Namibia - Okonjima/Africat Foundation

After traveling to Bitterpan, Marius and I re-joined Chris and Kalima at the Mata Mata entrance/exit gate to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on Valentine's Day and crossed the border from Botswana into Namibia.  Chris and Kalima headed to Etosha National Park a few days ahead while Marius and I took a detour to the Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge - a luxury resort - for a hot shower and a soft bed.  It was a perfect place to spend the evening with my Valentine!

On our way to Etosha we stopped at Okonjima nestled among the Omboroko Mountains for two days. Okonjima is a Herero word meaning "place of the baboons".  Okonjima is also the home of the AfriCat Foundation.  AfriCat became internationally renowned after being featured in a Discovery Channel documentary filmed in 1995 and 1996.

Namibia is home to the world’s largest wild/free-ranging cheetah population; the majority of this country’s cheetahs and leopards can be found on approximately 7000 commercial farms. These large carnivores occasionally prey upon the livestock that roam unprotected in the bush. As a result, carnivores are often regarded as vermin by the livestock and game-farming community and are deliberately trapped and/or killed.  AfriCat has taken in a large number of captive cats/carnivores no longer wanted by other establishments. Among the carnivores being rescued, researched and rehabilitated by AfriCat are cheetah, leopard, lion, caracal, wild dog and hyena.

Okonjima is a family-run business. Wayne, Donna and Rosalea Hanssen who co-own and live on the property, bought Okonjima from their parents, Val and Rose in 1993 turning, the then, cattle farm into a conservation project.

Today the 20,000 hectare Okonjima Nature Reserve – is still the home of the AfriCat Foundation.  AfriCat’s main focus is - Conservation through Education, Researching Carnivores & Rehabilitating Captive Cheetah.

Martin our guide explaining AfriCat's mission.

Various tracking devices used by AfriCat.

Steenbok - one of the many animals at Okonjima

A Cheetah in one of the reserve enclosures.

We arose early the next morning to join Martin who took us on a tracking expedition to find Nkosi, a male Leopard.  The cats are tracked with electronic devices that pick up signals from the collars they are wearing.  Martin is exceptionally good at finding the animals!!  While searching for the Leopard we could not get out of the vehicle because they are aggressive toward humans.  Martin maneuvered the vehicle through some pretty dense bush until we found Nkosi lying under a tree concealed in the tall grass.

Martin using a tracking device to find Nkosi.

Nkosi had gotten into a bit of trouble with another Leopard the day before and had to be darted in order to break up the fight and then relocated.  Leopards, we were told, will fight to death if necessary in order to maintain their territory.  We were on a mission to find Nkosi and make sure he was okay.

Nkosi - meaning revered one or king.

DIZZY AND HER CUB

When I heard about the Cheetah rehabilitation program I wanted to participate.  Martin told Marius and I about a seven year old Cheetah named Dizzy who was successfully rearing a cub.  We set out to find her that afternoon with high hopes after experiencing Martin's outstanding tracking ability earlier in the day.  This time he took along his assistant to help and we were able to get out of the vehicle because Cheetahs will not attack humans unless they are provoked.

Tracking Dizzy on foot.  Marius there on the right.

Dizzy was an eight-month-old cub when she came to AfriCat. She arrived around the same time as four other cubs - Ruff. Tumble, Dash & Baxter who were all of similar age.  They were introduced to each other and bonded soon after.  Dizzy and her coalition were released into the Okonjima Reserve on the 1^st June 2012. She was 5 years old and soon showed her dominance and desire to survive. Four weeks after the release, Dizzy broke away from the coalition. Dizzy made Okonjima/ AfriCat history when she became the first cheetah in the park to give birth to three cubs born in the wild!

Dizzy has proved to be a great mother, however it is not easy to protect three cubs from predators. Studies show that many cheetah cubs are killed in the first 3 months. Unfortunately this was the case for two of Dizzy’s cubs, one presumably being killed by male cheetahs and the other by leopard, before turning 4 months. Every day with Dizzy and her cub in the reserve is a blessing, and the little one, at the time of the photos below, was turning 7 months! 

Dizzy in the foreground with her cub.

Dizzy's Cub

A playful moment!

Dizzy patiently waiting while the cub decides to climb a tree.

Climbing backwards up the tree!

Oops!  Not such a good idea!

We stayed with Dizzy and her cub for a couple of hours and after doing so I officially adopted her for a year by making a contribution to the AfriCat Foundation.

On the way back to the lodge we experienced this incredible sunset.  Yet another spectacular close to a most memorable day.

Jackal and Porcupine - an unlikely pair at the Okonjima water hole.

I would like to acknowledge Martin our guide for his passion for the animals, his dedication to his work and the visitors entrusted to his care.  He is a remarkable person who made our visit one that we will never forget!!

GOOD LUCK DIZZY.  May you live long and prosper!