I have finally got round to uploading some of my video footage from my time at Shamwari. Here are some of my favourite clips:

Sundile the leopard



Sundile the leopard was hand reared and then released back into the wild. She soon adapted to life in the wild and became a natural hunter and mother.

However, she still recongises John, who hand reared her, and rushes out of the bushes to meet him when she heard his vehicle. She then persistently blocks the path of his vehicle to prevent him from leaving.

Even though she shows this behaviour he would never leave the safety of his truck as her reaction may be completely different if he was on foot.


Bobby the elephant



Bobby the elephant was a young male who had just left his herd. We found him intently bathing in a muddy water hole. Unfortunately the wind was the wrong direction and we often got a faceful of mud!


Caught on Camera



We discovered a hippo carcass so decided to put out a camera trap to capture the activity it would create.


Playful Caracals



These caracals were taken to the Shamwari wildlife rehabilitation centre to be hand reared after they were orphaned. When they are old enough they will be released back into the wild.

While in South Africa I learnt about the horrific rhino horn trade. If you followed my blog posts you would have learnt that organised syndicates have taken poaching to a new level, slaughtering rhinos at a rate of almost one a day. Now 2010 has come to an end the final figure for the year is here. A massive 333 rhinos were brutally slaughtered.

But our fight is far from over and the killing has already begun in 2011. Now we understand the brutality of this cruel trade we can use our knowledge to stop this disgusting murder. So you may ask the question, how can I help?

Shout it Out

Spread the word! Make more people aware of the problem, educate your friends, children, brothers, sisters, even strangers. Use the power of the internet to tell everyone, facebook, twitter, myspace and even personal blogs. You can start by joining the 'Rhinos of South Africa' facebook group here. It will keep you up date on any recent rhino poaching incidents.

The second annual International Rhino Day has been organized for 2nd of February, make sure you join the event on facebook here and start raising awareness about rhino poaching.

Make your mark

Add yourself to the cause by signing our petition. Together we will urge the South African government to prioritise anti poaching efforts by devoting more funds to the cause. We will also suggest educating children before they become involved with this horrific trade.



Fund a solution

Unfortunately game reserves simply do not have the funds to stay one step ahead. With the technology of the poachers ever increasing, soon we will be in fear of losing the rhino forever. You can make a difference by making a small contribution to this cause. This will help to provide anti-poaching units with better training and more advanced equipment.

You can make a donation to the WWF to help prevent rhino poaching here.

Together we WILL make a difference.

With the successful ban on battery hens we finally thought animals had a voice...could finally live lives of freedom without torture and suffering. But we were wrong. Now there are plans to turn cows into milking machines.

Nocton dairies plan to introduce factory milk to the UK. 8000 cows will be trapped inside, living a life of confinement. Now we only have days to stop this disgusting act. The WSPA have set up a dedicated website to prevent this from happening, and they need our support. You can find their campaign here. Please sign up and then tell the rest of the UK too, facebook, twitter, your personal blog. Anything helps. We must stop this before its too late!

Volunteering at Wildlife Aid you often hear some of the most gruesome cases of animal cruelty, and yesterday was a perfect example. A distressed dog walker phoned in and explained the horrific scene they had discovered. A dead fox. Skinned and gutted then left to rot.

Why do we contemplate doing such horrific things to our own beautiful nature. Such a stunning animal... brutally mutilated. Perhaps the perpetrator was planning on keeping the skin but got disturbed in the process and fled this gruesome scene. Perhaps it was just for fun. It makes me contemplate just how cruel human nature really is.

This disturbing discovery follows the horrific news of the giant fox slaughtered in Maidstone. The town trapped the fox after an elderly cat was discovered dead. How do we even know the fox was the culprit? The cat may simply have died from the cold and then was scavenged by the foxes. Who gives us the right to say what animals must live and die?

Another disturbing fact is the dead fox is pictured hanging from a ladder...next to a seven year old boy. What are we exposing our children to? The article continues to explain the animal was 'humanely' killed, yet under the photo it describes the animal as being shot. If we shot another human would that be described as humane killing? No. We would be sentenced to life in prison. So what gives us the right to shoot these animals?

You can read the article here.

Photo by: digitalprimate

Wow. Just wow! What an incredible three months. I lived my dream and it was utterly amazing!

I have just returned from South Africa, where I spent three months volunteering at the Shamwari Game Reserve. The experiences I gained were simply irreplacable, I helped with the darting and relocation of the very endangered Cape Mountain Zebra, I got up close and personal with two very gorgeous cheetahs, I watched the elusive leopard stalking her prey, and I learnt about the horrific rhino horn trade.


I can simply not describe just how amazing this experience was. I did things I never thought I would have the opportunity to do. If you have a passion for animals I thoroughly recommend getting yourself out there. Worldwide Experience have some amazing projects. Find them here. You can read more about my own experiences at Shamwari on the Worldwide Experience blog here.

But now I have returned to England I have to get back to the real world...and what better way to do it other than a shift at Wildlife Aid. Yup, this morning I went back to the wildlife hospital and got straight back into it, cleaning out all the little hoggies. Oh how I missed those tiny noses. It was great to get stuck in again and made me realise just how much I missed our very own wildlife. I was even lucky enough to get out on a rescue, where we rushed to the aid of a serverly underweight deer. It was a quick and easy rescue and she was quickly put into the deer shed on a drip.

Now its time for the job hunt. I finally have the experience I desperately needed so hopefully I can find myself that dream job. Ideally in animal rehabilitation or conservation. I have sent out my applications and am eagerly awaiting any replies. Its now over a year since I graduated so hopefully my time will finally come! =D