Scary brief

The briefing on my first day at Naankuse was very informative on all the things I should be scared about.

Snakes: Cape cobras, black mambas and zebra cobras are the deadliest ones in the area. If we get bitten by any of these, we've basically got two hours. They don't keep any antidotes at the sanctuary, but the staff assure us that if they put their foot to the floor, they can reach the hospital in Windhoek within half an hour. But if you get bitten in a main artery, then things don't look good.

Scorpions: these are as dangerous as getting stung by a bee apparently.

Cheetahs: they don't generally attack humans, but we are advised not to turn our backs on them or crouch down as they get confident and will see us as prey.

Leopards: apparently you can never trust them as they become wild again as they get older. I can relate to that. Indeed, the owner of the sanctuary looked after some leopard cubs from when they were just a few weeks old and took them out every day for five years. Then she had to go away for two weeks and when she returned, noticed from their eye contact that they had changed towards her. She knew that she would never be able to take them out again.

Baboons: apparently you should never say "no" to them. If you don't give them something, they will call the rest of the troop to come and jump on you. We were advised therefore to take nothing with us when we're taking the baboons for a walk - no sunglasses, cameras, hats, watches or jewellery - because they will trash it. And we should also wear long trousers not shorts, because they climb all over you. And we should empty our pockets before we go. Because if we don't, the baboons will.

After the briefing, my first task was to go into one of the cheetah's enclosures and give her a brush - from a tall standing position, obviously. She seemed to enjoy it, purring loudly just like a house cat. Despite their reputation for being relatively timid, it is a little disconcerting to be that close to the fastest mammal on land. On another occasion, the same cheetah licked my arm. I wasn't sure if she was simply being affectionate or preparing to sink her teeth into me.

Later that afternoon, we took two of the leopards out for a walk. They first had to be coaxed into a smaller cage whilst still in their enclosure. Then the cages were lifted onto a pick-up truck and transported to an open area where the leopards could be released and allowed to stretch their legs a little more. That said, they didn't go far. The considerable heat - even in the late afternoon - didn't motivate them to exert themselves too much. But when it's cooler or raining, we're assured they're a lot friskier and it can be difficult to find them again.