More Africa

View from room-sorry it is not nearly as nice in a photo as the real thing

Helping to move Cheetah

Feeding Zebbie

Feeding Alice

Not such a busy week this week, mainly rounds, and cleaning cleaning cleaning. I am getting very good at picking up poo, scrubbing poo from perches, and cleaning out water bowls.

We helped to collar a Cheetah on Monday, lifting it onto a sling to carry it with, making sure it didn’t stop breathing, then watching while they took measurements and paw prints and then put the collar on it. It was then released on a farm, where we can monitor it to see how often it kills, and what its range is.

I have also done a conservation talk, discussing the issues South Africa has with the animals, and the lack of respect or care the people have for them.

Another day we were shown how to fire a gun, and had explained all about the bullets, how it works, the different parts, and how the bullet flies. I wasn’t really interested, but it was all part of working at the centre, and what we are taught. We then went out and fired at some targets. Much to my surprise, I did not too bad at it.

The food here is fantastic, smorgasboard for breakfast, lunch if we want it, or we can just stay at the centre and make our own with food we have bought, and then another smorgasboard for dinner. We go down to another camp for our meals, which is lovely, in a forest setting (its aptly named the forest camp), where we open the shutters, and watch the animals feeding outside.

I am also now Serval Mummy, which means I get to feed 2 baby Servals, Leila and Houdini, four times a day. They are not too keen on humans, Houdini being a wild Serval who kept escaping from the enclosure where he was born thus the name, and Leila just being very shy. There is another Serval who has been added to our morning rounds, Star, who is about 8 months old, and is so playful and friendly. She reminds me of my cats, as she comes up to you, rubs against your legs, purrs, plays attacks, and is generally a psycho animal.

Africa-Moholoholo

Lion cub

Tarbo

Lion Cub on walk

Hippo capture

Hippo capture-Hippo in the trees

Giraffe-on Hippo and Zebra feed

Chewy-Leopard

Big Boy



I have been in South Africa for almost a week, and it is amazing. Each day we are up and doing our cleaning rounds by 7. Each group gets a different group of animals to clean, I am part of a group which cleans some birds. We clean the White Headed Vultures called Jasper and Alice (formally Brad and Angelina), a Wood Owl called Winston, two Barn Owls, who were released last night, a Black Eagle, check on two Stalks called Einstein and Darwin. We have to scrub out the water bowls, rake the whole cage, and scrub the perches to remove any poo. Depending on the bird we also feed them either in the morning or at night. I have been learning how to feed Jasper and Alice the Vultures. This involves wearing a leather glove, and holding the meat in your hand, so they can jump down and grab it before flying off to eat.

We also have a 7 week old Rhino Tarbo who is being hand raised, and he can be menace around the centre. If it is his feeding time, he can be quite angry, charging people until he is fed his milk. At other times he is quite docile, you can go up and pat him and sit next to him.

There are also two one year old lion cubs, who are taken for daily walks. I have been on two walks, which involves going out with a staff member, and taking them round some of the tracks to give them some exercise. They really are just like two little kittens, getting into all kinds of mischief, playing with anything and everything. Because of their size and strength, they aren’t allowed to jump on us or swat us, as it could be dangerous as they grow bigger. However, on my first walk, I got quite a shock when one came up behind me as I was walking, and jumped on my back (sorry Ian, he hugged me not me hugging him!). They are so heavy, I was lucky not to fall flat on my face. Luckily he was just playing, and didn’t use his claws, and jumped straight off again!

In the last week we have also been on a Hippo and Zebra feed, where we went out and fed two Hippos, a father and a son, and two Zebras Zebbie and her friend. Whilst on the drive we also saw two Rhino, a mother and baby, a crocodile and some Giraffe.

We have also helped in a Hippo capture. The Hippo was on a farmers land, and if we didn’t go and remove it, they were going to shoot it, as it was eating their crops. This involved a lot of waiting around while it was darted, and then anaesthetized just enough to make it manageable, but not completely asleep. We then helped to pull it onto the trailer, so it could be moved to another area. This was a fantastic experience, so exciting to be so close to wild animals.

We have also watched them burning parts of the bush, to keep the groundcover down, so they don’t get major fires-this is something we should have done before our fires in February. It was so hot, and it burnt so fast, that in about ½ hour, the area was completely burn, and because of the way they burn, had burnt itself out.

It is amazing to lie on my bed, and look out the window and see a Hyena (Shadow and Shade) on one side, and a Cheetah (Xananda), and out the other side two more Cheetah (Jolly and Juba). To go to sleep at night to the calls of the Hyena, Leopard, Cheetah and Lions all talking to each other is unbelievable. Shadow starts it calling to the others, and usually they will all join in, calling back.

London

Tower of London Bridge

Royal Carriage

Buckingham Palace

Big Ben

I have been in London for the last 4 days, and have seen the big sights, Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guards, Big Ben-which is actually only the bell in the bell tower, not the whole tower, Westminster Abby-been to evensong there, St John's Cathedral, London Tower Bridge, London bridge-this is a bit of let down, it just looks like any other bridge, the first time I just walked past it thinking it was something else, Hyde park, Camden Markets.

There is just so much to see in London, I go out with the intention of seeing certain things during the day, and then will walk past something, get completely distracted, and end up doing something completely differnt. One day I was headed towards the London Tower (which I have yet to make it to), when I passed the old London Wall, which I didnt even know excisted, so then I had to go to the Museum of London which was next door to find out all about it.

The upside of this is that there is always something to look at and explore, that my days are long, and full of interesting things.

I have walked more kilometer than I care to think about. I have enjoyed my time here, and am looking forward to the next adventure, which is South Africa. I catch my plane tomorrow night and on Tuesday morning will be speeding??? my way northward towards my placements-cant wait.

Giants Causeway

I went on a tour today, up the the Giants Causeway, the rope bridge and Derry. It was absolutely amazing, unfortunately, being Ireland, it rained all day, but luckily we managed to get some breaks while we were at most of the sights so we could see them without getting saturated.

The rope brige was quite nice wobbled a bit when when you went over it, but had some fantastic views up the coast. Giants Causeway was amazing, reminded me a lot of the Tessilated Pavement in Tassie, but also very different. It is amazing to think that they are completely natural, they look so man made, they are so uniform and in a shape not usually found in nature. We then had a photo shot of Dunluce Castle, it is amazing to think they someone would build a castle on the edge of a cliff, if it was me all I would think of is it falling off the edge, which is it now begining to do.

Derry had some amazing political murals, depicting the bloody and difficult histroy it had had. The walls surrounding the city were also amazing.


Dunluce Castle

Rope Bridge

Giants Causeway

Cork

Ireland continues

Knowth

Where have I been? I finally worked out how to get to Newgrange and made it up there. It is a fantastic Neolithic Monument, built 1000 years before Stonehenge. The race of people who built it were just fantastic, so advanced, and the way they could get things so accurate and the detail they put into the carvings were amazing. There are actually 3 main areas at Newgrange, Newgrange itself, Knowth, which is larger, and a lot more orante as well as having a lot more mounds, and Douth which there is no access too.

Then went down to Waterford to meet some friends. It is such a little country town, you can walk from one end to the other in about 10 minutes. Then down to Cork, Irelands second largest city, and again amazingly like a tiny country town. It took about 10 minutes to walk from the centre into the "suburbs", which are absolutely amazing. Tiny little walkways, with the most amazing terrace housing-I am in love hopefully photos soon. Then back to Waterford for the night, and out to a pub to see some live music.

Today I went to Waterford Crystal, and then back to the pub this afternoon to watch the semies of Hurling, which has much the same status as what AFL does in Melbourne. Tomorrow its up to Belfast, and hopefully the Giants Causeway.

I'm in Ireland

Ha'penny bridge

Dublin street

Dublin Castle

Just a quick post, as the internet is being a pain, and may decide to kick me off!

After a frantic last week, with lovely farewells everyday-thank you everyone I felt very special, I finally finished everything that had to be done before I left. It did mean a long Sunday night, and an early Monday morning finishing university applications, and my final assignment, but I got there.

After a quick shift at work on Monday I packed my bags, jumped in the car to my grandma's for dinner with the family and then was wisked off to the airport for my flight.

A very long almost 2 days later (4 flights, a quick trip in london to drop my bag off at a workmates brothers place for storage, and a night spent sleepig at the airport) I made it to Dublin. Somewhat jetlagged, I spent yesterday exploring the city, saw the Book of Kells at Trinity College, then went to the a museum.

Today, still somewhat tired, I explored further in the wonderful city of Dublin. Kilmainham Goal, more museums (I can now say that I am not a fan of modern art!), another library (I obviously dont spend enough time in them when I'm at home), and some random wandering later, I am now ready for a good nights sleep.

Hopefully tomorrow off to Newgrange before I head south to Waterford.