Leopard Release – Caitlin, March 2010

After arriving with us in late December, N/a’an ku sê finally secured the required permits and a safe site for Caitlin’s release back to the wild. Caitlin had been captured by a farmer and gave birth to three cubs whilst in his care. After the death of one of the cubs, he quickly realised he was unable to raise them and contacted us. In March, Caitlin was anesthetised and blood and stool samples taken and then loaded into the capture cage ready for her translocation the following morning. Volunteer Casper tells us about her release. 

After waking up at 5 in the morning and grabbing a cup of tea and a few slices of toast to wake up, the group of four volunteers and one coordinator were gathered quietly around the almost fully packed truck. Serious and cool as ever; Cila was squeezing in the last few items and making sure we had everything we needed while the rest of us tried to keep our voices down (despite excitement that we were stood 2 feet away from the cage where the Leopard we were about to release was sleeping). The sky was still dark and after double checking we had what we needed we piled into the car.

It was a tight squeeze on the backseat; 3 people, rucksacks, sleeping bags and roll-up mattresses but we made it work. Then, at just before 6am, the long journey ensued. We stopped quite early on in the journey to go to a petrol station, and as the poor unsuspecting patrons and staff of the gas station would walk past the coloured Land Rover, a now awake Caitlin was growling and roaring from inside the covered capture cage. Which, to us, when paired with the look on everyone's faces was hilarious. Afterwards we carried on, out of the city and towards the desert with a cocktail of chattering, sleeping, games and genuinely talented sing-a-longs to cheesy pop radio anthems (as any decent road trip should entail).

We drove all through the morning, stopping again briefly to eat our packed lunches and have a quick dance (the giddiness taking its toll on some of us) before arriving at our destination on the edge of the oldest desert in the world at 1pm.

We parked Caitlin under a tree and went into the building where we would sleep which was simple, stone and had no electricity. We then had a few hours to relax after the drive which some utilised to sleep, others to sit fully clothed in a tiny stone waterhole dug into the ground (it was exceedingly hot).

At about 4.30, rejuvenated and mostly dry we loaded back into the car and made our way to the release site. The reserve where we were going was a decent drive away, made longer by the game and wildlife viewing possibilities. Springbok, Oryx, Zebra, Kudu, Wildebeest, the list goes on. It was such a beautiful, mountainous area that there weren't enough hours in the day to soak it up.

After meeting up with the two workers who were to show us where to release and help us with the process we followed their car to a place near a waterhole in a vast open space between two mountains. Cila thought carefully about the spot as, after having released many animals in the past, she knows fully what is necessary to provide a safe place for them to be. Cila chose a spot where if the cage was angled correctly the Leopard would be able to see the water, bushes for shelter and an empty riverbed.

After removing the cage from the truck and spending time organising the contraption that allowed the capture cage door to be opened from a distance via a pulley mechanism Cila stood in sight of the cage door and splashed the water in the waterhole, this ensuring that Caitlin was fully aware that it was there. We then moved the cars to a safe distance away and Cila sat in the driver’s seat with the rope release in her hand. Anna, Caroline, Cila and I were inside our truck. Shaun had joined one of the workers in his car so that he could sit in the front passenger seat in a prime position to see and take photographs. 

Excited and tense the atmosphere in our car was amazing. We couldn't believe what was about to happen and couldn't wait to see how Caitlin would react. Silence fell and Cila started pulling the rope, Anna took the end and held it tightly, before Caroline joined in (a great deal of strength needed to hold it steadily). The gate got higher and higher until it was completely open. What seemed like an eternity went by and no-one said a word. We just sat and waited. After a couple of minutes Caitlin started moving, She moved towards the opening very slowly and took a step towards it. She paused and then took another step, then another, her head now free. She walked just enough to the right to look directly back and face our car. Her eyes on us for a split second before she turned back and gracefully and carefully walked free into the wild. It was beautiful and still we didn't speak, simply watched in awe as this incredible creature wandered slowly into the river bed before turning and heading for the sheltered bushes (exactly as Cila had predicted). Considering that inside her cage, she'd always seemed so massive, once she set foot outside it, she looked tiny.

After waiting for a while, we drove back to the house, stopping on the way to take photos of the awesome sunset. When we got back, we were exhausted. We made a fire and drank a cold beer before settling down to sleep.

All in all, the experience was amazing and I will never forget it.
 
Naankuse would like to thank Kevin & Caitlin O’Connell for adopting Caitlin. Please email donationsnaankuse@iway.na if you would like to adopt an animal or sponsor a collar.