Busy and Exciting week!

Note: I will be posting pictures at a later date, but I want to get this out there before I leave for my trip today. It's been extremely busy here, so I haven't had time to add photographs. But it will happen!

Hey everyone!
This post will be interesting, or at least, I have a lot to say in it. The past week has been hectic to say the least, we had a large group come by, and a lot of game counts as well as a LONG waterhole count. But we'll get to that.

Every year, CCF has annual game counts of various areas including the reserve, Bellebino, etc. along with a 12 hour long waterhole count. On Thursday, I went out to Bellebino with Richard (he drove), Sara, and Shari. We started at 2:40 or so, and finished around 4:00 pm. Throughout the drive, we look for various animals. Bellebino  is known for the Zebras and Giraffes brought here for tourists to see. During the drive, we not only saw Zebras, but we even saw a little foal!! It was so tiny and cute! It couldn't have been more than a few days old, close behind it was a month old foal and the rest of the herd. I am so happy I got to see it! Plus, we came across several very brave giraffes who stuck around for a small photo shoot. It was great! Another small herd of giraffes even had a ladder of ages. We thought the youngest one was around one year old, while the oldest of the youngsters was probably around three or four. Even though all these animals are brought in for the tourists, it does not make it any less amazing to see them, or even get a glance at some as they run away, which happened quite a bit as it happens.

Small little side thoughts:

As you may know, I have been sick since last week. I am feeling much better now, and the worst of it has passed. Regardless of that, I have continue to have a lingering cough that refuses to go away. What several interns and I found hilarious, it that a returning veterinarian, who completed vet school a little over a year ago, walked over and gave me these saying something along the line of - take these, you need them.  -
You know your still sick if that happens haha!

Also, Saturday, which had been rather uneventful before noon, turned out to be an amazing day! Paige, the staff member in charge of dogs, asked for some help cleaning out the puppies. I obviously willingly went to help. After we finished cleaning, and moving the puppies around in order to make sure we got everything and replaced the dirty hay and the blanket, Paige looked for a few puppies that had lost some weight. I was then told to sit down cross legged, and them she proceeded to place 6 puppies in my lap! It was so warm and adorable!! I would squeal if I could!!!! When they were removed, I found that two had gotten in very odd positions. I'm so sad I wasn't able to get a photo of them though... Arg!! One had gotten to the very bottom and onto the ground, and fell asleep in that space, while the other was partially on the ground with it's head on my shoe, it was SO. CUTE!!!! I am so happy I volunteered to help with that!!!!

I had another game count on Saturday, out on the Reserve and into Big Field. It started out rather dull, we went for around 10 kilometers without seeing much besides a few birds. Then, once we got out to Big Field, we started out seeing... Well, I saw a giraffe next to a tree. Let me tell you, trying to show people where a giraffe is under a tree, when there are several trees in the same area 250 meters away... Hoo boy! Easier said than done! It took Sara looking around with binoculars, where she saw different giraffes, and then the one I saw finally Moved, for everyone else in the car to see them. Then, farther down the road, I saw a Jackal, and just as Kaetlyn started to stop, Sara yelled excitedly "stop! there's a A! Stop!" She was so excited to see it, she barely got out the word Pangolin at the end of her sentence. It was hilarious! But it was also incredible that we saw a pangolin! They are a critically endangered species that is hard to see and is often illegally poached. A couple people in the car were so excited they started crying! (not that I can blame them).

Finally, Sunday was the 12 hour Annual waterhole count, which started at 6 am in the morning and ended at 6 pm in the evening. For most of the interns here, this did not turn out great.... The waterhole count was done by the interns and the earth expedition group who had been staying at CCF for about a week. There are several places people can be placed in groups of two. All of the interns, and I do mean all, were placed at waterholes and troughs on CCF's cattle farms. All of the earth expedition people were placed at the cool places, Bellebino, the Reserve, etc. It was NOT fair! This is all stuff we came here to do and learn about, and most of us saw Guinea Fowl and Warthogs... So. Many. Warthogs. At one spot the interns were lucky and saw a brown hyena, but otherwise, there wasn't anything that was fun. An earth expedition group that was out even saw a pangolin! And they called it an armadillo. If you can't tell, I'm a tad peeved. Even a lot of the staff members thought it was a bit unfair. . .
Sara and I were in a... Well, a pictures worth a thousand words in this case. . . (I'll get there, I swear!!)
We were dropped off first, at 4:53 in the morning. It was pitch black out, our "hut" was lacking at best, and we were at the edge of the bush, which happens to be right where leopards tend to hang around. We were on edge until we could see, which was around 6:30. Plus, it was freezing out!!! The two of us decided that we would watch in 30 minutes sections and switch. This was great because it broke up the day quite nicely. What we saw though, was frustrating. Besides cows, we saw 3 Diker, 4 or so mongoose, Guinea Fowl, and warthogs. I think I've really come to hate warthogs. Urg.
At the very least, the weather warmed, but due to our lack of a roof, my forgetfulness with sunscreen, and one hour in the sun with fair skin, I burned, badly... Sara commented that I resemble a lobster, and honestly, I have to agree with her... Oops.

Other than Sunday though, the week has been really fun. Plus, I am super excited because Whitney, Bridget, Becky and I are all going on a three day trip to Erindi! I am really hoping that we get to see most of the big five, as well as the African wild dogs that are supposed to be there! I plan on posting as many pictures as I can get! Fingers crossed everyone!!!

Sick days

Cheetah Cuddle Puddle! 

Hey everyone!

So as the title says, I have gotten sick. And man, does it suck. It started Monday and hit hard the last few days. Even as I post this my voice sounds funny and I am coughing my lungs out, but at least I can now sleep through the night without coughing and waking up my dorm mates.  I am hoping that this is a five day thing, and I start improving by tomorrow, but I don't know. I can only hope. Otherwise, I refuse to let this post wait another day, since I did say I was going to add a post with videos, and I haven't yet, kinda mad at myself for that....

Besides that unfortunate little fact, this past week has been pretty fun. Mostly.







This past week has been rather interesting. One, because Whitney and I have been on center pens quite a bit this past week, and so we hit two milestones: One - we are now surprised when we are not on center pens. And Two - we have now become Zen gardeners. For a few days, whenever we are on it together (quite often it turns out), we are making patterns in the sand. I tried a drawing once, it didn't turn out well..... Tried and failed, so sad. But it at least makes things interesting.

This is the terrible landscape picture I tried to draw. If you really look, you might be able to see the fish and the deer, but I
doubt it.... So sad. 

Also, this Sunday, I got to go onto the reserve. It was definitely informative and interesting to be on. Whitney and I learned how to mess with the camera traps, what to do with them, what to make note of etc. That took a few hours, plus we got to go out onto the reserve instead of stay in the office. ALWAYS a bonus.

I got to go on husbandry again, and I still find it a lot of fun. Plus, some of the cheetahs were moved around so B2 and Phoenix, the housecats we usually feed during husbandry, were switched around with the ambassadors and were fed during center feeding instead. It was kind of sad watching B2 run around, because he usually runs from where he picks up his food and goes into an entirely different area, but yesterday and today, he was stuck in the center pens. Poor guy.

This is Mendel getting fluids

Another really exciting thing for me was helping a staff member with giving fluids during husbandry. When the veterinary students visited, I got to watch, and Monday, I got to assist. I had the job of putting in the stick, so the cheetah could continue eating, and if he didn't like being poked by the needle, he would bite the stick instead of the persons hands. Plus, I got a few pictures of the cheetahs tail, show how flat it is in comparison to a normal felines. It was really cool! Plus, his tail stuck out, so I got a really good picture that shows how flat a cheetah's tail is in compared to other species. Since they use their tail as a rudder when they run, it has evolved to be a tad more flat. You can see it being used in some of the videos I have posted.

I'm so HAPPY! I got a picture that shows the tail of a cheetah. 

More Husbandry photos!

Also, during one center feeding, after all the people left, we got to feed the girls donkey heads. It was rather gruesome to take out. And let me tell you, the ear of a dead donkey feels cold and rather leathery, its creepy. But it was fun watching the girls go eat them. Rainbow didn't really know what to do, Aurora took hers into shade, and Harry just didn't want to eat hers. She is apparently not a fan of eating donkey heads.

I've got another scary bug to add, by the way. This, is a velvet ant. I have learned, via the internet, that it is actually part of the wasp family, and that the females cannot fly, but sting, while the males can fly, but do not sting. Interesting, and partially terrifying as I have heard that one of the staff members had a female in her boot, and another staff member could hear her scream from across the way. Ouch... I do not want to find out what that feels like, its a tad bigger than the bees back in Bend. So, no thank you.

The birds are very brave, I'm sure if I put bread in my hand
someone would try and get it. . . 

SOOO MUCH FRUSTRATION! But otherwise it was a great week! XD

More Pretty Photos!

Hey guys!

So I'm late this time because I have not been able to get internet for the last 5 days, and I have been extreeeemly frustrated trying to figure out why it wasn't. Working. I felt like hitting my head against a wall. UUUUGH!

NOTE!!!!: I will be making an extra point later, including several videos of the husbandry run. Please check in later if interested!

 Regardless, for those keeping up, I have fixed all the videos on the posts, so they actually work, and if I have missed some, PLEASE TELL ME. Hopefully my internet will continue to work.

Mendel getting fluids

So this week was VERY exciting for me. On Wednesday July 6, there were veterinary students visiting from the University of Namibia. The stuff they have been able to do is so much for exciting that what veterinary students get to participate in back the in the US. Nonetheless, another girl and I were allowed to follow them around all day and see what they were learning about. I even got to see a puppy necropsy! Sad, and possibly disgusting for many of you guys out there, but this puppy was a still born from a previous litter of pups they had, so they were used to show the students what CCF does with dead animals. It was interesting, they take samples from everything, skin, tongue, lungs, intestines, eyes, etc. (sorry, I found it really cool to learn about) I'm just sad I didn't get any pictures. I also got to watch one of the cheetahs (Mendel) get fluids, he was not happy, but it was still really cool.

Somebody really wanted their water... CUTE! 

Armani - A one eyed cheetah
Also, one of the feistiest girls... 

Another really fun thing I FINALLY got to do is husbandry. I have been waiting to go on husbandry for TWO WEEKS! Another intern had to wait for three, and I feel her pain. It was so exciting! I got to see everyone run and I have taken lots of videos and pictures. I am posting a lot on here today. There were the girls (7 - Armani, Sandy, Rohini, Polly, Samantha, Solo, Nina), the boys (4 - Mendel, Livingston, Fossi, and Darwin), and Phil, Mischief, and the Prisoners (Alcatraz, Donner, and Dexter). It was so fun! I also got to join on my day off this past Tuesday. It's my favorite this to do at CCF, odd as it might sound, cutting up meat is strangely relaxing. Who knew?

Rohini being a scary girl. 

This is Dexter. Unfortunately a meat treat hit his back and
he couldn't find it! It was hilarious!

Solo (right) and Nina (left). The oldest Cheetahs at CCF. 

I think this is Mischief. I can't see his tail though.
Mischief has a kink to the left on his tail. 

Alcatraz. Officially the scariest looking cheetah.
Isn't he cute! 

I realized my hand looked kinda scary after one center feeding,
What do you think? 

Aleya FINALLY had her puppies! So CUTE! 

Saturday, though relatively uninteresting for me, was very exciting for the veterinary team. Aleya, the pregnant dog, finally had her puppies. THEY ARE SO CUTE! It reminds me of when Zeus was just a little tyke! I mean, Look at them!!!















On Monday, I was sad to see Erin, my dorm-mate, leave. She has been really fun to be around, and was always there when I had questions on one thing or another. She is also ENTIRELY obsessed with cheetahs. She did the cheetah talk for center feeding relatively often, and she was very clear. She will be missed by most of the people here, but I am sure she is enjoying being home with delicious fast food, her own bed, and her friends.


Finally, all the interns went out to dinner in Otjiwarongo on Monday. I got a Top Game Steak.... I miss good food so much... :'(
I ended up saving most of it for left overs the next day. I am very happy I did to, the next day it was egg day and there was nothing better. Going from restaurant food to CCF food makes the food taste so much more bland. One thing I am missing is all the comfort foods of home. Also, I have come to the realization that I am so "good food hungry" that I always realize that I want to take a picture of it only halfway through eating it. But Oh Well!

As an extra, I have now come across more large bugs. . . . JOY!

This stick bug was approximately the length of my two hands,
from the tip of my fingers to the bottom of my palm. Creepy little thing...

This is a Blister beetle, Honestly?
I DON'T wanna know.. 

This is a termite..... It was as long as 2/3 my
pointer finger. 

Week 2

Hi again!

It's been two weeks now, and this past week has been rather eventful.

My tasks have stayed the same, as I am always working with the horses in the morning, and then from there helping with center pens, puppy feeding, center feeding, or feeding the dogs in the afternoon. One thing that has been new this week though, was I was assigned to "Tourism help" this week. Unfortunately, I wasn't much use, there was really nothing for me to do... Oh well, I'll learn more about it later.

One exciting thing is that when one of the staff here at CCF left on Wednesday to move to America, he brought some Oryx meat to share with everyone before he left. Someone had started a fire, so we all got to hang out and enjoy the warmth, the way. to. hot. warmth.....
I mean, I could feel my face burning from where I sat warmth. That fire was hot! It was only good it you sat or stood facing away from it, but hey! We made some really good marshmallows!
Between the delicious Oryx, the rest of the buffet, and the marshmallows...
Followed by some celebratory cake for those who were leaving (cake nights are always delicious)

I was really full! You could tell we all missed good food while we all scarfed down our food like wolves.

One really doesn't appreciate food until the food eaten everyday is...
well...
. .
.

Lets just say it leaves something to be desired. We essentially have our own survival of the fittest when it comes down to food. The people there first get first choice, and those who get there last get what's left over. And since I don't always like what available, I sometimes become a vegetarian for an hour or so....

Who knows, I might loose some weight! (Not that I need to... Urg...)
-_-"

This just reminds me that I don't get breakfast most of the week. Breakfast, I miss you so!



On an entirely different note, I now have been introduced to some of the... larger insects here in Namibia. We do have bees, and they don't really concern me... But this wasp

which was about 2/3 the length of my pinky, and this millipede (I was actually really excited to see this one) were kind of scary. I liked seeing the millipede, I just hope I don't see any of these bugs in my room. I am sure that I would jump and scream if I saw them outside of their natural habitat (aka. my dorm room).


























I also had a very surprising visitor in the bathroom, whom I only noticed AFTER my shower. This little guy scared me pretty good. I was about to put my towel away when I saw it in the corner where I was going to hang the towel. I only recognized the shape of a reptile before I actually process what I was looking at.

As much as I have enjoyed this week, I did something extremely frustrating this week.... During a cheetah run, which I had the pleasure of joining, I was taking pictures with my camera. I had captured some really good, and adorable ones! As well as several really cool looking videos. At one point, I wanted to erase one, single video. I had a few options, including "delete one frame" and "delete all frames". To me, since I was erasing a video, I thought: "hmm.... Well I want to erase all the frames of the video". As it turned out.... "delete all frames" deletes ALL OF THE VIDEOS AND PICTURES. 

I am still mad at myself for it. No amount of ranting will get me over that...   I still wanna cry... 

*Huff 

At the very least, Monday ended up being a VERY exciting day for me, and everyone else. For me, I was on Scat Detection for the first time, with this adorable dog below. This is Tiger, he is the the scat detection dog. This was a really interesting morning for me. We started early, around 7:00 am. We go out to a road, and follow it for around 1.5 - 2 km. During this walk, Tiger will run around looking for scat, and when he finds it, he sits. It really is amazing to watch, and also a very relaxing walk in the beautiful African Bush. Once the staff member confirms that the scat is there, and that it is scat from a feline (Cheetah, Serval, Caracal etc.). Tiger gets a toy tossed for him to reward him for finding it. The scat is then placed in a bag, and several pieces of data is written down, besides the date and the number found. I am really glad I was able to go! 

Later in the day, we celebrated the 4th of July! Around 4:30, everyone left to go out into Big Field where we all met up and celebrated a bit. I got a lot of good views and pictures! 

Once it became too dark, we all headed back. We all had burgers for dinner! It was sooo good! The patty's were thick and juicy, and put all the burgers I have had at restaurants to shame. Then we got this amazing cake after it all!
                                                                                                    All in all, this weeks been pretty eventful. And, too add to it, I have added a few pictures below for everyone at home to enjoy. (note: there are pictures of raw meat to show what the cheetahs eat during center feeding)

Cheetah Cuddle Puddle! (Little C, Ron, Smart Man, and Blond Man)

Adorable puppies! XD
They are going to new homes! 

Kaijay being a proud and photogenic cheetah!

A really beautiful sunset from the top of an old water tower! 

Meat below

The red-ish powder is the predator powder for the cheetahs