7. it's all in a day's walk

‘Walking the dogs’ has always had such a romantic connotation. 
One envisages a good looking husband, sporting a tweed coat, Labrador at his side, walking along the misty river banks, occasionally throwing a ball or Frisbee. 
But at Milimani, as romantic as it is, a calm stroll with the Labrador just doesn’t happen.

When it became apparent that our three bushpig orphans needed to ‘get out more’, our three dogs (one is a Labrador, so we do have some of the ingredients), and us (sans tweed coats) started taking them for walks. We’d stroll from the house for a kilometre to the helipad where we’d let them forage. On the way back, a compulsory pit stop at the water tank for a wallow ensured that the trademark of the walk was left all over our legs and shoes. These evening walks became a ritual and guests were invited along.

My uncle, aunt and (favourite) cousin came to visit and a bushpig walk was on the agenda. By now Picollo had grown quite large and loved Velcro. Colleen, Kelly and I were so wrapped up in conversation that we neglected Clive who was being attacked – in a friendly way – by Picollo, hungry for the Velcro on his takkies. Clive’s cries for help eventually stopped us mid-sentence. I instructed him to ‘just ignore Picollo', and he exclaimed in horror: “At which point do I ignore her, Lois? When my foot is half way down her throat?” Clive abandoned the walk and retired to the safety of cricket on TV.

A Blackbacked Jackal, Jacki, came to us from C.R.O.W (Centre for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife). Jacki was tame, and although free to roam, adopted us for a short time. The dogs and pigs were initially sceptical but later accepted his presence. After that Jacki joined us on the walks and they became even more chaotic. Pigs chasing pigs, chasing dogs, chasing jackal. Jacki soon wondered off, and has hopefully settled amongst his own type.

Then Jasper the Friendly Goose arrived. Jasper is an Egyptian Goose, about two-years-old, and used to humans. To be frank he is neither an Egyptian nor a goose (actually a duck), and definitely not friendly. He too came from C.R.O.W. He immediately took over our home, our lives and our nerves. The only person he didn’t attack was Ken. The rest of us had to dodge flapping wings and a snapping bill. Jasper also joined the walks.

When the time came to take two of the bushpigs, Picollo and Wig, to the release enclosure at the restaurant, Jasper escorted us, and discovered that this was where we spent most of our time, so every morning he flew there and strutted around the swimming pool. We were having breakfast with guests when Jasper literally landed on one lady’s head! Thankfully she had a sense of humour and Jasper was chased off what he considered a good nesting place!

Picollo and Wig have settled into their new enclosure and will be introduced to the three other bushpigs that were released six months ago. We take them  for long walks into the forest and down to the dam for a wallow. Soon the other bushpigs will accept them and they will be free to go.

Although it’s often hard to release the animals, it’s far more rewarding to watch them embrace freedom and interact with their own species.

But it looks like Jasper has no intention of going anywhere. Life’s too good beside the pool!

Published in SA Country Life, July 2002

Other blogs by Lois Kuhle:

SMOKE RINGS IN CUBA. A TWO WEEK JOURNEY FILLED WITH SALSA, SUNSHINE AND SILLY PEOPLE: http://smokeringsincuba.blogspot.com/2013/10/smoke-rings-in-cuba-journey-filled-with.html


COOL THOUGHTS. MUSINGS AND OTHER MAD MOMENTS:
http://loiskuhlethoughts.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-impatient-gardener.html