Archive for January 24th, 2001
Day 21
The butchery was a bit of a struggle today - our normal meat supplies are beginning to run dry, because of the foot-and-mouth, so we are resorting to using animals caught locally, which have not been gutted (this has usually been done for us before the meat arrives at the butchery). Two buckets of entrails by the door when I arrived very nearly made me throw up. It wasn’t so much the sight, it was the smell.
I helped feed the lions today, which was awesome. This is done using a normal pickup truck, with what looks like a shark cage bolted on the back. The feeders sit in the cage, and there are sections of the cage which can open so you can toss the meat out.
It was a long drive, and the feeding was brief, but it was well worth it to get so close to these grand lions. Like with the cheetahs, the driver made a dash for it down the main track to give the lions a bit of exercise while they chase us. It’s a bit un-nerving to have hungry lions chasing after you like that!
Then I went with Tania to feed the other animals, including Jabulani the young elephant, who is definitely my favourite character. He’s very friendly and will play with you all day long, and that trunk is amazing - it’s just like an arm and hand, and nose all in one!
I think we must have fed every animal on the project today, all but the ants.