Seaview Lion Park

Upon the proposal of volunteering in South Africa as a holiday, my initial response was somewhat hesitant. I was concerned that working for free in another country was not the best way to vacation; wouldn't skiing in Japan or perhaps touring New Zealand be a better option. However the enthusiasm of my partner, who made the suggestion, was not the be dampened by my initial apathy and after much assurance that I wouldn't spend my holiday selling tacky souvenirs, the flights were booked, leave applied for and the trip locked in.

The reality of volunteering at Seaview Lion Park is a wonderfully relaxing, amazing and (I hesitate in using the cliche) life changing experience.

The Seaview Lion Park is located outside of Port Elizabeth on the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The Park boasts a large array of different animals including 50 or so Lions, Leopards, Servals, Caracals, Meerkats, Bush Pigs, Siberian Tigers, giraffe and assorted other grazing herbivores. In addition to the fauna there are panoramic ocean views, diverse if somewhat pointy flora and of course the wonderful people(of whom I sadly do not have pictures).

Never mundane the focus of every day was the animals, sure there was enclosure cleaning, food preparation and clearing bush land, but the biggest activity was simply, spending time with the animals. Different animals wanted different things, the Lion cubs wanted the simple company of their extended pride but other animals such as the Servals wanted to play chasing Peacock feathers all around their enclosure. Some of the animal residents less tolerant to people intruding on their territory, such as the Leopards, still thoroughly enjoyed a scratch through the fence. A popular spot to relax was the baby Bush Pigs who liked nothing more than curling up on your nice warm lap for a nap.
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Volunteers stay in basic cabins nested among the lion enclosures and eat in the onsite restaurant. The surrounding area was filled with opportunities to explore on your day off; we went up to the Addo Elephant Park on a small tour conducted by Freewalker to see the huge African elephants.

When the time came to leave, say good bye to all my new friends, both animal and human and go back to the real world I thought back on my time at Seaview and I would not have traded it for ten Ski trips no matter the destination!