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| Monate Game Lodge - My new job and home! |
The night before last I was sitting outside and saw a torch scan across the reserve for 2sec and then off again. I woke Wimpie up and we went to look because it was in the direction of where the rhinos were that afternoon. We took the hand gun and shot gun with us and drove along the fences. Quite an adrenaline rush!! We didn’t see anything suspicious and we found the rhinos so we headed home. We are on high alert for rhino poaching again... there have been another 3 rhinos poached in the last 2 weeks! Lots of helicopters flying around!! We have an anti poaching team (2 men) that live out on the reserve and track the rhinos everyday so that is comforting.
Yesterday the cheetahs were in the main lodge area, drinking water from the swimming pool and lounging about on the green grass yawning and stretching and enjoying the sun. Only 1 problem... we had guests! Wimpie and I managed to get them out of the gate and towards the next watering hole... this took forever!! At 4:30 they were back just before my next game drive... lovely for the new guests (8 men) We watched them for a while and then headed out for our drive, it was threatening to rain. The men insisted on carrying on with the drive! ( I packed rain ponchos ) We headed out to hippo dam and it started drizzling - the men wanted to carry on. We saw the hippos and the crocs and then the thunder and lighting started. Wimpie radioed me to make my way back asap. The heavens opened!!! The poncho I packed for myself I used to cover my books and camera. By the time we got back I was soaked from head to toe - im amazed I even found my way back with the rain in my eyes - the viewer has no windscreen! The 8 men behind me were all snug and dry under their ponchos - but still bitching and moaning about being wet - but they insisted we carry on all macho in the beginning. What a group! Got some chauvinistic comments on the drive as well grrrrr!!! I kept my cool though.
Back at the lodge with grumpy men offloaded we had no electricity AND the cheetahs were back in the lodge. Shoo what a day! I offloaded my viewer and then headed out to help Wimpie with the cheetahs again. We got the under control but not for long. They spotted Nyala eating the grass near the top office and they were off! Wimpie and I behind them... what a sight it must have been! Once again we manage to herd them up - Nyala's just, just escaped!
The cheetahs are still hanging around the lodge but outside the fence so hopefully they stay put!! I have a drive this afternoon with 14 people - hopefully it doesn’t rain again! I am also hosting tonight so will finish up late.
That is my news for the time being!!
