How to describe my experience in Israel at the Desert Wildlife Program…hmmm. No day is the same in the desert. Every day for three weeks I had a different experience. The staff was very involved in the reserve. Each ranger would try to teach you something, to help you and take you wherever you needed, whenever they could. Personally, I learned a lot about animal behavior and how important it is to respect the fact they are wild. It is rare to touch the animals without affecting their “wild life.” Thereby, I was able to observe and learn from them for hours during my working days.
In the reserve, there are three main places to volunteer:
The tunnel: A space dedicated to visitors. Our job was to clean, care for animals and ensure that visitors arrive in the best conditions for observing these adorable little creatures.
Predator enclosures (also known as backstage). The staff and some volunteers must clean the pens in the morning and ensure that all animals are well (that they have water etc). In this way, visitors can admire the animals from the tunnel in their serene environment.
Safari: A huge space dedicated to the most common and most impressive species of Israel. Each day we had to feed the animals and monitor them with the rangers to see if there was a new baby here, a sick animal there .. At the risk of repeating myself, it is impossible to describe precisely what I experienced. You have to live it to believe it.
In conclusion, it was a fabulous and deep human experience volunteering in Israel!
