NAMIBIA CONSERVATION AND BIG CAT REHABILITATION PROGRAMME
Chris, Siobian, Jo and Hjalmar 2008/2009
Chris and Siobian 2009
Gemma and the staff we always more than willing to help with all my requests to do with the project and also helped with our trip at the end of the project ... Clive and Roma were also so supportive and gave us so much in return for the work that we did for them. They educated us on the project and the area and what they are hoping to achieve. We were totally informed on the daily work that we had to do and why we were doing it. The daily "treat" activities that they provided for us were always different and fun....We were very excited, but also very nervous, about doing our first voluntary work abroad. We were not really sure what would be expected of us. I spoke to Gemma who answered my initial questions, like what facilities there were and whether I would be able to do it being nearer 50 than I would like!! She totally put my mind at ease and made me feel so excited about going. She helped me with the same enthusiam throughout the whole process and never did I feel that I was asking too many questions.
When we actually got to the project we met Clive and Roma who were very warm and welcoming. Clive with his love of Africa and his passion for the project and Roma who was there to look after us for everything else we might need. On the first day they took the time to explain the work that needed doing and why to give us a better understanding of what they were trying to achieve.
A typical day would be to start work in the mornings at about 7am and returned for lunch by 12 noon. We then rested for a few hours and in the afternoon Clive took us on a variety of "treats" as a thankyou. Treats would include leopard and hyena tracking, night safari, sleepout, bush walk and following the cats feed run. We were lucky enough to watch the vet operate on the cheetahs' teeth. We would then return to camp by about 6pm and would have the evening meal together.
Our work included clearing fence wire so that animals would not get caught up in it and then die. After a morning of doing this work we saw a kudu walk passed and to think that it would now be safe to walk that way was very rewarding. We did bush clearing in order to clear an area that the reserve was going to build a primary school on. This was a good morning to take it out on the sickle bushes for all the scraches they had previously inflicted on us! We also cleared up the poo and old food bones from the cheetah enclosures to prevent the spread of disease. This was an awesome experience as you are clearing up their mess to walk straight into a wild cheetah. We did this one morning and a cheetah that was sitting under the tree just got up and walked passed us about 3m away. We stood silently and just watched as it passed us by. How many times in your lifetime can you say you experienced such a wonderful thing. We also took it in turns to be on duty to prepare the meals. This did seem a bit dauting at first but Clive was always there to support you, after all he wanted to eat too. It all added to being part of a team. A team of like minded people who loved Africa and wanted to give something back.
For us this was an awesome experience and one that we can not really put into words but one that we are sure to repeat.
Jo Howden 2008
I spent two wonderful weeks volunteering on this project. I was given the opportunity to take part in a huge variety of activities, from bush chopping which was incredibly hard work to enclosure maintenance and cleaning and even the rescue and release of wild cheetahs. This in particular was a rare and unique privilege which I will remember always – especially the four hour drive with a wild cheetah on my knee! I had an amazing time on the project. The hard work was more than worth it and it was fantastic to stay in such a beautiful and natural camp in the heart of the African bush. Clive and Roma, who manage the project, are very welcoming and knowledgeable. Throughout my stay they ensured I got the best possible experience with numerous chances to view and track game. The project is excellent value and I am very grateful for the unique experiences and the extraordinary memories which will always be with me.
Hjalmar Bouma 2008
My name is Hjalmar Bouma and from the 16th till the 29th of August 2008 I stayed and worked on this project. After everyone arrived in the project, we went on a game drive to see how the reserve looks like and how incredible large it is! We learned immediately about the problems of overgrazing in the past and the thorny bushes making it impossible for cheetahs to hunt and so threatening the continued existence of cheetahs in the reserve. The next day we learned how “thorny” these bushes really are… we started chopping these bushes and in a few days time we cleared a large area. After these days we got more involved with the Big Cat Foundation and went with them to fetch cheetahs trapped on a farm near Hochfeld (3,5 hours by car). It was a great experience to work with these animals, assist with the health checks and release the healthy ones the next day! Unfortunately, two cheetahs could not be released into the wild again due to health problems, so we made a new enclosure for these animals to live in until the veterinarian will arrive. I had a great time in this project: working with the cheetahs was great to do, we saw a lot wild life during game-drives in the afternoon and I think this camp (and even better sleeping out in the river bed) is the best way to experience the reserve. And... of course, we had a lot of fun together!
Anne Pamplin 2010
I flew out to Africa on 24 March 2010 and I arrived at my destination on Saturday 27 March. I was met by Clive and Roma (the project managers). This camp is located smack in the heart of Okonjima. It’s a 55,000 acre area of bush – and only bush. When I arrived at my bush camp I did get quite a shock but, and big but, was that I was there for a month and had the time of my life. I met some super people who I will keep in touch with as it was the “experience of a lifetime”. I am 63 years of age (knocking on 64), registered disabled and would recommend anyone to go out there. The work is hard and accommodation very basic but what fun when you are in the bush and helping nature not to get trapped and die a very sad death. Clive and Roma are two of the most dedicated people I have ever met and very, very passionate about what they do. The game drives you go out on with Clive who is so knowledgeable and finds all the animals there are to see. There is a terrific supply of many different animals and fantastic to see. There are two super lads out there who work for Clive and Roma and they are very, very hard working, very polite and helpful. I could write pages but got to keep it short. Anyone who is bored, go out to Africa and help keep the wild animals running free and keep a lot of them from becoming extinct. Join this wonderful project – it’s worth every single penny. Also enjoy all the fun – its superb.
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