Tuesday, July 27th

5:36pm (SA)
          This morning we worked for 5 hours darting and transporting 10 golden wildebeast!  They sell for around $50,000 US dollars each, so the staff were very unsure about having students help.  At one point, the general manager said to us, "I know you guys are just students, but we really need to hurry this along."  This just totally made him look like a jerk and a retard who had obviously never done this before!  Our work wasn't slow by any means and Bredan hadn't even darted another wildebeast to work on at that point!  Moron! 
          While we were waiting for the rest of the group to bring us the first wildebeast, we saw 2 ostriches mating!  The male did this silly little dance to get the female's attention and then totally ran away once it was all over!  Typical male!  And I guess after Brendan darted the final wildebeast, she decided to go across the dam!  Brendan was already whipping off his jacket to go after her in the hippo infested water!!!  She made it across okay though and I think we were all relieved that Brendan was able to stay dry!
          They also tried to send us out on a game drive without lunch!!!  We asserted ourselves at this point and ordered something before we left - we'd been working for them all morning and were starving!  This reserve is much smaller than Kwandwe and not as natural.  We saw rhinos (one with a baby!), zebra, waterbok, spring bok, wildebeast, giraffe, lions, nyala, antelope, and hippos!  I think I got some really great pictures!!!  Now I'm just trying to warm up from the drive before dinner.
          PS - there were 3 nyala at our door when we got back to the room - so beautiful!

9:41pm (SA)
          We had another braai tonight - lamb, chicken, and I even got to try a little ostrich meat!  We have to be ready early again tomorrow, so I'm headed to bed!