Species Care in a Controlled Environment(24 May)

I did my assesment on species care in a controlled environment on the 24th of May.

It was lots of fun though it wasn't that easy,but with this Qualification I would be able to do lots of work and work at different places.
I learned a lot of new things although I studdied for the assesment.
We fed the new Giraffe but it wasn't easy at all and you got to have lots of patience.
First you must put on the collar and then when the giraffe gets close and lets you work with him you must first play with its mouth for a while so that it knows you are going to give him his bottle milk.
You then put your finger in his mouth with the bottle and rub his tongue,while doing that you squeeze the botlle softly and wait till he swallows.

We also did Care for animals within area of responsibility.
Assist with selecting, preparing and providing of food.
Recognise and care for plants in area of responsibility.
Explain basic ecological principles.
Occupational Health and safety

I learned alot of new things, and this course was one of the best i've been on.....

Wild life capture(Rhino's) 5 May 2010

We went to catch Rhino's on Elandsdrift near Rustewinter.
It was real fun.
The vet flew in with his helicopter and prepared everything before going up in the air to look for Rhino's.
The owner of the farm sat in the back of the chopper and he darted the Rhino's. First they darted the Rhino then we had to race to get to it, as soon as we got there we put a blanket over his eyes and taped it, that helped because it made the Rhino's less stressed out.
Then we took a thic..k rope and put it over the head like a collar, to guide the rhino once he got up. Then at the back leg there was also a rope to brake the rhino if it walked to fast!
The whole time we had people including myself supporting the rhino's so that they don't fall over when they walk.

It was hard getting some of the rhino's up because they are so heavy.
They easily weigh around 2000 Kilograms....that is 2 ton.It is very heavy.
We had to do everything right because if something went wrong and the rhino didn't make it, the owner could have lost anything between R200 000 and R1 500 000 for a rhino depending on the size and sex.

It was an awsome experience that I will never forget, and I gained a lot of knowledge for my first time doing wildlife capture. It was unforgettable...