Walking in the Wild

I passed a rough night, fighting a losing battle to avoid going to the bathroom so I wouldn't have to encounter the warthogs and jackals lurking outside of my tent. I ended up being late in the morning, but I was glad I made it since we were going on a caracal walk!

The caracal was a bit on the smaller side since she's still quite young, and it was easy to treat her just like an oversized cat. She spent her first moments out of the carrier exploring the truck and checking each one of us out.

Then she wandered off on her own and explored the area around us.

Eventually, we began to walk with her alongside us, and Jo figured out that she'll even play fetch like a dog. I threw a rock, and she'd go running like mad to chase after it.

It was really good fun, and the sheer speed at which she took off was amazing!

After we finished the walk, we went to feed the not-so-tame caracals. They jump incredibly high, and the hissing and spitting between the cats was pretty nuts.

We returned to camp only to go on another walk, this time with the junior baboons. It's safe to say that the baboons aren't the most popular animal here since they like to climb on people despite being nearly twenty kilos, and they're not afraid to bite if they think you're getting out of line.

I didn't mind them so much, except for the smell, which was just as well since I ended up getting more baboon kisses. Yuck! I much preferred feeding them the seeds from a nearby tree.

The others were busy getting groomed.

Or having to scratch baboon butt. If the baboons like you, they'll present you with their behind, and it's only courteous to scratch it in return. I was so, so glad that wasn't me.

It was a pretty mellow walk as the baboons behaved themselves, but we had some excitement when we came across a giraffe family - they're really beautiful on a grand scale.

It turned out to be a day for walks since our afternoon activity was taking two mongoose and one meerkat out for a short walk.

They're not shy, and had lots of fun with us humans when they weren't busy digging little holes everywhere.

Did I mention that they're curious little buggers? I guess they thought I had something good in my backpack...

It was really nice relaxing out in the bush - we saw lots of wild meerkats, warthogs, hartebeest, springbok and horses while we were out there.

The day ended with another short walk with the baby baboons to a nearby tree, and I was more than ready for some food by the time dinner time rolled around!

Babooning Around

The morning started out with food preparation again - I made the day's food for the warthogs and fed the goats and rabbits. I also helped one of the guys feed the vervet monkeys, and they were not happy about it. Scarlett (the female) jumped at me and decided to try to scratch all the skin off my hands while I held the gate shut.

We had a quick muffin break, and then I was off to babysit in the baby baboon enclosure. No one in my group wanted to do it, and I got stuck holding the buck. I think the reason is that you get really, really disgusting while in there, mostly because the babies will pee and poo on you with abandon. I put on my dirtiest clothes, and the baboons were more than happy to use me as a jungle gym and bathroom. It was only about five minutes after I entered the enclosure that I got pee on my shorts.

Just my luck, a tour guide pulled up with tourists in tow while I looked like the baboon queen with two of them curled up on my lap. It was rather strange sitting in a cage while people took pictures.

The rest of my group soon fetched me, and I returned to the food prep area to package some meat to be sold to the local Bushmen. After a quick lunch, we took all of the baby baboons on a walk to a nearby tree. I was a bit nervous since I heard stories about some people who had been bitten quite hard during the walk, but it actually turned out to be quite fun.

There were about ten of them, and they would climb on whoever they felt like and then jump on someone else whenever the fancy struck them. Some of them are quite heavy, and it does give you a bit of a start when a fat, warm bundle plops itself on your shoulder without warning.

We hung out under a large tree while they climbed and frolicked, and they would occasionally come up to us for a cuddle. I was the reluctant recipient of more than a few kisses from the baboons - gross and funny.

After making sure the animals got their afternoon meal, I got to count sheep! For reals. I never thought I would do this in real life - only on those nights when I couldn't go to sleep and then only in my mind.

The day finally ended with baby baboon induction, where I learned how to change a baboon's nappy, make baby formula and to give the babies a bath. Sheila, the demonstration baboon, turned out to be more of a shower kind of girl and succeeded in thrashing water over all of us while she fought to get out of her makeshift tub.

Needless to say, the shower that night was amazing - no more baboon pee and dirty bath water!