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.