A Shit Day!

We start a new week by picking up cheetah poo and bones.  The new cheetahs brought to the reserve go through an extensive welfare program  run by AfriCat, before those that can fend for themselves are released into the larger reserve.  Initially, these cheetahs are fed on a diet of meat on a regular basis but once they are released they are monitored to see if they are able to be self sustaining and hunt their own prey. 

AfriCat run the largest rescue and release program in the world for big cats.  I am amazed to learn that it is estimated that big cats in the wild could be extinct by the year 2050, if nothing is done to help them survive.

As the enclosures in the welfare program are quite small, (as compared to the area these cats would roam in the wild) it is important they are kept clean.  Our duties for today include picking up all the cheetah poo and the left over bones, ensuring the enclosure is free of parasites that could be harmful to their health. We are given buckets that we fill and dump into a heap.  The bones will be crushed and left out for the vultures to pick at and the poo will be disposed of.  We are in the enclosures with the cheetahs but they leave us alone.  It is actually a very relaxing morning and the poo is mostly dried up so this activity is much easier than I initially thought it would be.  We do a pretty good job of cleaning up the enclosures and pile up our bucket loads in a corner for a later pick up. We end the day by experiencing the feeding run in the welfare program.  We see the resident cheetahs, lions and leopards being fed which is quite interesting.  The animals are hungry and fight each other for the food,even though there is plenty to go around.

What I find really interesting in this volunteer program is the variety of work we have an opportunity to be involved in and the numerous activities planned for us in the evenings.  We have had another marvellous day in Namibia!

“The greatest use of a life is to invest it in something that will outlast it.”