Well I had an absolutely brilliant time. The trip and my experiences exceeded all my expectations and I would love to go back, it was just so hard to leave (especially Kevin and Mimi the baby baboons)!!
The project was so much more hands on and involved than I thought and at times really challenged me. The volunteer work made me try and do different things, for example farm work and feeding lions, cheetahs and leopards.
The best bits were holding a three day old lion cub and bottle feeding baby baboons. The worst thing was cutting up donkey meat when the meat was still warm!!
Sometimes while I was there I had to take a moment to have a reality check. For example at the weekly football match against the bushmen there would be a lion cub sitting next to the goal posts waiting to stalk any unsuspecting players or when walking in the bush with a cheetah or staying up all night driving up and down the perimeter fence to prevent 5 lions who had escaped entering a neighboring farm where they would of inevitably been trapped and killed. I have so many great memories.
While I was away I was able to take stock of my life. It gave me the confidence to leave my career of eighteen years and apply to do a HND in Animal Studies starting in September. I am also looking forward to starting a new job at the Blue Planet Aquarium (only in retail but its a start) for less than half the money I was earning before. This trip certainly helped to change my life around!!
