My experience
Christelle Huet, France/Holland. October 2005
An extraordinary day in my CCB volunteer life: the day we captured 5 cheetah’s…
It was supposed to be a usual morning in Jwaneng Game Park: rise early, check Cheetah trap, and investigate ‘crime scenes’ with Ann-Marie, head of the CSI-CCB team. We were approaching our trap blabbering on - mostly me blabbering on; Ann-Marie and Katrine probably not understanding a word of what I was saying because of that thick French accent -) We had decided to get a new goat for our trap: the one we had was just not loud enough and will never lure any cheetah. We stopped 100 meters from the trap…Oh! Oh! …the doors are down … “Ah, well, it’s probably just the wind again or one of those annoying baboons”… there’s definitively something moving in the trap … big silence in the car … it looks like a CAT! By that time I started to get very agitated on my seat: “where is my camera?”, “where are my binoculars?”, “why cannot I find anything in this car?”…my heart was beating so fast! … “It’s a cheetah! it’s a cheetah!”. And I almost had a seizure when we noticed there were NOT one but TWO cheetahs in the trap!!!
We had caught 2 cubs of the family of 5 (mum + 4 cubs) we’d been trying to trap for the past 3 days. Obviously I had to apologize to the goat for saying ‘she’ was crap. She did a splendid job.
Things went fast from there: Lizzie arrived 15 minutes later with Suzie, Liezel and Bakane (3 co-volunteers); we put the goat in the backseat of the Toyota (which she confused with the bathroom!); in the trap we replaced the goat by the 2 cubs; we reset the trap and left. One hour later we had another cub and 3 hours later Mummy Cheetah was trapped. We came back around 5pm but the wind had blown the doors down preventing the 4th cub from entering the trap … damn wind! We reset the trap, headed off into the bush and waited. We could see the 4th cub but he wasn’t approaching the trap. It was now 6pm and the sun was starting to set. He probably could sense us in the distance so we decided to go back to camp and check again after dinner. 8pm, we were back… it was totally dark… we turned on our gigantic lamp and we saw a pair of green eyes in the trap …. YES, we got the 4th cub!!! All the babies were safe for the night and we didn’t have to worry about the cub spend the night alone in the bush without Mummy. It was difficult to fall asleep that night with all the adrenaline still flooding through my veins…
The following day was extremely busy: squeezing boxes, sedating, studying; we worked non-stop from 8am to 6pm. But hey you don’t hear me complain -) I’d have worked 24 hours non-stop just to have the privilege of being there! The most amazing moment was the day after when we released the entire family: first the cubs, then Mum. Before setting off, Mum turned back to us and looked at the trap and squeeze boxes to make sure none of her children was still trapped… Such a good Mum! You could hear them calling each other… and very quickly they found each other. They were reunited again … such a beautiful picture. I cannot find words to describe how I felt observing this family reunion; it’s like you’re picking from God’s window…
These 3 days were just so fantastic!
I had a wonderful time in Jwaneng. I had the honor of participating in the capture of 6 wild cheetahs; we had already captured a pregnant female before catching the mother and 4 cubs – I think we hold the record -).
I was so lucky… Not everyday was as incredible as the ones I described above. But if not fantastic, they were all great. I loved life in the bush: the wildlife all around the camp, the fire camps, the braai’s, the ‘pooikies’ (how do you write that again?), eating under the stars … the spiders, the scorpions, the snakes - OK I’m telling lies now -) Oh! I almost forgot the Springbok’s … cannot forget the Springbok’s ;) And there was the very special CCB October 05 group: the Jwaneng Cheetah’s (Decu, Gracie and Alice), Ann-Marie our CSI/cheetah expert, Lizzie our volunteer coordinator/ biologist assistant/mum, Suzie our creative and jolly Brit, Liezel our South African bush master, Katrine our Danish marathon runner, Bakane our local cheetah spoors finder and myself, Christelle(ee) the French cook. Thank you all for the good spirits and the laughs! Ann-Marie and Lizzie: a special thank you for your enthusiasm and for teaching me so much.
It was an amazing, fantastic, incredible and fulfilling experience! For one month I was part of something bigger than myself and it feels good! I fell in love in October 2005…..with Africa and Cheetahs.
Craig, UK. June 2005
CCB is undoubtedly a brilliant project carrying out vital information gathering about the cheetah in Botswana and it was a genuine honour to
be a part of it. The work carried out is never too stressful and we learned many new skills. In my opinion the group was very tightly knit. ourselves and the managers always got along and I don't recall one argument between us in
the whole month.
Botswana is nothing like anything most people will have ever seen. It
is very arid and dry - even in the winter it can get very hot. the
temperature when we were there was acceptable - albeit very cold at night
time. The country is very culturally rich and tradition is very important
to the local people. Jwaneng reserve is a natural haven for all different
types of wildlife and every day you are able to see animals everywhere.
There is everything from dense bush to very open savannah. It was a very
nice change from what I was used to and I very much enjoyed it.
Positives
· relaxed atmosphere
· friendly managers
· stunning views and wildlife
Negatives
· very changeable temperatures - at night its very cold, during the day
its very hot
· very long flights and drives to get there and around to other parts of
the country
· unless you can get along with your fellow volunteers it can seem lonely
at times - you are in the middle of no-where!
I genuinely cant think of anything that can be improved - everyone was
always willing to explain something, everyone was friendly etc. our living
quarters were perfectly adequate - we had all the cooking utensils and the
toilet and shower were better than I could ever expect. Day to day living in the reserve was an experience not to be forgotten - being in the middle of a desert area with nothing but wildlife all around is a really amazing feeling. in the evening times when it is dark there is nothing to be heard except the animals and looking up, the sky is lit up by stars. the camp we stayed in was, although basic, more than adequate for our desires. the chalets we stayed in are comfortable, the kitchen was spacious and had everything we needed. we were given money for food and there was a supermarket in the local village of Jwaneng which has everything we needed - we always ate well. Free time was spent mostly sunbathing during the day and sitting round the camp fire in the evening times chatting.
Since this trip I feel that I have definitely benefited, both mentally
and physically - being on the other side of the world and in an alien
environment opens your eyes to many things and makes you realise what is
important.
Compared to many of the other projects I looked at this was very
reasonable and was easily the cheapest for a months living and food costs.
I brought about £100 for personal spending which I mostly spent on luxury
items, beer and souvenirs!
Recommendations for the next group - you will be nervous when you are
going there, its only natural but come day 4 or 5 you will be into you
routines, come day 14 you will wonder where the first half of your trip
has gone and day 30 you wont believe its over - take advantage of
everything you are offered, regardless of how u r feeling always do the
work, you never know what you will see out there - every day is different.
take nothing for granted it is a once in a lifetime experience.
Marianne, Denmark. May 2005
Tracks in the Sand - I could write a book about my month in Jwaneng Game Reserve working as a volunteer for Cheetah Conservation…It was a fantastic time and I am planning to go back. Thanks to Annmarie who is a very motivating and inspiring teacher, which just makes you feel you want to go out there to do and learn more. And thanks to Rebecca and Kyle which also made it an unforgettable time.
There is one date though, which keeps playing with my book of memories and that is the 15th of May. In the morning I had been out in the park for a walk to find some good tracks of the brown hyena and the jackal. I wanted to make some plaster casts. As it had been raining the night before it was a good day to find tracks and I found a very good hyena and jackal track. So back to camp I went as Annmarie was going to be there around 11 to show us how to do it properly. We made a plaster cast out of an old cheetah track she had found in the park some months before. Actually it was now about 4 months ago since the cheetahs last were spotted in the park. On our daily drives in the park we had never found any signs of the cheetah, no tracks and no sounds on the receiver from the collars. That started when we got the plane again, but that’s a different chapter.
Back into the bush I went with water and plaster. I found my tracks and filled in the plaster. Whilst waiting for it to dry I went further away up and down the sandy road. As usual I was looking at the tracks, when suddenly I saw one I thought to know. But it couldn’t be. I took a photo with my awful, tiny digital camera to bring back to the others in our camp. I went up and down the road and there were loads of tracks. Cheetah tracks. They were not here on my morning walk. Imagine, a cheetah had been walking here maybe right after I left. I forgot all about my hyena and jackal track and hurried back to camp. (Well, as much as you can hurry in the midday heat…) Liz and Jennie, the two other volunteers, could tell on my funny look that something had happened. I showed them the tracks on the camera and we texted Annmarie who came driving only some few minutes later. It looks like cheetah, she said, let’s go and find out! And off we drove.
We found the tracks. Annmarie could soon see that it was a female with two cubs. A female with two cubs…And they had just been walking here. All four of us were fooling around giving each other hugs. The cheetahs were back in Jwaneng Game Reserve.
Liz Tough, Canada. May 2005
ODE TO THOLO
Our story begins at Mokolodi Reserve.
Over a lunch of cold burgers and fries,
We all wondered if the British - sorry English – chick,
Would be a girl who complains and cries.
But no fear Jenny turned out just fine,
Building fires and pulling thorns from her toes.
The, the zookeeper again proved her mettle,
Sticking pipettes up a hartebeest’s nose
Marianne from Denmark was no less worthy we know.
Her eagle eye picked out snakes galore,
She kept the loo path swept so smoothly,
And found, for the first time in five months, cheetah spoor!
Liz, the Canadian, rounded out the group.
For her it seemed that driving lessons were a must,
On that first trip to town with the Beast,
But it was her attempts at Danish that brought down the house – frocust!
Now Ann Marie, Ann Marie, herder of cats,
Imparted her wisdom, she taught us so much.
From pojkes to sundowners and CSI,
And stories of her life when she was Starsky AND Hutch
Under the eye of this leader we kept busy all May.
We bullied baboons and practiced our slingshot,
We guided the Beast round the fence line and deadzone,
And brought luck to Jwana birdlife – not!
At the heart of it all, the cheetah girls and now boy,
To Gracie the starlet and Alice who guards,
We introduced one-eared Decu the hunk -
There’s a love triangle brewing - it’s in the cards.
And so in Tholo camp we all lived,
Home of impala, weavers, and cobras that spit,
Bonfires, sunsets, cold nights and warm days,
It’s made all of us memories; we won’t forget a bit.
Edwin Jongmans, Holland. April 2005
Edwin Jongmans, Holland. April 2005
I've spend most of my month in Jwana Game Park. The work we did was greatly influenced by the fact that the anthrax virus was roaming the park. Besides the more expected tasks of spoor-, radio- and fenceline tracking of cheetah we spend many mornings driving out looking for casualties of the anthrax virus and assess the spread of the disease. Not a glamorous part of the work, but very necessary!
More glamorous was having the privilege of taking care of two 7 months old cheetah sisters named Alice and Grace. We drove up and down to the research camp in Ghanzi to pick them up. Unfortunately, they had become infected with some mysterious virus and had lost condition seriously. For the duration of a week we had to confine them to a squeezebox so we could easily treat them. They had to be spoonfed (super fantastic!) then gradually moved onto more solid food. Every morning we were hoping that they had lived through another night. Luckily they gradually got better and we released them from the squeezeboxes into a holding pen. We are so happy that they survived and that we got to play a part in the care of these beautiful cubs.
Overall I had a fantastic experience. I've learned so much about cheetah, tracking and on animal behaviour in general. Rebecca, AnnMarie… thanks!
Duncan Yearley, UK. January 2005
"Hey Eskil get out here quick! Keep quiet though. Look at that"
At that moment an 18 foot male giraffe strides quietly past the camp site. He sees our movements and stops to take an inquisitive look at us.
Eskil disappears and comes out with his cam corder. By this time the giraffe has moved on a few meters. We spend the next 5 minutes watching the giraffe browse on the near bye acatia tree.
"That was great. I wonder what will happen next?"
Every day was a dream come true and you have to remind yourself that you are actually there, in Africa, sitting around the bar-b-q, watching the lightening, wild life or the sun set. Once the sun goes down the animals start to call. A family of Jackals seem to have fun somewhere in the bush as they scream and bark. Then the night jars and bats swoop on the moths and beetles around the light that illuminates the camp site.
A six inch long stick insect flies into the kitchen and settles on the light. Alex makes a comment that it looks like a fairy and I must admit that with its rounded wings and delicate flight, it does.
Much of our time as a group was spent in the park at Jwana radio tracking the cheetahs. In 4 weeks we never picked up a signal but carried on regardless as we knew they were out there somewhere.
On the day before Alex left we were just returning from a day out looking for cheetah when sat in the road in front of us were 2 black objects which we thought were wart hogs. We slowed the beast (truck) down and approached slowly. "Cheetah, they're 2 beautiful cheetah." I cant repeat what was actually said at the time.
We sat in amazement, speechless and almost in tears as the 2 cheetah approached the beast (truck). We took some lovely pictures as they got closer and closer until they were within just a couple of meters. ( As I write this a tear has entered my eye. That is what this sighting meant to me)
They eventually disappeared into the bush when a gang of baboons approached and scared them off.
We travelled back to the camp sight in silence.
My only advice to anyone is "Don’t just talk about it, do it"
Mariska Snellman, Holland. September 2004
In the morning we started with some data input. Afterwards we went radio tracking. Unfortunately no signals or spoors of the cheetahs. Yesterday Mmusi discovered some cheetah spoors at the horse stables, so we decided to take another look over there on our way back to our camp. The spoors were very clear and it gave us the exciting feeling that they were so close to our camp. There were even fresh spoors. Furthermore, we now regularly find fresh hyena spoors in the morning and at night we can hear the jackals. After our lunch we went to the airfield to work on the hangar for the donated plane that will arrive next week.
In the evening, back to our camp, we discovered a (harmless, but very huge) sunspider in our kitchen. We decided to let him stay, because he is far to fast to catch anyway. And then, our kitchen mouse named ‘Morgan’ scared us by crawling under the kitchen door, acting as a big snake. Well done, Morgan!
All this and many many more made our stay at the CCB really great, the animals, the people, the atmosphere, we miss it!!!
Sam Buxton, UK. June 2004
It’s hard to find words to describe my time with CCB). Right from the start I felt totally welcomed by the extremely friendly, fun and enthusiastic folks who made us a part of the team. We were kept busy and came away with some great memories: early mornings out searching for spoor and radio-tracking the collared cheetah; driving “the beast” throughout Jwaneng reserve, and one or two flights over it; setting cameras and live-traps (and chasing runaway goats around the place!); nights around the camp-fire and supply raids into town; trips away from camp to visit farmers and reserves (and meeting some very colorful characters!); even some very inexperienced - and dodgy – attempts at construction around the camp (is that shelter still standing, I wonder?!)! And that rare, wonderful glimpse of a family of wild cheetah playing in the grass, the curious cubs approaching close to check us out… But perhaps the most memorable part of the trip was meeting Duma and Letotse, the Mokolodi cheetahs, for the first time and listening to them purr… incredible. All carried out in a beautiful landscape, surrounded by fascinating wildlife – what more could you want?! My only regret was that I couldn’t stay longer and do more! I was there in May/June, the start of the winter season (and, boy, does it get cold there at nights – bring lots of woollies if you are there then!) and I would go back. Volunteering for CCB was an amazing experience, which I will never forget!!!
David Mills, USA. March 2004
Cheetah Conservation Botswana provides an incomparable experience. Volunteering with them in Jwaneng in March 2004 gave me invaluable insight into conservation methods in the region.
The research camp is well equipped and comfortable in comparison to other projects I have been on and Annmarie is an excellent teacher. Her law enforcement experience in the US has honed her investigative skills, which are invaluable when properly determining which predator is truly responsible for a kill. Her experience with CCF Namibia has provided her with many skills in trapping and cheetah conservation. She enthusiastically shares this knowledge with volunteers who are willing to learn. Currently I work on leopard a research project in Botswana. Since trapping leopards is a completely different ballgame, I don’t use such information as often. However, the tracking and kill investigation skills learned with CCB have proved extremely helpful in my current research.
CCB offers many interesting views into the difficulties of conservation work, particularly with respect to working with farmers who are resistant to allowing cheetahs on their farms. Jwaneng provides somewhat different conditions for tracking cheetahs than my current work in the Kalahari. Namely, there are no dangerous animals such as lions, buffalo, or elephants. There are leopards, but they are rarely seen. While there are snakes, they are not a problem to an observant person. This situation makes it possible to occasionally track on foot when necessary, such as around a kill site and when a sighting is necessary to ensure the wellbeing of one of the collared cheetahs.
I was also fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in trapping cheetahs on one of the farms. The anticipation each morning as you approach the trap is exhilarating. Having the opportunity to handle and take data from a live big cat is always exciting.
As I have subsequently lived and worked in Botswana for over a year, I have been able to watch the reputation and effectiveness of CCB grow. They have an excellent future in the country and are consistently working hard to promote and benefit the conservation of cheetahs and other predators in the area.
I now work for Leopard Ecology & Conservation in Khutse Game Reserve, Botswana. As many of our goals for predators on farmland are the same, LE&C and CCB work together on many issues. I appreciate their hard work and hope that we can continue to share ideas and work together for a long time to come.
Jennifer Zerbel, USA. March 2004
I couldn’t believe that I was finally living a dream; I had always wanted to go to Africa and work with wildlife. Now I had the opportunity to volunteer with CCB. I worried about planning such a big trip, but it all fell into place, from the price of airline tickets, to having an incredibly understanding husband.
I spent the month of April in Jwaneng Game Park with CCB. The weather that time of year was perfect – not too hot, not too rainy, and not too buggy! My mosquito net still came in handy though. Ann Marie was a great teacher, and I especially enjoyed learning signs and tracks, and the art of radio-tracking. Every day we would learn or see or experience something new in the field. The first week we found new kills in the field almost every day! There was a very hungry leopard prowling around somewhere! And every day, beautiful wildlife! I couldn’t get enough of it. My heart practically stopped when we saw our first wild cheetah! There he was – gorgeous! Another exciting moment was when we saw a brown hyaena on our night drive. We got a lot of experience setting up traps – all different kinds. Unfortunately that month, the cheetahs were too wise, for we didn’t catch a cheetah. I still had a wonderful experience, and maybe I’ll just have to go back!
Lorraine Liwiski, USA. November 2003
Was lucky enough to release our second cheetah!
Have you ever had dreams of being a wildlife field biologist in Africa? Well then....let me tell you.....a month volunteering on the Cheetah Conservation Botswana project fulfilled all dreams and more! From the joys of capturing wild cheetah, sedating, studying, collaring, releasing, radio and spore tracking, to visitations with lively farmers, staff and friends throughout Botswana, (and S. Africa), the comaradiere (how do you spell that?) of fellow volunteers and a crazy, (in the fun sense!), dedicated biologist, to the "oh, oh" situations of a start up project, (does the loss of a drive shaft ring any bells?),all met with a sense of humour while enjoying the beautiful landscapes of Botswana! Enjoy, become involved with the preservation of the graceful wild cheetah, and dont forget to stock up on plenty of chocolate!
Nancy Nandermy and Eric Barkolow, USA. November 2003
They have prepared a great account of their experiences at http://www.cathouse-fcc.org/africa03.html
Nancy - As a volunteer for over 12 years working with large and small wild cats at a zoo in California i was very excited to be able to participate in the early phases of the new research project Cheetah Conservation Botswana. I've put together a website at http://www.cathouse-fcc.org/africa03.html to share the details of my experience in November 2003. I would love to return and work there again in the future.
Eric - They asked me to write a short paragraph about my experience at the Cheetah Conservation Botswana. It is hard to put words together that can touch the experience that was my pleasure. I have read many tales of adventure, novels of someone else's imagination or experience, yet to capture the experience of life, one must live. Life was abundant in Jwaneng. The rains brought flowers, the light brought insects, and the research brought cheetahs (At least 16 separate sightings.). A writer once wrote something like: Many of the people that want to write about real life, have never lived. I have now added a large chapter to the book that lives within me. Thank you to all that made it happen, and my heart will always sing with the memory.
Ke a leboga, Tsamaya Sentle, Go Siame.
Jenny Cousins, UK. October 2003
Our first volunteer, provides some useful info for other volunteers
As the first volunteer (and guinea pig!) I have compiled a couple of lists, in no particular order, to help future volunteers:
What you can expect .......................................
stunning scenery, radio tracking cheetah, extremely hot days, a flushable toilet, early starts, to catch a wild cheetah (if your lucky!), lessons in car mechanics, sand, hand washing, gorgeous sunsets, an extremely likable and witty field biologist, learning to identify tracks in the sand, a basic but very comfortable chalet for two, wildlife at your doorstep (impala, giraffe, baboons, spiders, scorpions, snakes and if you're lucky the occasional cheetah!), video nights, amazing lightning storms, scratches from acacia thorns, an unforgettable encounter with two tame cheetah, chocolate cravings followed by a trip to the local garage, getting excited at the smell of death (potential cheetah kill), lazy Sundays, a good shower, very occasional cold and rainy days, beautiful starry nights, good food (assuming you can cook), a well-equipped kitchen, learning to use GPS, the use of a pillow and sheet, trips away from camp to meetings/visit farmers,
............................all things considered an amazing experience.
What you should take .......................................
waterproof jacket and trousers (it can get cold and very wet), a thick warm jumper/hooded top, comfy trousers for relaxing in the evenings, binoculars, patience (things can take a while in the Africa bush), a penknife, a good torch, fieldguide/identification book (one on snakes and spiders would be good), music tapes for long car journeys, a sense of humour, a good book, muscles (lifting cheetah traps can be heavy work), sun screen, sun glasses, money for the occasional bottle of wine or gin and tonic, comfortable trainers, sandals.
Jenny with one of the Mokolodi cheetahs
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My experience