Springfontein Mammals

When we visit potential wind farm sites, it is to observe birds and bats in the area.  However, we do enjoy finding the mammals that live in the area and we found quite a number of them on the Springfontein site this month, mostly during the day, which is unusual for some of the nocturnals.  We have always seen the Aardwolf (Proteles cristata) at dusk from the vantage points but this time we saw two during the day, foraging in the field.  This one was kind enough to stand still let me take a photo, before he turned tail and ran like the wind.

Unfortunately this is the second one we saw.  The day before we had seen it running in the field and disappear down into a den.  We were pleased to know where the den was and drove on.  It was really sad to find it like this the next day.

In almost the same place, this lovely Bat-eared Fox (Otocyon megalotis) was also foraging in the field.  We see them pretty often, in most of the farms we visit.

The three farms that this wind farm will be on have a large number of wild game.  I enjoy watching the Black Wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) the most. The stand very still in the field, usually in a straightish line, facing in all directions and suddenly they will take off at great speed, rushing around in circles kicking up as much dust as possible. Nothing seems to be chasing them so one does wonder if it is just for fun.  At first I thought they wanted to stand in the dust they kick up for some reason but they very quickly move away from the dust once they stop rushing around.

Once again, fences are causing me concern.  This time, however, by the hand of humans, not by accident.  The farmers in our land have this strange idea that hanging up Cape Foxes (Vulpes chama) on their boarder fences will prevent other foxes from coming in to take their lambs.  Whether or not this works is unknown to me but I think it is a barbaric practice none the less.

 And while on the subject of fences, we found this poor Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) which had also been caught on the fence, and it seemed to have died horribly.  Its bones were lying on the ground around the leg, it had obviously been scavenged by something.  One can only hope that it had died before the scavengers arrived.