Week 333 (8th - 14th January 2010)
Madonna plays a game and other snippets
Hulooo and the gang they watched my arrival with great interest especially once they realised that I came bearing dinner and the closer I came the more they huddled at the gate – salivating and on occasion, prancing around like teenagers when they could no longer contain their excitement. They are due to return to the Ravine Camp and seeing as food is the best bribe – now is the best time to do so. After letting them into Catkins Camp I made all haste down to the Ravine Camp where I blew on the predator call. They responded to the whistle call with alacrity and within minutes they had found another gate to hang around at. Whilst I was offloading their meat they waltzed around at the gate chuffing at one another. Hulooo tried playing ‘footsie-footsie’ with a rock. The rock remained inanimate and he looked around for something else to do and his gaze fell on Coco whom he tried to mount. Coco responded with a low growl, many teeth and much yowling before he managed to squirm out from under his brother. Hulooo; being deprived of fun transferred his attention to a close-by bush, which he sprayed.
Madonna was taking a bath in the trough in the tree camp whilst I made my way down the one fence and past the bottom of their camp to check the electrical wiring on one of Catkins fences. Madonna watched as I walked away and then suddenly leapt out of the trough (taking half the water with her) and thundered across to where I was walking, screeching to a halt centimetres away from the live wires and together we walked as far as she could go. I continued on my way and finding herself alone she then returned to the top of the camp and once again climbed into the trough. I returned to the bottom of their camp from my foray and again she stormed to the fence to meet me, feet pounding, whiskers forward - her tail held in the air at a jaunty angle and an excited gleam in her eye and skidded to a halt in a cloud of dust. Once the dust had cleared and we could once again see one another she and I walked together to the gate where she once again sought out the cool of the trough.