20th November 2011

Getting dry again...normal for the Karoo ecosystem - Rain would be welcome, but the game, adapted to this dry area are doing fine.

The Eland on the Ranch showed their calves  a few weeks ago and now the claves are with the herd ( better safety in numbers in a herd with adults ) - a very nice sight!

Gemsbuck calves, some are with herds now. ( they are hidden, solitary by the cows for the first 4 weeks after birth - then they join into small groups called 'creches' which their cows know to find to nurse them - safety in numbers in the creche but still too young to join adult herd with all those mean horns around !! )

 Nature is Wonderfull !!

With good management - the harvest of excess game is almost completed - the veld remains in good shape to feed the many calves which will be born in December - a great renewable cyclic resource !

The species which drop their calves early/in the spring here - September- are Gemsbuck, Springbuck, Eland, Grey Rhebuck, Steenbuck and Grey Duiker ( and Ostriches hatch then also.)

All the other species drop their calves here in summer/ December. However Kudu drop last in late summer from February - March/April.

Lalase and John have done a great job harvesting the game and all that great meat is feeding the citizens of South Africa !

We will still harvest a few more old Impala ewes in November and some old Kudu cows in January.