burnings and associated poaching were just
about starting. In late July most of the calves were about two months old and
not yet cornered by poachers. As result of all this and with the emergency
measures we’re setting on the ground, I believe we came just in time to save
the 2011 annual production. If we sustain this for the next few years we might
have fair chances of saving the species.
Back in Cangandala we successfully replaced the
non-functioning VHF collar on the old breeding bull “Duarte” with minimum
distress. We manage to approach the pure herd and dart the bull from the car
without him even realizing he had been hit by a syringe. We only had to wait for
him to go down and we quickly replaced the collar.
Next we carried out tackling the hybrids. These
bastards persisted being very wild, stubborn and of unpredictable nature making
the chopper chases a risky business. When it comes to running and avoiding the
chopper pursuit the hybrids are much more roan-like than sable-like, and after
a few frustrated attempts we gave up on the plan of chasing them all to camp 3,
and instead we decided to tackle them individually and sterilize them. In the
meantime and while focusing on the large camp we had assumed Scar would
probably be out of the scenario, but in an incredible twist he made a huge
mistake when he literally came into the picture! We had left one camera
monitoring the sable herd in the smaller breeding camp and while doing a
routine check of photos during the operation we were shocked to find Scar!
After being defeated by Sherikan he had broke through the fence into camp 1 and
was now sniffing around the pure group – precisely what we feared the most! He
only passed in front of the camera for a few seconds and it were just two lousy
photos at night, but was enough: Scar was alive and well, and inside camp 1. He
had to be caught! It took us several hours for several days to find him, but we
finally did and he was also castrated. Eventually all 9 hybrids were darted and
marked. We believe there are no more hybrids left in Cangandala, with the
possible exception of a yearling which hasn’t been seen for several months now
(may well be dead).
The other critical phase of the operation was
to constitute a new breeding group in Cangandala. This required us to catch
sable in Luando and bring them to the fenced camp in Cangandala. To do this we
built one plastic boma site for release of the animals in Cangandala, and
decided to build another one as temporary holding pen in a very wild and remote
location in Luando reserve, but reasonably equidistant to several herds. The
idea was to catch a few animals and put them in the holding pen until we could
prepare the trip for the military chopper, which could then bring 2-3 animals
on each trip. It would be the safest and more efficient method.
Following the first weeks of flights we knew
already which animals and from which herds could be caught. It soon became
clear that we shouldn’t try to catch adult females. Most of them were very
mature or of old age and either rearing a young calf or heavily pregnant.
Ideally we should then try to catch 2-year old females, as these still haven’t
bred and will soon enter their first estrus. Unfortunately, and as result of
the very unbalanced population structure there were only three such females
available which we then caught. We also identified four yearling females of
which we caught three. In the process we decided to also bring in a young
2-year old male as future replacement bull. And finally we needed to bring in
the new big boy.
During the surveys we had found three solitary
bulls (these were the ones seen alone and not accompanied by the breeding
herds), one being a recapture from 2009. The other two were truly remarkable
specimens. One (Hugo) was a estimated 12- year old bull with 55’ horns, while
the other (Ivan) was a 7/8 – year old, with 54’ horns but everyone agreed was
the most powerfully built animal we have seen so far. It was well covered with
muscles and the neck was so thick that for the first time we struggled to get
the VHF collar around its girth – it ended up being a very tight fit high in
the neck and using the very last hole. This one was a sable on steroids! He
also seemed to be full of testosterone, with his body carrying recent scars
from fighting with other bulls.
We then decided that the new bull to bring
should be “Ivan the Terrible”. Mostly because his relatively young age should
make him an ideal replacement for Duarte as the later grows older. On the other
hand we thought that Ivan being of a much wilder nature might be a good thing
to stimulate Duarte and some of the old females of Cangandala.
First we started by catching and releasing 4
females and the younger male in Cangandala, and on a second stage we had two
last yearling females waiting for the big boy to be also released together.
Between the military chopper landing site and the releasing boma, the animals
were transported on a pick-up truck. However, and as the pick-up wasn’t
available on the first run, as plan B we ended up putting two 2 – year old
females and one male inside the back of my hardtop Land Cruiser… wouldn’t
believe it myself if I hadn’t been there, and I have now a couple holes in the
roof as reminder!
Bringing in Ivan was quite a task. After a
tricky chase he eventually went down in a well wooded area and 300 meters from
the nearest clearing. Considering its enormous size and difficult terrain it
wouldn’t be possible for Barney to lift him with his Hughes 500. The
alternative was bringing in the military chopper to land in the clearing with a
support team. It took us 10 men and an enormous effort to carry that beast on a
stretcher across 300 meters of tall dead grass, hidden termite mounds and
fallen wood. It’s a shame we couldn’t weigh the bull but most guys agreed he
may weigh well over 300kg!
Once inside the release boma next to the two
yearling females, we had hoped to keep him for 24 hours minimum, maybe up to 48
hours if he was well relaxed… Well, Ivan soon started breaking the wood walls
of the inside cover and opened a hole in through the first plastic curtain
door. As it became clear we wouldn’t be able to keep him for longer, we were
forced to open the gate and let him out with the girls just a few hours upon
arrival. What a piece of work, Ivan the Terrible! We started then wondering if
he was indeed the best choice of bull…
In any case, the operation was a huge success.
We managed to establish a new breeding group in Cangandala, including a new
bull and six young females. Although three of these females are still too young
to breed and cannot have their first calf before mid-2013, their tender age
should ensure a quick and satisfactory adaptation and we should expect a long
productive breeding life ahead of them. They are probably the ideal complement
the current aged and not so well productive herd.
In terms of other wildlife seen, the first
mention goes to roan antelope. We did find quite a few herds, notably one with
26 animals in Luando and one herd of 18 in Cangandala. These are large groups
as roan are generally less sociable than sable. Contrasting with the giant
sable, the roan herds seemed to be much better balanced with plenty of animals
of different young age classes.
We darted and collared two roan yearlings. The
plan was subsequently catch a small group of young roan and translocate them to
Kissama NP, where this species used to be abundant but eventually became
extinct. The animals were to be driven to Kissama on a military truck and a
special container had been donated and customized for this task.
Unfortunately this part of the operation was
temporarily blocked due to miscommunication between Governmental agencies, and
by the time we received the green light it was simply too late to start over.
This was a disappointment, but we may still do it in the future, who knows next
year. At least we know we have plenty of roan and where to find them.
We failed to find buffalo or eland, but on the
other hand it was rewarding to see and photograph red lechwe and oribi – two
species I hadn’t yet seen in Luando. And I was also able to take nice photos of
the elusive yellow-backed duiker.
A final mention to the fact that the team that
had to spend a few nights camped in the bush guarding the sable in Luando next
to the temporary boma, had to face lions roaring around the camp for several
nights. Ary in particular had a couple sleepless nights but came back with a
few stories to tell!
Best wishes,
