The Kruger National Park Is A Good Place To See The Duiker And Ewe

The Strydom couple went home to Outeniquastrand, near George, in the Southern Cape. When they returned to Sabiepark, one year later, a fully grown duiker ewe approached them from the bush. Not wild at all. Annatjie did not doubt for a moment. In her heart she knew that it was the little ewe they saved from the snake.. Up till then, she had never fed wild animals. At that moment, however, she was so excited; she immediately rushed to her Dover stove to fetch porridge. She called: “Bok-Bok”. The young ewe ventured closer.

For two years this little act went on. No sooner had the Strydoms unpacked, then came Bok-Bok. She would lie down under the jackalberries and watch them. When they called “Bok-Bok”, the little ears would cock, and she would quickly come nearer, especially when potato peels were on the menu. She also liked cabbage and other vegetables.

The third year Annatjie waited and waited. Bok-Bok did not come. She and Dawie would have recognised her immediately, because Bok-Bok was unique, insists Annatjie. She was a large ewe, not timid and skittish like the new bunch of duikers. In addition, she reacted to their calls. But nature takes its toll. A leopard might have caught her. Or a python...

Dawie and Annatjie shed tears a second time when they realised they will never feed Bok-Bok again. A niece of theirs, who once took photos of them and Bok-Bok, phoned shortly afterwards. “Is Bok-Bok still there?” “No, she’s not,” Annatjie replied. The line went very quiet. Then the Strydoms could hear sobs at the other end.

Bok-Bok’s attacker is not the only python which met its match in a duiker incident in Sabiepark.

A much larger and more formidable edition of nearly 10 metres also came too close for its comfort to a favourite duiker ewe – a pregnant one, to boot. The owner who had adopted that duiker, did not hesitate one moment. He rushed at the snake, wielding a sjambok. He attacked the monster snake from all angles. The python ducked and hissed with anger. The blows kept raining on its back until the reptile disappeared. (The knight with the sjambok must rather remain anonymous.)

Tarlehoet’s “own” duiker is a little ram. His name is Witnek (English: White-neck). For the past five or six years Witnek has been a regular customer. He wasn’t nearly as “witnek” when he was young, but old photos clearly show the beginning of a white V. Like Bok-Bok, our Witnek is too tame for its own good. He does not move away when Tokkie brings him pips. He even displays impatience. He tripples around when there are no pips or the cement bird-bath is empty. He seems to say: “Get a move on, woman.” The bird-bath is HIS drinking hole. Tokkie regularly replaces the water, which at least is cleaner than the water in the big drinking hole. He seems pleased. She seems pleased.

SPOILT BRAT. “Our” resident duiker ram, Witnek, now quite grey, at the Tarlehoet bird-bath.

Some mornings he demands his pips before we rise. Tokkie rise-and-shines dutifully. Dressed in her sleepshirt, she fetches the seed in the storeroom. He comes again at dusk, and can hang around for hours. One evening I had to wait quite a while before I could come near my fire, because I did not want to disturb “our” duiker. He was grazing peacefully near our lapa. When, eventually, he moved away, my dying fire needed a rescue action to regain its spark.

During one holiday Witnek disappeared for three weeks. His pips waited, but he did not turn up. We had to accept the inevitable. Witnek was no longer with us. Tokkie pined intensely. To her, the loss was like that of a beloved pet. Witnek was not just another animal. She could “look into his eyes and communicate”. She blamed the hyena who periodically visited. She had no time for him (her?). Even the innocent bushbabies did not escape her bad mood. The banana ritual had become listless.

The first evening of our next visit, I heard her shout from the front stoep. I immediately left my fire and trotted across to her. Her tone of voice could indicate either happiness or dismay. When I spotted the duiker, I knew immediately it was not dismay that was expressed. The white V on his back had become more prominent as he became older and greyer. When Tokkie and Witnek made eye contact, the recognition was mutual. Immediately. He quickly went to his usual pip “table”, waiting to be served. He didn’t have to wait long.

Where he had been, remained a mystery. But all that mattered was that he was back and all was well in the state of Tarlehoet. Read more of white neck...