| I've just got back from my conservation holiday in | | | | volunteers get covered in pooey bird water during |
| South Africa, where I was lucky enough to spend a | | | | this task. It smells awful, but luckily I have time to |
| day at the Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre. Many | | | | clean myself up before my daily excursion. |
| people wonder how they will spend a typical day on | | | | 11.00 - In my free time I head with the rest of the |
| their chosen conservation project and whilst I can't | | | | conservation volunteers to Blyde River Canyon for a |
| stress enough that every day and every experience | | | | scenic boat trip. The site is home to the third |
| is completely different, here's how I spent mine: | | | | deepest canyon in the world and it is considered to |
| 7.00 - After a lie-in I join the other conservation | | | | be one of South Africa's most beautiful attractions. |
| volunteers who have been up since 6am for aviary | | | | 3.30 - We return to Moholoholo in time for our |
| duty. 7.00am is time for rounds and we are divided | | | | afternoon conservation holiday duties and I help |
| into four separate groups and given a choice of | | | | change the cheetah's water bowl and get everything |
| which animals we wish to look after. I helped feed | | | | cleaned up. After this we watch Brian trim some of |
| the stork that was injured with a broken leg; he was | | | | the Kite's claws and apply more feather mite powder. |
| very originally named Storky and preparing Storky's | | | | 4.30 - I walk the lion cubs Telo and Duma with one |
| breakfast was definitely not a job for the | | | | of the rangers in the reserve surrounding Moholoholo. |
| faint-hearted. I helped skin four baby chicks as part | | | | They are getting very big and I'm not sure how |
| of his meal, and whilst this sounds bad it wasn't as | | | | much longer the conservation volunteers will be able |
| bad as some of the conservation volunteers who | | | | to get hands-on with them! When we were walking |
| were given rats to skin. | | | | them they were trying to swipe at our feet to |
| I held out the four skinned chicks on the palm of my | | | | knock us over and they certainly play boisterously. |
| hand, making sure that it was very very flat, whilst | | | | 7.00 - I help look after the baby rhinos that wander |
| Erin, the lady in charge of feeding Storky, got very | | | | around the student accommodation. They are |
| excitable when he actually took the chicks from my | | | | certainly a bit of a handful and after watching them |
| outstretched palm, for me this was definitely one of | | | | for an hour and a half I need a rest! |
| the most memorable parts of my wildlife | | | | The rest of the evening is spent at leisure, but after |
| conservation holiday. | | | | such an early morning the students and I are more |
| 8.30 - It's time for our breakfast and luckily whilst on | | | | than happy to head to bed early. Some of the |
| our conservation holiday we are given better food | | | | conservation volunteers that have been here longer |
| than Storky. The breakfast served at Safari Lodge is | | | | are 'Mothers' and get to look after baby animals |
| particularly tasty. | | | | whilst they are sleeping. I am woken in the middle of |
| 10.00 - It's now time for our daily tasks. I clean out | | | | night by Alex, when it turns out that the baby dassie |
| the yellow-billed kite's cage, along with the rest of | | | | that she had been looking after had pooed in her |
| the conservation volunteers. The cage is very filthy | | | | bed! |
| as the birds hadn't been disturbed in a while. | | | | As you can from my diary entry I had an incredible |
| However, they had recently been moved to the clinic | | | | 24 hours on my wildlife conservation holiday and with |
| so that they could be treated by the resident vet, | | | | no two days I can't wait to see what my |
| Brian. Me and some of the other conservation | | | | conservation projects tomorrow will entail. |