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 JOCK of the Bushveld was a dog which belonged to a transport rider
at the end of the previous century who used Jock for hunting. Jock has become a national
icon in South Africa due to the success of the book "Jock of the Bushveld"
written by his master, Fitzpatrick. Jock was a Staffordshire Bull-terrier and epitomises
the hunter's dog in Africa.
Douglas, though of the same breed as Jock, has a much gentler nature and where his
predecessor was inclined to kill, Douglas has a mothering instinct! Over the years
different orphan animals have stayed with us and always Douglas is there to help.
Often orphan animals are traumatised by the sudden change in environment and the lack of
bodily contact with their mothers. This is where Douglas comes into his own, he becomes
obsessive and will not let the orphan out of sight, not even for a minute! He never harms
nor shows any inclination to harm, but rather seems fascinated. The orphan invariably
responds favourably and relaxes enough to take the bottle. To convince a wild orphan
animal to take to the bottle can be difficult, but with Douglas's attentions - such as
licking the orphan - we have been very successful in raising orphan animals so that they
can be released back into the wild.
The picture above
shows Douglas with Victoria, an impala lamb that stayed with us for eight months. They
became inseparable friends, a truly odd couple! Victoria joined a herd of impala and has
returned to her life in the wild, as it should be. |
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