Dangerous Game Flashcards
In what 3 fundemental ways may injury to a guest occur?
Guest injuries are normally due to incompetence; failure to take adequate precautions and conscious decisions based on ignorance or bravado.
Do elephants sleep standing up?
Elephants may doze off while on their feet; often in shady areas through the heat of the day but will lie down to sleep at night. Useful inclines such as hills; dongas and termite mounds may make lying down easier but are not a necessity
Describe the structure and formation and actions of a male lion coalition.
Male coalitions are usually formed of related individuals; brothers or cousins of the same age that are chased out of the pride at sexual maturity around 3 years old. Free-roaming males or coalitions will fend for themselves up to the point where they are strong enough (around 4 - 5 years old) to attempt taking over another territory. If successful; the males will kill any young offspring in a pride in order to encourage the females into oestrus where they will be sexually receptive to the new males. They will work together to defend a territory (against other coalitions) within which there may be one or several prides that they will have breeding rights to. Mating is performed by a dominant male or coalition with sexual mature members of prides that fall within the males’ territory.
What is meant by a guide not having a licence to kill.
No license to kill refers to the mentality that a guide must always maintain. The guide must act as if he did not have a rifle and especially must never place themselves in a position where they know they may have to destroy an animal.
How can you distinguish sex in elephants?
Males have a penis sheath that opens forward while females have a vulva which opens downward; this is the easiest way of sexing an elephant. Males have more rounded foreheads while females are more angular. Males of the same age are generally larger but this is obviously a difficult way to tell. The concave curve of the back and hips is more prominent in males than in females
Describe the digestive system of an elephant and how much do they eat per day?
An elephant’s digestive system is very rough and ready and is pretty inefficient. As you may see upon inspection of their dung there is quite a bit of undigested material; even entire marulas that are still edible! They are hindgut fermenters meaning that they have a specialized organ known as a caecum in which there are bacteria that are able to ferment and digest the cellulosic material ingested by that animal and allow the elephant to absorb those nutrients. They are bulk mixed feeders; feeding on both grass and leaves as well as fruit where possible and due to their inefficient digestive tract; utilizing only 40% of what they ingest; are known as bulk feeders; eating huge amounts of food – 100 – 300kg/day
In what situations should you not make an approach?
With nervous guests, animals with young, injured animals, startled animals, stressed animals, elephant bulls in musth, predators feeding, dangerous animals when mating.
Describe 3 methods of territorial marking by Spotted Hyenas and what is territory size based on?
Hyenas are territorial animals that demarcate their territories through the relatively unique method of anal pasting. The anal pouch is everted and a smooth; potent smelling paste known as pomade is deposited on grass stalks and shrubs. This marking is not confined to boundary marking but rather throughout the territory. Hyenas also make use of latrines; this method in particular is used on the boundary line of their territory. They have also been noted to paw the ground; likely making use of interdigital glands in the same way as large cats scratching trees. Size of territory as with most other animals is based on resource availability.
Name several important factors to keep in mind on an approach.
Do not get too close – watch for behavioural indicators and maintain a comfortable distance. Always be aware of wind direction. Always be as quiet as possible. Always allow the animal several possibilities of escape. Be aware that an animal has moods and may react differently on a situational basis
What is the preferred habitat of a white rhino?
Areas of short grass, stands of medium/tall P. maximum found under shady trees, water for drinking and mud-wallowing, Adequate bush cover to provide shade.
What is an anchor shot?
An anchor shot is a shot used to down a retreating animal that has been wounded by an initial shot. It is usually placed in the spine of the retreating animal to down it so as to be able to make a final kill shot
What is musth
Musth is a period of heightened testosterone levels in sexually mature bull elephants. It is characterized by swollen temporal glands on either side of the head from which there is a discharge noticeable as a wet looking stain on the side of the head. However; this may also be present in stressed females and musth is more characterized by a constant dribble of urine which stains the inside of the animals hind legs and the build-up of a green “froth” on the tip of the penis; the result of increased testosterone in the urine. The bull’s instincts cause it to begin travelling significant distances in order to mate with unrelated females. The bulls will be highly aggressive toward other animals while in this state and even larger bulls not in musth are known to move out of the way of a smaller musth bull
When do hippos feed? Why? How much food do they eat?
Hippos are grazers that feed on land. However; the heat of the sun usually keeps them in water in the daytime. They will emerge in the coolness of the night to graze; eating up to 40kg of food/night and moving up to 10km from the water at night
How do hippos affect river ecology?
Hippos are “dredgers” having no flippers or webbing as a means of propulsion; they walk on the bottom and will stir up the substrate of water bodies that they are in releasing nutrients in the riverbed and preventing siltation of water channels, the churned up silt that may build up on bends in rivers providing a nutritious medium for plants to grow. Their dung is also highly nutritious; and I know that fishing downstream from a pod is often quite productive
Describe the social structure of a hyena clan?
Spotted hyenas have a matriarchal social structure where the clan is led by a dominant female and all females are dominant over males. Hierarchal status is hereditary as opposed to strength. A strict pecking order is established between both sexes with chances of advancing that social status whilst remaining in that clan be slim. Thus; in order to advance themselves males will often move off and join another clan where their genetic vigour allows them a better status. Females of low rank may do the same
Describe the home ranges and territories of white rhinos.
Both male and female white rhinos all have home ranges; a space that they occupy at any given time; but dominant bulls will have and hold territories which they will actively defend against any challenger. The dominant bull will allow any females and will tolerate the presence of submissive bulls in their territory, submission displays include folded ears; a curled down tail and squeaks and grunts when in the presence of a dominant bull as well as defecating on the dominant bull’s middens without scraping the dung. Males will only clash if an intruder does not behave in a subordinate manner and will involve horn clashes and heavy shoulder barging both of which can and sometimes do result in death, but the males know the danger of these interactions and aggression is only limited to non-submissive behaviour. In any altercation it may be confusing to witness the dominant bull “backing down” but this is really only because the other male has shown submission and the dominant bull has accepted this and is the one to end the interaction. The dominant bull will patrol his territory which will usually follow natural boundaries; leaving it only to cross another territory to access water if need be. To cross another territory a bull will usually act submissively as described before and urinating in a stream as opposed to spraying
What is a potentially dangerous animal?
A potentially dangerous animal is any animal that poses a threat to human beings and other animals, usually larger and more dangerous mammals as opposed to venomous reptiles or arthropods etc
What is the difference between a calculated and an unnecessary risk?
A calculated risk is a risk in which the odds are heavily stacked in your favour while an unnecessary risk is one in which the odds are stacked in the animals favour.
Why should a guide understand dangerous animal behaviour?
To understand behaviour and behavioural changes. To be able to predict behaviour in order to avoid conflict. To be able to inform guests with in-depth information re: the animals they are viewing. To ensure the best possible viewing experience
Describe the 4 different approach zones.
A) The critical zone is one in which the animal feels threatened and will either fight or flee. B) The warning zone is one in which the animal will display warning signals to signal its discomfort at your proximity e.g. Hissing; snarling; head tossing; raising of hackles; swishing of tail; breaking of branches; flattening of ears; kicking or pawing the ground and “mock charging” C) The alert zone is one in which the animal’s personal space is entered and you have failed to maintain an adequate distance. The animal may become curious and inquisitive as to your presence but may; if you hold position and do not disturb it further; carry on with previous behaviour. D) The comfort zone is the distance at which the animal feels comfortable and not threatened in any way by your presence
Why are hyena regarded as dangerous animals?
Spotted hyenas; although traditionally regarded as “cowardly scavengers” can and often are formidable hunters; especially in clans and are therefore regarded as dangerous game
How do you discern sex in hyenas and why is it difficult?
Spotted hyenas were commonly thought to be hermaphroditic but that is a fallacy. The myth comes from the elongated clitoris of females which is known as a pseudo-penis. You can tell the difference between the sexes by noting the tip of the penis/pseudo-penis. A genuine male penis will have a head while a female’s pseudo-penis is smooth all the way along its length
Why would a guide not fire a warning shot?
You may not have time to reload, you don’t know where the bullet may land, you may hit another animal through ricochet or some unlucky situation.
Do male lions always rely on females to feed them?
No; males do not always rely on the females. Dominant males will usually let the females hunt and then move in on a kill but are known to partake in a hunt; particularly on larger game such as buffalo and giraffe. Males will also hunt for themselves during a nomadic period in their lives when they have been chased out of a pride and have not yet established territory
