Mhudi

by Sol T Plaatje

  The Timbavati’s lion gene pool already contains the recessive gene responsible for producing white lions, of this there is no doubt. The birth of two white lions at Ingwelala in 2006 is proof of this. The cubs were seen on the farm Buffelsbed, adjacent to Goedehoop; both properties are now part of Ingwelala and are in good hands.

  This gene is endemic to the lion population of that area, and I am convinced that in the future, more white lions will be born there. This will happen without our interference, notwithstanding the damage man has already inflicted in this regard. In conclusion, I do not believe a white lion to be more important or special than a normal lion, nor is it any less capable of surviving in the wild than a regular tawny lion. Furthermore, if those white lions that were removed and placed in zoos all those years ago, had been given the opportunity to prove themselves as Whitey did, there would probably be more white lions in the Timbavati today.

  When it happens, perhaps we will come up with a better name than ‘Whitey’.

  Some more news …

  In June 2009, I received a phone call from Howard Walker, a good friend who is one of a fortunate few to own land in the Timbavati Nature Reserve. His portion happens to be a beautiful slice of bushveld which includes a generous stretch of the Klaserie River, about 1 kilometre before it flows into the southern boundary of the neighbouring Klaserie Nature Reserve, and about 40 kilometres as the crow flies south of its confluence with the Olifants River. Twenty-five years ago, his portion of the reserve had not yet been incorporated into the Timbavati – much of the Acacia bushveld along the Klaserie River floodplain had been cleared and was under irrigation in those days. Some of the finest crops in the region were grown on these rich soils and I remember that the Wiggel family who had farmed that area since the Year Dot, won the national champion tomato growers’ award one year in the mid-eighties. Even then, despite the agricultural activity, it was always good game country.

  Just across the road, Howard’s portion, having been opened to the rest of the greater open system for over 20 years, boasts some of the richest diversity of wildlife in the Timbavati. He would often phone and tell me how happy he and his family were with their farm. The calls were usually a non-stop recounting of the wonderful variety of animals he’d seen out in the bush, and, of late, how the building of their new camp was progressing. I always welcomed these chats as they were also a good opportunity to find out how things were on the Lunsklip River near Dullstroom, in the heart of trout country where Howard lived. But I could tell from his tone of voice that this wasn’t going to be one of those calls – all was not well. Howard wanted my opinion or explanation of what he described as extremely disturbing and unusual lion behaviour he had witnessed the previous evening.

  He told me that he was woken by the guttural growls of lion, which as it turned out, had killed a large buffalo bull about 50 metres from his camp. Lions regularly kill buffalo in the Timbavati, so this was a sight Howard had seen before. Nevertheless, he decided to brave the cold, drive out and have a look. He arrived to find a pride of lions comprising two large males and four females panting a little from the huge effort, about to start feeding on the buffalo. Howard said he then noticed that a third large male was off to one side feeding on something else about 30 metres away. Intrigued, he drove to within 10 metres of the lion and in the beam of the vehicle’s headlights could now clearly see what it was eating. What he saw was so gruesome it shocked him. The lion was feeding on another lion, but not just any lion, it was a six-month-old white lion cub! The cub was being devoured from the rear, so the head and shoulders were clearly visible in the photographs that he took and sent to me.

  Of course there were rumours and speculation as always with the appearance of white lions, as to where this cub, apparently one of two white lions, originated, and who their mother was, but nothing is certain, and it remains a mystery. Howard’s camp attendant admitted that he had heard of two white lions in the area but hadn’t seen them himself.

  It is apparent that for the last six months, two white lions had been roaming the southern Timbavati without fuss and media hype, and they were born from the same wild genetic material that produced the white lions that McBride wrote about more than a quarter of a century before! This gene, largely endemic to the Timbavati, is evidently spreading, albeit very slowly, as more area is included in the greater system. My suspicions are that there are possibly two recessive gene pools in the Timbavati, one in the extreme north including the Umbabat region and the one that gave rise to these two cubs 35 kilometres to the south.

  As tragic as this is incident is, it is comforting for those campaigners of white lions to know that the gene carriers are still alive and well and more white lions will occur in the wild without human interference, when and where nature decrees.

  Why this healthy cub was eaten, compounded by the fact that these cubs almost certainly belonged to one of the four females that helped kill the buffalo is impossible to guess. Furthermore, this behaviour couldn’t have been motivated by hunger, as there was a whole buffalo to feed on only a few metres away. This act of infanticide and cannibalism goes in the face of ‘normal’ lion behaviour that I have come to know.

  In my opinion it was a one-off experience. I have witnessed numerous cubs killed by males, but I have never seen one killed and then eaten, nor can I find any reference to this phenomenon, although it could well be recorded and documented somewhere.

  Could what Howard witnessed that night on the northern bank of the Klaserie River have something to do with the young cub’s colour contrast? Could that have sparked an instinctive reaction amidst the chaos and confusion of the buffalo kill? I doubt it.

  On the other hand, could this lion simply be the Jeffrey Dahmer of the species taking advantage of the situation? That’s what I suspect.

  Some More on Lions, and a Word or Two on Trophy Hunting

  October 2007

  The African lion is probably the most well known and thoroughly researched large carnivore in the world. Volumes of scientific papers have been written documenting the ecology of lions. Man has always stood in awe of these magnificent animals. Empires have adopted the lion as a symbol of all-encompassing power and dominance, and so it is understandable that enormous amounts of time and energy have been spent and still are being spent, trying to find out what makes lions tick.

  The social life of lions makes for very interesting study and is well publicised. It seems that more has been documented on this aspect of lion ecology than any other and yet there is so much we don’t know about these big cats. Just when it was thought we had lion behaviour predictable enough to become complacent about it, new facts are emerging that show there is still a lot of work to do. Recent research reveals more complex dynamics within their ecology than was previously known or even hypothesised. We now know we cannot generalise; lions are highly adaptable creatures and characteristics of their behaviour differ greatly from region to region, from pride to pride and from individual to individual.

  This was highlighted at a recent workshop on lion held at the Timbavati and hosted by renowned wildlife ecologist and lion expert Dr Petri Viljoen. Petri has published numerous papers and recorded an incredible amount of information on wild lion behaviour from many regions in Africa. He has compiled thousands of hours of research data which is now available at the click of a mouse.

  I couldn’t help noticing the enthusiasm with which he related his knowledge to us, especially when he explained why there was a need for ongoing research on wild free-roaming lions. It appeared that this need was a relief to him, as if he had been given a valid excuse to continue studying the animals with which he so empathises.

  Petri’s approach is tempered with a realistic maturity that is so refreshing. He is long past the egotistical, romantic allure associated with studying large carnivores, particularly lions, in remote areas of ‘Darkest Africa’. He’s been there, done that and has a wardrobe full of T-shirts. He is clearly concerned with bigger issues facing
the long-term survival of wild lions and is convinced that the practical and effective conservation of wild lions in modern-day Africa is reliant on continual research.

  In many remote parts of Africa, the pressure on wildlife resources in terms of sustainable patterns of consumption is increasing. In fact, the survival of many of these areas often depends on the benefits derived by the surrounding communities. This takes the form of employment opportunities and related spin-offs associated with or derived from tourism. Depending on the location, logistical practicality and seasonal climatic restrictions, an area could be more suited to photographic safaris or trophy hunting safaris. The latter are less dependent on infrastructure and more adaptable than conventional lodges dealing with photographic safari clientele. Trophy hunting, as we know, is becoming increasingly unpopular and fraught with controversy. While the demand remains a reality, though, every effort should be made to ensure that any hunting that does occur does so with the least possible negative impact on the ecosystem and with minimum disruption of wild lion populations. This is where science comes in …

  Although not a hunter, Petri’s expertise has been called upon by nature conservation authorities and reputable hunting concessionaires alike, specifically to determine what lions, if any, could be hunted in an area, and what criteria were necessary to ensure sustainability. Exhaustive studies and consultation followed and recommendations were made, both proving practical to implement and sustain. These studies have taken place in specific regions and dealt with lions resident in those particular areas.

  With canned lion hunting in the process of being outlawed, pressure on the trophy hunting of wild lions will increase. Fortunately, no permits will be issued until specialist studies are done to determine the effects of hunting on the wild lion populations in hunting concessions. Just imagine how difficult it must be to remain objective while one scientifically calculates what lion or which category of lions, are more expendable than others.

  What is becoming increasingly apparent is that management techniques need to keep abreast of the most up-to-date research. By way of example, he referred to a particular study done recently to determine the effects on the lion status in an area where dominant males in prides were prematurely removed – in other words, when pride males were hunted while still in their prime. This openly challenged conventional thinking and the present hunting protocol, which states that only six-year-old and older lions are eligible, and, in addition, it must be determined that such eligible lions must have no affiliation with a pride or coalition.

  These rules were set in place based on research findings at the time. It was concluded that if only lions fitting these criteria were removed, they would, ecologically, be the least disruptive to the population.

  The findings from the latest research referred to by Petri, however, indicated that the removal of pride males in their prime had little or no negative effect on the lion population in the study area. This radical conclusion is logically explained by the fact that the vacuum was quickly filled by males patrolling the periphery of territories. In addition, these were usually young, enthusiastic and strong lions which quickly boosted numbers as is known to happen in a natural pride takeover when older males are ousted. An increase in lion numbers does not necessarily mean an unhealthy over-population as wild lion populations are self-regulating, but rather that there will be more lions in the system, from which nature can select the fittest.

  There appears to be a point where pride male turnover or rate of turnover could be clinically optimal, though in a natural situation, this would be difficult to determine.

  What this study revealed is that unlike other large social predators, like hyaena and wild dogs for example, lions are not only able to tolerate unnatural disruptions in their social structure from time to time, but dare we say it, actually appear to thrive on it.

  The latest research methods and technology available are giving scientists tools that are unlocking so much about lion behaviour that was previously either inaccessible or simply unknown. We are now gaining a deeper insight into and better understanding of lions, which, notwithstanding the trophy hunting industry around us, bodes well for wild lion conservation in the future.

  Mamba … a True Sssssssssstory

  March 2004

  Very few people are happy to share their living space with a black mamba. In fact, very few people are happy to tolerate any snake of any description anywhere near them. As a result, I’m called out from time to time to remove these reptiles from in and around our lodges.

  Lawrence Clark, one of the shareholders of the reserve, takes some of my suggestions seriously, certainly as far as what to do when you have an unwanted snake on your deck. The other day, on an otherwise quiet and lazy afternoon, the peace was interrupted by the harsh crackle of the radio. The ensuing conversation is not that unusual, particularly in the summer months.

  ‘Mario, Mario come in,’ crackled the radio.

  ‘Go ahead,’ I replied.

  ‘Hi, this is Lawrence, I have a large black mamba on my deck.’

  ‘Keep it in sight until I get there,’ I said (this reply is part of my standard procedure). I continued, ‘I’ll be about 10 to 15 minutes, it is most important you make every effort to keep the snake in sight, please.’

  On arrival, I found Lawrence with camera in hand gazing into the area of thatch covering the deck where he had last seen the snake. I immediately thought he had taken his eyes off the snake, so now we would have to scratch around to find it again, a prospect which filled me with dread. Mambas don’t hang around if they know you have seen them, and they are escape artists of note. But, and it’s a big ‘but’, if they cannot escape or feel threatened, then you have a potentially dangerous situation on your hands. The worst thing you can do to someone who has to remove a dangerous snake for you, is to point into some dark storeroom filled with boxes and junk and say, ‘I last saw it go in there, and then I ran back into the house.’

  In Lawrence’s situation, it was different. Mambas are notoriously quick and sneaky especially if they know you’re after them. Being outside meant it could go when and where it wanted to, and this one had simply slithered out of sight under his nose.

  As our search proceeded, while peering over the edge of the deck, Lawrence caught sight of the mamba’s tail disappearing under a large log. Efforts to relocate it were in vain. I showed Lawrence a hole in the rock wall under the deck where John Chiburre, the lodge guard, had previously seen a mamba on his routine daily patrol. I commented to Lawrence about it being amazing to think a snake can be so territorial and that it was quite possible this was the same snake. Bearing in mind that idle chatter always helps when you’re nervous, we continued discussing the enigmatic qualities of this legendary species when suddenly, Lawrence spotted it again. This time, his sharp eye picked up a movement as the snake moved out of its hidey hole and now it was moving down towards us.

  It was a relatively large mamba, probably some two and a half metres long, and was moving slowly and purposefully as though it wasn’t aware of us. This gave me the opportunity to position myself and intercept it with my snake stick. It stopped momentarily, testing the air with its black tongue, long enough, however, to allow me to clamp it firmly a few centimetres behind the head.

  It didn’t expect this and was instantaneously enraged. The mamba writhed and twisted, wrapping itself around the stick, its black mouth agape. Incidentally, this pitch black mouth is the feature that gives this species its name, rather than its body and underbelly, which are coloured light grey and grey-green respectively.

  Venom oozed as it bit repeatedly on the closed-cell foam that I had glued on the metal so as to not hurt the snakes when they are clamped. I find the snake sticks I make myself are far more suitable than the overpriced tongs from the USA as mine have been custom-built to handle snakes firmly but gently and also are a little longer. Length is important as it means you distance yourself a little more from the fangs and the venom they carry
.

  Some of the larger mambas I have caught were so powerful that they were able to twist themselves free of this type of clamp in its prototype form. I have since modified my sticks to the point that they are now able to hold even the largest mambas or cobras firmly … not that the design of the snake stick should ever encourage complacency.

  Even expert snake handlers get bitten. I don’t know of a single professional herpetologist who hasn’t been bitten. ‘Handling’ is the operative word and is the key to the frequency of snakebite incidents. I am the first to admit that I don’t readily touch or handle snakes and have no extraordinary passion for these reptiles, beyond recognising the necessary role they play in an ecosystem. I have a healthy respect and admiration for dangerous snakes, but have no immediate desire to take this relationship to the next level. Touching a dangerous snake with my hands is something of a last resort. As far as I’m concerned, if I’m not able to handle a snake with one snake stick, the next stage is to use two snake sticks, not my hands.

  Recently, on a neighbouring reserve, a 23-year-old ranger gallantly removed a snouted cobra from a curio shop in a game lodge. He was comfortable around snakes and frequently handled them when demonstrating to tourists, so he confidently caught the snake by the tail and took it out to release it into the bush. As he swung the cobra outward, it twisted its body and managed to get a glancing bite on his wrist. Feeling threatened, the snake’s fangs must have been oozing venom, so even a scratch would have injected a lethal dose. This, combined with the time lapse in treatment, meant the poor guy had no chance. He died in the hospital doorway, less than 40 minutes after being bitten! As a matter of note, both black mambas and snouted cobras are capable of injecting nearly ten times the lethal dose of venom with a single bite, and multiple strikes, particularly from black mambas, are not uncommon.