Oryx at thirty meters, an old bull's cracks
Monday, 20 August 2012
A large spoor leaves a water hole in the dark. Two bulls have crossed and mixed their tracks; the trackers have to back-track. While we wait, a herd of oryx drifts to thirty meters — two with long thick horns — and we cannot move. On the elephant line, the bull's cracks tell us he is still young.
Five past five out of camp to a new water hole. The trackers picked up a large bull’s spoor coming off the water. We followed it thirty minutes before a second bull crossed and mixed the lines. The trackers had to back-track to put the first bull clean again.
While they worked, a herd of oryx drifted toward us. They came to thirty meters in fairly open ground — two with very long thick horns. We were locked to an elephant line and could not act. They passed.
After an hour and twenty minutes the trackers returned. They had the bull clean in soft mud sand. Big track, yes — but fine cracks in his sole. A young bull. Old bulls have broad deep cracks; their soles wear out as they age. A tracking lesson I would keep using.
There was more elephant activity here than anywhere we had seen. We would be back tomorrow.
We drove a series of water holes and pans. A pair of kudu within two hundred meters — one with a broken horn, one at fifty-four inches. A young bull elephant seven hundred meters out. At eleven, a nice old-bull track; Felix called it for the morning — the day was warming up too fast.
