Volunteer Update

Thanks for an amazing week! It's been a blast tracking Lightning and checking over 8000 photos worth of twigs and branches on a camera trap, imagining both pigs and cave trolls at the end!

Thanks to Noodle for being an ungrateful little "toe rag" (edited for younger readers!- Matt), but I still love your style :) Same goes to the other four legged staff members. 

The trips to both Solitaire and Sossusvlei were amazing, or should I say "marvellous darling" (insert posh British accent). Not so fun?.... Being one minute late too late to the top of Big Daddy - this probably means I'll have come back to beat the record! 

Peter Marskar

The best day of this week was going to the Namib Carnivore Conservation Centre. The Cheetahs are beautiful animals and it was wonderful to observe them closely. But that was one day and all the other were also an adventure. Sossusvlei was an experience although I was disappointed not to reach the peak of Big Daddy but at least I tried!

Some of the drives were long but these were also enjoyable as there was the thrill of seeing oryx, springbok etc, in their natural habitat.

Its been an interesting week seeing part of what goes into researching and tracking animals.  It's a slow process but I can imagine the excitement of trapping a new leopard to fit a GPS collar or seeing new hyena or leopard activity on a camera trap. 

My week at Neuras has been tiring, interesting but most of all fun. It's in a peaceful location and the staff here are friendly. My fellow volunteers and Matt have been great company (and the wine is very good!). I wish I could stay longer. 

Jana Lippmann