Update on Ebola areas in Africa

 

Hi Everyone..

Those who are worried about the Ebola issues, where is it, what areas are affected, what is the situation now.

this post is the most accurate of situational awareness regarding the Virus.

If you intend to travel to Africa, ensure you do your research on safe areas. Dont let it stop your African Adventure

 

Review by Louise, 2014

Tags

exeperience, Volunteer

Detta är en fantastisk möjlighet att få lära om djur och kultur samtidigt som du får träffa många nya människor, vilket ger dig en upplevelse för livet.

 

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about animals and culture while you get to meet many new people, giving you an experience of a lifetime.

Louise, Sweden.

Post from Emma

Tags

Experience, Volunteer

Det var en fantastisk resa jag gjorde. Jag trodde aldrig att jag skulle få vara med djuren så mycket som vi var. Personalen som jobbade där var också helt underbara. Tveka inte att göra en volontärresa. Det är verkligen ett minne som du tar med dig hela livet!

 

It was an amazing trip I did. I never thought I would get to be with the animals as much as we were. The staff who worked there were also quite lovely. Do not hesitate to do a volunteer trip here. It really is a thing you take with you your whole life!

Emma from Sweden.

Review by Robin

Tags

Experience, Volunteer

Detta var verkligen once in a lifetime experience.

This was really a once in a lifetime experience.

Robin from Sweden

Felicia’s time at Mukuni Big Five

Tags

Experience, Volunteer

Jag är så otroligt glad att jag gjorde den här resan! Vi fick inte bara lära oss otroligt mycket intressant om djuren, vi fick också träffa på många fantastiska människor och lära oss om deras kultur. Detta var utan tvekan den bästa resa jag gjort och det är ett kärt minne som jag bär med mig resten av livet!

 

I am so incredibly glad that I did this trip! We did not just learn an awful lot about interesting animals, we also got to meet many great people and learn about their culture. This was undoubtedly the best trip I’ve done and it is a cherished memory that I will carry with me for the rest of my life!

Felicia from Sweden

Nina’s trip

Tags

exeperience, Volunteer

Projektet är mycket viktigt; att säkra hotade arters fortlevnad samt att ge lokalbefolkningen ökad förståelse och kunskap om djur och natur. För mig var det en dröm som blev sann att dagligen få umgås med lejon och geparder! Det var lärorikt, spännande och fantastiskt roligt! Att åka som volontär är bland det bästa jag gjort! Man får med sig minnen, upplevelser och erfarenheter för livet! Att själv få vara med och hjälpa till (både ekonomiskt och praktisk) ser jag som mitt lilla bidrag till en bättre värld!

 

The project is very important; to ensure the survival of endangered species and to give local people a greater understanding and knowledge about animals and nature. For me it was a dream come true to get a day hanging out with lions and cheetahs! It was fun, exciting and great fun! Going to volunteer are among the best experiences I’ve done! I have memories, perceptions and experiences of a lifetime! Being able to be involved and help (financial and practical), I see that my small contribution to a better world!

Nina from Sweden

Caroline’s trip.

Tags

Experience, Volunteer

Mina tre veckor på lejonprojektet i Zambia var dom bästa veckorna i mitt liv. Att få arbeta så nära vilda djur var något helt unikt och jag kan nästan inte förstå att jag faktiskt har gjort det. Jag rekommenderar alla att åka hit!

My three weeks on the lion project in Zambia were the best weeks of my life. Being able to work so close to wild animals was something quite unique and I almost cannot believe I actually did it. I recommend everyone to go here!

Caroline from Sweden.

Shout out by Laura, Volunteer August 2014

It’s a real honor for us, we are proud to be part of this wonderful family and true friendship . Our thanks go to all of you for having been always so willing and helpful with us, for allowing us to learn so much and love even more the nature and, above all, these fantastic animals. The time spent with you is always a new discovery and emotion. Thanks again to all of you Mukuni, for all that you do for them. Thank you for what you do for us every time we come back to see you. A further reason for not being able to give up to visit you whenever we can! Great Mukuni!

Post by Volunteer Andrea Rae Smith 2013

Tags

Experience, Volunteer

People always tell me that I’m adventurous, but I don’t really think that I am. I love to travel and do so at every opportunity but I like to stay in comfortable hotels in cities or at nice lodges on the beach or in the mountains. So, when I decided to go to Africa in the summer of 2013 I had a lot of decisions to make.

Where to go, where to stay, what to do, etc.

But, in the end the decision was more or less given to me by the divine internet gods.

When I began teaching in the United Arab Emirates in 2012 I started a blog. Strangers started to like my posts and so I would check out their sites in what seems to be some sort of blogger

respect code. One of my blog “followers” had recently been to Zambia and visited Mukuni Big 5 Safaris. I went to the Mukuni Big 5’s website and saw that they had a volunteer program and decided that if I was going to go to Africa I was going to do something like what Big 5 was offering. I contacted Cliff (Volunteer Manager) and got some of the details, then went about planning my trip.

 I am not exaggerating when I say that the two weeks I spent at Mukuni Big 5 Volunteer and Cheetah conservation Trust were life changing. I am not an animal lover, though I am very interested in animals, I am not going to just pick up your cat or pet your dog on first sight. So, spending two weeks working with Lions, Cheetahs and Elephants was a huge leap for me. But I was determined to do it.

I could spend hours, seriously hours, talking about what I did during those two weeks. My sleep was often interrupted by the roar of a lion or two. One night I was torn from a peaceful sleep by the sound of Deterrent Crackers (a wild elephant getting a little too close to the Mukuni elephants). My days were spent learning more than I could ever possibly remember, talking to guests and staff and spending quality time with the animals.

Because I was there in the “low season”, winter, I got some amazing quality time with the animals. My first day, actually about an hour after arriving in Zambia, I got to take Lulu for a walk.

I was scared out of my mind. But the whole time I was with two amazing guides who taught me all the important skills for walking a Cheetah. It was lovely and Lulu is wonderful, full of spirit and yet calm and collected for such a young animal. The following day I went down to meet the Lions. I thought it was going to be like walking Lulu, just two guides an animal and me. Boy was I wrong!!

We walked three juvenile lions, two females and a male, and after a little sniff or two, they were on their way to explore the bush and I was able to breathe again. They are beautiful creatures but I can admit it took me nearly a full week to be comfortable around them. The rest of my time was similar to the first few days, though not as private as helping guests was a major (and rewarding) part of my job. The longer I stayed the more I learned and the more comfortable I got with the animals.

We took the elephants for a walk to a watering hole through a village where the people came out of the houses to greet us and the elephants. We visited the Mukuni Village nearby and learned about some of their traditional foods and ways of living. And there was time to just relax, enjoy the company of staff and other volunteers and see some of the surrounding area.

So, the question shouldn’t be, should you volunteer at Mukuni Big 5 Safaris, but rather when will you go?!

Lets get started

Tags

Africa, Conservation, Cubs, Experience, Lions, New, Volunteer, Wildlife

While we wait for summaries from Volunteers, past and present and we hope you are all writing something for us? i would like  to give some tasters for whats happening right now, specifically little bundles of fur.

We have 2 new baby lion cubs, they havent been named yet, but are now in our care. Once they old enough to be introduced to people, there will be a whole new opportunity to experience how the kings of the beast being so big, can come from something so small.