by Holly Van Groll
Wednesday was yet another great day in Namibia!
After another warm breakfast prepared by our wonderful friends in the kitchen, we made a trip over to the Ministry of Mines and Energy. We participated in a tour of the ministry’s geology and paleontology museum. Did you know some of the earliest fossils were found here in Namibia? Yes, you learn something new every day.
Later in the afternoon we headed out to the N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary for a carnivore feeding tour! N/a’an ku sê is heavily supported by the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, and we got to see several photos of staff and volunteers with Brad and Angelina.
The sanctuary was beautiful and was located just above a huge ravine, overlooking the many acres that make up the reserve. Once we had a few minutes to look around, we loaded up in large safari-style Land Rovers and headed out to feed some wildlife!
Among the many things we were able to see, the cheetahs and wild dogs were most definitely a highlight for the group. The cheetahs were so tame that one of our guides climbed the fence to return a piece of antelope meat that had been caught in a tree. The cheetahs purred and meowed like kittens, surprising us all.
The wild dogs were beautiful. With spotted legs that almost matched the cheetahs, and huge ears that looked like they belonged to foxes, the dogs were the most elaborately colored/patterned animal we have seen the entire time we’ve been in Africa.
Farmers have problems with these dogs stealing their livestock, so they trap them and take them to the sanctuary. They were very large dogs and had an elaborate pack hierarchy, much like wolves.
Our safari ride ended with a ride back to the main house with a beautiful sunset background. It still surprises us all when the temperature drops almost twenty degrees within the few minutes it takes for the sun to set.
We have had such a great time on this trip that it is hard to believe we have only been here just a few days! We have many more exciting adventures to look forward to!
I will NOT trade my Guatemala experience for the WORLD– although the Namibia tirp sounds incredibly awesome. Please do not feed Josh to the Cheetahs OR let him bring one home. Keep up the posts!
-Caro