Truely amazing experience

I have just returned from 2 awe inspiring weeks with Leo Africa and can't speak highly enough of this project. The reserve is nature at its purest and the animals therefore are quite shy and not conditioned to vehicles in the same way as animals within the national parks, which made it all the more exciting at each encounter.

Our job everyday was to either track and locate the resident lions or rhinos at the reserve and monitor their condition and performance. The day began at 4.30am if you were on breakfast duty and morning drives usually set off at 5.15-5.30am. Everyone in the house is tasked with a responsibility be it data research, or doing the washing up, to chopping trees and changing the wheels on the trucks!

Telemetry aerials are used to generally locate the animals in the morning and you then set of to find them, never knowing what you are going to discover on the way. Antelope, giraffes, wilderbeast and zebra roam freely among other wildlife. There is also a large herd of elephants, some of which are collared and a leopard. On our first drive, we found the Cleo the leopard who had been in hiding for a few days. She had a recent kill in her mouth and walked right in front of us. We were in such amazement that we completely forgot about the camera and taking any photos! The next day we were equally lucky to locate 5 of the lions just lying on the rocks at the river bed - we felt so privaleged to be able to sit and admire these marvellous cats so closely in their natural habitat.

Many of the journeys usually involved having to jump off the jeep to clear a tree out of the road, where the elephants had walked through and knocked them over! Other reserve management duties include bolstering roads after the recent rains and wood collecting to ensure fire for the water heater. Occasionally, we would go off road driving to locate the lions and we would have to get involved with bush/tree clearing to get access.

One of the things that I had not anticipated is just how much we would learn about the reserve and how to deal with each animal encounter. From the numerous birds to a porcupine and being able to hold a chameleon and a millipede to watching frogs, spiders and matabele ants.

All the staff are extremely knowledgeable and only too willing to show and help you understand the terrain.

I would certainly recommend this programme to anyone who would like to do more than just go on a safari!