Before I arrived in South Africa just over a week ago, I had almost forgotten how much I love the crimson-colored dirt that creates a thin veil over everything. I almost couldn’t hear the sound of rainbow-painted birds chirping and monkeys playing on my roof at the crack of dawn when I closed my eyes. And I’d almost forgotten how my heart halts during those thrilling, brief moments between the time when you hear something rustle in the bush and when you actually see what it is. Thankfully, I got back here just in time.

I moved into my apartment in the bush a week ago today, and I feel like I’m home again. I live in the Mabalingwe Reserve staff housing; in a beautiful little South Africa-esque apartment that has more space than I ever could have asked for (All I wanted/expected was a hot shower every morning and a bed to sleep in every night).  In case you are wondering where in the world I actually am,  (because I’m only 8,000 miles away from home, after all) take a look at the map to the right. It shows where the Limpopo Province is in South Africa, and where Mabalingwe is in respect to Limpopo.

This is the direction in which my research seems to be heading currently: For the next few months I am attempting to track the 16 rhinos, as well as the 20 elephants that are residing in Mabalingwe. I am trying to identify their migration and feeding habits while doing some behavioral studies. I'm also going to try to figure out what to do about the destruction they cause on the reserve. After a week on this farm, I’ve seen what kind of BIG damage elephants can cause. Most of it centers around the water pipes. The clever ellies walk right up to the water pipes and burst them so they can enjoy an afternoon refreshment from the new geyser they made all by themselves.  The management and conservation of both of these animals is directly correlated, so I hope I can help the big beauties as well as the reserve with my research.  So far I’ve seen the whole elephant herd once as it crossed the road, and I’ve seen between two and four rhinos at a time almost every day since Monday. I'm not going to post a picture of the elephants on this blog just yet because i'm confident i'll get better ones! In order to help with this research, since these big guys don’t exactly love making their presence known, I have given some maps to the reception desk in hopes that vacationers as well as those who live in the reserve will identify when and where they see ellies or rhinos on the reserve.

This is an example of what the elephants can do with just a nudge of their feet or scratch of their backsides! Broken water pipes and tanks like this all over the reserve = MAJOR problem.

The wildlife, including animals, trees, and birds, is just as incredible as I remembered it. There’s something really special about waking up before the sun does each day and spending all hours of daylight on the hunt for the animals I’ve always loved and revered. I’ve gotten to see the lions and lion cubs (the lions have their own, very big enclosure to protect the people and them), I’ve almost gotten charged by a bathing hippo,  i've learned how to call an owl (thanks, Alicia!), and I can now safely say I'm a birder. MOST IMPORTANTLY, however, I was able to see the swiftly moving elephant herd my first day here, and I have now seen a rhino calf and her mother enough times that they have become recognizable.

A baby kameelperd, or giraffe,  is still feeding from its mum

The experience has been made even more wonderful by my Prof Van Hoven; his friends Erna and Enrico; Bob and Annette; and my staff neighbor/guide/and exploring partner, Alicia. My new friends have been kind enough to share their royvein (red wine) with me, and they are patiently teaching me more Afrikaans (which is the primary language of most people here).

I sometimes still can't believe I am doing the kind of work I've always dreamt of! My research has really just begun but I've already learned so much about this wildlife and culture. I get to wake up early every morning and go on another adventure, unsure of exactly what i'll see, with other people that share my passion for these animals and this land. I'm not sure it gets much better than that.

A male klipspringer being as handsome as ever

Until next time, Cheers!!!