Deadly serious

Back at the camp we join the same team to feed a lone hyaena they've saved. Like most of these animals this one will never return to the wild. It moans as we enter like an irritated teen. We drop some meat and it carries it away, to eat or to save for later.

The purpose of these cheetah walks is to give these semi captive cheetahs an opportunity to hunt, which they do occasionally. However today these big cats seem more interested to laze in the sun. We try each time to get them up. They do, walk a bit, eye some springbuck and then lay back down. They weren't having it so we led them back to the trailer and they gladly got back in. How they keep upright in the trailer as it rattles and slams into the rugged dust track I have no idea. We cling to the sides for dear life.

Among the big carnivores cheetahs probably have the reputation for being the friendliest. But make no mistake, walking among them they don't seem like cuddly toys. These are tough beasts and walk full with confidence, occasionally pushing between us maybe to remind us who they really are. But enough words as these photos should speak for themselves.

The no selfie rule is as much about not exposing yourself to risky behaviour with the animals as much as it is about trying to avoid portraying these endangered wild animals as pets. This accidental capture provides a more than sufficient replacement. It remains a little unsettling to walk among these semi captive large carnivores. They are brought out each day to be given an opportunity to hunt the wild prey before returning to their enclosure. These animals will never truly return to the wild as many in the sanctuary are saved as orphaned young and become too accustomed to people to make it safe in the wild. Some cheetah have even returned after releasing to the wild.

Before opening the rear of the trailer, Moses, our guide, gave us the essentials about big carnivore safety: don't turn your back, don't touch them, no selfies and don't let them nibble you. We proceeded to let them out and observe us for a moment before walking ahead of them showing only our backs. When I questioned this Moses says tee rule applies more if you stand still. And yet I couldn't help feel a little apprehensive with a predator walking behind. Occasionally we stop to let them ahead, when it's our turn to walk in their footsteps.

As newbies, and new newbies who missed induction, we offered ourselves to whatever was free expecting maybe to be shovelling elephant dung. Instead we were told to leap on to the back of a truck and hold on tight while we rode the dirt track like a rodeo, alongside four others who were volunteering. After a short but very bumpy ride we back into a gate and collect two cheetahs. We are joining a cheetah walk. How did this happen? It was probably the most important thing in our Namibian bucket list and we do it on day zero.

We are still struggling with the time. The timezone is hardly a change but it's a shock to realise it's only lunch time. We want to sleep. We are driven back to the main site, the conservation's wildlife sanctuary where we are shown round briefly and taken to a buffet lunch of bread and sausages. Suits us. To make this lunch we had no time to change so had to walk back to Bushcamp in our own, through the bush. A little strange still after 24 hours travelling. We quickly unpacked a little and changed a little before returning to the sanctuary.