Forensics To Support The Fight Against Wildlife Crime

The first international rhinoceros DNA sampling training workshop was held in South Africa on 5 and 6 November 2013. The purpose of the workshop was to enhance the world’s enforcement capacity to address the wave of rhinoceros poaching that has resulted in the killing of 825 animals in South Africa since January 2013. 

 The South African Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and the University of Pretoria’s Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL), in collaboration with the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), hosted a rhinoceros DNA sampling workshop at the Southern African Wildlife College near Hoedspruit in South Africa, which included field training in the Kruger National Park.

 Law enforcement officers from each of the 11 African rhinoceros range states, as well as from China, Thailand and Vietnam, and South African National Parks, participated in the workshop.

 The capacity of law enforcement officers working along national borders, at border posts and in protected areas to detect, investigate and prosecute offenders involved in rhinoceros poaching and illegal rhinoceros horn trade has been boosted through a series of lectures and field visits to the Kruger National Park to partake in the physical DNA sampling of rhino that had been poached within the Park. Special focus was given to the increased use of rhinoceros horn DNA sampling to combat wildlife crime.

“South Africa welcomes the hosting of an international rhino DNA sampling workshop since we are the country most seriously affected by rhino poaching that is largely driven by international wildlife trafficking. The presentation of this workshop supports the decision by CITES at the 16th Conference of Parties in Thailand in March 2013 that all range States, transit and consumer States should strengthen compliance and enforcement,” said the Deputy Director-General: Biodiversity and Conservation in the Department of Environmental Affairs, Mr Fundisile Mketeni.

 The number of rhinos poached in South Africa for their horn since January 2013 has increased to 825. The Kruger National Park continues to bear the brunt of rhino poaching, with 500 rhino being killed by poachers. A total of 87 rhinos have been poached in Limpopo, 77 in North West, 74 in Mpumalanga and 73 in KwaZulu-Natal. The number of alleged poachers arrested has increased to 272.

 Law enforcement officers will emerge from the DNA training better equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to enable them to effectively counter illegal wildlife trade. This includes specific investigative techniques and the increased use of wildlife forensics, which can be applied during follow up actions that should be taken when seizures are made, crime scenes are investigated, information is being gathered or evidence is being presented to court.

 The officials have been provided with focused training on the identification of rhinoceros horn, rhinoceros horn DNA sampling and wildlife crime scene investigation. Participants have also been educated in the utilisation of ICCWC tools and services to enhance their wildlife crime investigation capabilities.

 ICCWC is a collaborative effort by the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Bank and the World Customs Organization (WCO) to bring coordinated support to the national wildlife law enforcement agencies and to the sub-regional and regional networks that act in defense of natural resources.

 In collaboration with its ICCWC partners, the UNODC commissioned the development of the ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit, which provides countries with a technical resource that enables them to undertake a national assessment with the aim to understand the main issues relating to wildlife and forest offences, and identify technical assistance needs.The toolkit was launched in 2012, with the financial backing of the World Bank Development Grant Facility, to effectively combat illegal wildlife trade, which is estimated at between $16 and $27 billion a year globally, including timber and marine species.

 Some of the most lucrative illegal wildlife commodities include tiger parts, elephant ivory, rhino horn, and exotic birds and reptiles, while the recent World Bank study Justice for Forests recognizes that illegal trade in timber deprives States of over $10 billion in annual revenue.

 CITES Secretary-General John E. Scanlon said: “We are supporting countries deploy the technologies and techniques they need to fight back against escalating wildlife crime. Drawing on South Africa's expertise, we are expanding the use of forensic technologies, with DNA test results often being critical for securing successful prosecutions. These collaborative efforts directly respond to the decisive actions taken by CITES Parties earlier this year to better combat wildlife crime.”

The recently developed eRhODIS™ application was also introduced and launched during the workshop with Samsung as the exclusive technology partner. This application provides the information technology backbone to support RhODIS®.

Dr Cindy Harper, Director of the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the University of Pretoria, said: “RhODIS® continues to play a vitally important role supporting rhinoceros crime prosecutions in South Africa and its implementation and utilisation Internationally could play a key role in bringing persons involved in international wildlife crime syndicates to book.”

The workshop was made possible by funding generously provided to ICCWC by the Government of the Netherlands.

 Background information on rhino poaching and smuggling of their horns

 The illegal trade in rhinoceros horn continues to be one of the most structured criminal activities currently faced by wildlife enforcement authorities.

 There are clear indications that organized criminal groups are involved in rhinoceros poaching and illegal trade in rhinoceros horn. The CITES Conference of the Parties, at its 16th meeting, held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 3 to 14 March 2013, stressed the need for increased cooperation amongst source, transit and destination countries affected by the illegal killing of rhinoceros and the subsequent illegal trade in rhinoceros horn.

 In consultation with rhinoceros range States, the ICCWC identified the need for training on rhinoceros horn DNA sampling for law enforcement officers as a priority. A proposal was submitted to the Government of The Netherlands for consideration and funding. The Netherlands Government approved the proposal and generously made funding available to support a capacity building intervention to combat illegal rhino horn trade.

 Considering that South Africa maintains the Rhino DNA Index System (RhODIS®), and that suitable experts to deliver the required training are available in the country, the CITES Secretariat on behalf of ICCWC, requested South Africa to host the capacity building intervention.

 RhODIS® was developed to assist in addressing the increase in rhino poaching, smuggling of rhinoceros horn and recovery/confiscation of horn and related products by consumer States by the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the University of Pretoria's Faculty of Veterinary Science. It involves the collection of DNA samples of live and poached rhinoceros across the country as well as all stockpiled horns, to create a DNA database with the unique profiles of individual animals.

 The database presently includes over 10 000 samples from black and white rhinoceros from Africa. These have been collected over the last 3 years and have provided important forensic evidence which have played a vital role in a number on prosecutions.

 South Africans are encouraged to report incidents of poaching and tip-offs to the anonymous tip-off lines 0800 205 005, 08600 10111 or Crime-Line on 32211.

 For media queries contact:
 Albi Modise
 Cell: 083 490 2871

Rhino Poaching Update

#RhinoPoaching update and #MoU signed between SA and China... View the link for the full story http://www.sanparks.org/about/news/default.php?id=55488

On Safari With Dean And Mark Starting the 5th January 2013

5^th January 2013:  Our first safari for 2013!  Guests were collected by Dean from the Town Lodge close to the Airport and transferred to Neslpruit to meet up with Mark.  Guests entered the park through Numbi Gate and made their way to Skukuza for lunch.  En-route down Napi a small herd of Buffalo were sighted just before  the Voortrekker link on Napi, two elephant bulls on the road just past boulders entrance and a couple of White Rhino along the way to Skukuza.  There were no cat sightings at all for the entire day.  After lunch we made our way back to Nkambeni for check in with just general game sightings.

6^th January 2013:  We departed Nkambeni after breakfast and stayed in the general area, as Verity was bringing in more guests at 12h00pm.  Once again the day was relatively quiet with no cat sightings and none been reported for the whole day by any other vehicles.  We came across a herd of approximately 40 elephant on the River link road with a lot of individual bulls also seen.  Most of them were throwing sand or mud on themselves for protection as it was going to be a warm day.  We also came across a dazzle of Zebra with a very young foal.  On our way towards Nkambeni via Albasini we came across a female lions spoor but no lioness was found as the grass has grown immensely.  On the late afternoon drive 7 large male Kudus were seen.  We made our way back to camp after an exhausting hot day.

7^th January 2013:  We departed camp once again on the hunt for some cats, and Dean collected his guests in Johannesburg from the Radisson Blu hotel and made his way to the Kruger to join up with us.  We both had lunch at Pretoriuskop before departing on the afternoon drive with our perspective clients.  After lunch we took a drive down Napi where we got some dwarf mongooses, just before Shithave Dam we got seven Sable Antelope and awesome sight!, elephant , Impala, Kudu .  We returned to Nkambeni late afternoon .

8^th January 2013:  After breakfast, Mark and his group left down Napi and Dean followed with his guests.  Once again we came across the little dwarf mongooses on Napi as well as Impala and Zebra.  After a tea break at Skukuza we continued on towards the Historical site and came across a pack of 9 wild dogs, we carried onto the H2 as we had heard there were some lions two kilometres before Quagga Pan, we found the lions lying 10 metres off the road this made for a great days sighting.  We then journeyed back towards the Paul Kruger Gate road and onto Doispane where there were more elephants to be seen as well as a herd of 700 buffalo near Albasini  and then all was quiet as  we made our way to camp for a break while meeting up with Verity to deliver more guests.  The late afternoon drive was relatively quiet with sightings of general game before we made our way back to camp for the evening.

9^th January 2013:  After leaving Mark and his guests Dean took his four and started making his way straight to Skukuza and then Tshokwane and on to Satara.  General game was spotted as well as the usual sightings of Rhino, Elephant, Giraffe, Waterbuck.  After we all had a break at Skukuza it was onward towards the low water bridge toward Lower Sabi and to Tshokwane for lunch.  On the way we got a Martial Eagle busy enjoying lunch as he had caught a banded mongoose.  After lunch at Thokwane and bidding Mark a farewell as he was going on to Lower Sabi and Dean was going on to Satara, Dean got twelve lions resting near Nzamanzi Dam and at the Dam itself Buffalo, Elephant, Hippo and Crocodile.  Along the way there was a lot of general game.  Dean arrived at Satara at 15h00pm and clients decided they were exhausted with the temperature reaching 43 degrees and enjoyed the pool at Satara for the afternoon. Mark continued his journey down the H10, eloff, Napi and back to camp with sightings of Elephants, Sable and a Leopard up a Maroela tree near Quagga Pan, it was then back to camp for a ice cold beer!

10^th January 2013:  Dean left Satara early before the heat of the day and travelled the H100 and then onto the S41 and H6 before returning to Satara for breakfast, sightings were good with loads of Impala, Herds of Elephant and a Cheetah lying under a tree as well as a male Lion and cubs getting chased by two Bull Elephants .  After breakfast Dean took a drive to Olifants camp with sightings of general game , some White Storks, Vultures.  They returned to camp early as the heat was too much and guests were going on a Night Drive.  Mark also went out early as he had four guests departing back to Johannesburg and two more guests arriving at 12h00pm.  Sightings of elephants and one male Lion and two Lionesses near Renosterkoppies,  as well as Elephants having a swim in Nyamundwa Dam.  Most of the animals were looking for shade in the afternoon, but we will see what tomorrow brings and hopefully we will pickup a Lion or two.  Dean and his four guests were making their way from Satara back to Pretoriuskop for the night as all six guests return to Johannesburg tomorrow and new guests arrive!

We shall wait for the next report with the guests arriving tomorrow.

Jock Of The Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick (Chapter 27)( Page 2 ) His Duty

There were two small windows looking out on to the yard, but no door in the back of the building; thus, in order to get into the yard, it was necessary to go out of the front door and round the side of the house. On many occasions Tom, roused by the screaming of the fowls, had seized his gun and run round to get a shot at the thieves; but the time so lost was enough for a kaffir dog, and the noise made in opening the reed gate gave ample warning of his coming. The result was that Tom generally had all his trouble for nothing; but it was not always so.  Several times he roused Jock as he ran out, and invariably got some satisfaction out of what followed; once Jock caught one of the thieves struggling to force a way through the fence and held on to the hind leg until Tom came up with the gun; on other occasions he had caught them in the yard; on others, again, he had run them down in the bush and finished it off there without help or hindrance. That was the kind of life to which Jock seemed to have settled down. He was then in the very prime of life, and I still hoped to get him back to me some day to a home where he would end his days in peace.  Yet it seemed impossible to picture him in a life of ease and idleness--a watch-dog in a house sleeping away his life on a mat, his only excitement keeping off strange kaffirs and stray dogs, or burrowing for rats and moles in a garden, with old age, deafness, and infirmities growing year by year to make his end miserable.  I had often thought that it might have been better had he died fighting--hanging on with his indomitable pluck and tenacity, tackling something with all the odds against him; doing his duty and his best as he had always done- and died as Rocky's dog had died.  If on that last day of our hunting together he had got at the lioness, and gone under in the hopeless fight; if the sable bull had caught and finished him with one of the scythe-like sweeps of the scimitar horns; if he could have died--like Nelson--in the hour of victory!  Would it not have been better for him--happier for me? Often I thought so.  For to fade slowly away; to lose his strength and fire and intelligence; to outlive his character, and no longer be himself!  No, that could not be happiness! Well, Jock is dead!  Jock, the innocent cause of Seedling's downfall and death, lies buried under the same big Fig Tree: the graves stand side by side.  He died, as he lived--true to his trust; and this is how it happened, as it was faithfully told to me: It was a bright moonlight night- Think of the scores we had spent together, the mild glorious nights of the Bushveld!--and once more Tom was roused by a clatter of falling boxes and the wild screams of fowls in the yard.  Only the night before the thieves had beaten him again; but this time he was determined to be even with them.  Jumping out of bed he opened the little window looking out on to the fowl-house, and, with his gun resting on the sill, waited for the thief.  He waited long and patiently; and by-and-by the screaming of the fowls subsided enough for him to hear the gurgling and scratching about in the fowl-house, and he settled down to a still longer watch; evidently the kaffir dog was enjoying his stolen meal in there.

Safari Starting 13th December Ending 17th December 2012

13^th December – Our guests arrived in Nelspruit where they were met by Mark who then proceeded to the Kruger National Park entering at Numbi gate. The route taken was straight down Napi into Skukuza for lunch. Good sightings were experienced such as Elephants just past shithave, 8 Giraffe together on the road at the Boulders entrance, 2 White Rhino which approached an elephant bull  and got the fright of their lives when the Elephant flapped its ears, a herd of buffalo at the Napi Boulders exit walking down the road and 3 wild dogs just before Transport Dam access road. We then proceeded to Nkambeni Tented Lodge for the evening.

14^th December – After a good breakfast we set out for the day when we spotted a male Leopard just past the Sabi River Low Water Bridge. We then proceeded on the Marola Loop where a Male Lion was marking his territory.  Other sighting for the day include Elephants, Rhino, 5 Giraffe lying down, a female Leopard who was stalking a Serval cat but after the chase the serval got away and the Leopard gave up, another 11 Lions down the S37, 3 male lions as well as fantastic sightings of general game.

15^th December – On this day we set out for another day in the Kruger. We turned onto the Kruger Gate Road where we got 17 Wild dogs lying in the road after a kill, still bloodied faces and stomachs full, we then made our way to watergat where we found 2 Lioness and 1 male Lion, after some time we proceeded onward with our route when we got good sightings of Rhino, Giraffe, General Game, another 3 Lions lying in the shade of a tree, a Leopard cub relaxing on a Silvercluster tree branch, a Buffalo herd of about 100 and Elephants.  After an exciting day we then made our way back to camp.

16^th December – Our route today is Voortrekker- S114 – Napi then back to camp. A great day experienced by our guests with a herd of Buffalo on their way to the first historical sight, 3 Wild Dogs on Voortrekker marking their territory, a Female Leopard walking parallel with the road,  5 Elephants on the S114, mating Lions on gwatamiri, 3 Lions on Napi, a Leopard in a morola tree just before the Transport Dam access road, 2 Rhinos and a female Cheetah having a afternoon walk before the Shithave entrance. After dinner we said our goodnights so our guests could have a rest before leaving the Kruger on the 17^th.

Dean enters the Park today with new guests. Sightings of Elephant, Rhino, Leopard, 2 different sightings of Lions, as well as Buffalo on the Nkambeni  access road to camp was spotted within two and a half hours of arrival.

17^th December – After their morning drive on their last day of their safari guests leave at 10h00 where they were handed over from Mark to Verity who would be bringing them back to OR Tambo to catch their flight.

Hippos Fighting for Dominance - 21 November 2012 - Latest Sightings

Jock Of The Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick (Chapter 25)( Page 7 ) Our Last Hunt

In the morning we found the waggon still in the drift, although partly hidden by the flood, but the force of the stream had half-floated and half-forced it round on to higher ground; only the anchoring chain had saved it.  We had to wait some hours for the river to run down, and then to my relief the rested but staggering oxen pulled it out at the first attempt. Rooiland, the light red ox with blazing yellow eyes and topped horns, fierce and untamable to the end, was in the lead then.  I saw him as he took the strain in that last pull, and it was pitiful to see the restless eager spirit fighting against the failing strength: he looked desperate.  The thought seems fanciful--about a dumb animal--and perhaps it is; but what happened just afterwards makes it still vivid and fitted in very curiously with the superstitious notions of the boys.  We outspanned in order to re-pack the loads, and Rooiland, who as front ox was the last to be released, stood for a few moments alone while the rest of the cattle moved away; then turning his back on them he gave a couple of low moaning bellows and walked down the road back to the drift again.  I had no doubt it was to drink; but the boys stopped their work and watched him curiously, and some remarks passed which were inaudible to me.  As the ox disappeared down the slope into the drift, Jim called to his leader to bring him back, and then turning to me, added with his usual positiveness, "Rooiland is mad.  Umtagati!  Bewitched!  He is looking for the dead ones.  He is going to die to-day!" The boy came back presently alone.  When he reached the drift, he said, Rooiland was standing breast-high in the river, and then in a moment, whether by step or slip, he was into the flood and swept away.  The leader's account was received by the others in absolute silence: a little tightening of the jaws and a little brightening of the eyes, perhaps, were all I could detect.  They were saturated with superstition, and as pagan fatalists they accepted the position without a word.  I suggested to Jim that it was nothing but a return of Rooiland's old straying habit, and probed him with questions, but could get nothing out of him; finally he walked off with an expressive shake of the head and the repetition of his former remark, without a shade of triumph, surprise, or excitement in his voice: "He is looking for the dead ones!" We were out of the fly then, and the next day we  reached Fig Tree. That was the end of the last trek.  Only three oxen reached Barberton, and they died within the week: the ruin was complete.

Jock Of The Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick (Chapter 25)( Page 3 ) Our Last Hunt

And at last it came: there was another slight shake of the horns, and the whole figure stood out in bold relief.  It was a fine sable bull lying in the shadow of one of the thorn-trees with his back towards us, and there was a small ant-heap close behind him, making a greyish blot against his black back and shoulder, and breaking the expanse of colour which the eye would otherwise easily have picked up. The ant-heap made a certain shot impossible, so I lowered myself slowly to the ground to wait until he should begin feeding or change his position for comfort or shade, as they often do: this might mean waiting for half an hour or more, but it was better than risking a shot in the position in which he was lying.  I settled down for a long wait with the rifle resting on my knees, confidently expecting that when the time came to move would get up slowly, stretch himself, and have a good look round.  But he did nothing of the kind; a turn or eddy of the faint breeze must have given him my wind; for there was one twitch of the horns, as his nose was laid to windward, and without an instant's pause he dashed off.  It was the quickest thing imaginable in a big animal: it looked as though he started racing from his lying position.  The bush was not close enough to save him, however, in spite of his start, and through the thin veil of smoke I saw him plunge and stumble, and then dash off again; and Jock seeing me give chase, went ahead and in half a minute I was left well behind, but still in sight of the hunt. I shouted at Jock to come back, just as one murmurs good-day to a passing friend in the din of traffic--from force of habit: of course, he could hear nothing.  It was his first and only go at a sable; he knew nothing of the terrible horns and the deadly scythe-like sweep that makes the wounded sable so dangerous--even the lioness had fought shy of them--and great as was my faith in him, the risk in this case was not one I would have taken.  There was nothing to do but follow.  A quarter of a mile on I drew closer up and found them standing face to face among the thorns.  It was the first of three or four stands; the sable, with a watchful eye on me, always moved on as I drew near enough to shoot.  The beautiful black and white bull stood facing his little red enemy and the fence and play of feint and thrust, guard and dodge, was wonderful to see.  Not once did either touch the other; at Jock's least movement the sable's head would go down with his nose into his chest and the magnificent horns arched forward and poised so as to strike either right or left, and if Jock feinted a rush either way the scythe-sweep came with lightning quickness, covering more than half a circle and carrying the gleaming points with a swing right over the sable's own back.  Then he would advance slowly and menacingly, with horns well forward ready to strike and eyes blazing through his eyebrows, driving Jock before him. There were three or four of these encounters in which I could take no hand: the distance, the intervening thorns and grass, and the quickness of their movements, made a  safe shot impossible; and there was always the risk of hitting Jock, for a hard run does not make for good shooting.  Each time as the sable drove him back there would be a short vicious rush suddenly following the first deliberate advance, and as Jock scrambled back out of the way the bull would swing round with incredible quickness and be off full gallop in another direction. Evidently the final rush was a manoeuvre to get Jock clear of his heels and flanks as he started, and thus secure a lead for the next run. Since the day he was kicked by the koodoo cow Jock had never tackled an unbroken hind leg; a dangling one he never missed; but the lesson of the flying heels had been too severe to be forgotten, and he never made that mistake again.  In this chase I saw him time after time try at the sable's flanks and run up abreast of his shoulder and make flying leaps at the throat; but he never got in front where the horns could reach him, and although he passed and repassed behind to try on the other side when he had failed at the one, and looked up eagerly at the hind legs as he passed them, he made no attempt at them.

Jock Of The Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick (Chapter 24)( Page 3 ) The Last Trek

He was only the first to go; day by day others followed.  Some were only cattle: others were old friends and comrades on many a trek.  The two big after-oxen Achmoed and Bakir went down early; the Komati Drift had over-tried them, and the weight and jolting of the heavy disselboom on the bad roads finished them off.  These were the two inseparables who worked and grazed, walked and slept, side by side--never more than a few yards apart day or night since the day they became yoke-fellows.  They died on consecutive days. But the living wonder of that last trek was still old Zwaartland the front ox!  With his steady sober air, perfect understanding of his work, and firm clean buck-like tread, he still led the front span.  Before we reached the Crocodile his mate gave in--worn to death by the ebbing of his own strength and by the steady indomitable courage of his comrade. Old Zwaartland pulled on; but my heart sank as I looked at him and noted the slightly `staring' coat, the falling flanks, the tread less sure and brisk, and a look in his eyes that made me think he knew what was coming but would do his best. The gallant-hearted old fellow held on.  One after another we tried with him in the lead, half a dozen or more; but he wore them all down.  In the dongas and spruits, where the crossings were often very bad and steep, the waggons would stick for hours, and the wear and strain on the exhausted cattle was killing: it was bad enough for the man who drove them.  To see old Zwaartland then holding his ground, never for one moment turning or wavering while the others backed jibbed and swayed and dragged him staggering backwards, made one's heart ache.  The end was sure: flesh and blood will not last for ever; the stoutest heart can be broken. The worst of it was that with all the work and strain we accomplished less than we used to do before in a quarter of the time.  Distances formerly covered in one trek took three, four, and even five now. Water, never too plentiful in certain parts, was sadly diminished by the drought, and it sometimes took us three or even four treks to get from water to water.  Thus we had at times to drive the oxen back to the last place or on to the next one for their drinks, and by the time the poor beasts got back to the waggons to begin their trek they had done nearly as much as they were able to do. And trouble begot trouble, as usual!  Sam the respectable, who had drawn all his pay in Delagoa, gave up after one hard day and deserted me.  He said that the hand of the Lord had smitten me and mine, and great misfortune would come to all; so he left in the dark at Crocodile Drift, taking one of the leaders with him, and joined some waggons making for Lydenburg.  The work was too hard for him; it was late in the season; he feared the rains and fever; and he had no pluck or loyalty, and cared for no one but himself. I was left with three leaders and two drivers to manage four waggons. It was Jim who told me of Sam's desertion.  He had the cross, defiant, pre-occupied look of old; but there was also something of satisfaction in his air as he walked up to me and stood to deliver the great vindication of his own unerring judgment: "Sam has deserted you and taken his voorlooper."  He jerked the words out at me, speaking in Zulu.

Jock Of The Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick (Chapter 23)( Page 2 ) The Fighting Baboon

"Too long between drinks for him!  Gone for a pull at the private bottle." "Is that how it's going?" "Yah! all day long.  Drinks here as long as any one'll call, but don't do much shoutin' on his own, I tell you!  That's the first time I seen him call for a week.  He wanted to get you chaps on the go, I reckon. He'll be wrong all day to-day.  I know him!" "Cost him two bob for nothing, eh!" "Well, it ain't so much that; ye see, he reckoned you'd all shout your turns, and drinks'd come regular; but he sees you're not on.  Twig?  I'm not complainin' mind you- Lord no!  He don't pay any way!  It's all `chalked up' for him, an' I got to wipe it off the slate when the next loads comes and he collects my customs' duties.  His liquor's took him wrong to-da --you'll see!" We did see; and that before very long.  We had forgotten Seedling, and were hearing all about the new finds reported from Barberton district, when one of the waggon boys came running into the store calling to me by my kaffir name and shouting excitedly, "Baas, Baas! come quickly!  The baboon has got Jock: it will kill him!" I had known all about the vicious brute, and had often heard of Seedling's fiendish delight in arranging fights or enticing dogs up to attack it for the pleasure of seeing the beast kill the over-matched dogs.  The dog had no chance at all, for the baboon remained out of reach in his house on the pole as long as it chose, if the dog was too big or the opening not a good one, and made its rush when it would tell best.  But apart from this the baboon was an exceptionally big and powerful one, and it is very doubtful if any dog could have tackled it successfully in an open fight.  The creature was as clever as even they can be; its enormous jaws and teeth were quite equal to the biggest dog's, and it had the advantage of four `hands.'  Its tactics in a fight were quite simple and most effective; with its front feet it caught the dog by the ears or neck, holding the head so that there was no risk of being bitten, and then gripping the body lower down with the hind feet, it tore lumps out of the throat, breast, and stomach--pushing with all four feet and tearing with the terrible teeth.  The poor dogs were hopelessly out-matched. I did not see the beginning of Jock's encounter, but the boys' stories pieced together told everything.  It appears that when Seedling left the store he went in to his own hut and remained there some little time; on coming out again he strolled over to the baboon's pole about half-way between the two houses and began teasing it, throwing pebbles at it to see it dodge and duck behind the pole, and then flicking at it with the sjambok, amused by its frightened and angry protests.  While he was doing this, Jock, who had followed me to the  store, strolled out again making his way towards the waggons.  He was not interested in our talk; he had twice been accidentally trodden on by men stepping back as he lay stretched out on the floor behind them; and doubtless he felt that it was no place for him: his deafness prevented him from hearing movements, except such as caused vibration in the ground, and, poor old fellow, he was always at a disadvantage in houses and towns. The baboon had then taken refuge in its box on top of the pole to escape the sjambok, and when Seedling saw Jock come out he commenced whistling and calling softly to him.  Jock, of course, heard nothing: he may have responded mildly to the friendly overtures conveyed by the extended hand and patting of legs, or more probably simply took the nearest way to the waggon where he might sleep in peace, since there was nothing else to do.  What the boys agree on is that as Jock passed the pole Seedling patted and held him, at the same time calling the baboon, and then gave the dog a push which did not quite roll him over but upset his balance; and Jock, recovering himself, naturally jumped round and faced Seedling, standing almost directly between him and the baboon.  He could not hear the rattle of the chain on the box and pole, and saw nothing of the charging brute, and it was the purest accident that the dog stood a few inches out of reach.  The baboon--chained by the neck instead of the waist, because it used to bite through all loin straps--made its rush, but the chain brought it up before its hands could reach Jock and threw the hind quarters round with such force against him that he was sent rolling yards away. I can well believe that this second attack from a different and wholly unexpected quarter thoroughly roused him, and can picture how he turned to face it.

Jock Of The Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick (Chapter 22)( Page 4 ) The Old Crocodile

Some of Tom's stories were truly incredible, but not those in which he figured to advantage: he was too brave a man to have consciously gained credit he did not deserve.  He died, slowly starved to death by the cruel disease--the brave, kindly, cheery spirit, smiling unbeaten to the end. That was what Jim referred to when he called me to kill the murderer of women and children.  It pleased him and others to say that this was the same crocodile; and I believe it was.  The locality was the same, and the kraal boys said that it was in the old place from which all its murderous raids had been made; and that was all we knew. I took the rifle and went with the herd boy; Jim followed close behind, walking on his toes with the waltzy springy movement of an ostrich, eager to get ahead and repeatedly silenced and driven back by me in the few hundred yards' walk to the river. A queer premonitory feeling came over me as I saw we were making straight for the bathing pool; but before reaching the bank the herd boy squatted down, indicating that somewhere in front and below us the enemy would be found.  An easy crawl brought me to the river bank and, sure enough, on the very spot where I had stood to wash, only fifty yards from us, there was an enormous crocodile.  He was lying along the sand spit with his full length exposed to me.  Such a shot would have been a moral certainty, but as I brought the rifle slowly up it may have glinted in the sun, or perhaps the crocodile had been watching us all the time, for with one easy turn and no splash at all he slid into the river and was gone. It was very disgusting and I pitched into Jim and the other boys behind for having made a noise and shown themselves; but they were still squatting when I reached them and vowed they had neither moved nor spoken.  We had already turned to go when there came a distant call from beyond the river.  To me it was merely a kaffir's voice and a sound quite meaningless: but to the boys' trained ears it spoke clearly.  Jim pressed me downwards and we all squatted again. "He is coming out on another sandbank," Jim explained. Again I crawled to the bank and lay flat, with the rifle ready.  There was another sand streak a hundred yards out in the stream with two out croppings of black rock at the upper end of it--they were rocks right enough, for I had examined them carefully when bathing.  This was the only other sandbank in sight: it was higher than it appeared to be from a distance and the crocodile whilst hidden from us was visible to the natives on the opposite bank as it lay in the shallow water and emerged inch by inch to resume its morning sun bath.  The crocodile was so slow in showing up that I quite thought it had been scared off again, and I turned to examine other objects and spots up and down the stream; but presently glancing back at the bank again I saw what appeared to be a third rock, no bigger than a loaf of bread.  This object I watched until my eyes ached and swam; it was the only possible crocodile; yet it was so small, so motionless, so permanent looking, it seemed absurd to doubt that it really was a stone which had passed unnoticed before. As I watched unblinkingly it seemed to grow bigger and again contract with regular swing, as if it swelled and shrank with breathing; and knowing that this must be merely an optical delusion caused by staring too long, I shut my eyes for a minute.  The effect was excellent: the rock was much bigger; and after that it was easy to lie still and wait for the cunning old reptile to show himself. It took half an hour of this cautious manoeuvring and edging on the part of the crocodile before he was comfortably settled on the sand with the sun warming all his back.  In the meantime the waggon-boys behind me had not stirred; on the opposite side of the river kaffirs from the neighbouring kraal had gathered to the number of thirty or forty, men, women and children, and they stood loosely grouped, instinctively still silent and watchful, like a little scattered herd of deer.  All on both sides were watching me and waiting for the shot.  It seemed useless to delay longer; the whole length of the body was showing, but it looked so wanting in thickness, so shallow in fact, that it was evident the crocodile was lying, not on the top, but on the other slope of the sand spit; and probably not more than six or eight inches--in depth--of body was visible. It was little enough to aim at, and the bullet seemed to strike the top of the bank first, sending up a column of sand, and then, probably knocked all out of shape, ploughed into the body with a tremendous thump. The crocodile threw a back somersault--that is, it seemed to rear up on its tail and spring backwards; the jaws divided into a huge fork as, for a second, it stood up on end; and it let out an enraged roar, seemingly aimed at the heavens.  It was a very sudden and dramatic effect, following on the long silence.

Jock Of The Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick ( Chapter 18 )( Page 3 )Snowball and Tsetse

To the credit of Snowball stand certain things, however, and it is but justice to say that, when once in the ranks, he played his part well; and it is due to him to say that during one hard season a camp of waggons with their complement of men had to be kept in meat, and it was Snowball who carried--for short and long distances, through dry rough country, at all times of day and night, hot, thirsty and tired, and without a breakdown or a day's sickness--a bag that totalled many thousands of pounds in weight, and the man who made the bag.
"That wall-eyed brute of yours" was launched at me in bitterness of spirit on many occasions when Snowball led the normally well-behaved ones astray; and it is curious to note how strength of character or clear purpose will establish leadership among animals, as among men. Rooiland the restless, when dissatisfied with the grass or in want of
water, would cast about up wind for a few minutes and then with his hot eyeballs staring and nostrils well distended choose his line, going resolutely along and only pausing from time to time to give a low moan for signal and allow the straggling string of unquestioning followers to catch up.  When Rooiland had `trek fever' there was no rest for herd boys.  So too with old Snowball: he led the well-behaved astray and they followed him blindly.  Had Snowball been a schoolboy, a wise headmaster would have expelled him--for the general good and discipline of the school. On one long horseback journey through Swaziland to the coast, where few white men and no horses had yet been seen, we learned to know Snowball
and Tsetse well, and found out what a horse can do when put to it.  It was a curious experience on that trip to see whole villages flee in terror at the first sight of the new strange animals--one brown and one white: in some places not even the grown men would approach, but too proud to show fear, they stood their ground, their bronze faces blanching visibly and setting hard as we rode up; the women fled with half-stifled cries of alarm; and once, when we came unexpectedly upon a party of naked urchins playing on the banks of a stream, the whole pack set off full cry for the water and, jumping in like a school of alarmed frogs, disappeared.  Infinitely amused by the stampede we rode up to see what had become of them, but the silence was absolute, and for a while they seemed to have vanished altogether; then a tell-tale ripple gave the clue, and under the banks among the ferns and exposed roots we picked out little black faces half submerged and pairs of frightened eyes staring at us from all sides.  They were not to be reassured, either: the only effect produced by our laughing comments and friendly overtures being that the head which deemed itself pointedly addressed would disappear completely and remain so long out of sight as to make us feel quite smothery and criminally responsible. It is in the rivers that a man feels the importance of a good horse with a stout heart, and his dependence on it.  There were no roads, and not even known tracks, there; and when we reached the Black Umbelusi we
picked a place where there was little current and apparently an easy way out on the opposite side.  It was much deeper than it looked; however, we were prepared, and thirty yards of swimming did not trouble us; yet it certainly was a surprise to us when the horses swam right up to the other bank without finding bottom and, turning aside, began to swim up stream.  Looking down into the clear depths we saw that there was a sheer wall of rock to within a few inches of the surface.  Now, a horse with a man on his back swims low--only the head and half the neck showing above water--and by what instinct or means the horses realised the position I do not know, but, with little hesitation and apparently of one accord, they got back a yard or two from the ledge and, raising first one fore foot and then the other, literally climbed out--exactly as a man or a dog does out of a swimming bath--hoisting their riders out with them without apparent difficulty.  That was something which we had
not thought possible, and to satisfy ourselves we dismounted and tried the depth; but the ten foot reeds failed to reach bottom. When it came to crossing the Crocodile River we chose the widest spot in the hope that it would be shallow and free of rocks.  We fired some
shots into the river to scare the crocodiles, and started to cross; but to our surprise Tsetse, the strong-nerved and reliable, who always had the post of honour in front, absolutely refused to enter. The water of the Crocodile is at its best of amber clearness and we
could not see bottom, but the sloping grassy bank promised well enough and no hint reached us of what the horses knew quite well.  All we had was on our horses--food, blankets, billy, rifles and ammunition.  We were off on a long trip and, to vary or supplement the game diet,
carried a small packet of tea, a little sugar, flour, and salt, and some beads with which to trade for native fowls and thick milk; the guns had to do the rest.  Thus there were certain things we could not afford to wet, and these we used to wrap up in a mackintosh and carry high when it came to swimming, but this crossing looked so easy that it seemed sufficient to raise the packs instead of carrying part of them.