Kookai, Dukilay, Keto and Gismo!
Trip Start
May 06, 2006
1
5
81
Trip End
Mar 23, 2009
Lanseria,
South Africa
Monday, May 29, 2006
The title relates to yet more cats... we had two more lion cubs in last week 'cos the mother (or another lion in the camp) decided it wanted to eat the baby's leg so it was the safest option to take them away. I played a part in naming them both (along with Rachel and Gemma - two other volunteers). The female is called Kookai - she's the one with the cut leg and looks like she got punched in the face (eyes close together!) so we were trying to think of boxer names for her. We didn't like Maggie (million dollar baby) and then were discussing how she was a tough cookie after her stitches... Cookie was way too cutesy for a lion so we changed it to Kookai! Dukilay (said doo-kil-lay) was lost for 24 hours and we thought he'd been eaten when he finally appeared alive and well. We wanted an African sounding name so asked Princess (one of the South African workers) what lost was in one of the 12 languages she speaks... it was way too complicated in most of them until she came up with that one so it was decided! And that's how two of the little cubs got their names!
Gismo is also a cat... but not a lion! He's a real kitten! We found him on the rocks abandoned by his mother and took him back to our tents. It was very touch and go whether or not he was going to live as when we woke in the morning he was VERY weak. We took shifts on keeping him warm with body heat and he eventually ate... he's now a very lively kitten who does not shut up... he's also pooed and peed in mine and Gemma's bed (stank!) which is always such a lovely experience! However, he's a huuuuuuge secret 'cos Ian, the park manager, shoots wild cats when he sees them as they can pass on disease too easily or something. We're hoping Helene (nursery manager) is gonna take him this week otherwise we'll all be leaving a now domestic cat behind for the next group of volunteers to hide!
We also had a 4 day old hyena sleeping in the tent last night... I can't think of another time I'm ever going to be able to say that! I find it amazing sometimes that the people who work here just do this every day... I'm not so sure how much pee and poo in the bed I could personally handle but that just makes the place and the people even more amazing!
I've now got plenty more scratches and hundreds more bruises! It's the bites that hurt the most - they seem to pick the most tender parts of skin and bite there - usually when they've already been bitten too! Another big biter we've been playing with lately is Ohno the lepoard. He's absolutely beautiful but a lot rougher than the lions and likes to pounce on your head when you're not looking... he's fun though!
Went to a little cultural village called LeSedi the other night which was a lot of fun, extremely informative and an amazing experience to have. We also spent the day at Gold Reef City which is a big theme park with a mine inside. We hired a car for a few days and were initially planning on going to Sun City but a new friend I met here went a few days before and said it was crap 'cos everything was closed... we also read in the lonely planet that it was basically a big casino complex so it didn't seem worth the 2 hour drive there at all! Some fun days out though!
I've got LOADS of pictures which I'll prob send home on a cd next week (hopefully!). I'm just waiting for enough to fill 2 cds (yes, that's about 1600 pictures!) so I can spend less on postage... it's like being a student again - it's tough but totally worth it for the experience I've had so far!
Right, I need to go and buy food for the 8 of us or we'll all starve so I'll be off! Once again, apologies for not emailing anyone back but I hope this will do for now! Thank you for all your messages on here and your emails, please keep them coming 'cos I'm sure I'll be able to read them all properly soon! Hope all is well with everyone and let me know if you're planning on making a trip anywhere I'm gonna be!
Comments
Battered and Bruised
Sounds worth it though!!
Glad your having a great time, it's great having something to read that isn't a bill!!!
Fin is 1 this Sunday and we will be thinking of you, promise to email lots of photos.
take care and love ya loads, the RED's xxx