An unforgettable experience

If, like me, you want to get closer than you would have believed possible to the King of the Jungle while contributing to a programme aiming to reverse the decline in numbers of these magnificent beasts, this is the project for you. I spent an amazing month in the beautiful setting of Antelope Park in April 2012. As a solo traveller I really appreciated being picked up at the airport and having every detail of my transfer to the park taken care of. The accomodation is simple but clean and laundy and three fantastic cooked meals a day are included as well as unlimited tea, coffee water and juice. On day 1, after a full safety briefing, you get to go on your first lion walk and meet one of the sets of lions you'll be working with. Safety of guests and volunteers is taken very seriously and there are always experienced handlers with you when you're working with the animals. The snake induction is particularly useful as we encounterd a number of poisonous snakes around camp and on the walks! The day starts and ends with either a lion walk or herding the 4 lovely elephants to and from their bomas. In between you'll have jobs ranging from food preparation to enclosure cleaning and maintenance or boundary patrol and snare sweeping.There are also plenty of opportunities to interact with the lions in smaller groups during cub sitting and behaviour enrichment. Playing with a 16 month old lion was definitely a highlight for me! If you're there during a full moon be sure to go on a lunar elephant or horse ride and a night encounter, where you watch the older lions (who are retired from walking) hunt for prey is also a great experience. AP has a very successful stage 2 of this 4 stage programme where you can observe a pride that is hunting and breeding with minimal human involvement. The lion volunteer programme operates alongside a community programme so on Saturdays you can visit two of the local orphanages. Spending time with the children is both heart warming and an eye opener. The staff, and particular the guides and handlers, are fantastic and go out of their way to make your stay unforgettable. One of the real testaments of this volunteering experience is the number of people who go back time and time again. I met one woman who was on her 6th trip!