Alumni Spotlight: Sue Learoyd

Why did you decide to volunteer abroad with Wildlife Act in South Africa?

  1. To travel responsibly and to support a local which was making a real difference
  2. To educate our sons, be involved and close to the animals
  3. Safety for ourselves as lesbian parents, and our sons.

Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.

Sue: Getting up at 4.30, off at 5am to monitor the African Wild Dogs in the back of the truck (very cold). Monitoring the dogs by radio frequency and then trying to get a visual siting. This meant either waiting for a "visual" of the dogs, seeing the sunrise over the reserve (just beautiful). One of our sons took a book to read, as this could take a couple of hours. If we couldn't get a reading, then we would try to find them. This was great fun, off road, stopping to see other wildlife including Rhino, Giraffe, Wildebeest, Eagles (we saw 5 different varieties on our 2 week trip). Back to camp for lunch and rest, then off again doing the same thing until nightfall.

How has this experience impacted your future?

Sue: It was a lifetime experience, and we all felt we got as close as we could to African wildlife during our 2 week stay. I think it has impacted on our sons personal development and given them a different way to view things and to connect with their environment, responsibly.

I can not praise enough the people who work for WildlifeAct. I was in contact with Bronwen on a regular basis for nearly 6 months with various questions about clothing, costs, and food. They are totally professional, care for the animals they are trying to protect. They deserve our support to make a real difference.