My Favourite Story Yet: Trying To Dart A Hyena!

in #life6 years ago

SAM_4953.JPG

Hi I'm Danny! I'm travelling around the world! Follow my posts.

Today we had the chance to join the research team at the award winning African Impact and travel into Zambezi national park to dart and collar a male hyena.



The team needed to do this in order to take vital data on the hyenas that live in Zambezi National Park. The task was definitely easier said than done as it took a full week and we still hadn't caught this intelligent animal.


SAM_5093.JPG

We were completely outwitted by the nocturnal hyenas. Using a cage with meat as bait didn't work as the hyena managed to get out with the meat and not set off the trap door.



After two nights of trying we put a piece of giraffe meat underneath a speaker (tied up in the trees) playing distress calls of different animals. This plan worked perfectly except for one thing: we attracted a huge male lion! We would have loved to been able to dart and track this lion but unfortunately we didn't have the license to do that.

SAM_1568.JPG

As we sat in the vehicle in silence we heard rustling in the bushes. I then realised we were surrounded by a pride of lions completely hidden in the long grass. To my utter horror I quickly realised that beneath my feet was the left over of the giraffe meat covered in blood - these lions could definitely smell it.

Unable to do anything we had to just sit quietly. Eventually the male lion realised something suspicious was going on and left the meat and retreated back into the bush.

SAM_4954.JPG


We went back the next night and used the same tactic again this time with a spotlight on some goat meat. The wily hyenas tiptoed around the spotlight avoiding the sight of our dart gun. Cunningly they managed to somehow steal the meat without us even noticing.

For one week each day and night we tried, and each time we failed.

Follow me here and check my old posts!

Incredible Zanzibar

Welcome to Paradise | Teaching English | Dolphin Tourism - Good or Bad? | Historic Stone Town | Humpback Whales

DQmfW4J7XDYxSdWo5iUMs2sPY7u1D1QXyrRTiVwH5zFa2cJ.jpeg

Exploring Cape Town

Cage Diving With Great White Sharks | Penguins from Antartica | Exploring The South Peninsula | Name | Climbing Table Mountain | Cape of Good Hope | Welcome to Cape Town

Mountain Gorillas In The Congo

Arriving In The Congo | Virunga National Park | Mountain Gorillas 1 | Mountain Gorillas 2 | The Largest Lava Lake In The World | Visiting A Gorilla Oprhanage

Bonito's beautiful waters

2000 year old sinkhole | Underground Cave Diving | Untouched Blue Caves | Floating Down the River | Ziplines into crystal clear water | Bonito is absolutely Stunning | 50 SBD Giveaway!

Columbia & Trekking to the hidden city

First thoughts about Columbia | Trekking to the hidden city Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

The Pantanal Wetlands and Wildlife

My Trip to The Pantanal | Swimming With Caiman | Giant Guinea Pigs | Photographing Blue Macaws | We got attacked by Howler Monkeys!

Sort:  

Attracting hyenas who are too clever for the traps and sitting out approaching lions. Great Adventure 🐘

Excellent photography..

Nice story and awesome photography !! The animals are look like very cool

This must be a wonderful (and a bit terrifying on the lion part) experience for you, @dannystravels! Will look forward to more! 😊

Thanks for checking out the story :)

That's really unfortunate, don't lose hope you will get to see that animal soon, but in my opinion the experience of accidental meeting with lion will be great encounter to be registered in the camera and in our travel diary, because at this time fear and stories from childhood would be run in mind like rushing of blood. I hope you'll enjoyed your time and work. Thanks for sharing and wishing you an great day. Stay blessed. 🙂

Nice journey! For your next Trip check my travel blog and save money on cheap flights or hotels! Follow me on @holidayheroes-de or @holidayheroes or on Insta at #travelfuckincheap Enjoy 😉



Congratulations @dannystravels!


You have completed an Azanian achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with a Krugar Rand from Gold Reef City! Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika!

I follow you, my friend

Authenticity BOT!


Great job! We found more similar posts, but your post is the 1st one posted.
GrumpyCat / https://steewit.com/@grumpycat
can give you a downvote because of the copies!
Defend yourself! / https://steewit.com/delegation/@erodedthoughts/defend-yourself-against-grumpycat

Coin Marketplace

STEEM 0.27
TRX 0.12
JST 0.031
BTC 57842.09
ETH 2895.96
USDT 1.00
SBD 3.56