Limpopo Valley Carnivores

Category: Cheetah | Date: Oct 24 2008 | By: limpopocarnivores

We were very lucky to see a male and a female cheetah spending some quality time together on Venetia recently. Adult Cheetahs of opposite sexes do not spend time together for any reason other than for making baby cheetahs, so we were quite excited by this development. With at least 3 litters having been born this year, the cheetahs in the area seem to be thriving.

We are trying to catch a cheetah to fit a GPS collar in order to track their movements, and thought this might be the perfect opportunity, and moved our trap to close to where the spotty couple were courting. Sadly, they were far more interested in each other and the trap remained empty. We are trying a new method of trapping, whereby we use scent from a female cheetah to bait the trap. Cheetah males are typically very interested in females, and females do not appreciate other females entering their range, so we are hoping this will attract them in and that curiosity may catch the cat. In this instance though, it seems they were far more interested in each other than in the scent of an unknown cheetah, and they moved on. We are keeping going though and will keep you posted.

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Category: Wild Dogs | Date: Oct 14 2008 | By: limpopocarnivores

I am very sad to have to tell you all that we do not have even one surviving member of this year’s Wild Dog litter. Every single one has gone, and we think they were all accounted for by lions. Our pack has dwindled to just two adult females and a male yearling. We know there are a few groups in the area, but by “area” I mean quite a vast expanse of space. We are hoping that these ladies will attract in a group of dispersing males from elsewhere who will establish a new pack in time for next years’ denning season.

Our hopes were for this years’ litter building the next phase of strength of the Venetia Pack, we are bitterly disappointed by this setback. We are listening out avidly for any sightings of dogs in the area and will keep you informed of progress.

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