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Apr 05
2011
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An elephant and the Sausage treePosted by: ranger in MBT - Conservancy Diary on Apr 5, 2011 Tagged in: Bushtops Daily Game Reports
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Head Scout’s daily report
Reporting date: 05.04.2011
A young elephant was spotted resting under a Sausage tree (Kigelia africana) by Daniel and his guests while on an Afternoon game drive. The young elephant which was seen mostly playing by himself was at one point seen rubbing his rear on the sausage tree. The sausage tree is known so because of its fruits which are huge, long and shaped like sausages and hang down from the limbs on long, ropelike stalks. The mature fruits dangle from the long stalks like giant sausages and may be up to 0.6 m long and weigh up to 6.8 kg.
Though known as the sausage tree, this tree is known for its use in making alcohol locally known by the Maasai as Muratina. The fruit is fermented and mixed with other herbs to create a strong spirit-like alcohol.
Elephants Love this tree and are sometimes seen shaking the tree to feed on the falling fruits and leaves. However, they also use the tree for sctatching to get rid of skin pests. Also after a mud wallow, the elephant needs to rub off the dry mud and the perfect tree for this is the Sausage tree as it has a rough bark.
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Scouts on Duty (Patrol) |
Chemichemi |
Main Gate/Barrier |
Off Duty | |
| Benson Shuel, Yenko, Tompoi, Lenkiroro | Salau Njapit | Sedek |
Daniel Lomokunyo, Siito Ketuta | |
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Patrol route |
Bravo 1: Orgillai, Kirok Loirien, Ntulele, Salt lick, BT, Chemichemi
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Bravo 2: Osinoni, Oloropa, Olgenchemi, Oyerata, BT, Safaricom
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Livestock Movement in the Conservancy |
No livestock intrusion | |||
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Condition of wild animals |
Good | |||
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Condition of cattle |
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Condition of vegetation |
Good | |||
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Weather condition |
Sunny and Hot | |||
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Water Supply |
Plenty | |||
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Animals sighted |
No. of animals seen | |||
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African Civet Civettictis civetta |
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African Elephant Loxodonta africana |
12 | |||
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African Wild Cat Felis lybica |
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Banded mongoose Mungos mungo |
27 | |||
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Bat-eared Fox Otocyon megalotis |
4 | |||
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Black Rhinoceros Diceros bicornis |
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Buchell’s Zebra Equus burchellii |
120 | |||
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Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus |
5 | |||
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Cape Buffalo Syncerus caffer |
5 | |||
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Cape hare Lepus capensis |
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Caracal Felis caracal |
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Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus |
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Coke’s Hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus |
8 | |||
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Common (Golden) Jackal |
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Dwarf Mongoose Helogale parvula |
29 | |||
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Eland Taurotragus oryx |
6 | |||
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Grant’s Gazelle Gazella granti |
5 | |||
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Hedgehog Atelerix albiventris |
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Honey Badger (Ratel) Mellivora capensis |
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Impala Aepyceros melampus |
400 | |||
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Kirk’s Dik Dik Madoqua kirkii |
20 | |||
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Klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus |
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Large-spotted Genet Genetta tigrina |
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Leopard Panthera padus |
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Lesser Bushbaby Galago moholi |
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Lesser Kudu Tragelaphus imberbis |
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Lion Panthera leo |
2 | |||
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Maasai Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis |
18 | |||
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Olive Baboon Papio anubis |
32 | |||
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Porcupine Hystrix cristata |
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Rock Hyrax (Dassie) Heterohyrax brucei |
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Serval Felis serval |
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Side-striped Jackal Canis adustus |
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Silver-backed Jackal Canis mesomelas |
4 | |||
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Slender Mongoose Galerella sanguinea |
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Small-spotted Genet Genetta genetta |
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Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta |
2 | |||
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Striped Hyena Hyena hyena |
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Topi Damaliscus korrigum |
24 | |||
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Thompson’s Gazelle Gazella thomsoni |
60 | |||
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Warthog Phacochoerus eathiopicus |
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White-tailed Mongoose Ichneumia albicauda |
10 | |||
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Wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus |
48 | |||
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