Hoedspruit Endangered Species Center

Hello everyone,

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Center (HESC). I had been planning to go for some time, but had not been able to coordinate with my host mom to take me. However, two of the curators of HESC had been to Dr. Rogers that morning to watch the wing amputation of a vulture (more details later), so I was able to hitch a ride back to the center with them. I was glad to save my host mom a trip, and it gave Cassie and I something to do for the rest of the Sunday afternoon.

After we had arrived at the center and were waiting for the tour, I spotted an African Grey sitting on top of his cage on the other side of the room. The sign clearly said “Do Not Touch,” but I figured since I was used to handling birds, I could play with him a little bit. I rested my arm on top of the cage so that he could approach me himself. His eyes dilated and he cocked his head. He certainly seemed very interested in approaching, but seemed a bit hesitant. He started making some wheezing noises and waddled towards me. For the next few minutes, he kept placing his foot on my hand briefly, and then releasing it quickly. Unfortunately, before the Grey had the courage to actually step on my hand, they called us for the tour. I would be back.

We watched a short video explaining the origin of the center, the research being conducted, and different conservation projects. The goal of the center was primarily to conserve endangered species through breeding in captivity. The focus of most of this breeding lies on the cheetahs. Several years ago, the cheetah was almost hunted to extinction. The gene pool was so small that the population was on the verge of no longer being sustainable. HESC selectively bred cheetahs to increase the quality and diversity of the gene pool. When the cheetahs are of age, they are released back into the wild. As I mentioned before, most animals cannot be released into the wild after they have been raised in captivity. Cheetahs are different. Their hunting behavior is based on instincts; a cheetah does not have to be taught to hunt. It only takes a few failed hunting attempts before the cheetah is catches its meal. Cheetahs have another advantage as well: their solitary lifestyle removes the need to fit into a complex social system (like the lions).

I was surprised to hear that the tour was going to be in a vehicle rather than on foot, as in Moholoholo. We were instructed not to get out of the vehicle. Even though this was not an interactive tour and I did not get to be close to the animals, it was still wonderful. We first saw two lions practically hugging each other while sleeping. At first glance, they both looked female: both of them had light coloring and did not have manes. We were told that one of them was actually a male. He had lived with a family that had castrated him before puberty. As a result, the lion did not have enough testosterone to produce a mane. These lions were not going to be released back into the wild.

Then came the cheetahs. We saw cheetah after cheetah after cheetah. Their coats were stunning as they prowled gracefully along the fence. Our guide told us that because the cheetah is built for speed, its body must be lightweight. Consequently, more often than not, other predators such as lions and hyenas steal the cheetah’s catch because the cheetah is not massive or strong enough to defend it. This makes the cheetah one of the least successful predators. I was very surprised—I had believed, from my Animal Planet education, that the cheetah was one of the most formidable predators in the bush. The cheetahs are always depicted as fast, cunning, and well adapted to its environment. I guess I had never thought of what would happen if a cheetah and a lion met at a bar. I mean…a carcass.

Along with seeing many adult and adolescent cheetahs, we saw two litters of cubs that happened to be right at the fence. At first, it was impossible to see the cubs because their coats and furry little faces blended so well the tall brown grass. All of us in the vehicle let out a collective sigh when we saw them. Imagine a spotted kitten, but fluffier, with big dark eyes, and large round ears. Or, you could just find some pictures on Google. Either way, these were the cutest baby animals I had seen in Africa thus far.

I remember that at one point during my childhood, I was obsessed with cheetah cubs, and subsequently, the National Zoo’s website. I could watch the babies through webcams 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. I was obsessed and I begged my parents to take me to see them. They were only on exhibit from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. every day because they were so little. When we got to the zoo, we rushed to the cheetah exhibit to see them. I was so short that I could only catch a few glimpses, but seeing them was still incredible. At long last, I have gotten to see cheetah cubs again! They were even cuter than I had remembered.

By far, the coolest part of the tour was seeing a King Cheetah. I had never even heard about this subspecies of cheetah until now. Apparently, a recessive mutation in one of the gene for coat color results in a darker spot pattern. Both parents must be carriers of the recessive allele in order for the offspring to have the recessive phenotype. The result is stunning, and very rare in the wild. I insist that you Google some pictures to see for yourself.

During the rest of the tour, we saw Ground Hornbills, African Wild Dogs, Zebras, a Caracal, Vultures, and several other animals. To my delight, we learned even more about vulture conservation. Another detriment to the vulture populations was the absence of proper calcium in the diet, resulting in fledglings being unable to fly due to the lack of strong bone growth. Once farmers were educated about the importance of vultures to their livestock in the prevention of disease, farmers were encouraged to create “vulture restaurants.” These restaurants are designated areas in which the farmer can put any dead animals from his farm. The vultures can then have access to the meat. However, in the wild, vultures normally rely on other scavengers, such as hyenas, to break the bones of the carcass so that the vultures can eat the bone. Because a farm lacks such predators, farmers must break some of the bones of the carcass so that the vultures can obtain proper calcium. This revelation about the vulture’s need for broken bones has virtually solved the problem of fledglings being unable to fly. This is good news for the vulture population.

The tour ended and I thought I had learned all that I could for that day. I was wrong. While we were waiting for our host mom to pick us up, I went back to the African Grey I had been playing with earlier. I engaged him the same way I had before: I put my arm on his cage and he slowly approached me, wheezing and dilating his eyes. After several minutes, he actually stepped on my arm! I slowly removed my arm on the cage so I could interact with him. I am not sure how to describe this next part so please bear with me. Suddenly, his wheezing got a bit louder and he started bouncing on my arm, tilting his pelvis back and forth rhythmically. I thought this was very odd behavior and let it go on for a few minutes. Eventually, I called Cassie over.

“Cassie?”

“Yeah?”

“Is this…normal?”

(pause). “I’ve never seen a bird do that before.”

“Can you video tape it so I can show a bird expert later?”

“Sure.”

After we taped it, we realized that the bird was trying to mate with me. The coloring of an African Grey, which is grey with a bright red tail, was very similar to what I was wearing—bright pink scrubs with a grey sweatshirt (don’t judge—I had been in the clinic earlier that day.) As he continued to pulsate on my arm, I could only think of two things: 1) Just wait until Jack hears that a member of another species was trying to steal his girlfriend; 2) Sorry buddy—human anatomy doesn’t work that way.

After Cassie and I had a good laugh, she grabbed someone who worked at the HESC. She helped me get him off my arm and affirmed that he had been trying to mate with me. Now I know the reason for the “Do Not Touch” sign.

Best,

Aria