Imfolozi MTB Challenge

[Purnjap]

Actually Andrew, this "armchair critic" just participated in the Legend Gorge race in Limpopo, where elephants wandering onto the track also caused a race delay of more than an hour.

 

No shots were fired, no animals traumatised and no cyclists' lives were put in danger. Why? Because they started tracking the elephants and lions from several days prior to the event until the last rider had crossed the line. This allowed them to anticipate any possible interaction between the two, and therefore manage the safety of both animals and riders.

 

Oh and you being a former ranger...you dont raise money for wild dogs by shooting at elephants Andrew.

Edited August 2, 2011 by Purnjap

[Yang]

Strange this. I was in that group overlooking the elephants which weren't too far away. If there were shots we would have heard them. And if there were flares we would have seen them. So I'm puzzled about all the talk of shooting and flaring and things.

[Andrew_ew]

The route was organised at the last minute - normally the animals are tracked but they did not have the opportunity to do this at such short notice.

 

The elephants were neither co-operating nor were they moving off the course. In fact they were behaving in an aggressive manner. It was a group of young bulls. Young bulls are well known for being aggressive.

 

A couple of years previously on the morning of the race as all the cyclists were gathering to get the bus to the start a young bull - which was being tracked (btw tracking an animal is not the same as making an animal move) – you can track an animal until you are blue in the face it is not going to be the same as making it move. It changed direction suddenly and went in amongst the cars and people. It got flash banged. I was four metres away from and pretty glad there was someone there with a flash bang.

 

IN the past couple of years people have been killed and cars flattened by young bull elephants in these reserves. They are not Disney like elephants. The can me very aggressive and lethal.

 

Every situation is different, every elephant is different - no two are the same, they all have different personalities and when you work with them you have to make a judgement call as the best course of action.

 

What one group of elephants does in another game reserve does not apply to all elephants.

 

I don't get the logic in saying "you don't raise money for wild dogs by shooting at elephants" - no one said you did and no one would plan to do so..

 

The fact of the matter is that no ranger would take those steps unless they are absolutely necessary. I was not facing the elephants personally, although I could see them in the distance but I do know the staff there and know that they would not discharge rifles near animals unless it was absolutely necessary.

 

In fact the elephants did not actually move that far off the course after the shots were fired so they were not all that scared.

 

In the reserves that I worked in there were occasions where large animals had to be moved – such as a pride of lions (17 including five males) trying to get through a boundary fence to a neighbouring farm where the farmer was conveniently grazing ropey old cattle on their last legs right up against the fence (the idea is the lions break through and he can then legitimately shoot them.) They did not move, they were not going to move and were aggressive and in the end we had to flash bang them. Rather a flash banged lion than a dead lion. But according to you that probably would not be right and I should have stood by and do nothing. Or the time a cheetah broke her wrist and we had to keep her and her cubs in one spot by shooting an impala for her and her cubs until we could get a vet to ascertain if there was any prospect of it being healed and whether or it not it was an injury caused by people. Yes, you would be surprised at how far a cheetah can move with a broken wrist. In your view shooting the impala to try and save a cheetah and three cubs would not be right.

 

The point is that in particular situations in game reserves when dealing with large animals tough choices have to be made and sufficient respect should be given to the men and women who have to make these tough choices and they should not have to be subject to sentiment based criticism when they are risking their lives to conserve these animals for our benefit. When you are prepared to lay your life down for conservation and have risked it for conservation and you have spent many years working in close contact with these animals, and you were together with them in the situation that they were in, then you earn the right to criticise their decisions and actions.

 

The point is they waited for them to move and they did not, they resisted all other attempts to move them. They were not hurt in any way and were safely moved. Sometimes anthropomorphic sentimentality has to take a back seat to what is the best and most practical solution.

 

Btw an armchair critic is one who, after the fact and not having been in the situation, criticises the action or decisions of the person who actually was in the situation. Given that you were not there and that we have established that seeing some elephants in Limpopo does not qualify you as an expert of this particular group of young aggressive bulls, you decide then if you fall into this category.

 

You have yet to explain why “That aint right” in this particular situation.

 

What is not right is that conservation always has to take a back seat, that these men and women are not paid properly for the work they do, and every decision they make is second guessed by people who could do more good by raising fund for conservation.

 

@yang – I heard two shots – I doubt there were flares

[River Rat]

Anybody know how to get an entry to this race?

[The Drongo]

Anybody know how to get an entry to this race?

 

Aye!

 

How good a marksman are you??

[River Rat]

I'm a canoeist I shoot it on the left!

[Caerus]

After reading this whole thread, I would so love to do this race. I'll make sure to bring my pepper spary just in case an angry elephant needs sorting out.

[driewiel]

Anybody know how to get an entry to this race?

 

http://www.imfolozimtb.co.za/enterOnline.php

 

The website does not appear to be working but this page still opens. There is an email address for Stu Berry, contact him and ask when it opens. Normally a week or two for only previous years riders, then it opens for whomever interested. Not cheap but very enjoyable. :clap:

[River Rat]

Thanks Driewiel. Have tried contacting Stu on email but no reply.

 

I guess we will have to be patient until the site opens

[River Rat]

So we did the race and saw absolutely zero game. But the ride and scenery was spectacular really enjoyed it!!

Edited July 30, 2012 by River Rat

[Andrew_ew]

It was an incredible ride - not much game, a cruel cold wind, lots of thorns and a few rocks - did you notice the fresh elephant spoor at the confluence? The best thing of course is that R300k plus was raised for conservation.

[River Rat]

A pic of the ride.

[River Rat]

[River Rat]