NAMIBIA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Julie Ryan 2007

Spending time at the Namibian Wildlife Sanctuary was the experience of a lifetime.  Within minutes of arriving, a meerkat was sitting on my head and later that same day I spent time in the baboon cage playing with the five youngest baboons.

I was there for two months and it was probably the best thing I have ever done. My main reason for going was the tame cheetahs as my dream has always been to see them close up. So to be able to go inside their enclosure and groom and pet them was a dream come true. Other volunteer jobs were to cut up meat that was later fed to the cheetahs, wild dogs, leopards, and lions. On a rotating basis all the volunteers were able to participate in feeding these animals. There are also the meerkats, baboons, and assorted farm animals that are fed daily and cared for by the groups of volunteers. One day we were shown how to de-tick and vaccinate the flock of sheep and the farm workers were fairly amused by the sight of the volunteers trying to catch all 36 sheep.

The main interaction volunteers had was with the young baboons. They ranged in age from several weeks to almost one year old. We got to play with them, took them into the bush for walks, and then at night they slept with you in your room if you wished. That is a great experience as they get attached to you and respond to you.

I was lucky enough to be at the farm when one of the meerkats gave birth. Once the four babies were about ten days old they started to venture out of the burrow with the adults and soon enough they were also taking small pieces of meat and apple from us at the daily feedings.

When we were not caring for the animals, there were waterholes to dig, or we prepared the ground and dug holes for enclosures and lookouts and helped maintain the existing fences and enclosures. We also took turns doing enclosure patrol where the lions, leopards, wild dogs, and cheetahs are kept to make sure there are no holes in the fences or that no animal has dug in or out.

We went on a couple of nature walks exploring the countryside on foot for three or four hours and ending the day with a brai.(barbeque) Volunteers also took turns playing with the local children. There is "playschool” three mornings a week and they love colouring, playing in the yard, or visiting with the small animals.  But the favourite is getting a "piggyback” ride home to their village at the end of the morning.

All in all it was a great experience and I can't wait to go back

Holly Hadfield, UK, 2008

Within a day of arriving at the Wildlife Santuary I felt completely at home, the volunteers are all incredibly friendly and the staff really make you feel at ease and are always around to help.

Getting to know all the animals was the best part of the project, the Sanctuary currently has 5 lions, 2 leopards, 3 tame cheetahs, 2 wild dogs, 4 horses, 15 baby baboons, 3 meercats and a lot of dogs and tortoises! The baboons seem really scary at first because they can be rather boisterous but they are all so adorable and you definitely form a close bond with them, and spending time petting the tame cheetahs is as incredible as it sounds!

The volunteers at the Sanctuary are divided into three categories; wildlife, research and medical. Wildlife volunteers spend their time feeding the animals, carrying out any manual work that needs to be done around the farm, and spending time with the animals. Research volunteers leave the farm every morning to carry out research tasks including checking the box traps in the neighbouring farm, doing game counts of the animals in the area, and  spoor (animal track) counts. These are all to keep a check on and find out more about the local leopard and cheetah population, with the cooperation of the neighbouring farmers.  I spent a week on research and it was fascinating, the highlight probably being tracking a collared leopard using a VHF radio.

There is also the chance to go to the NamibRand private nature reserve for a week (about a 6 hour drive south from the farm), where the project released 3 cheetahs in May 2008. You sleep in a small farm house with no electricity, and head out early every morning to track the cheetahs with a VHF radio and try to catch a sighting. We spent quite a few hours sitting on rocks holding the radio aerial and looking through our binoculars, and our group was lucky enough to have caught two sightings of them. It’s a fantastic experience, and is also a good week to catch up on your tan!

Overall my time at the Sanctuary was the best four weeks of my life; you make such strong friendships, not only with the volunteers but with the animals too, and for everyone the worst part of the experience is having to say goodbye to people as they leave. Four weeks there certainly wasn't enough, but even though for me it felt like such a short time I know it's an experience that will affect me for life.

Alison Orchard, UK, 2008

My time at the sanctury was fantastic. After loosing my job as a Firefighter due to injury, I have struggled to find a new career that was as fulfilling and exciting. I have always loved animals and decided to do some volunteer work to see if I could find the inspiration for a new career in working with animals. My time at the Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary was unforgettable - you just can't describe it to others when you get home. I meet lots of great people who have become new friends and we worked great as a team. I definitely gained the inspiraration I was looking for for that new carreer! I'm hoping to embark on my next Africa volunteer project very soon - its just such a life changing expereince - it makes you appreciate how amazing, beautiful yet powerful the animals are and also how resourceful and happy the local comminuty is. My expereince has made me very much apreciate what we have back home but also makes me want to change my life inorder to embark on something more fulfillling. I would recomennd the expereince to anyone!