Jenny Hammell

Work with Tigers in South Africa

Arrival Date: 07 Aug 2005

Return Date: 04 Sep 2005

I had an absolutely wonderful vacation at Laohu Valley Reserve in South Africa. I loved the people, the environment, and especially the tigers. From the moment I arrived at the reserve, I felt welcome and that encouraged me to be enthusiastic right away. During the first day, I witnessed the tigers stalk and chase a blesbuck, which is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I also went along hunting and then helped butcher a blesbuck while chatting, laughing and becoming acquainted with the staff and other volunteers. Right from the start, I knew that I was going to have a great four weeks.

When I heard about the origin of Save China's Tigers, I was inspired and was even happier that I chose this as my i-to-i project. I agreed that something should be done as this subspecies is falling into extinction. I did not have any knowledge of how endangered the South China tiger was and I was impressed that two people starting this project could make the difference whether or not the next generation will be able to see these tigers. I did feel differently while working on the reserve after this meeting - even more passionate about the cause and privileged to be a part of it.

I awoke every morning with a new adventure ahead: watching tigers, game drives, and walks with picnics to clean up the reserve. Sometimes, we faced challenges, such as the four hours it took to butcher a wildebeest, an unhealthy boat, and then the tragic death of Hope, but we did all that we could do for the reserve and the tigers. This was very satisfying. Every day I tried to get the most out of my experience and I was never disappointed.

All four tigers were amazing to observe. I loved learning more and more about their personalities every day.Hope the character, Madonna the princess and beauty, Tigerwoods the cute troublemaker, and Cathay the survivor, whose healthy/normal personality I only glimpsed at the end of my four weeks. By the end, I was very attached to the tigers and I felt like they were my pets. It was very hard to leave them.

As for my personal experience, I always love being around animals so I knew that I would be happy at Laohu. I felt relaxed and peaceful, safe and at home on the reserve. The farmhouse was beautiful and there was something comforting about being out in the middle of nowhere. I knew that I was settled into the reserve when we visited the mall in Bloem and I thought that it was too noisy with too many people. When I told my family and friends this, they just laughed because I was up for going out almost anytime before South Africa. Having no electricity was great. There was no television to distract me and gas provided us with all the necessities. I actually did not like when the generator was fixed because I could not hear the wild animals or see the stars as well at night. Also, the water tasted really good, not processed or manufactured. These little things, somehow so different from home, made me enjoy the simple aspects of life.

Going to South Africa was the best decision I have made in a long time. I would definitely love going back and doing it all over again. I have continuously raved about the project to everyone I know back home. I will never forget the people I met, what I learned about diverse cultures (how crazy being the only American can be and how different my country does some things) and, of course, I will never forget the tigers and the hope for their future.