Nov. 1 Over half way
Posted by Katherine P on November 1st, 2009
Hello everyone.
It has been close to 2 months in Botswana and my experiences here have been varied and character building.
The Education Centre I found to be a poor use of my time, as they did not need any more help. John suggested we write a proposal of some projects we would like to take on while here. We wrote a long project proposal, and when John approved most of them, we were on our way.
Recently I have been working more closely in conservation and with the animals of the sanctuary. I find it rewarding to join the Conservation officer on his daily duties. I have had the opportunity to help with the Giraffe count, after the large game capture it is important for Mokolodi to know what Giraffes are left. It appears that mostly males are left, and therefore the population at Mokolodi will continually decrease until more females are brought in. Also with only 1 or 2 females the possibility of inbreeding is high. Also, I always welcome to opportunity to feed the Cheetahs and Hyenas. The Cheetahs Duma and Letotse are very tame and I can feed them by hand and pet them, it is an amazing experience everytime. The Hyenas are less tame, but still very fascinating. I was able to participate in the Spaying of the female Hyena, which was something I never dreamed I would be a part of. The Hyena is a fascinating animal as its closest relative is a Mongoose, not a cat or dog. The Vet even had difficulties figuring out how to deal with this creature that is so unlike any other. I relish the opportunity to learn about the animals here, learning new information everyday.
Generally my day consists of helping at the Animal Sanctuary with feeding and general care of the sick and injured animals. After that I join the Conservation officer on his daily duties, which are extremely varied. I have settled into the Botswana pace of working, the weather certainly helps as I find the hot sun exhausting.
I am happy about the work I am doing. The concerns I have left are regarding the volunteer accommodation. We have painted and scrubbed the whole house, but it is still a chore to make food. On a given day I have over 10 other people trying to make food in the small, dirty, and basic kitchen. Katie and I were given some kitchen supplies, and a lot have gone missing the others are always being used by other people. The house has a constant stream of people coming and going using all the facilities and making it uncomfortable for us to live there. Even when local people come to visit they are appalled by the cleanliness and condition of the hut. I have gotten used to most things, it is interesting in some ways to see so many types of bugs I’ve never seen in my life. Around the light at night is moth wallpaper with dozens of them littering the wall.
