Blogs from Cheetah Park, Namibia, Africa

Harnas Wildlife Foundation (HWF) is an organization located in Namibia, approximately 300 km east of the capital Windhoek. HWF is one of the few wildlife orphanages and medical centres in the world to take in abused, injured, and captured wild animals from Namibia, Botswana, and southern African nations, saving hundreds of animals per year. The very beginning was in 1978 when Nick and Marieta van der Merwe saved an abused vervet monkey from its captors for five Rand and a some bread. This ape was the beginning of a long line of animals that found refuge at their farm, Harnas. To cover the ever-increasing costs of food, new enclosures and medical treatment, all of which the family had financed until then through profits from their cattle, Harnas opened its doors to visitors and contributors. This Wildlife ... read more

June 8th I was feeling a lot better in the morning after waking up at the Okaukuejo Campsite, well enough to eat a good healthy breakfast of pineapple and pancakes. After finding out that I’m not too bad at flipping pancakes, a few of us headed down to the waterhole to see what was happening there at the break of dawn. There were some zebras having their morning breakfast and we watched them for a bit before jumping in the truck and heading south. We drove to Outjo, Namibia to spend a couple hours on the internet before going to the supermarket to pickup groceries for dinner that night. It was at the internet café that one of my biggest fears of traveling became reality. I read an email from my mother that my Aunt Anne ... read more

Wow, we are really getting spoiled with tame, trained wild animals. In Cheetah Park, we got to visit cheetahs that wander the grounds like domestic cats. In the yard of the owner's home, he had two full grown cheetahs, a four-month old cheetah, two dogs and a giraffe all roaming around like a happy family. One of the dogs, a hyper jack russell terrier, would chase and play with the baby cheetah. A sight you don't see everyday. After we visited this home, we went on the ride to feed the "wild" cheetahs. The cheetahs are brought to Cheetah Park to save them from being killed. This area has an abundance of cheetahs invading people's property. When they see cheetahs, they usually kill them because there are so many. There are about 10 wild cheetahs that ... read more

Day 14 (Monday 04-May-09, NJJ & JRJ) Up before 7am and on the road by 8. Stopped at roadside to see local Herero people sell their wares. It's tradition for the women of this particular tribe to wear horned shaped headress to represent their cattle herding lifestyle. Natalie bought, what we think is, an acacia seed necklace and she fell in love with a local baby who was lying in the shade under one of the stalls. Back on road with a stop for shopping before arriving at cheetah campsite around 1pm. Tents up, lunch, then at 3:15 went to see and play with tame cheetahs (Jamie even managed to break a smile to show some excitement, if you know Jamie you know that he's the same when he's up and down, a constant state). There ... read more

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