Spitzkoppe, January 2010

The rolling red rock formations at Spitzkoppe are ethereally beautiful, especially when surrounded by creeping morning mist, as in the picture below. This is the view I saw after sleeping under the stars for a night; the diurnal range is relatively large and the temperature after dark can sink below freezing (although on this occasion it only dropped to about ten degrees). On this trip, the the temperature during the hottest part of the day was as high as thirty two to thirty five degrees.

As Namibia is in the Southern hemisphere, January is the height of summer. It was at this time that I made my second visit to Deadvlei, in the desert. I found the salt pan rather warm during August, and therefore winter, 2008; however in January 2010, the heat was almost unbearable after a long walk around the dunes, reaching forty five degrees Celsius.

Lions, Etosha 2008

These two lions, along with another young male in their group, are the only individuals I have ever seen in the wild. As lions are in fact my favourite animal, the moment they emerged from the scrub near a waterhole in Etosha was very exciting for me.

There are no wild lions at Okonjima itself, although a few occupy large enclosures near main camp; at night, their 'coughing' call sounds alarmingly close.

Diversion: Wildlife Photographer of the Year

My recent small hiatus was due to my staying in London for a couple of nights; whilst I was there, I visited the Natural History Museum to see the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012 exhibition. I cannot reccomend the exhibition enough, having attended it eagerly for the last few years.

To my eyes, it is a cumulation of excellence from many areas. Those interested in photography will appreciate the technical skill and patience of the award winners; those drawn in by wildlife and wild places will enjoy the range of species and landscapes on show. If like me, you are concerned about conservation, the 'World in our hands' category is, as always, poignant, and the rest of the images will remind you of the beauty you feel the need to conserve. I also think that for anybody interested in art, design or aesthetics generally, visiting an uniquely stunning building to see this incredible display is well worthwhile.

I always find it hard to choose favourites, but was particularly impressed by the 'Nature in black and white' category and the impossibly perfect composition of two cheetah mirroring each other atop a rock. The dynamic photos of penguins swimming (one of which is the overall winning shot of the competition) is fascinating in light of the recent discovery of the use of bubbles on the feathers to give the penguins speed.

As this is something I look forward to each year, held in a building I could easily lose myself in for the rest of the day, I thought I should share it so that if you haven't already enjoyed a visit of your own, you now know that you must go!

Here is a pick of the best, from the BBC website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/19978529

Leopard at Okonjima, August 2008

 

These pictures were taken of Wahoo, a permanent resident at Africat. Wahoo could not be released because he was too 'tame'- that is, as tame as a powerful male leopard can get! He was raised by people as a cub, but became too dangerous when he reached maturity. His name comes from the call mother leopards make to their cubs.

 

The picture below is one of my favourites, because it is just so impressively frightening. For once, I think the red-eye really adds to the photo!

Etosha Salt Pan

 



A few ostriches on the edge of the Etosha salt pan. A massive five thousand square kilometres, after the rains a shallow lake is formed, about one metre deep throughout.
I found that the marshy areas around the edge, as seen below, look remarkably similar to the salt marshes around Lymington, on the Hampshire coast.

About Okonjima

Most of Africat's funding comes from the tourist lodge at Okonjima. The Hanssens were very early to recognise the value of eco-tourism and have been running their lodge as such from the very beginning. Visitors are shown where their money is going during their activities, and are given the option to learn even more about the animals and ecosystem they are supporting if they wish.

Most guests visit Okonjima for only a couple of days, but there is such a range of things to do that a week would be easily filled. Within the park, there are some carnivores with collars which are permanent residents. These include several leopards a few hyena, and four of the incredibly rare African wild dog. The leopard and dogs can be tracked, and hyena even on foot, whilst discovering some of the many other resident species on the way. There are several kinds of antelope at Okonjima, as well as zebra, wildebeest, the ubiquitous giraffe and warthog, and many species of bird. Very lucky explorers may also see shyer animals, such as porcupines and smaller cats like the wildcat.
Then of course there are the cheetah collared for rehabilitation, and the welfare section- although welfare is an area that would ideally be cut back, as Africat want as many animals in the wild as possible. Then there is the new education centre and cafe, filled with information about Africat.

The accommodation at Okonjima is spread over two main sites. Main camp consists of many rooms clustered around a large central building;Bush camp is a smaller, slightly more remote version. There are also two beautiful villas. One thing I will never understand is how I often get better mobile signal and Wifi at Main Camp than I do at home in England! And another thing I enjoy at Okonjima is the really very excellent food, including delicious cakes that are very welcome in the early mornings necessary for seeing the wildlife.

The Namib Desert

The colourful sand in the Namib Desert makes up some of the world's largest and most spectacular dunes. It runs along a stretch of the Namibian coastline- known as the Skeleton Coast, because anybody washed up upon it would surely die under the harsh conditions. 

The obligatory picture of Dune 45- the 'prettiest' of the dunes.

The dramatic view over Deadvlei, a dried-out salt pan amongst the dunes scattered with fossilised trees. The sky is bright blue, the dunes are bright orange-red, the floor is stark white and the trees black- the overall effect is stunning.

Me standing triumphant atop Big Daddy, the largest dune in the desert. Climbing up was real struggle because with every step, the sand sinks away beneath you. The descent on the other hand was a lot of fun, running down the steep sides with huge strides.

About Africat

Africat was founded in 1991 by the Hanssen family, who continue to run it today. A full history and more information about the foundation can be found on their website, www.africat.org (under 'Other Sites').

Their main focus is the conservation of big cats, especially cheetah and leopard. They are also enthusiastically running a project to educate people about conservation, in order that the carnivores they protect, and the rest of their habitat, may remain intact in the long term.

Since its conception, over a thousand cats have been 'rescued and released'. If a farmer has problems with big cats on their land, they may put out a trap for the cheetah or leopard. Instead of shooting the cat, the farmer can call Africat, who will come and pick them up. If the cat is healthy and independent, it can be released straight back onto another farm or plot of land, the owner of which is happy to have it there. However, if it is injured, ill or even a young cub that has been orphaned, Africat will care for it on their own land, and rehabilitate it into the wild where possible.

Rehabilitation is achieved by releasing the cat into Okonjima's large 20,000ha reserve, with a radio collar attached. It is then tracked daily by team members who will check that it is hunting capably - and receives veterinary treatment if it comes to any harm. If they haven't eaten for a long time, they will also be fed a little.
(Rehabilitation is the area I was involved in when I was at Africat for three weeks in July 2010, so this is the area of the Africat operation I know the most about)
If it is not possible to rehabilitate a cat, perhaps because it is too old, it will be cared for in a large enclosure for the remainder of its life.

Overall, 85% of rescued cats have been released.

Having not visited since February 2011, I'm not as up to speed on the education program- so I will write with more information about that when I travel out next year. I do know that the program involves telling people about cheetah, leopard and other animals and plants within the ecosystem, explaining the need and the means for their conservation, and equipping those who live alongside these animals with methods that help to keep an harmonious relationship between humans and the big carnivores which share their land.

Elephants August 08

Elephants in Etosha National Park, and me watching them (again on my first trip). The animals in Etosha are so easy to find, it feels like cheating! If you wait at a water hole long enough, lots of species come by, the most exciting of which for me were the elephants.

Cheetah August 08

A cheetah sitting on a termite mound (which they do very often), taken on my first visit to Okonjima when I was 14.

Previous Trips

This will be my fourth visit to Okonjima, and I have also visited a few other places around Namibia (albeit very briefly).

Until I have new photos in February, I will post some older pictures from Okonjima, and from the other locations I've visited.

(Apart from Twitter, on which I barely ever actually tweet, this is my first foray into blogging, so it's a bit of a learning experience for me!)

'Introduction'

Hi, I'm Olivia. At some point in February, I will get on a plane, change to another plane, and drive for a few hours in a car, ending up perhaps a day later at Okonjima, Namibia, home of the Africat Foundation. I will be there for  the following five months.

In August I recieved my A level results, confirming my place to study Veterinary Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College, London. To become a vet has been my lifelong dream, and I am very excited about beginning university in September 2013.

However, as I will be embarking on a rather intense five-year course, I decided to take a year out in order to start refreshed. Having visited Okonjima a few times previously, I am dying to return and become more involved with Africat; conservation is a long standing interest of mine, and big cats are my favourite animals.

I know I'm going to have a wonderful time at Okonjima, so I really want to document and share my experience.