First night on African Soil

I’ll never forget my first night on African soil. As the lions started to roar one by one like a domino effect outside my bedroom window the realization that I had finally arrived in Africa hit me.

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Earlier that day I had arrived at the airport with only my credit card, naïve enough to think that I could use it to pay for my entry visa or at least to withdraw some cash. The immigration officer looked at me with a classic blank expression that said ‘not my problem.’

Luckily my new colleague (who I’d never met before) was waiting for me at arrivals. I somehow managed to persuade the customs officer to escort me outside to find him.

Image from Google Maps


To my relief I quickly spotted the bearded bush man and contact for my new job standing there. "Are you Dan?" I asked, followed quickly by "Can I have some money to pay my visa please!"

In my mild panic I had forgotten to even say hello or introduce myself. We ended up working together for the next 6 months and developed a great team. It turns out Dan grew up near me in England - it's a small world.

After my less than smooth introduction I started to settle into bush life. I had been given a beautiful thatched cottage just on the outskirts of the camp, my home for the next…well, indefinitely!

Dan with Pendo


My thatched home

The camp is rather inappropriately named Antelope Park. I say this because its predominantly known as home to the world’s only Lion Rehabilitation and Release into the Wild Programme. A programme founded by The African Lion and Environmental Research Trust, otherwise known as ALERT.

Whilst there are many conservationists doing great things for the future of the African lion there's still a lot more to do - the African lion has declined by 60% since 1995.

I'm hugely proud to be part of something so significant - this is the first time in history that lion cubs from captive bred lions have been released back into the wild.

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Second morning on African Soil

I woke up as the sun was just appearing over the horizon, excited for the first lion walk. The birds were starting to sing as we sat around the fire for a cup of coffee. I got the chance to meet more people that over the next months I'd come to make really good friends with.

The mornings programme was going to involve walking young lion cubs in the bush (their natural environment) so they can become familiar with hunting game.

There I was.. with only a stick to protect myself from Africa’s apex predator.

Me with Alika and a stick for protection!

As soon as the lion handlers let the lions out of their enclosure they started striding up to me. All my instincts were screaming run. I knew that this would be the worst thing to do! One of the true legends of the bush Peter Allison had already dealt with this fear in his simply titled book: Whatever You Do, Don’t Run (!!)

Image from GoodReads.com

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That Evening...

After a long day trying to come to terms with everything that had happened so far, pinching myself several times with the realization of where I was l living, one of my new colleagues invited us to ride out into the bush on horseback for a braai (a barbeque to you and I). We ended up camping out under the stars for the night.

Looking up through the trees around our camp fire I was suddenly struck by the immense African sky in all its glory, the Milky Way spanning across the huge nights sky in brilliant white.

I am simply not articulate enough
to put into words the magic I saw
that night...... I'm not even sure if
JK Rowling could explain this one.

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