liFeline

The LiFeline wild cat research and rehabilitation centre offers working vacations and conservation courses at its base in the foothills of the Maya Mountains in Belize. The centre is a 60 acre private jungle reserve which is home to a host of wildlife, including toucan, kinkajou, ocelot, puma, deer, paca, agoutis parrots and hummingbirds.

You will be working with jaguars, pumas, ocelots, margays and jaguarundis in their natural habitat. The LiFeline centre is on the edge of a National Park which, with other protected areas, covers over 600 square miles. The centre is a government-approved facility, the first of its kind, concentrating solely on cats.The work of LiFeline is of paramount importance in conserving wild cat species, not only in their native habitat through LiFeline's scientific field work, but also by advising on wild cat welfare issues and providing a safe haven for cats that would otherwise face a death penalty because of conflict with humans.

LiFeline is a registered non-profit organisation working in close collaboration with the Belize Conservation and Forestry Department. It is a project of The Ridgeway Trust for Endangered Cats, a UK-based registered wildlife charity.

Some of the centre's cats are awaiting release to the wild whilst others are permanent residents and the subject of ongoing behavioural research. Most of the cats have found their way to LiFeline after a history of abuse, having been captured from the wild as kittens to be kept as pets. Others are problem cats that have taken to raiding livestock.

Within the neighbouring reserves we have camera traps to study the population dynamics of predators and prey, and we are conducting a vegetation analysis. As a course member you will be able to take part in many of these areas of our work. Each course is individually tailored to a small group of participants.

After being collected from the airport and taken to your accommodation, on the first evening you will be greeted by LiFeline staff who will advise you on your schedule for the next 8 days. Following a short orientation course on Day 1, your typical tasks may include radio-tracking a newly released cat, digging out a jaguar pond, helping to maintain cat enclosures, habitat vegetation analysis, setting camera traps and assisting with behavioural studies. During your free time you will have the opportunity to swim under a 150' waterfall, to visit Belize Zoo and Mayan archaeological sites.

You will be staying on a 4,000 acre working ranch four and a half miles from the LiFeline centre. Accommodation will be in rooms for two or three people, with hot showers, and three meals a day. The ranch is noted for its excellent cuisine, ice cream and pastries. Each day you will be driven to and from LiFeline for your day's activities.

There are two optional tours which you can take. One is to Belize Zoo, which houses Belizean animals in splendid natural conditions. The other is to a Mayan archaeological site: depending on weather and road conditions this will either be the jungle city of Caracol or the pyramid of Xunantunich.

The minimum age limit is 18 years. There is no upper age limit but a reasonable standard of physical fitness in required. The cost of the course includes airport transfers, accommodation for 9 nights, all meals (drinks not included), transfer to and from site each day, waterfall excursion, laundry service, and all activities at the LiFeline site.

The cost US$1790. For Tour 1, to Belize Zoo, add US$75. For Tour 2, Mayan site, add an additional US$85. The cost for both tours is US$160. You must reserve and pay for your tours at the time of booking because LiFeline has to engage a tour guide and bus in advance for these tours.

Fill in the Booking Form and Fax to us as directed on the form

The cost does not include flights to and from Belize. We will advise you of flight times and details as we will be co-ordinating your transfer with the rest of the group.

Check out our website www.li-feline.com for more information about our work.

Contact details:
email pm@li-feline.com
please make sure you copy your emails to lifelinebelize@yahoo.co.uk
You will be contacted by one of LiFeline's directors to answer your questions and confirm your booking.

Dates for 2003 are 1 - 10 February, 1 - 10 March, 19 - 28 April

e-mails to the RTEC Director
© Oct 2002 The Ridgeway Trust for Endangered Cats
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