Ngome

 

 

This little chap was found by a couple of local youths on the 16^th January 2008 they claimed his mother had abandoned him, the truth is that mothers don’t do this so it is assumed that the mother had died or been killed, it is encouraging that the local people took the time to bring him to the sanctuary generally any animal ophaned abandoned ill or injured around this area needing a home is bought here.

He was about 2-3 weeks old when he arrived this is assessed by his size and  colouring he was pale faced which turned to a mottling and then black and no teeth he is now 5 months old has teeth and his canines are developing and  he now has his adult colouring. He could eat fruit on his own but was not keen to take a bottle he cried a lot calling “mum” the outside group were interested but not aggressive towards him, and groomed him through the gate. He would have hourly sleeps throughout the day.

Feb 08 was his first encounter with the outside group with no drama at all after he escaped out of the bathroom window, he returned back accompanied by a group of juveniles and entered through the window.

He  now sleeps in a small wicker cat basket wrapped up in blankets, when he first arrived he was swaddled and put in the basket for security and warmth.

 although the day time temperatures are high it can get very cold at night and without his mothers body he needs artificial warmth, he is fed on baby milk and baby rice and after waking up in the morning and having his breakfast he is given a couple of grapes and put outside with one of several foster mums who take care of him for the day, it is amazing to see him climb away from you into the tree and join the group there are 5 babies in the group and one female will stay and look after these babies making sure they are safe.

 

 I observed the whole troop one morning going into the bush, it is a organized operation  the alpha male leading the way and gradually everybody following this particular morning Thombi was fostering the babies and was not called by the group to follow so she stayed behind with the babies on the outskirts of the bush.

Ngome will sometimes come briefly back lunchtime for a bottle of milk and then returns to  his friends.

  

 

About 4.30 he returns around the house and when he feels like settling down he will come into the house and have his last bottle and rice, it is interesting to see that the majority of his time is spent with the group he is not craving human companionship until it is just before he goes to bed, I feel that the way he is managed is amazing he has the comfort of suckling a bottle morning and evening yet most of his waking hours are spent with his own kind, he is ready emotionally and physically to join the group full time he also has recently dropped the amount of milk he is taking, and the only reason he still comes in at night is because of the temperature as soon as the nights warm up he will stay permanently within the group,

 

 it would be a very cold night for him if he was silly enough not to come in as all the other babies of his age have mothers to keep them warm and he would have to spend the night in a tree on his own, unfortunately the way he is acting it wont be long before he learns the hard way as he is more and more reluctant each night to come in, this is a worry as it is getting colder as each night goes on and next month (June) it will be very cold at night.