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22
Mei/May 2015
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major operation.
In Skukuza, the veterinary team waited
anxiously and on the arrival all of us
went out to witness the unloading (in
open veldt). Raoul and I perched on the
roof of the truck roof to observe the
historical event. The rangers opened
the gate of the truck but meanwhile
the aggressive animals tried their best
to destroy the inside of the truck and
refused to come out into the unfamiliar
environment.
This is where the bravery and bush
sense of Henry Wolhuter came to the
rescue. He stood at the open gate and
did a dance and waved his arms to
entice the animals to attack him and
so they charged out. As they emerged,
Wolhuter quietly stepped to the side
next to the truck. What followed was
a brief but potentially deadly game of
hide and seek through and around the
trees, until Wolhuter had enticed the
rhinos out and away from the truck. As
they moved into the open area they ran
blindly into the bush.
On another occasion Dr Johan van
Niekerk enlisted us, the two veterinary
students, to assist with a post mortem
on a rhino that had run into a river
and drowned – an unforgettable
experience!
Witnessing the current slaughter of
these magnificent animals, we are at a
loss for words at the greed of people
and the inability of governments to take
decisive action...”
Dr Raoul van der Westhuizen continues:
With most of the Kruger National Park
closed to tourists at the time, Dave
and I were privileged to witness events
in the wild that very few people ever
get to see. In the absence of tourist
traffic, the wild animals ventured near
and even “camped” on the roads. On
Sundays, we drove along the Sabie
River to fish for tiger and bream in the
clear pools (with permission, of course).
One afternoon, we heard rustling in
the wild fig tree above us. We were
worried that it might be a leopard, until
we became the target of wild figs being
pelted at us from above by a troop of
vervet monkeys! They were very upset
at our invasion of their territory and
swore horribly at us!
The monkeys and, more importantly,
the baboons were a problem on
the roads near the tourist camp,
begging from tourists and becoming
dangerous if they did not get what they
demanded. The park management
eventually appointed the local traffic
cop to catch the troop leaders. They
issued him with a gas pistol which can
shoot a syringe filled with anaesthetic.
He had to catch most of the ringleaders
and drop them off miles away so that
they could not find their way back
to the land of snacks and goodies.
He drove out in his car and shot a
ringleader at point-blank distance, but
the others scattered. By the third or
fourth attempt, the baboons scattered
at first sight of his painted police car
approaching. Needless to say, the
staff in the Park teased him about this
mercilessly.
THE FLYING SYRINGE
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B
illy, ‘n koedoeweesbul, word deur twee Arabierperd-voogma’s gesoog. Susan Smit
van die Tahillah-boerdery, het hom in die veld gevind waar hy honger rondgedwaal
het. “Billy se ma was nerens in sig nie. Dit is vreeslik droog en die diere kry swaar.
Ons weet nie hokeom hy alleen in die veld was nie, maar hy was honger en net vel en been.
Sy naelstring was nog vars.” Sy en haar man, Charl, boer met Arabierperde, boerbokke,
wild en skape aan die Oranjeriver in Namibië, oorkant die Suid-Afrikaanse grensdorp
Onseepkans. Sy het hom huistoe gebring en gehoop dat haar Arabierperdmerries sal
toelaat dat hy aan hulle drink. Hul eie vullens was pas gespeen. Die Arabierperdmerries in
hul stoetery is baie goeie ma’s wat hul vullens goed teen roofdiere beskerm. Haar hoop is
nie beskaam nie, en Billy drink nou lustig aan sy surrogaatma’s. Wanneer hy dik gedrink is
by Zara, die een merrie, gaan hy na Marie, een van die ander merries.
v
Billy, die koedoewesie
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