A couple of days into my second week of training for the marathon, my training has already suffered a set-back!!
Nothing serious like an injury or anything but an empty space in my calendar where there should have been a "7km" entry! but before you write me off and remove my blog from your favourites list...hear me out!!
A major part of the Long Shields project, and I mean a MAJOR part is to collar lions that we believe are potential cattle killers. The principal is basically thus......"first know where your lion is!" and so when I happened upon a young lion with his sisters not far from home I had to forfeit my running and catch him. He was given the name of "Buster" and is a three year old male. He and his sisters were abandoned by their mother as 2yr olds when she coupled with the two new males in the main camp area. Its an educated guess but I would say that he is probably one of the highest risk individuals in terms of potential cattle killing due to his current situation. His sisters, coming of age, could either settle within their mother's territory and mate with the two new males or join a lone male around our place. Buster unfortunately can't do either and so must look for his own place. If he goes into the park he will encounter older territorial lions so we predict he will eek out a living in areas where he doesn't have to compete with older lions......the communal lands.
We will watch him now and react to his movements, keep cattle out of his immediate reach and buy him some time hopefully to mature and return to the park big enough to claim a territory of his own.
Forgive me for missing a days training??
Nothing serious like an injury or anything but an empty space in my calendar where there should have been a "7km" entry! but before you write me off and remove my blog from your favourites list...hear me out!!
A major part of the Long Shields project, and I mean a MAJOR part is to collar lions that we believe are potential cattle killers. The principal is basically thus......"first know where your lion is!" and so when I happened upon a young lion with his sisters not far from home I had to forfeit my running and catch him. He was given the name of "Buster" and is a three year old male. He and his sisters were abandoned by their mother as 2yr olds when she coupled with the two new males in the main camp area. Its an educated guess but I would say that he is probably one of the highest risk individuals in terms of potential cattle killing due to his current situation. His sisters, coming of age, could either settle within their mother's territory and mate with the two new males or join a lone male around our place. Buster unfortunately can't do either and so must look for his own place. If he goes into the park he will encounter older territorial lions so we predict he will eek out a living in areas where he doesn't have to compete with older lions......the communal lands.
We will watch him now and react to his movements, keep cattle out of his immediate reach and buy him some time hopefully to mature and return to the park big enough to claim a territory of his own.
Forgive me for missing a days training??
