On Thursday we went on the center tour with Blue, a young French woman with not much more training than we have. The idea is that I should become competent to give the tours as a back-up guide. There is so much information, not only about the cheetahs, but wild doges, hyena, vultures, antelope and much more. The tour takes about three hours and is quite extensive. One of the most demanding parts is driving the vehicle – a land-rover type that holds 24. The truck is big and the roads are narrow. Late in the day Vanessa returned from one of her outreach programs with Parks, a black high-school teacher in one of nearby townships. He evidently does amazing things in a very poor district and believes that conservation and ecological awareness are keys to the future of South Africa. South Africa – and the world – need more dedicated people like him.
We’re working this week-end so some others can have a well-deserved day of rest. Our job today centers around reception – answering phones, booking tours, guest minding and helping to take photos with Byron, the (semi) “tame” cheetah ambassador. He’s a marvelous young animal, 18 months old and quite comfortable around people. His regular handlers, Marilyn and Gabi, are away so Vanessa has taken over. She hardly looks the part, always nicely dressed – jewelry and all. The photo sessions went well although Lord Byron has had a busy week putting on a show for the local farmers.
We met another ‘volunteer’ couple, Cynthia and Dennis, old and dear friends of Ann’s who visit from Jo’burg on week-ends. She is a technical writer who ghosted much of Ann and Howard Buffet’s latest book and also an amateur paleontologist. Dennis is a retired MD, formerly the Medical Examiner for Jo’burg.
Connie spent much of the afternoon working on the website. It appears to be a massive undertaking but will eventually be a great marketing tool. All in all a less than stimulating day for me but very satisfying for Connie who managed to re-organize the entire reception area. Won’t Louise be surprised?
