#ukutula

#Repost @assocphotoevents ・・・ Further example of where the trained lions, tigers and cheetahs trained by @ukutula_official end up. One of their trained tigers found at the #circus responding to the stick just as he was trained at Ukutula! Please join us in helping to spread the word of these cats being abused and raised for captivity, circus, and hunting reserves! #boycottukutula @peta @blackjaguar.whitetiger @animaljusticeproject @animalhopeandwellfare @animalliberationfront @crueltyfreeintl @humanesociety @saenonline #peta #animaljusticeproject #afma #antivivisectioncoalition #floe #crueltyfreeinternational #humanesociety #noav #negotiationisover #naalpo #saen #lionhunt #blackjaguarwhitetiger #BJWT #wild  #notpets #lioncub #lionsofinstagram #animalcruelty #ukutula #ukutulasucks #ukutulalies #ukutulalionlodge

Throwback to the second week as a volunteer at Ukutula Lion Park in South Africa!

UKUTULA DAZE//WEEK ONE Throwback to the first week on our volunteering project in South Africa!

Lion Cub by Kelly Ukutula Lion Park, near Johannesburg, South Africa

Throwback to our wild South African three day orientation with Awesome Travel!

Final breakfast for me was a treat with the Australians being so kind as to share their Vegemite with me. I finished packing and Elinor came running to say we can go and farewell the cub cubs. The baby cheetahs had just eaten and had milky chins but they came up for goodbye cuddles and play time. From there we had to go and see our hyena babies Dominant and Grey Knee who knew we were leaving because they were very attentive to us and crawled into our laps with no coercion whatsoever. It was a bitter cold morning to say goodbye to everyone, pay our tab and carry our bags into the van. There were a lot of tears, particularly from Lauren, Greta and Andrina. We were all given a gift package and a hug from Gill and a handshake and thanks from Willi and that was it. We were off back to the guesthouse with an unknown driver who was not Lolly and took us down a scary backstreet where we thought we would be kidnapped. We arrived into Harry's outstretched arms and went inside to pat the dogs. Harry said we had 45 minutes until he would drop us off at our hotel so Elinor and I went on a dash down to the Rosebank Mall to get lunch and Caitlin and Mike came with us. We nipped into Subway, I ran to Vodacom for a top up and Elinor headed for the craft market for a replacement lighter. We met up and walked back to the guesthouse in record time for our ride with Harry and Thabo, Mel and Gwendolyn came along too. It was a short ride to our hotel and everyone was quite surprised by how flash the hotel was. Trainee took our bags up to our room after we checked in, and he turned on the heaters for us and gave us some information on the area. We lazed around for a bit and then decided to head off to the train station to catch a train to Rosebank where we were meeting Caitlin, Mike, Mel, Sam and Camilla for dinner. We left our room at 6pm allowing an hour for the walk, train ride and other walk. When I asked for directions to the train station the desk clerk looked at his watch and said, "it's not safe to go alone now, you need a security guard to walk with you." So we waited 15 minutes for someone to walk us and then I asked them again because we couldn't wait all night or we'd miss dinner. The security doorman quickly led us there and came in to help us get a card for the Gautrain which we didn't need assistance with but for some reason he thought he was walking us there to get a card and then walking us back (I told him so many times we are going on the train NOW to get dinner). Finally we were off though and arrived at the meeting spot with a minute to spare. We headed upstairs to The Zone food court where we decided on Mike's Kitchen. I had ribs, Elinor had sweet and tangy chicken wings, we shared and it was glorious. I also got a Malva pudding for dessert which was delicious. We ran back to the train station and waited for the last train to take us home. From Park station we called the hotel who sent our security escort back to retrieve us.

Thursday was allocated to us as a free day so we get a chance to pack our bags and say goodbye to the animals and do whatever we like. I put some washing in with the laundry and then got on with the mammoth task of fitting all my stuff into my lil green bag that Elinor has dubbed the jelly bean. Elinor needed some medication from town so Lauren and I joined her with the intention of a wolfpack lunch. Gill came and gave Lauren some bandaid samples and money and asked her to pick up some more big band aids for Greta to use on her hyena bite. We waited around for almost an hour for Junior to take us in and then when we finally went it was a huge rush to get there with Junior flying down the road at 100kph and 140kph once he reached the paved road to Brits. He was screaming at other drivers, pedestrians and the gate at Ukutula for opening too slowly. When we got to Brits mall he yelled at a woman in the car park saying "your driving is as BAD AS YOUR HAIR!". All in all, an aggressive ride in. We started off with a Macca's run because we were starving, Lozi's play suit was feeling it after a large burger combo and ten nuggets. We had a tense moment when Lauren said McDonald's in England don't have combos. Elinor and I were in disbelief until we realised that she simply didn't know that a combo and a meal are the same thing... We went to the pharmacy and the supermarket where I thought I'd be cute and get Caitlin a red velvet cupcake - ended up buying all the red velvet cupcakes they had so all my mateys could have one. Junior picked us up with his younger brother sat in the front and a box and a whole lot of frontline packets in the back. The three of us sat in the back uncomfortably as Junior pestered Raylene at the passport office for some assistance. "Please ma'am this is a matter of absolute urgency. I leave for Australia on Sunday and I can't change my flights, I went to Brits today and they refused to help me so ma'am if you would please help me I would really appreciate it." We've never heard him say a nice word and here they're all spilling out at once. We arrived back at Ukutula just in time for a final magnum with Caitlin and then I carried on packing until 6pm when Jan took Elinor, Caitlin, Lauren, Andrina and I out for dinner at Spur Ranch Steakhouse. As we drove the storm started and we were all fascinated by the frequency of the lightning and the complete absence of thunder. I had a laugh when I asked for a lemon lime and bitters and the waitress brought me a glass with lime juice in it, a small cup full of bitters and a can of lemonade. Another mix it myself experience! Foodwise they all got ribs and I had a burger. We gorged and then headed back in torrential rain which had ruined the unpaved roads. Jan was worried that the bridge may have flooded but luckily we got through. The bar was going off tonight so we all hung out for a bit but it was very cold so me and my bae went back to my room for some last evening snuggles.