Lillian Cummings (South Africa)

I was lucky enough to spend a month with Wildlife ACT. My first 2 weeks were at uMkuze Game Reserve. The bush is so thick I was worried that I wasn’t going to see anything. That feeling of finding an animal by using telemetry and the receiver is amazing. I had a great bunch of people with me to share my experiences with. The days are long – early mornings and late nights, but it was well worth it. My 2nd placement was at Manyoni – a very different experience as they have many more animals and there are many open spaces but still hard work as wild animals work on their own system. Nothing is guaranteed with them.

I will definitely be back as I do feel like I made a difference. I met some wonderful people. My monitors were awesome so a shout out to Wihan, Megan, Dani & Travis who helped me have a great time. One thing that I will say to anyone that is hoping to take part in this experience is, make the most of it. You need to come with an open mind, be prepared for long days come rain or sun, and you will gain so much knowledge. I had the best time even when I had to have quick showers, too much toast with tomato & cheese, too much sun and many hours sitting on the back of a bakkie, but I would do it all again in a heartbeat.