When we got there the whole fence was down for about 100m. We had to pull up the fence and hold it up while the 2nd years stabilized it. After being soaked in the rain we eventually had the fence up and we could leave it for the night and let the next group do the last finishing touches in the morning.
Saturday morning came, at 7:30am, we all were ready for another full days work. This time my group went to fix a boma. A boma is like a waterpond for the animals completely closed up by trees and branches with only one entrance where the animals steps on a steel plate and the pressure makes the dip spray out. Here the animals broke through the bush making their own paths just to skip the dipping process.
We started off by chopping off branches of the sekelbos. Then we placed them over the bush to cover the pathways so the animals will have no choice except for going through the dip. All bruised and beaten we went to lunch taking a break from the hard work and the sun. After lunch we went back and finished the boma in more or less an hour and we stood there proud of our days work.
We barely arrived back then i heard we were going to be doing a game drive! A little nervous we set out into the bush where we saw Zebra's, Gemsbokke, Impala's and Nyala's. We had the chance to see a few Eland too. Driving back we saw the one blue wildebeest that was pushed out of the herd sitting alone in the grass. Jeanine explained that once the leader gets old and run over by a stronger and younger one he is never allowed back into the herd and he has "an early retirement"
Sunday morning me and three other first years were sent to the wild life center. We started off by cutting up meat for the animals to eat. Then the animals were fed and we had to wash all their bottles and clean the kitchen. Then we did the check ups in the cages. Checking that the cages are clean, see if there is enough water for the animals and we even had to pick up "poop"! After that we just prepared the food again for the animals. At 12pm we fed the 6 lion cubs which was pretty confusing cause we didnt know them by name. It was an experience of a lifetime which ill never forget.
After our lunch we went back and it was the same process of making food for the animals and feeding them and washing the bottles and packing them away. I had the chance of doing one of the lion interactions and the feeding tour with a 2nd year student named Moira that afternoon. I carried out food to the cages and helped out where i could. When we finished our shift the four of us went to say goodbye to the lion cubs.
All in all this was one of the best weekends in my life!!!!
Feeding the baby giraffe {Sunday}
