| I had an amazing time on my project and met some really great people who made my
stay so much more special. Thanks for getting me out there and giving me an
experience i'll never forget!
What experience do you feel you gained?
A lot! I learnt about working outside and helping to
maintain the park. I gained experience of cutting up dead animals to feed to the
lions, something you really need to give a try as it's not something you may
ever have to do again. I learnt a huge amount about lions, especially about
cubs, and I was able to pass this information on to members of the public
when they came to handle the cubs.
I gained a lot of experience of caring for
young animals and about having to be on hand ready to feed them as they
do need a lot of attention when they are very young, something they have in
common with children! Overall I got to do such a wide variety of
different things that I gained a whole host of different experiences, even just
living in Africa for 5 weeks was very special for me.
What was the best thing about your placement?
Playing with lion cubs everyday or the atmosphere within
the volunteers house and the friends I made
Would you recommend this placement to anyone else?
Absolutely, no doubt!
What type of person do you think this placement
would suit?
Anyone who is adventurous enough to give everything a go.
Friendly people who are able to contribute to the team and make the
experience as amazing as possible for everyone involved. Even for people who don't
have a huge interest in 'mothering' the cubs, there's still plenty of
work around the park that they can go off and do during the days. You get a
lot of input as to what you will be doing each day.
Can you think of any improvements that could be
made to the placement?
As
long as you are prepared to go and give everything you have then you will
get a huge amount back and will enjoy yourself greatly
Was there anything that you weren't told by
Travellers before you
went away that you think future volunteers should know?
No, nothing
Can you describe a typical day? (e.g Start time,
morning duties, lunch hours, afternoon duties, any other duties....)
-
Most people get up at 7.00 to go up to the restaurant for
breakfast at 7.30.
-
Everyone makes their own breakfast, usually just cereal and
toast during the week.
-
At breakfast you decide who is doing what in the morning
and then afternoon.
-
If you stay up at the top in the morning then
you will have to make up cub milk and porridge to feed to the cubs.
-
You will
then need to feed and possibly pee/poo any cubs depending on how old
they are. After this you will be around the tea room doing handlings for the
public and doing the cub feedings which can be up to every 2 hours, as well as
any other jobs which may need doing.
-
On busy days you may be asked to help
clear up in the restaurant. Lunch is from 1-2, and everyone makes their own
on most days.
-
After lunch, if you spent the morning up top then you will
go out in the afternoon. You will help the staff do any maintenance around the park such as fixing fences or
removing thorns from enclosures. You may well get the opportunity to go in with
some older lions
when you do this, up to the age of around 10-11 months.
-
Work finishes at 5.00 and you decide what you are going to do for dinner.
Most
nights everyone cooks together unless some people want an early night.
-
After dinner you clean up, lock up and take the cubs down to the owners
house, then head on down to the volunteers house where you can stay up and
chat/watch TV or go to bed, as you please.
Please note down your any general comments on your
placement that you think may be relevant. This will help us
to maintain
the standard of our placements or make any improvements
which become
apparent from your input.
How much you enjoy your placement may be down to how well
you mix with the permanent staff out there, i became very good friends with
JP, who does all the outside work with the volunteers, and as such I always had
a great time whenever I went out with him.
In making friends like this
it also gives you opportunities to go out in the evenings, for example, our
group of volunteers were taken out to the pub and to the beach a couple of
nights and we all had a great time.
Thanks a lot again, and let me know if there's anything
else you need or would like to know and I'll be more than happy to help.
Iain
|
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+44 01903 502595
