Release Site News

            Tomorrow is my last full day here at CARE baboon sanctuary in South Africa. This morning, watching Yolo, Darcy, Mika, and Yana playing together down by the river, I thought about how much this place has come to feel like a second home to me, and how much I’ve come to know and love these little guys. Yesterday in the nursery, when little Mika curled up under my shirt and went to sleep, I thought about how protective I’ve come to feel of these adorable little baboons. I first realized that feeling about two weeks ago, at the end of the Fourth of July weekend, when we got some news here at CARE. I haven’t written anything about this in my blog yet, since it hadn’t been made public. Now, though, two weeks later and with my time here almost up, I think it’s safe to tell this story.

            As I’ve mentioned a little on previous blog posts, CARE has an overall goal of releasing troops of baboons into the wild. They’ve found good release sites and done it with two troops so far, and also have semi-wild troops here at the sanctuary that hopefully will also be released back into the wild where they really belong. Early on the morning of July fifth Stephen, the director of CARE, got a call from Phil, the employee that’s currently staying at and monitoring the release site for the first troop, which was released back in September. Phil told Stephen that he’d heard the sound of gunshots and baboons screaming, and now could only find three of the troop’s members, of which there were about twenty total. Stephen immediately headed out to the release site to see what was going on. I remember the anxious feeling that loomed over CARE all day as we waited for him to return, hoping he’d bring good news. Stephen finally got back that evening and, long story short, the news wasn’t good. Five of the baboons in the troop had been shot and killed, their bodies just left out to rot. Baboons have had a bad reputation in South Africa for decades, being seen as vermin. Apparently some very sick poachers found their way to the release site and used them for target practice. Needless to say, it was an emotional night at CARE. Stephen and some of the other staff members that knew that first troop were saying the names of the ones that died, remembering them, trying to be happy that they at least had a few months of freedom, and thinking about how crazy it was that the poachers didn’t even take the bodies with them. There was no point to it other than pure cruelty. In the weeks that I’ve been here, I’ve come to really love the baboons here at the sanctuary, and that news made me absolutely sick. Never in my life will I forget the way I felt, laying in my bed at the mountain lodge on the night of July fifth. That night served as a reminder that working with wildlife could be downright heartbreaking. That was one of my first times to really experience that lesson firsthand; I’d heard stories like this before, sure, but that night it was different. I wasn’t watching a documentary or hearing a story from someone. I was right there, at the sanctuary, in the thick of it. These were animals that I was working with, cuddling in the nursery in the morning, carrying down to the river to play, making buckets of food and bottles of warm milk for, animals I was loving. That made it so much more real and powerful than any stories I’d heard or documentaries I’d watched before.

            The night Stephen returned from the release site with the bad news was a night I’ll never forget, and it was another way that this summer in Africa has been life-changing. It was by far the worst day I’ve had here in South Africa, but the last thing I remember thinking before going to sleep that night was this: tomorrow is another day, and there are still nearly 500 baboons living here at CARE that depend on the staff and volunteers to stay clean, fed, and safe.

            The next morning in the nursery I remember cuddling Yolo and the others just a little bit closer, and realized for the first time how protective I’ve come to feel of these little guys. The idea of releasing troops back into the wild has a trade-off: on one side, the wild is where these guys truly belong, and Yolo, Darcy, Mika, Yana, Princess, and the many other baboons here really deserve to have that freedom. At, the same time, though, once they’re released they can’t be protected 24/7 the way they are here, and I’d hate to think about one of the baboons I love here meeting the same fate that those five from the first released troop did.

            This news is about two weeks late here on the blog, but I thought it was important to write this while I’m still here at CARE, listening to the baboons calling outside my window. I’m going to miss this place very much when I have to leave on Tuesday; it’s given me five of the most amazing weeks of my life. This post’s food for thought: “Must we wait until a species is on the brink of extinction before we wake up?”- Rita Miljo, Founder of CARE Baboon Sanctuary. 

Piece of my Heart

            For this entire trip, I’ve quite regularly had to just pause whatever I’m doing, look around for a moment, and say to myself, “I’m in Africa.” Africa has been kind of the ultimate dream of mine for pretty much my entire life, so actually being here… it’s blown my mind just about every day. In a way, that makes me wonder what life will be like, what I’ll be like, when I get back home to Texas next week. Going to see and work with wildlife in Africa, my life’s biggest dream, now accomplished at twenty-two years old. Of course, there are many, many other places I’d like to go, and many other animals that I’d like to work with, but I have doubts that any other experience in life will be quite like these past two months in South Africa have been. Having never been outside of the US before this trip, I guess I didn’t know exactly what to expect of South Africa until I arrived here. Now, having lived here for a while, I can certainly say that South Africa has surpassed any and all expectations I might’ve had about it. From the big, busy cities like Johannesburg and the gorgeous Cape Town to the smaller, coastal towns like Gansbaai and Hermanus, not to mention the beautiful in-between areas, like the vineyards outside of Cape Town or the mountain views we saw while driving from CARE to Johannesburg, South Africa is definitely the most diverse place I’ve ever been. And that’s not just true of the landscape itself, but the people as well- I’ve lost count of the number of languages I’ve heard here, and I’ve seen everything from the barefoot little children wearing mismatched clothes that I helped out in Swap Shop with White Shark Projects, to the managers at some of the big resorts in Jo’burg and Cape Town. This summer here in South Africa has definitely given me a new perspective on my life in the US, and I think that’s something that one can really only get by spending time in another country. I knew that this summer would be a great learning experience, but I guess I just didn’t expect that I would learn a huge amount about not only sharks and baboons, but also life in general. When I was planning this trip, there were people that told me that I was taking more of a risk by going on this adventure alone, but now, knowing what I know, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Traveling on this trip, whether it’s been maneuvering the airports, finding my way around Cape Town, getting to and around my hostel, or anything else that this trip has involved, doing it all on my own has been incredibly empowering and honestly, also a lot of fun. I think that some people might not think that they can do things like this on their own, but when people are actually thrown into a situation, they can really surprise themselves. As the beginning of this trip got closer and closer, I remember some questions popping up in my head, like if I would be able to find my way through the many airports I’d go through without feeling rushed or nervous, or if I’d ever begin to feel lost in a place as foreign as South Africa. But I’ve really surprised myself on this trip, because I’ve been able to stay calm, relaxed, and in control throughout the entire process. Traveling solo can definitely be a confidence booster, and I’ve learned a lot about myself these past two months. This summer has been an experience that I couldn’t get any other way, and certainly one I’ll never forget.

            All of that being said, in five days I’ll again be maneuvering the huge Johannesburg airport to board my fifteen-hour flight back to Atlanta, then going through customs for the first time in my life, and finally back home to my favorite city in the world, San Antonio. I think I can definitely now call Cape Town my second favorite city in the world, but it seems impossible to me that anywhere will be able to trump home. Part of me is incredibly sad to soon have to say goodbye to the lovable little baboons that I’ve gotten to know in my time here at CARE. At the same time, though, as wonderful as this place is, deep down I’ll always be a Texas girl. I also have absolutely no doubt in my mind that I’ll return to this incredible country to work with its wonderful wildlife again, hopefully in not too long. This won’t be goodbye, South Africa. It’ll just be see you later.

            This post’s food for thought is actually a quote that I’ve used before, but it’s so appropriate that I just have to use it again: “I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.”- Mary Anne Radmacher

Life At CARE

            I feel like I was just packing up my bags back in Texas, just boarding my plane out of Atlanta to Johannesburg, just getting settled at the White Shark Projects volunteer house, just arriving here at CARE Baboon Sanctuary. In less than two weeks, I’ll be saying goodbye to the amazing sharks, baboons, and people that I’ve come to love here in South Africa. I keep wondering where the time went. Ever since summer of 2014 ended, I’ve said that it was the best summer of my life. Spending my free days camping, hiking, kayaking, cliff jumping and more in the gorgeous Grand Teton National Park made 2014 a summer I’ll never forget, and gave me the experience of a lifetime. However, I can no longer call that the best summer of my life. This incredible summer here in South Africa has now earned that title. Cage diving with white sharks, catching the brown shyshark with my bare hands while snorkeling in Hermanus, serenading the white sharks from the cage with the other volunteers on the vol exclusive trip, nearly getting swept out of Devil’s Cave at high tide, meeting Yolo and Darcy by the river, and falling asleep to the sounds of hyenas whooping and lions roaring have been just a few of the experiences that I’ll never forget and that have made this my favorite summer yet.

            The past few days at CARE have been busy and fun, as usual. It seems like we’re getting new people in all the time! As new people arrive, though, it means other people leave. Holly left to return to Missouri on Wednesday, and Sarah and Brittany both head back to the states on Monday. So many wonderful people have come in and out of my life here in South Africa, and I hope that I’ll see at least some of them again sometime. Since a lot of new people have been arriving and some of the more experienced people are leaving, I’ve been training a few of the new volunteers. Two hours of my day today were dedicated to introducing new volunteers to Patats. I think that if I were to focus my time here at CARE on studying one animal, it would be her. I love all the little ones, but the fact that she was so mistreated for years, but can still be so sweet to people is absolutely fascinating to me. She’s definitely a very special animal, and I stop by to see her for at least a little while just about every day.

            This morning I was in the nursery from eight to nine with all five of the little ones. Out of the four volunteers in there, I’d been at CARE the longest, so Princess spent most of the hour cuddling with and grooming me. If I’m in the nursery with Chelsea, Stephanie, or someone else that’s been here longer than me, Princess pays hardly any attention to me. She always chooses the most experienced volunteer to cuddle with and groom while in the nursery. 

            I just looked at my schedule for tomorrow, and it looks like another easy day. I might spend my time off going around with my camera and taking some more pictures of the sanctuary. I’ve already taken hundreds of pictures of my time here at CARE, and when I get home I’ll have quite a job of going through all of them.

            A few days ago, I got some interesting news. During my time with White Shark Projects, I got a request to write a blog post on shark cage diving and the controversies that surround it. After I wrote that post, I sent it to White Shark Projects, and they liked it so much that they’re including it on their website. I’ve been told that I have a gift for writing since I was about ten years old, maybe younger, and I love being able to use that gift to speak out about things I love. Hopefully that article will be able to help clear up some of the many misconceptions that people have about shark cage diving.

            That’s enough for tonight I guess. Listening to the baboons calling outside my window, I just can’t believe that soon I’ll have to say goodbye to this amazing place. South Africa is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been, and I big chunk of my heart will always be here. This post’s food for thought: “Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.”- Anita Desai

Living Among Lions

            The past few days have been very special when it comes to life here at CARE! On Friday I was looking through some old pictures and remembered that exactly a year before I was jumping off a cliff in Grand Teton National Park with friends. I definitely still remember the thrill of taking that leap, falling for what seemed like a long time, and landing in the frigid water of the Gros Ventre River. Going from that one summer to serving as a play structure for rambunctious little baboons in South Africa the next… One of my friends told me that my life is other people’s bucket list of dreams.

            I felt pretty un-American being here in South Africa for the Fourth of July on Saturday. I may not have eaten any barbecue, drank any beer, or seen any fireworks, but being here around the baboons made it worth it. On top of that, in the early afternoon I heard some other volunteers say that they’d just seen an elephant down by the river. Soon after, someone came into the Mountain Lodge saying that the elephant was walking right through the sanctuary. We grabbed our cameras and headed outside. Sure enough, an adult elephant was slowly making its way along the path, picking at some of the trees as it went. I got some pictures and several little videos of it as it went- I wish the wifi here was better so I could post them. Either way, though, that certainly was more beautiful than any fireworks display I ever have or ever will see. After hanging around the enclosures for a while, the elephant turned and headed back down toward the river.

            Later that afternoon I was scheduled for an hour down by the river with the newest little baby baboon (whose name is now Quinn) and several other volunteers. He’s been here at CARE for almost two weeks now, and already seems to have grown so much. He’s definitely becoming more adventurous, wandering just a little bit more from Becky, the volunteer that’s being his surrogate mother, as he plays. Due to the elephant, we decided to walk down to the rebuild area of CARE to let him play, instead of the river. As we were sitting on the ground there by the rebuild, we saw a little group of vervet monkeys playing not far away. I’ve seen them before, playing around near the baboon enclosures, but hadn’t really gotten the chance to just sit and watch them until then. It was a really nice way to end my South African Fourth of July.

            The next morning I had the job of making bottles at six in the morning. That’s the earliest shift there is, and only two volunteers are scheduled for it. It was only the second time in three weeks that I’ve gotten it, though, so it wasn’t too bad. Back at White Shark Projects I was getting up before that almost every day, and it was colder there than it is here, so that six o’clock start for bottles really didn’t feel so hard. After that, I had another hour down by the river with little Quinn and a few other people. Almost as soon as we sat down by the river, I heard the sound of a lion roaring. It was pretty far off, but it clearly was a lion. The beautiful roar echoed through the air around us, and we all just sat in silence for a few moments, taking it in.

            That afternoon I had some free time, so, after going to spend some time with the lovely sanctuary baboon Patats, I decided to head back down to the river on my own to just hang out down there for a bit. I sat down on the sand and surveyed the other side of the river. It was pretty common to see hippos, crocodiles, impala, and occasionally wild baboons hanging out around the opposite bank. While I did see a crocodile out basking, there was no sign of impala or baboons. Taking a better look at a sunny patch, I realized why- a group of lions was sitting out in the grass, enjoying the afternoon sun. Lions were the first animal that I remember being able to call my favorite animal when I was little, and seeing a pride of wild ones sitting right across the river was breathtaking. The fact that I was by myself I think made it even more special. I’ve now seen three members of Africa’s Big Five in the wild, and seeing the lions was definitely a very special moment. I stayed down by the river almost that entire hour, until my next shift was due to start.

            This morning I got another hour to socialize with Patats- she truly seems to enjoy having some company, so volunteers actually get scheduled to go and just sit with her. After that, I had an hour at the nursery hanging out with Yolo and Darcy. They both seemed to be especially cuddly this morning, and almost the entire hour I had at least one little baboon resting on top of me.

            It’s a little after five in the evening here at CARE, and I just got back to the Mountain Lodge from hanging at the rebuild with Quinn, Becky, and two other volunteers, Emma and Nicole. We got two new volunteers in yesterday, and two more came in today- the lodge is very full now! This house has over twenty people who spend their days working with baboons, and there are only two showers- I’m amazed no one has been murdered yet. Statistically, it should have happened by now. I guess that’s enough for today. This post’s food for thought: “You know you are truly alive when you’re living among lions.”- Karen Blixen

The Cradle of Humankind

            Well, after a very fun little trip out with some of the other volunteers, we finally arrived back at CARE at about one o’clock this morning! Stephanie, Holly, Sarah and I took a couple of days off to drive down to Johannesburg to visit the Cradle of Humankind, a museum and digsite where some of the first hominid fossils in the world were found. When first explained like that it sounds a bit boring, but it really wasn’t, especially since it included a tour going into the actual caves where the fossils were found. The museum also had a lot of interesting and fun exhibits, and it turned out to be a really nice little break.

            After picking up the rental car in Phalaborwa two days ago, the four of us hit the road. The trip was originally Stephanie and Holly’s idea, and after they told us about it, Sarah and I said we’d like to come along. All four of us are from the states- three of us are actually from Texas! Sarah’s from Austin, Stephanie’s from Dallas, and Holly’s from Missouri. It was about a five-hour drive that day from CARE to the hostel in Pretoria that we’d booked. It didn’t feel bad though because of the absolutely beautiful scenery that we were driving around. Apparently South Africa is a great place for growing fruit- down in the area near Cape Town there are quite a few vineyards, and on the way to Johannesburg we passed lots of fields full of orange and banana trees, which were full of fruit. The scenery we passed was definitely not what most people would expect Africa to look like- the big, tall trees, fog around the mountains, and so much greenery made it look more like the Pacific Northwest! We couldn’t help but pull over at a rest stop as we were on the road to take some pictures.

            When we eventually made it to the adorable little hostel, we got the little tour of the place and set our stuff down in the bedroom that the four of us were sharing with two other people. While sitting in the main living room we talked to one of the other hostel guests who was in South Africa volunteering with the Peace Corps. We were trying to find a nearby spot to have dinner, and she suggested a nice little restaurant that was only a few blocks away. The four of us walked over and after a simple but very tasty dinner, we returned to the hostel and went to sleep.

            The next morning we left the hostel at about 8:30. After stopping for breakfast, we headed over to the Cradle of Humankind. We decided that we should buy the combined tickets, which included the museum entry with the cave tour. The cave tour came first, which consisted of a guide taking us, along with about ten other people, down into the cave where some of the very first hominid fossils were discovered. We spent about an hour down in the deep, beautiful cave. There was an underwater lake in the cave that we saw- the water was so clear! Our guide told us that people had once come in to try to find out how deep the water was. After scuba diving down to forty meters, they still hadn’t reached the bottom but had to turn around to come back up. On the way up, though, one of them somehow took a wrong turn, tore the rope that attached them to the top, and six weeks later his body was discovered. Since then, no one has tried again, so we don’t really know how deep it is.

            After getting back up to the top of the cave, the four of us headed over to the museum. It included a bunch of exhibits related to the fossils that were found in the cave, as well as on human evolution in general. Overall we spent most of the afternoon hanging out around the museum. At about five, we headed out of the museum and, after stopping to grab some dinner, we began the drive back home.

            It was after midnight by the time we finally arrived back at CARE. When we entered the gate of the nature reserve that CARE is located in, I kept my eyes open for wildlife, since a lot of them are fairly active at night. We pretty quickly saw some bushbuck, impala, kudu, and a jackal. At one point, after seeing evidence of an elephant, I said, “keep an eye out for elephants”, in kind of a joking way. Almost as soon as those words crossed my lips, however, we saw an elephant standing right beside the road watching us. It was a pretty great moment. We were all exhausted when we finally got into the mountain lodge, so we just quickly looked at our schedule for the next day (thankfully Sam had let us sleep in a bit) and went to bed. I absolutely love it here at the sanctuary, but at the same time it was nice to get out for a couple of days and do some sightseeing- South Africa is such a beautiful country!

            Today was back to work as usual at CARE. I got two hours at the river with the babies, so it was a good day. As we went to pick them up at the nursery this morning to carry them to the river, I realized how quickly I started to miss those little baboons. When I walked into the nursery, Yolo ran over to me and grabbed my hand, telling me to pick him up. When I did, he looked me right in the eye for a couple of seconds, then gave me one of his little baboon kisses. I’m going to miss that little guy so much when I leave.

            I guess this post is long enough. Tonight’s food for thought: “Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.”- Anatole France

Shark Cage Diving

            This post is going to be a bit different than most of the ones I’ve been making recently. Instead of just being an update on how my time in Africa is going, this one is going to be focused on a specific topic. While working with White Shark Projects I got a request to make a post on the controversial topic of cage diving with white sharks. So, without further ado, here goes.

            The concept of cage diving with white sharks brings about different thoughts and emotions for different people- thrill, fear, exhilaration, excitement. Some say it should be left strictly for biologists and adrenaline junkies. Others believe that coming face to face with one of the world’s top predators is tempting fate and asking for trouble. Still others say that the practice is dangerous for everyone in the ocean because it gets the white sharks to associate people with food, and that’s where the real debate comes in. Does spending time around cage diving boats make white sharks more dangerous to other people in the ocean? When people think about cage diving in its simplest terms, it would seem like the answer to that question would be yes. Because, of course, in order to get the sharks to come and stay by the boat, there needs to be something to entice them. That thought is just what prompts the misconception that cage diving boats feed sharks. Yes, that is a misconception- the crew of cage diving boats do their best to make sure the sharks do not get any food while around the boat. Many people that have been on one of these ecotourism boats, however, will remember the strong smell of chum permeating the air around the boat. Doesn’t that chopped up fish mixed with oil and salt water mean food for the white sharks? Actually, no. Chum serves as a food source for only the small baitfish and sea birds. When it comes to the white sharks, chum is only a smell. Out of their six senses, sharks rely heavily on their very acute sense of smell to find food. When they swim past the chum line that the current takes out, that smell is what draws them to the boat. In fact, chum is part of the reason that white sharks do not become habituated to hanging around cage diving boats. When they follow the smelly chum line, sharks expect to find food at the end of it. When they come to the boat and don’t get any food out of it, their motivation to stick around cage diving boats essentially disappears. Yes, many of the white sharks will chase the bait, which the boat crew uses to bring the sharks closer to the cage for a better look, but the large majority of sharks that visit the boats get absolutely no food out of it. Due to that, researchers have found that most white sharks spend a very small portion- less than one percent- of their lives around cage diving boats. It’s really a pretty simple concept- they smell the chum, follow it expecting food, then are disappointed when they come to the boat and don’t get any food, so obviously they wouldn’t want to return. White sharks, in fact, are not the mindless killers that people once thought they were. Four hundred million years of evolution have essentially perfected this apex predator, and it is one of the smartest fish in the sea. Not only do these animals have strong individual personalities, they have problem solving ability and long memories. Therefore, when they visit cage diving boats and remember that they didn’t get the food that they were hoping for, they are seriously discouraged from returning to the boat. So, returning to the main question that sparks controversy around this practice: does spending time around cage diving boats make white sharks associate people with food, and therefore more dangerous? No. If anything, it’s the exact opposite. 

To Travel is to Live

            The past few days have been very busy but also a lot of fun here at CARE! Tuesday was an especially exciting day because I saw my very first wild elephant! That afternoon I was heading down to the river with Yolo and Darcy for their second hour of playing down there. As we got down the hill that leaves to the riverbank, Stephanie, the volunteer that was carrying Darcy, heard him give his little warning call. At first we only saw warthogs, which we see all the time down by the river, but looking to the other side, we noticed what had triggered Darcy’s warning call- a gorgeous bull elephant was walking along the opposite bank! We walked over to our usual play spot on the bank, and watched the elephant as he slowly walked closer to the river’s edge, dipped his trunk down into the water, then brought it back up to his mouth to drink. As we looked across the river, I noticed that there was also a beautiful Nile crocodile out basking on the bank near the water’s edge. In that hour, we also ended up seeing a group of impala, some kudu, and several giraffes all hanging out around the water. The area by the river is definitely the best spot for viewing wildlife, and that afternoon was a great example. After drinking for a few minutes, we saw the elephant crossing over to our side of the river. He hadn’t seemed to have noticed us, but he was so close that we could hear the water splashing around him as he crossed the river! We decided that if he started to head in our direction after making it to the other side we would leave, but thankfully he walked off in the other direction instead. That was the second animal of Africa’s Big Five (rhino, elephant, lion, leopard and water buffalo) that I’ve seen here so far. I’m hoping to visit Kruger National Park soon and see at least two more. The leopard is the most secretive and hardest to spot out of the five, so I have doubts about seeing one of them, but we’ll see.

            Every day this week has included at least an hour or two with the adorable baboon babies living here at CARE. We actually got a new baby boy that arrived a few nights ago. He’s considerably smaller than the others- we think he’s somewhere between two and three months old. The evening after he came in his condition got pretty bad; he was having seizures and for a while that night we all doubted he’d survive. The next morning, though, we heard that he’d made it through the night and was actually doing better. Today he’s back hanging out in the Mountain Lodge with Becky, the volunteer that was picked as his surrogate mother. I just got a break in my schedule, so I spent some time hanging out with him. He definitely seems to be doing much better- when I was sitting with the little guy just now, he was jumping all over me!

            A few of the other volunteers and I are planning to take a break from the baboons for a couple of days, renting a car, and driving to Johannesburg to spend a bit of time there. A few people want to go to the Cradle of Humankind, which is a museum and dig site of some of the oldest human ancestor fossils. There’s also an area near it that offers ziplining and similar activities that a few more of us want to visit, so we figured we’d all go together, book a hostel near there for one night, then leave CARE early one morning to drive down to Jo’burg to have some fun. I absolutely love it here at this sanctuary, but after a while of being here constantly, it would be nice to take a little break and just get out for a while with some of the other volunteers. Since CARE is in a much more secluded area than the volunteer house at White Shark Projects, it often feels like we’re in our own little world here! I often lose track of the days here, and news from home seems pretty alien. On Monday it will be two weeks since I arrived here at CARE. Those weeks seem to have flown by! They’ve been very busy, but a lot of fun!

            Guess that’s all the news for now. Again, sorry for the lack of pictures in these past few blogs. I promise I’m taking plenty, but the terrible wifi here makes it next to impossible to upload them here. If the connection improves while I’m still here I’ll add some. If not, I’ll add plenty of pictures to blog posts that I make when I return home! This post’s food for thought is a quote that I’ve come to love while on this adventure: “To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to gain all while you give, to roam the roads of lands remote, to travel is to live.”- Hans Christian Andersen