Unbelievable – all that trekking about yesterday and seeing absolutely no game compared with a twenty minute drive to the airport this morning and seeing a large pack of wild dog – I wanted to get out the truck and take my chances with them rather than face the ‘vomit comet’ ride back in the Islander plane. Needless to say I didn’t (which is probably just as well) and despite my inherent fear about hopping up beside Brendan the pilot for the return journey, he did a great job and got us back to Lusaka without incident.

Great end to the trip, back at the shelter to revisit all the animals and people we had left a week ago. Whilst Cherry, Twinkle and the pups are unforgettable, it will be Richard’s story that will really stick with me. When we arrived at LAWS, he was dressed in his uniform and scrubbing out the kennels. He had arrived early for work because he didn’t want to miss us and say goodbye. He had a big smile on his face and I was really happy to see him. I wish him the very best and Sue said he had fitted in incredibly well and the other guys like him.

The last day of any trip is always a bit of a strange one. We are all pretty tired, looking forward to going home and seeing our respective families but will nevertheless invariably miss the charity we’ve been working with over such an intense couple of weeks. LAWS is no exception. The goodbye meal was so warm and genuine, the people great company and the charity is a special one. It has been a fantastic adventure and Zambia is a wonderful country. I really look forward to staying in touch with all the great people I’ve met and it’s been an absolute winner to have visited them.