Sitting in a local coffee shop earlier this month, Dion Hamman overheard a conversation between two gentlemen nearby, discussing plans one of the men had to visit South Africa in the coming months.
Reflecting upon the beauty of the country and the warm weather the traveller was likely to encounter, Hamman recalled the man turned to his friend and said, “But what am I going to do there?”
“I thought to myself, ‘well, have we got things to tell him!’” Hamman said with a laugh.
Hamman, 57, and his wife, Gisela, 55, spent four weeks in South Africa last winter volunteering at the Ukutula Lodge & Research Centre, a 260-hectare wildlife reserve about an hour north of Johannesburg.
It was the first time in 19 years that the South Africa natives returned to their home country since moving to B.C., and the South Surrey couple says it was worth the wait.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Gisela said, of their time spent at the conservation centre.
The centre is run by Gisela’s brother, Willi Jacobs and his wife, Gillian, who have owned the facility for more than 10 years.
According to the Hammans, the centre was originally home to a variety of game, but over the past decade has evolved to undertake an extensive amount of research, with an aim of preserving the longterm health and wellness of animals such as lions, tigers, hyenas and more.
“It has progressively become more and more a scientific research centre,” Dion said. “They work in conjunction with several universities around the world.”
One area of focus is on a large population of lions in Kruger National Park – Gisela estimated up to 90 per cent – that has become ill with tuberculosis and feline AIDS from eating tick-infested meat. Scientists are trying to determine why hyenas that eat the same meat aren’t becoming ill, and if there are genetic factors that may be uncovered to help prevent the lions from getting sick.
“They can’t go chasing these sickly, weak animals and try to find solutions as to why they’re sick and how they can help them,” she explained. “They need to do this in a controlled environment, where they have healthy animals that they can do this research on.”
The centre also has a strong emphasis on education, the Hammans said, noting that hundreds of school children from around South Africa visit each year, many of whom have grown up impoverished and have never had the chance to see wild animals.
“The kids come and stay on the reserve, and they’re educated on the plight of these animals,” Gisela said. “Many of the children have never had the opportunity to see these animals, and if they’re not educated… the animals have no hope.”
In addition to the research and education divisions, Ukutula has a tourist component, which is where the Hammans spent most of their time helping with day-to-day operations.
From feeding lions and tigers – either vegetables or meat, depending on an animal’s age – to cleaning pens, guiding tourists and conducting lion walks around the vast property, the couple said there was no shortage of adventure to be had.
“Every single day you wake up and you see the same animals again and it’s a new experience,” Dion said.
The centre relies heavily on volunteers, and has approximately 40-50 people from all over the world each month offering their time to help things run smoothly.
Volunteers pay their own way to South Africa, and there is a boarding cost associated with staying at the reserve – based on a two-week visit – but all other costs including transfers to and from the airport, food, laundry and training are covered, Gisela said.
There are plenty of other “natural wonders” that make for good tourist destinations a short distance away as well, including an elephant sanctuary and monkey reserve, the Hammans said.
The couple enjoyed their time at the wildlife centre so much that Gisela is now working on behalf of an organization – www.conservalion.com – that helps co-ordinate individuals and groups who want to take part.
It’s a unique vacation experience that the Hammans would recommend to anyone looking for something they described as a “holiday with purpose” – one they are hoping to make an annual venture.
“It’s not just lying on a beach for two weeks,” Gisela said. “It’s contributing something worthwhile.”