Caracals April 2012

There is never a dull moment with our gorgeous caracals.The last few months have really shown us their wild instincts and we now know always to except the unexpected with Cleo, Medusa, Godiva and Yoda.

One of our San Bushman Tour Guides Solomon, takes the caracals out for their morning walks with the volunteers when Abraham isn't available. On one particular morning he was out with Cleo when all of a sudden she bolted off into the distance! The sneaky caracal had somehow managed to remove her tracking collar  (perhaps a strategic getaway escape plan?) and Solomon and the volunteers went off in search of her. However, these beautiful wild animals are rather elusive and can hide well in the overgrown bush and so after a couple of hours looking, the group had to return alone. 

Cleo - with her collar on!

     The next day, a different group of volunteers headed out into the bush with one of our Wildlife Co-ordinators in search of Cleo. Had she kept her tracking collar on, this would be a simple task - we would take out the antenna and locate her co-ordinates. However, after several more hours of looking, alas Cleo was nowhere to be seen. 

     We know how capable our caracals are for short periods of time out in the bush veldt so we waited patiently for her to return. As expected, a week later she was found back in the area we left her in - she had decided in her own time when she was ready to return home and we're all relieved and happy to have her back.

Cleo is back with her friends

      As we reported in our last update, baby caracals Rocky and Ivy released themselves from the camp they were temporarily staying in, in the back garden of one of the staff houses. We intended to release them soon anyway so we weren't too worried about how the two little ones would cope in the wild. However, the pair became a little lazy and didn't stray too far away. Instead, they would creep into our rabbit and chicken pen at night to hunt! This posed a big problem for us and we realised we needed to relocate the caracals away from the temptation of our farmyard animals. 

     So Wildlife Co-ordinators Jo, Stu and Flo, set a cage near our adult caracal camp, laid with meat to try lure the babies in. As they set the cage, Medusa watched on with a careful and close eye. She began wiggling her bum and all of a sudden she leaped up into the air and jumped right over the electric fence out of the camp! Jo, Stu and Flo looked on in amazement, stunned at her bravery and confidence to do that right in front of everyone.

Medusa licking her lips with temptation

     It turns out that earlier that day when they were fed, feisty Yoda had stolen her food, and not for the first time. So Medusa was hungry and wasted no time waiting for more food - she saw the meat they had laid out in the cage and she went for it! After grabbing the meat, she ran towards the sheep and goat pen, at which point the 3 coordinators took chase after her - we couldn't risk her taking down one of our own animals. Fortunately they managed to catch up with her and picked her up and returned her to the camp. 

      Now we ensure Yoda is always fed first and away from the other caracals so that he is distracted, and then we feed the other 3 in turn - Godiva, Cleo and Medusa, so they each get their fair share.

Greedy chops Yoda

Godiva enjoying her meal to herself

     We managed to catch Rocky and Ivy by placing the capture cage nearby the chicken pen (their favourite hunting spot). We then relocated them down to Neuras, N/a'an ku se's new conservation land in the south of Namibia. Rudie and two volunteers flew down in his 4 seater plane, carrying the caracals in a transport box. On arrival they set the babies free, where they shall live out their long lives, safely and protected from human-wildlife conflict.

     Godiva has been behaving herself very well recently and hasn't caused any mayhem on her daily walks, much to the delight of Abraham and Solomon who wonder each day what surprise the caracals have in store for them.

Godiva on one of her walks

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