It’s the end of the rainy season and it rained again yesterday. Vanessa dropped us at Jubatus so we could go tracking with Yolandi, a researcher. She is doing her master’s on cheetah behavior and is following two wild males, Howard and Peter, via their radio transmitter implants. We found them near yesterday’s kill, a young kudu. They had eaten their fill, but the kudu was still recognizable. Cheetahs don't eat a great deal compared to lions and eat only very fresh meat We drove around a little then returned to find the jackals had really devoured the kudu. Tonight it will be the hyenas' turn and there won’t be much left for even the vultures.
We helped feed Howard Buffet's cheetahs, then came home for lunch and sat around waiting for the rain to stop. When it finally cleared we managed to hike several miles in this predator-free area. We saw wildebeest, impala, red hartebeest, and several giraffes. It’s interesting to be on equal footing with these guys with no car in between. But they are more skittish when you are on foot and you can’t approach too close.
Vanessa returned with her insurance agent, broker, and their wives. It is interesting to listen to people who have lived their lives in South Africa and we had a wonderful time. Gerard and Ina came by and we had an African barbeque (braai) with boerworst, chicken, lamb chops, salad, potatoes, and plenty of ‘dronkies’ to wash them down. It rained more during the night and we learned that thatched roofs leak!
