The first weekend of August brought together more than 80 volunteers to conduct our annual Waterberg Conservancy 12-hour waterhole count. CCF alone had 22 waterholes, where volunteers were stationed to count whatever wildlife appeared during the 12-hour period.

Assisting with the count for the third year were Earth Expedition teachers from Miami University along with our Earthwatch volunteers, CCF local and international interns, and Peace Corps volunteers, like Jeremy Waldron, who sent us the essay below about his experience. Thanks, Jeremy!

Prey for the Cheetah
13th Annual Waterhole Count

“Namibia issues one-hundred and fifty licensed permits for cheetah a year. Five-hundred cheetahs are poached on top of that one-hundred and fifty legal kills yearly” Carl said.

I was on my way to the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) approximately fifty kilometers outside of Otjiwarongo. Carl is a hunting guide who specializes in tracking Namibia's large game. He told me stories of clients from all around the world joining him in hunts for all sort of different game animals: Elephant, lion, kudu, and zebra, all of Africa's animals including the cheetah.

I respected Carl's integrity and ethics he demonstrated as we talked of his many hunts throughout his lifetime. Cheetahs in Namibia as well in the world are fighting to survive. They are constantly threatened by farmers who shoot, trap, and poison the cats, warding them off from their livestock. Carl has no affiliation with the CCF however told me he supports the cause.

Cheetahs are Africa's most endangered cat species and I was excited to see what CCF had to offer. Dr. Marker welcomed the large group of volunteers to the 13th Annual Waterhole Game count. The conference hall was filled with energetic educators and intellectuals from around the globe. Dr. Marker and her staff were thrilled to be hosting another game count. As her speech began I listened attentively looking for the answers to my many questions. Prior to tonight I knew I would be sitting next to a waterhole for an extended amount of time and counting animals. Beyond that I really didn't know the specifics.

Having lived in Namibia for nearly two years I was pumped to have the chance to see a cheetah and if I was really lucky a leopard. The idea behind the annual waterhole count is to gain data on cheetah prey and analyze how the two are interconnected. The group gave their thanks and shared Dr. Marker's enthusiasm. Then we were down to business.

A PowerPoint presentation led the group to understanding cheetah biology and ecology, emphasizing how it is essential to stabilize the population and manage sustainability. The volunteers were split into groups of two and coming the following day we would count all game animals that came to our waterhole. Dr. Marker and her team educated us on species identification; a slideshow was presented outlining the basics of each animal's distinct characteristics. The group asked questions, joked, and geared up for the next day we had all been anticipating.

Early in the morning, 5a.m., the group loaded in their assigned vehicles, and then we were off. Shortly after Andrew and I unloaded our gear at our assigned waterhole. The hide was close and overlooking the waterhole. It was a small box enclosed with shade netting on all sides, leaving a narrow rectangle opening our viewpoint, and a corrugated iron roof. There was no ladder, and it didn't deter us in the least bit, we threw our gear up on the platform, gripped the wooden floor and quickly pulled ourselves up.

The bakkie drove away leaving us to the silence of nature. It was a cold morning and we sat looking at the small place we would call home for the next 12 hours, as we shivered in the brisk air.

Like everyone else I wanted to see a large cat and now was a great time to have that possibility actually happen. We sat there quietly listening to the bush come alive. Birds awoke and rang like an alarm clock, singing to the bush, opening the day. It was cold yes, but the birds brought warmth to the prospects to be found over the day's entirety. Soon the sun peeked in to have a look and with it brought out an Oryx tiptoeing into the spotlight. Like me it looked into the sun for warmth.

Andrew and I spent the day sharing stories and getting to know how we both came to be in Africa. Though we are both Americans I was talking more like a Namibian and him an American. Between the animals we shared a cross-cultural experience. I taught him about Namibia and he told me what was happening in America.

Then with no warning I said “giraffe!” pointing straight ahead. Our conversation quieted as we both watched in disbelief. Neither one of us thought we would see an animal of this caliber. We were quiet for the next hour watching the giraffe slowly make its approach to the waterhole. It walked in long slow strides then stopped short of the water when it saw a family of five warthogs. It was patient and waited its turn and as soon as the family left the giraffe moved in further.

Andrew and I identified it as an adult male. His long neck shifted back and forth as his ears moved in opposite directions. He bent his head down and then quickly raised it as if he heard something. He looked around once more before spreading his front legs apart and dipping down for another attempt at drinking. He took long deep slurps moving down his neck as if a giant straw; then finishing with a quick hop up, swinging his head back gracefully, and licking his lips. He looked around once more before spreading his front legs and diving back into the cool waters below.

The time passed quickly as we sat sharing different stories of the children we taught and anticipating the next animal sighting. For a time we had noticed a pattern developing; first warthogs would come in for a drink and that would be followed by kudu. “Well we just had warthogs so we should be expecting kudu next” I said and sure enough I was right. It was great to see young kudu. The previous night Dr. Marker had shared with the group how there was a rabies outbreak in the kudu population the previous year.

Dr. Marker's team is curious to know how this is going to affect the regions ecosystem and the cheetah population. All in all we saw many Oryx, all looking like Gene Simmons of Kiss, warthogs, kudu, an African spoonbill, a giraffe, and thousands of birds that breathed in waves along the waters shores throughout the day.

And just moments before our transport came we heard a bark to the north. We came to the conclusion that it was an eland making its way for a drink. Unfortunately the bakkie came before we could find out. Then just as we began the day we reversed our motions and jumped out of our hide and found a place in the bakkie.

Again, just as the previous night, the group was sharing stories of their day in the visitor center's conference room. Appreciation was shared by Dr. Marker. Dr. Marker encouraged all of us to share our experience with the children we worked with and the importance of raising an awareness of both the behavior and biology of the cheetah and its prey.

And with that we celebrated our opportunity given by CCF in helping them collect their data necessary to keep their amazing project looking to the future.

The next day as Dr. Marker introduced the group to Little C, a young year old male cheetah, I thought if we create a collective awareness for the cheetah there will always be a place for it to call home. Together we must volunteer what resources we can offer, just as many of us did counting prey for the cheetah, and make the population flourish.

Jeremy Waldron
Peace Corps Volunteer living in Northern Namibia with the Uukwaluudhi tribe.