Magical moments with Kariba

It's been a quite hectic week with the flurry of work trying to finish putting in the new kitchen cabinets, stoves and sink.... electricians, glazers, floor tile workers, stone masons...the entire place is beginning to look really fabulous. Louise's taste, Liezel's arranging the donations, Andre and Rod's hard work, and the volunteers helping out where possible. (As the joke goes, mostly to have someone to blame things on.... not that Andre ever makes a mistake!)

I had a magical moment with Kariba. She came over to the gate at the office and, while I stood perfectly still (one quick toss of her head would do you in!), she took in the smell of my hair and face. Several deep breaths, and then she stood a moment...I swear she winked at me! And ambled away. I'm sure she doesn't remember me...feeding her the bottle three times a day, always smelling like drool and sour milk, bringing her branches of her favorite leaves, there when she took her first steps from the boma to a free life...but I can't help but believe she does remember in some dim corner of her mind.

No longer baby hyenas

I've also seen my no-longer-baby brown hyenas. There is no way to recognize them now from what they were as that squeaking little puppy-like pack which would come running for a scratch. They have these marvelous golden manes and faces resembling large stately dogs. Soon they will be released free into the land to fulfill their destiny of living free. What a wonderful feeling it is to know I played even a very small part in that!

We've had some fantastic game drives. SanWild is just such an amazing place, so much life thriving on such beautiful land. I remember last time that even up until the last day I was here, every single day something new and wonderful was presented as if Nature's gift to me. I can't describe how good and right it feels to be here again.

Yesterday Barbara, John Botha and I drove to Tzaneen to pick up a wounded spotted eagle owl. Louise took one look and immediately knew it was concussed, dehydrated and starving. She quickly hand-fed it small pieces of raw chicken and some water. Tonight will decided whether it will live, but it's a good sign that it didn't regurgitate the food.

However, of all the wondrous creatures, I have to say the most fun to watch are the little meerkats. We now have two sets of babies. Because the alpha female hasn't tolerated the second mother's having a litter, the second has had to be separated. She's quite tame and spends her days wandering around the office compound. As you walk through the area, she will often come follow, chirping and exploring. But the babies of both litters are just too cute for words!

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