I was born and raised in the outskirt burbs of Washington, DC, so I'd consider myself more of a city girl. So, working on a farm, tracking animals, or cleaning feed stations never really ranked high on my priority list of things to do. However, there is something about being in Africa’s bushland that makes me reconsider portraying Meryl Streep in “Out of Africa”.
Less than an hour outside of Johannesburg, Cultural Embrace has partnered with a local wildlife rehabilitation center, that is home to over 40 cheetahs (including a king cheetah), wildogs, honeybadgers, storks, blue heron, meerkat. The farm is over 120 hectares (~300+ acres) filled with love, passion, and dedication to rehabilitate, breed, and DNA-tested the animals to ensure inbreeding.
Today, I met with Craig, a former naturalist at Kruger National Park, who will be the on-site coordinator with Cultural Embrace’s volunteers. Craig energetically described how many of the cheetahs were rescued as injured cubs from the bush or from other farms. The center tracks, researches, breeds, and cares for cheetahs and other endangered animals. Some of the animals are bred for zoos around the world.
Volunteers will work with Craig and the center’s staff to clean and maintain the cheetah enclosures, attend school presentations to teach about wildlife conservation, put up and maintain fences, feed the animals, and assist the researchers with recording information and tracking the animals.
Volunteers start their day around 7:00am and work for ~2 hours, and then have a half hour breakfast break. Then they work until noon, with a two hours lunch and siesta break. There is internet access in the volunteer’s room at the center to connect with friends and family back home. Then they continue on at the center for another 2-2.5 hours until about 4:30pm. Then the group of volunteers will return back to their lovely volunteer house, located down the road from the center. About twice a week the group will go in to the city to shop for groceries, and to connect with 'civilization'.
All meals, housing, and ground transportation are included with our program, that is available all year round for a minimum of two weeks. It is a fun and wonderful way to interact with the animals, as well as make friends with staff and other volunteers from around the world. All of the volunteers cook and eat dinner together, and share a wonderful family-communal setup. Craig usually lights the barbecue pit up at least once or twice a month for a typical South African braai. There are plenty of fun and social activities to do during the weekends, from going to Sun City, Pretoria, Johannesburg, or the Elephant Research Center, hiking, mountain biking, and so much more.
After I spent the morning with the cheetahs, I fell in love with Scarlet—an 8 years old cheetah who acts more domesticated than my cat at home. Perhaps the land of Robert Redfords, cheetahs, and South African braais aren’t so bad for this city slickette.
--Emlyn Lee
Owner and President of CE
No comments:
Post a Comment