Thursday 1 May 2014
1st May
The sun has set on my Kalahari adventure. I didn't see a cheetah, I really didn't expect to. I've been content to see hundreds and hundreds of photos taken at marking trees enough to convince me, not that I needed convincing, that these gorgeous animals need to be protected and cherished if they are not to disappear. The biggest problem by far is what they call human/predator conflict, mainly the issue of cheetahs being shot, trapped or poisoned by farmers who believe or choose to believe that cheetahs are taking their livestock. That's why CCB monitors the numbers of potential prey as well. The more easily available prey, the less predation on livestock and the less threat to cheetahs
I've been privileged to meet and work with this small team of dedicated and hard working individuals who live in this harsh, spartan environment all year round through extremes of heat, cold and flood. Max has lived like this for five years, Jane for four, Phale for three and Rick for one and has just signed for another year. The huts have no cooling and no heating, before I came they'd had no hot water for ten months. Dust and dirt are a constant, in the kitchen add grease and flies, the shower/toilet block is dilapidated (but due to be refurbished soon). And yet they maintain high standards of research and monitoring, they drive long distances to check on marking trees and cameras, they keep detailed records of their findings and Jane has compiled an amazing photo id of every cheetah they've seen on camera.
It's impressive and I admire their dedication and tenacity.
For me this has been the most fantastic experience ever. Having thought about it for so long there were moments bumping along a track or walking through the bush with Murphy when I thought "My God I'm really doing this!" I've coped with the heat, dust and flies, the long days, the solitude, the spartan conditions, the rigours of tracking and bush trekking, the creepy crawlies. I've had no television or radio for a month, I've worn no make up for a month except sun protection, I've worn the same clothes for a week at a time, I've amused myself through the long evenings and quiet weekends, I've had a lot of chocolate. I stepped out of my ordered self indulgent comfort zone and I survived and had an amazing experience. I've always loved wildlife and being this close to nature has been a dream come true.
So, cooking on a calor gas ring, wearing the same clothes for a week, toilet the other side of a field, no hair appliances - I'm ready to try camping!
Thanks to CCB for a wonderful experience, thanks to Harold and Geraldine Hester for their hospitality and for giving me the added pleasures of bird spotting and star gazing, thanks to those of you who kept in touch by email, text or What's App it meant so much to me to hear from you out here. The chirp of my phone when it came in range of wifi was so welcome.
Finally, (sorry this is getting like the Oscars) if you enjoyed my blog please all club together and send me somewhere else... no seriously.
If you enjoyed my blog then it is thanks to my Technical Director and very great friend Nigel Nicholson who spent many many kind and patient hours with this technodunce setting up the blog and email on my phone, showing me how to do posts and upload photos. Thanks Nigel I couldn't have done it without you, dinner's on me.
Wednesday 30 April 2014
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