When we first arrived at the Otjitongwe cheetah farm, I was thrilled. It was our first chance to see a real cheetah, and we were told that we would be able to pet them and take pictures with them. As we stepped off the truck, I saw my first cheetah lying behind a fence, lounging in the shade. It looked lazy and uninterested with us. The owner of the farm came out to greet us and open the gates. A few rules and guidelines were shared with us along with the knowledge that one cheetah is attracted to flip flops. As soon as the gates began to open, we frantically shuffled inside. Everyone wanted to touch a cheetah! I walked over to one and pet its head with caution. I am allergic to domestic cats so I was worried that I might be allergic to cheetahs. With minimal physical contact I strolled through the pen looking at the cheetahs and taking pictures. After a short while, Will walked up to me and showed me a selfie he had taken with a cheetah. It looked hilarious so I decided to try taking one myself; it turned out great. The cheetahs seemed slightly annoyed with us petting them but mostly tame. After about 25 minutes, they started to get grumpy and wanted to nip at our hands. One of the cheetahs even took another kid's shoes! He finally got it back, but now the shoe has chew marks all over it. We soon left the cheetahs and went to our campsite. That night, we got to eat roasted sheep which tasted amazing. Attached are a few pictures from dinner that night. The woman holding the sheep leg is Lulu -- one of our tourguides.
When we first arrived at the Otjitongwe cheetah farm, I was thrilled. It was our first chance to see a real cheetah, and we were told that we would be able to pet them and take pictures with them. As we stepped off the truck, I saw my first cheetah lying behind a fence, lounging in the shade. It looked lazy and uninterested with us. The owner of the farm came out to greet us and open the gates. A few rules and guidelines were shared with us along with the knowledge that one cheetah is attracted to flip flops. As soon as the gates began to open, we frantically shuffled inside. Everyone wanted to touch a cheetah! I walked over to one and pet its head with caution. I am allergic to domestic cats so I was worried that I might be allergic to cheetahs. With minimal physical contact I strolled through the pen looking at the cheetahs and taking pictures. After a short while, Will walked up to me and showed me a selfie he had taken with a cheetah. It looked hilarious so I decided to try taking one myself; it turned out great. The cheetahs seemed slightly annoyed with us petting them but mostly tame. After about 25 minutes, they started to get grumpy and wanted to nip at our hands. One of the cheetahs even took another kid's shoes! He finally got it back, but now the shoe has chew marks all over it. We soon left the cheetahs and went to our campsite. That night, we got to eat roasted sheep which tasted amazing. Attached are a few pictures from dinner that night. The woman holding the sheep leg is Lulu -- one of our tourguides.
This day was my favorite of our 2 week trip to Namibia. We began the day by going to CCF's butchery. I was a little worried about what would be inside once we opened the door (thanks to Anna's gory descriptions), but it actually wasn't too bad. At first I only saw a few hooks hanging around, and then as we entered farther into the room our guide opened a freezer room full of bloody warthogs, donkey meat, and unidentifiable game. Our task was to cut the fat and small bones off of a tub's worth of meat, and then distribute it into bowls based on size and tenderness. Some cheetahs at the farm require loose meat that is easy to eat, while others need tough meat so they take longer to eat. Next, we cut up pieces of liver to give to the cheetahs as treats. After finishing the bloody job, we washed our hands off with a little soap and water, and then drove to a cheetah pen. Upon arrival, our guide told us not to be alarmed because one of the cheetahs named Amani only has one eye. I was still shocked when I first saw the cheetah, but it was amazing to learn that Amani is still the dominant female of her group. Next, we were allowed to throw liver treats over the fence to the cheetahs; we quickly learned that they have the worst short-distance eye sight! If a treat isn't thrown directly in front of the cheetah, then they probably won't find it until they accidentally step on it. For the next part of our cheetah day, we stood in the back of a truck and got to race cheetahs in their pen. While the vehicle drove along the outside of their fence, the cheetahs raced along the inside. CCF staff had trained them so that whichever cheetah arrived at the first corner of the pen in first place got their piece of meat first. Then we continued driving to the second corner of the pen to feed the second place cheetah. In this way, the cheetahs got food, activity, and competition. The cheetahs that we fed like this have the best chance of returning to the wild because they have little human contact. When CCF returns cheetahs to the wild, they are collared with a GPS so that CCF can track them. They do this because then they can monitor the cheetah and make sure that it isn't injured or unhealthy. If necessary, CCF can track the cheetah by using its collar's radio transmitter and help it in emergencies. The cheetah day was interesting and informative. I had a great time!
This day was my favorite of our 2 week trip to Namibia. We began the day by going to CCF's butchery. I was a little worried about what would be inside once we opened the door (thanks to Anna's gory descriptions), but it actually wasn't too bad. At first I only saw a few hooks hanging around, and then as we entered farther into the room our guide opened a freezer room full of bloody warthogs, donkey meat, and unidentifiable game. Our task was to cut the fat and small bones off of a tub's worth of meat, and then distribute it into bowls based on size and tenderness. Some cheetahs at the farm require loose meat that is easy to eat, while others need tough meat so they take longer to eat. Next, we cut up pieces of liver to give to the cheetahs as treats. After finishing the bloody job, we washed our hands off with a little soap and water, and then drove to a cheetah pen. Upon arrival, our guide told us not to be alarmed because one of the cheetahs named Amani only has one eye. I was still shocked when I first saw the cheetah, but it was amazing to learn that Amani is still the dominant female of her group. Next, we were allowed to throw liver treats over the fence to the cheetahs; we quickly learned that they have the worst short-distance eye sight! If a treat isn't thrown directly in front of the cheetah, then they probably won't find it until they accidentally step on it. For the next part of our cheetah day, we stood in the back of a truck and got to race cheetahs in their pen. While the vehicle drove along the outside of their fence, the cheetahs raced along the inside. CCF staff had trained them so that whichever cheetah arrived at the first corner of the pen in first place got their piece of meat first. Then we continued driving to the second corner of the pen to feed the second place cheetah. In this way, the cheetahs got food, activity, and competition. The cheetahs that we fed like this have the best chance of returning to the wild because they have little human contact. When CCF returns cheetahs to the wild, they are collared with a GPS so that CCF can track them. They do this because then they can monitor the cheetah and make sure that it isn't injured or unhealthy. If necessary, CCF can track the cheetah by using its collar's radio transmitter and help it in emergencies. The cheetah day was interesting and informative. I had a great time!
When we were on a game drive at CCF, I was intent on looking for animals, but my driver seemed unconcerned. I leaned over and whispered to him, "I can't see anything." He paused for a moment, looked out at the sunset, then replied, "You're missing the view."
When we were on a game drive at CCF, I was intent on looking for animals, but my driver seemed unconcerned. I leaned over and whispered to him, "I can't see anything." He paused for a moment, looked out at the sunset, then replied, "You're missing the view."
Since the beginning of this year, Will, Anna, Chan, Parker, and I have prepared to travel across the world to the continent of Africa, where we will be spending our time in Namibia. We have learned much about Namibian culture and history ranging from the Namibian Genocide in the early 1900s to their recent independence from South Africa. Interestingly, Namibia has the largest population of cheetahs in the world, which makes our experience working at the Cheetah Conservation Fund unique. Founded in 1990, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is dedicated to protecting cheetahs from poaching and maintaining their populations in the wild. The organization works hand-in-hand with live cheetahs, analyzing their DNA, and attempting to conserve genetic variation. We have the incredible privilege of visiting the CCF, and I hope that we can learn much about cheetah DNA and gain insight into the future of the species. We will also go to the Himba tribe and learn about their lifestyle without modern amenities. This experience should be eye-opening to the experiences of people less fortunate than us. However, I am most excited to stay in the Etosha National Park and search for big game. Richmond is a beautiful city, but with our faces constantly in our phones, we forget to appreciate God's beautiful creation. I know that this opportunity to see some of the most majestic, powerful animals will be awe-inspiring, which is why I cannot wait until we arrive in Namibia.
Since the beginning of this year, Will, Anna, Chan, Parker, and I have prepared to travel across the world to the continent of Africa, where we will be spending our time in Namibia. We have learned much about Namibian culture and history ranging from the Namibian Genocide in the early 1900s to their recent independence from South Africa. Interestingly, Namibia has the largest population of cheetahs in the world, which makes our experience working at the Cheetah Conservation Fund unique. Founded in 1990, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is dedicated to protecting cheetahs from poaching and maintaining their populations in the wild. The organization works hand-in-hand with live cheetahs, analyzing their DNA, and attempting to conserve genetic variation. We have the incredible privilege of visiting the CCF, and I hope that we can learn much about cheetah DNA and gain insight into the future of the species. We will also go to the Himba tribe and learn about their lifestyle without modern amenities. This experience should be eye-opening to the experiences of people less fortunate than us. However, I am most excited to stay in the Etosha National Park and search for big game. Richmond is a beautiful city, but with our faces constantly in our phones, we forget to appreciate God's beautiful creation. I know that this opportunity to see some of the most majestic, powerful animals will be awe-inspiring, which is why I cannot wait until we arrive in Namibia.
