Dr. Hoof Stock

Wes F., Lindsay D. and I conducted observations. Below are the highlights from the weekend.

1. B530 was spotted in Juniper loop Sat morning at 6 am. He was alone grazing and then laid down to chew cud until feeding time.

2. During feeding, B530 was persistent at feeding at one trough no matter who approached the trough. He fed with axis deer, gemsboks, and next to the sable. He escalated on several occasions and de-escalated a few times to circle back to the same trough. About an hour after feeding, an addax with one horn displays his horns and thrashes them on the ground. B530 was watching and immediately the addax charges B530. B530 “defends” himself from the persistent addax as they sparred for a few minutes. They both walked away.

3. He stayed in the loop until the afternoon and he headed north of the loop and into the trees.

4. He was spotted again at 545pm with 9 waterbuck female in between the lodge and the creek bed. He was grazing and not courting any females. Something spooked the females and they went running into the trees. B530 followed them after a few moments.

5. 13 waterbuck returned to the same place an hour later (11 females (Y57, “natural notch”, slit ear, Y672, the rest were untagged), the male calf, O664). With B530 following one female and he did flehmen once. She was untagged. He went to graze and did not tend another female the entire time. The females moved north of the lodge into the trees and B530 followed.

6. Sunday morning, B530 was in the loop again alone moving to a place to lay down and chew cud. He remained there the entire time.

Renee