Just when we thought we were winding down the second week Team 5 started doing the bush boogie. They saw vultures circling over a kill (which we could not locate from the ground), then the next day they found another fresh kill (which was not a leopard kill). Why is this important? Because the first time we caught a leopard this year it was because we used his kill as bait in the traps and caught him the next night. So kills and drags and vultures and spoor are all very important pieces of the puzzle we use successfully to trap our cats.
During the week we released several non-target species from the traps such as porcupine and warthog. We also had some genets or mongoose triggering the traps on us, but they are slender enough to escape, leaving the disappointingly closed but empty trap for us to find.
Friday was our last dinner together at the bush camp, and the rhinos once again came right on cue. It was a great finale for Team 5. Thanks for all your hard work, flexibility, and assistance in collaring leopard L052. We wishe you safe travels home.
Update from our working holiday volunteering with leopards, elephants and cheetahs in Namibia, Africa
Biosphere Expeditions: blogs from the frontline of wildlife conservation and the fight for a more sustainable planet 