My diary of NamibRand

After 4 weeks at N/a’an ku sê working as a wildlife volunteer on the farm, an opportunity arose to join the research team on the NamibRand Conservation Project. It is a scientific study on released wild carnivores, particularly cheetah and leopard, and how they affect the ecosystem within the reserve. I jumped at the chance to volunteer for the work after seeing the induction presentation. Thoughts were running thru my head: What do I need to know? What will I be doing? My expectations? Their expectation…. The unknown… Here’s my diary, by Scott…

June 1
We left N/a’an ku sê early heading south to the Reserve on an uneventful 5-6 hours drive. We arrive around 3pm and meet some familiar faces; volunteers from N/a’an ku sê. It was great to see them since I’ll be the only volunteer here for the next 10 days.

June 2
MY BIRTHDAY!!! (Where is my cake???)
For as long as I can remember, I have spent this day on the sunny southern coast of California with my family. And now, 4000 miles away in open grassland, blue sky and mountain ranges as far as you can see, what can one expect for a birthday present?

A quick goodbye to the previous volunteers and we depart for the field for our tracking. With James (from CCF) and Flo (research coordinator from N/a’an ku sê), our first task is to track the movement of 5 cheetah males released by CFF; Kia, Ra, Mushara, Cadbury & Lindt. This will be so easy I think…. like looking for a needle in the hay stack!

How wrong I was; calm and unsuspicious, walking just 3m parallel to our car, are three of them. They casually lay down and groom themselves and with a brief glance at us they continue on with their business. Within distance, the other two males appear and in minutes, they leave to meet up with their brothers. Icing on the cake!!!

Our next tracking mission is one of two females, Tisha. James had tracked and had sighting of Shanti. In this open grass land, we find Tisha’s signal and searched intensively for her. Unfortunately, only Tisha’s remains are found; evidently she had been taken down by a spotted hyena. We could tell she had put up a good fight due to the disturbances of the surrounding grass land. Mother Nature does have the final say.


June 6
GAME COUNT DAY!!! To an American: “Way cool, what is it???”

All stakeholders on the reserve participate in this annual event in which data are gathered on wildlife numbers and used to determine their growth ratios and distribution. Teams and routes in the NamibRand Nature Reserve are assigned. It’s N/a’an ku sê’s first year of participation and the NamibRand founder, Mr. Albi Brueckner, will be joining us on the Aandster route. The count is of all large game animals within 500 meters on both sides of the road. Distance is in consideration and has to be perpendicular to the car. My sense of the metric system is so precise that Flo has to correct it almost every time. Regarding the animals, I ask ‘what do you think that is beyond that tree’, a grin on his face and with a short reply: ‘A bush, buddy’.


June 8
On an unexpected afternoon, NamibRand’s ranger Corris found an injured juvenile aardwolf in his yard. It is mangled up so bad that we can’t determine the sex and/or where the injury was, but evidently it was bleeding somewhere from its groin. A nickname was quickly given ‘Scruffy’. It only looks at us when we approach and get it in a capture cage. Often we can see Scruffy standing up and think: ‘It’s going to make it through’. Before sundown, we search for grasshoppers and anything else in their diet. Corris holds it in a blanket while Flo feeds it some warm milk with egg yolk through a syringe. Later, Scruffy seems comfortable settling down adjacent to the fire and falling asleep.

As I am looking out of the window the next morning, Flo and Corris are digging a hole across the yard. My heart sinks. The little aardwolf had lost too much blood already…


June 9
A slow start to the day for me, we don’t have water and I’m running late getting ready. Our plan is to meet James to track Shanti. Upon our arrival, we find that James is already in the field and has sighted a wild male leopard drinking from a waterhole. As we approach James’s vehicle, we spot it, calm and casually walking along the riverine. A beautiful dark reddish leopard. It’s so cool!!! A wild animal that is not in a zoo enclosure. He disappears briefly into the breezy grassland and within seconds reappears crossing the road in front of the car, probably searching for a spot to rest and avoiding the windy cold day. A slow start but what a great unexpected finish.

Volunteer activities

Committed volunteer Caroline tells us about some of the fun & games on the farm.... The staff went out of their way to ensure we had activities to do each weekend which enabled new volunteers to get to know the existing volunteers and get everyone working as a team. Here’s just a few of the things I got to join in with during my time at the farm....

The treasure hunt
One afternoon we were given a treasure hunt to carry out; this definitely brought out my competitive streak as we raced from clue to clue to try and beat the other team.
Our first clue led us to the Wild Dog camp where we went inside with Jo & Dara keeping the dogs and their crazy yapping back and ended up wading into their waterhole to get the next clue. We had a few more clues leading us all around the farm until we ended up in the chicken pen searching for hidden eggs, each with a letter on. We found a few and worked out we needed to head for the baby baboon camp where we had to complete a wordsearch to take us to our final clue. After a brush with Mowgli our team managed to finish the hunt and make it to the lapa about 30 seconds before the others which gave us an advantage in the next challenge. It turned out to be a game of pass the orange without using your hands and we got a head start. The race was on with a few comical moments, the other team sped past us but after a clumsy drop we managed to hold steady and win the day! We all got to enjoy a Stuart cooked Poikie in the evening.

Climbing the mountain
That weekend we had the chance to climb Neudamn mountain which sounded like a great experience and one that everyone was keen to take part in. We decided it was going to be a fun day out with a bit of a walk to the top of a mountain…it turned out to be a bit harder than that! Hardus, a great hulk of a man, was in charge of setting the pace and leading us to the top. After about ten minutes of climbing the altitude started to affect mine and Anna’s breathing. We took it slowly and made regular stops to try to catch out breath whilst the rest of the volunteers marched on ahead of us and then waited for us to catch up.

With a lot of help from Jo (and her singing) we made it to the top although I don't think either of us really appreciated the view; we were just pleased to be able to breathe normally again. The trip down was a little more eventful with a climb down a rockface. Erika and Kathi ended up going too far up and a cry from Kathi saying 'I think I'm going to stay here for the rest of my life' made everyone laugh. Thankfully we all made it down without any injuries and then it was home for a very well deserved rest.
A couple of weeks later we were told we were going to climb again. I didn’t think I could do it again and to be honest was dreading after the first experience. I wasn’t going to be beaten though and so I started the climb led by Nathan. I was feeling anxious but Jeff kept us company and I think the laughter distracted me from worrying. This time we got to appreciate the actual climb and enjoy it which was great. Rather amazingly Anna and I were amongst the first four people to get to the top along with Nathan and Mike. We looked at the views and took in the fact that we were standing on top of a mountain in Africa. The sense of achievement I felt was amazing and it is one of my favourite memories of my time on the farm. I'm glad I was pushed out of my comfort zone to do it again, it was definitely worth it.

Paintballing
A few weeks ago we got the opportunity to test out the new paintball field. As someone who had never played before I didn't know what to expect other than it was going to hurt…. and I was right!

We were divided into teams and it ended up being staff vs volunteers; not too bad except the staff team consisted of Cila, Arno, Hardus and Erika who all turned out to be incredible sneaky and quick! The aim of the game was to try to hit someone from the other team four times on their chest or back to get them out which was easier said than done as I found out.The whistle blew for the start of the first game and before I knew it Casper and I were hidden in the car being shot at from all directions. We could see Cila but there was paint flying from all angles and no chance for us to escape. All of a sudden it was the end of the game even though we'd only been playing for what felt like two minutes.
We started another game and once again the staff were literally on top of us. Milan and I managed to hide with a clear view of Cila but couldn't get a good shot.

Hardus and Arno quickly made it down to where we were and we knew Erika was nearby; we couldn't see her but we could hear her gun. Nathan was out so it was down to me, Milan and Casper to get to their flag. We saw Casper run and then there was shouting that she was down. After a couple of bad shots in the back from Hardus she received a paintball in the neck and that was the end of the game for her. Milan and I knew that we wouldn't win but we were determined to play the game; we split and he tried to run but was hit too many times. As soon as he said he was out Arno was at the flag and that was the end of it.

Although the staff beat us twice we had a great time and the teams that played after us seemed to have just as much fun. We watched from the sideline and cheered as Kat made a run for it and got the flag and won for her team. All in all it was a great day out and one I hope to repeat someday soon.

N/a'ankuse chef wins award

When Mr Jan Verburg and Burgland Charitas agreed to support the dreams and ideas of Marlice & Rudie van Vuuren and Chris Heunis in 2004 they committed to making a difference to the lives of the poverty stricken Bushman community in Namibia. Now, five year’s on and N/a’an ku sê is proud to say that we employ 23 Bushman families in a variety of roles at the sanctuary and lodge including leisure and hospitality, mechanical and farm work roles. We are dedicated to improving the lives of these historic tribes people through training, education, healthcare and improved living conditions.

One of the Bushman is trainee chef Lientjie. Lientjie has been trained by the Lodge manager, Rhona Strauss whose dedication and passion for not only her work as a chef but also to improving the lives for the Bushman has enabled Lientjie to win 3rd place in the recent Namibian Chef of the year competition. This is Lientjie’s story;

My name is Lientjie Lodewyk. I was born in 1987 on the 19th of November in Gobabis State Hospital. I grew up at Plessis farm, a small village where my mother was working in Nico Swartz Shop. In 1993 my mother started working at Gqaiha Primary School which is a school for Bushmen children. I started school in 1995 at Gqaiha until Grade 5 and completed my Primary Course at Ben van der Walt in Gobabis. I attended high school at Johannes Dohrën High School from 2002 until 2007.

I am currently a trainee-chef and started on 16 May 2008 at N/a’an ku se Lodge. I have experienced a lot of things and, learned more things that I have not known. N/a’an ku se has made me to be proud of myself and has helped me to become more independent.

My dream is to become a chef and to cook very good food for the guests. I also want to become as famous as my manager, Rhona Strauss. My biggest dream for N/a’an ku se is that it becomes the most famous lodge in Namibia. I am so happy that I have ended here at the lodge and I know for sure what I want to be in life.

We opened the Charity Lodge with the aim of allowing paying guests and visitors to experience African wilderness and wildlife up close, whilst educating them about conservation and creating much needed employment opportunities for the Bushman community. The Lodge now employs mainly Bushman with all of its profits going directly to benefit N/a’an ku sê’s work with wildlife conservation and our Lifeline Clinic which is dedicated to the health and welfare of the Bushman community. Last year the clinic provided free treatment to over 2200 Bushman as well as delivering affordable primary healthcare to those living in Epukiro in the east of Namibia.

Our sincere thanks go to Mr Verburg, Burgland Charitas and everybody who has supported and shown commitment to the work of N/a’an ku sê for making Lientjie’s dreams of becoming a top chef a reality and making a difference to the lives of many Bushman and their families. We are incredibly proud to of the achievments so far and creating a sustainable charity investment.

To experience one of Lientjie’s sumptuous meals and enjoy the tranquil surroundings of the lodge visit www.ecotourism-namibia.com or email naankuselodge@iway.na

Our carnivore tracking experience

Driving down to Namib Rand we had a full van of fridge, beds, enough food for a small army, four sleepy girls and Flo, our ever-enthusiastic male researcher, in the front driving. The first time we felt that we were actually far from N/a´an ku sê was when the road changed to deep earth red and the landscape went from constant scrub-land to giant canyons and red sand as far as the eye could see.

We were greeted at the house by the last group who got a braai going for us and regaled us with tales of the country and indecipherable German songs. The thing you could see in all their eyes was the fact that they loved it here and would stay forever if they could – we knew we were in for an amazing time.
The following day we spent networking with local landowners and farmers – it’s vital to build a rapport and good dialogue with the people who work with this land otherwise they will never understand why we want to release “dangerous” animals and then go off and leave them. We were treated to lunch at a luxury lodge and although we tried to convince Flo that we would be much better trackers if we stayed there, he wasn’t entirely convinced. Everyone was unstintingly lovely and we were showered with water and friendliness wherever we went.

The following day the real tracking began, our male Cheetah Kyan had decided that he too deserved the good life and had wandered into Sossusvlei, so, with heavy hearts, we followed him into the reserve – life’s hard for a research volunteer! Sossusvlei is on the edge of the Namib desert and is a stunning vista of giant red sand dunes – one of which our Cheetah friend decided to stroll up so in the mid-day burning sun we toiled up this colossus before collapsing at the top for melted cheese sandwiches and a surprising lack of Cheetah. Although Flo kept insisting he was just there… just over the next hill… the very vertical hill. The beeps from the receiver were loud so he couldn’t have been far off.

We knew that if the Cheetah had the stamina to run up those mountains he was obviously in good shape and so for the next three days we turned our attention to tracking the female leopard who was rather more sensibly still in the Namib Rand reserve where it’s comparatively cool and there’s lots of game – she was a different animal entirely.

The night of the Cheetah tracking, we went on a night drive together with James. The drive was very interesting but still the cats eluded us – was it just bad luck or did they take one look at us and scarper? The following morning our luck was in and we saw five male cheetah. It was an awesome sight well worth waiting for.

Tracking the female leopard involved a lot of mountain climbing (very scary on occasion!!) and not a lot of leopard. We brought the vitals with us – a good book and a pair of binoculars. Flo, on the third day finally spotted her for ten seconds and so we bedded down on the most uncomfortable rocks we have ever come across for nearly nine hours. She wasn’t having any of it and although Flo, again, (and the receiver) assured us she was directly ahead we did not spot her, which was a shame but we knew she was okay which was what mattered most.

We celebrated that night with a final braai and insightful talk of ground squirrels.

Would we come back? In a heartbeat.

Sonya, Rachel & Emma

Get involved
Take part
To experience your own life changing African adventure, wild carnivore tracking and volunteer at the project visit www.volunteersnamibia.com or email bookingsnaankuse@iway.na .

Make a donation
The research work at N/a'an ku sê is providing crucial insights into the lives and movements of large carnivore including cheetah and leopard. N/a'an ku sê relies on voluntary donations and sponsorship to fund their work, provide tracking collars and to feed and ensure the animals welfare. To make a donation to support this vital work email donationsnaankuse@iway.na

We hope to see you soon!

Life as a N/a’an ku sê wildlife volunteer

Working as a wildlife volunteer at N/a’an ku sê was a dream come true, writes volunteer Ali Turner from Ireland.

In fact it did not feel like ‘work’ at all, it was far too enjoyable. N/a’an ku sê is a part of paradise, and is an experience that everyone should get to enjoy. Your life will be more complete, although never the same once you’ve been there! If you’re looking for the experience of a lifetime, N/a’an ku sê is the place for you. There is never a dull moment. At least one of the many animals is always providing some form of entertainment.

The wildlife volunteer day begins at approximately 7am (it may sound very early, but don’t worry, once you’re there you’ll have no problem getting up with the birds). At 8am all volunteers attend a brief meeting with the wonderful co-ordinators to determine the allocation of the workload. This workload includes a mix of food preparation & feeding of the animals, caracal walks, spending time with the meerkats & Lucky (the lovely three legged cheetah), border patrol (a two hour spin in a golf buggy, with the chance to encounter wild animals and breath taking scenery), enclosure patrol (a two hour walk checking all of the animal enclosure fences, so a great opportunity to see the lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs and caracals), baby baboon walks, and big baboon walks.

The morning is broken up with a 15 minute break in which you get some of the lovely Kltilde’s (our chef) homemade cake. After the break it’s back to ‘work’, until 13:00 when you get a lunch break of 1 and half hours. Lunch and dinner are prepared for the volunteers by Klotilde, and are always very good! Following lunch, it’s time to feed the animals again, including the carnivores (lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs & caracals). It’s then down to project work, which is currently the building of a new baboon enclosure.

At 5:30 pm you’re finished for the day. Time for dinner and relaxation with your fellow volunteers (which could include a few beers if you so wish…). You could also use some of this time to visit the lions or caracals, as long as it’s before 7pm. As the baby baboons on the farm are all orphans, it is necessary for them to be cared for by the volunteers. This includes showering, feeding and sleeping with them, which is such a fantastic experience and opportunity! It depends on how many babies & volunteers are on the farm as to how often you will sleep with one. A rota is done so that everyone has their fair share. It really is a truly magical experience.

Life at N/a’an ku sê is full of opportunities for those who wish to take them. As well as the daily tasks, you will also have the chance to spend time with the farms tame cheetahs, which is something that words cannot describe!! To hold the head of one of these magnificent animals in your hands, and to hear their intense purr, is truly amazing.

If you love animals, aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty and want the experience of your life, then N/a’an ku sê wildlife sanctuary is for you. Once there, you should take every opportunity given to you, enjoy every experience and just savour every precious minute. You will also meet some truly amazing people and form wonderful friendships, and leave with unforgettable memories that you will cherish forever…….


Get involved

To experience your own life changing African adventure and volunteer at N/a’an ku sê visit www.volunteersnamibia.com or email bookingsnaankuse@iway.na We hope to see you soon!
N/a'an ku sê relies on voluntary donations and sponsorship to fund their work with animals and the Bushman community. To make a donation to support this vital work email donationsnaankuse@iway.na .

The N/a'an ku sê Wild Leopard Release – 25 February 2009

Last year, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism confiscated two leopards, who had been kept in horrendous conditions, from Farm Werda near Tsumeb. The male had been kept in a small cage near a cattle kraal for three years and the female in a box trap for a year. The MET contacted N/a'an ku sê to keep the leopards in safe custody while the court case took place.

Following the release of the male on the 3 February, nine volunteers and our research experts, Flo and Cila, set out for NamibRand on the 25 Feb to release the female leopard back into the wild. Polly, one of the volunteers lucky enough to witness the release, tells us about the day.

It was difficult to say which was stronger, the levels of excitement amongst the nine volunteers or the heat of the NamibRand sun, even this early in the morning.

All eyes were watching the leopard who sat in the capture cage, staring at the opened gate. It seemed she couldn’t quite believe she could finally be free. In the last few minutes she had hissed, growled and thrashed about but now she just stood still. Slowly and very unsurely the leopard stepped forward, step by shaky step, simultaneously bewildered by her new found freedom and anxiety at the close proximity of us. She glanced from side to side as she left the cage, turned to have one last look at the Land rover and then bolted up to the mountains, not ready to have her freedom snatched from her once again. If we hadn’t been sworn to silence, we would have erupted in cheers. She had made it.

It was understandable why this young female leopard has so little trust in us. Not older than five or six years, she had arrived at N/a’an ku se four months previously after being confiscated by the Namibian government. ‘Stinky’, as she was fondly known by Stu due to the stench that filled the capture cage on the journey down, had been held illegally in captivity in a capture cage for anywhere between 10 months and 3 years.

Two days previously this leopards comfortable, yet still captive, stay at N/a’an ku se had come to an end. She was darted and Flo, Cila and Carol, watched by press, the head of carnivore conservation for the Namibian government, a handful of investors and of course, us, began her release preparations. Blood and faeces samples, saliva and nasal swabs were taken, she was measured, weighed, sprayed with anti-tic and flea spray and finally fitted with her GPS collar, kindly donated by Bank Windhoek. The collar was tailor made to fit her weight, age and neck circumference. It takes one reading per day allowing the research team, and any other interested party, to track her movements, and eventually her home range.

The release was taking place in NamibRand, around 500km from Windhoek and the journey began the morning before the release. The leopard attracted much attention on route, the attention varied from kind well wishers to angry farmers. She growled away all nosey faces who peered into the back of the brand new Land Rover, which had been generously sponsored by Novel Motor Company and Land Rover Namibia, and was making its maiden voyage.

The general pattern for a newly release leopard is to spend roughly three days close to the release site before a combination of hunger, thirst and curiosity encourages them to move.

After the release, we set up camp on a hill 3.5km from the release site and began to track her progress using a receiver to recognise the frequency of her collar. We returned to the same site for the subsequent few days to track her movements. It was Friday, two days after the release, when we were faced with the excitement, relief and also slight sadness of no signal being received from the release site. She was gone, venturing away to start her new life as a free leopard. Stinky was finally back in the wild, where she belongs.

The humbling experience that we nine volunteers were lucky enough to be part of was just one such carnivore that the research team, enabled by Bank Windhoek, Novel Motor Company and Land Rover Namibia, have been able to give a new life and a second chance. Congratulations and thanks to the research team, long may your fantastic work continue!

Our biggest thanks go to Bank Windhoek for sponsoring the collar, Novel Motor Company and Land Rover Namibia for sponsoring our brand new Land Rover and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism for rescuing the leopard and allowing her freedom.

Get involved

To experience your own life changing African adventure, wild carnivore release and volunteer at the project visit www.volunteersnamibia.com or email bookingsnaankuse@iway.na .

Collaring the cats before their release enables us to track their movements, check on their condition in their new environment and work to indentify a sustainable and successful solution for re-locating problem animals so they are no longer shot and killed. If you would like to make a donation or help raise funds for the collars we still desperately need to release more animals back to the wild please email donationsnaankuse@iway.na

The N/a'an ku sê Wild Cheetah Release - 15 March 2009

During my 6 weeks here at N/a’an ku se, I have been lucky enough to witness no less than six releases, five of them cheetahs, but none quite like that of Sunday 15th March, writes lucky volunteer, Polly.

Although most bolt as soon as the cage door is opened, it is not unheard of for a cheetah to be slightly wary of leaving his cage once the door is opened. So when our seven-year-old male cheetah stayed put once the door to his capture cage had been opened, none of us were too surprised. We soon realised, however, that this was not momentary confusion, this was complete refusal to leave. We left him for a while to make his own way out, until the sun got too hot to leave him without shade any longer and he was literally tipped out of his cage. Instead of finally running off, our individually minded Kyan, as named by Tracey the kind sponsor of his collar, stayed put, crawling under the shade of the cage to escape the fast rising sun.

We, research expert Flo, and the eight volunteers, stayed put for another two hours before deciding to leave him to his own devices. Returning to a koppie roughly 3km from the release site hours later we were surprised to find our cheetah still lying under the shade of the cage, lifting his head lazily once or twice to peer at a passing heard of springbok before dozing off again.

On returning to the release site the following morning, we half expected him to still be sitting underneath the shade, but Kyan was gone, and so the tracking began.

Tracking in NamibRand is done primarily through telemetry. Telemetry involves standing in an elevated, open space with a large antenna and receiver. If the collar is within roughly a 7km radius then beeps can be heard through the receiver. By moving the antenna to find the strongest signal and listening to the intensity of the beeps, a direction and distance can be established. There are two main reasons for tracking these released cheetahs; the first is to establish how far and how often the cheetah is moving as he or she explores their new environment, and the second is to try and get a visual on the animal to ensure its well being.

We were lucky enough to get two visuals on Kyan in our week of tracking; the first two days after the release. After pinpointing Kyan’s rough location, we settled into a morning of watching through our binoculars, moving roughly 20m every fifteen minutes to get a different angle. After a few hours we reached the base of the mountains we were watching. We signalled again to discover he was no more than 200m away from where we were standing. With excitement rising, the group clamboured up the side of a koppie at the foot of the mountains and crept forwards. We followed the signal into a river bed, searching every possible shady corner on the way. Due to the intensity of the sun, Flo decided that Kyan must be in the riverbed. Barely five minutes later Flo’s arm went up, ‘there he is!’, our less well trained eyes searched wildly for a few moments and then he appeared, his majestic beauty jogging off towards the mountains. After a few moments our fairly relaxed boy stopped and looked back at us, and we at him, our hearts in our mouths. Eventually he turned and jogged off to find some shade on the side of the mountain. I am happy to report that he looked happy and healthy, no visible injuries or upsets and a perfectly content air about him.

Our second visual was on the Thursday, four days after the release. We had located Kyan that morning and set out early in the afternoon. The receiver located him in a group of rocks at the base of a mountain not far from Gorrasis, the house where we were staying. The four of us crawled as silently as possible up the rocks, searching for a tail, a foot, anything to identify where the cheetah was. Eventually we narrowed down his location to just a few rocks, the receiver indicated he couldn’t be more than 50m away, yet we couldn’t see him. Eventually Flo crept off to examine some of Kyan’s spores he had left on the ground at the base of the mountain while we stayed watching in case Flo got too close and Kyan bolted.

Suddenly, a sleepy head appeared from behind a rock; once again Kyan had defied expectations and slept through our approach and blaring receiver. After a comical few moments of us trying to signal to Flo that if he got much closer he would be sitting on top of the cheetah, Flo also caught sight of him. We watched as Kyan, hair dishevelled and eyes heavy with sleep, slowly came to and stood up, wondering a short way before laying down to warm up in the afternoon sun, not 10m from where Flo was watching him! Slowly and cautiously we crept forward one by one to be as close to a wild cheetah as any of us had ever been and probably would be for a very long time! Kyan watched us for a few minutes before closing his eyes and drifting off again. We took the hint and slid away, trying to contain our awe and excitement. Kyan looked in very good condition, clearly taking his time to adjust to the heat of the NamibRand sun. He had shed a few of his 3kg gained during his stint at N/a’an ku se but that should change once he adjusts to catching his own food again.

Kyan is a lucky cheetah. Caught as a suspected problem animal on a farm in central Namibia, he will now be spending the rest of his days in beautiful NamibRand. Safely under the watchful eye of the research team, who have, once again, given an animal a second chance at freedom.

Our biggest thanks go to Tracey Dunstan for sponsoring Kyan’s collar and Novel Motor Company and Land Rover Namibia for sponsoring the Land Rover that transported Kyan to his new home.

Get involved
To experience your own life changing African adventure, wild carnivore release and volunteer at the project visit www.volunteersnamibia.com or email bookingsnaankuse@iway.na .
Collaring the cats before their release enables us to track their movements, check on their condition in their new environment and work to indentify a sustainable and successful solution for re-locating problem animals so they are no longer shot and killed. If you would like to make a donation or help raise funds for the collars we still desperately need to release more animals back to the wild please email donationsnaankuse@iway.na

My memories of N/a'an ku se

I was searching for a more interesting, challenging and rewarding way to spend my long summer vacation. After hitting on the idea of doing some volunteer work, then narrowing it down to working with animals in Africa, I found information about the N/a’an ku sê program and decided that this was what I was looking for.

I was impressed right from the start with a hassle-free airport pick-up and drive to the farm. I was welcomed by other volunteers, with a meal and a bed waiting. Accommodation was basic with shared facilities but always clean and comfortable. Meals were good and varied. But the reason I was there was the animals.

During my stay I was hands-on with tame cheetahs, young baboons, caracals, meerkats, big and small tortoises, horses, sheep and a rather large pig. I was able to feed and walk most of these animals (no – I did not walk the tortoises but I sometimes thought this would have been more my pace!) I also participated in boundary fence walks and carnivore feeding tours which are run for Lodge guests, so you can get up-close to lions, leopards and wild dogs (although not in the same cage thank goodness). During these activities, I was able to learn a lot about the animals, their personal histories of why they were at the sanctuary, as well as general facts about the conservation of these species. Even the farm maintenance jobs were not too difficult. We also had a lot of time to relax and get to know people from all over the world.

What I didn’t expect was the great respect and friendship I developed with fellow volunteers and staff. Rhona and her team at the beautiful Guest Lodge put on fantastic special event evenings which helped bond volunteers and staff alike. Carol and Jo were exceptional as volunteer coordinators. They were so friendly and organised, but still easy-going and open to the fact that although volunteers were there to work, we were also there to have a good time. The local bushman workers were wonderfully warm, knowledgeable and helpful, despite the language barrier.

But the highlight of my stay was joining the research program run by Flo and Cila. Not only did I learn about spoor tracking and trapping animals, but I was fortunate to spend two weeks at the cheetah and leopard release site in southern Namibia – a remote and beautiful area of the world. I would recommend this experience to anyone – and you could not find better people to be with than Flo and Cila. They are a credit to their profession and made the whole experience life-changing.

Since my return home, I have donated money towards the cost of GPS collars in order to make tracking and data collection of released cheetahs and leopards more accurate and easier (thank goodness). I would highly recommend volunteering at Naankuse, and for those ex-volunteers wanting to continue their involvement, remember that all donated money and goods, however small, goes towards the welfare and survival of the local people and animals. To Rudie and Marlice and all the Naankuse crew, I say thank you for allowing me to share in your dream.

I’ll be returning to Naankuse in August – what will you be doing?

Tracey Dunstan, UK