Hello and welcome to my website reinKHANated. A combination of the two things important to me and a promise I made to a young Ocelot as he took his last breath.
Yet this story didn’t start then, it started after leaving the British Army in 2014.
I had no idea what path lay ahead of me. Feeling depressed, lost and suicidal, I left the UK and took a leap of faith, landing myself in the Peruvian Amazon.
After spending a month there, and finding my smile again, I knew I needed to change my life and that meant packing my bags. After a few years in the rainforest, I had gradually learnt the environment, the animals and was more comfortable than most. I didn’t need a watch, as I could tell the time by the sun and the sounds. I didn’t need TV or internet, the rainforest was the biggest show I had ever been apart of, 24 hours a day of pure surprises and beauty.
When an orphaned Ocelot needed help after being taken from his mother and destined for the wildlife trafficking trade, I thought, who best to reintroduce and rewild him than myself?
I named him Khan and we did everything together, from sleeping, walking, eating and playing. He became my best friend and with time his strength and fierceness meant that I couldn’t do the same things I could with him whilst he was a kitten… he was becoming wilder than I could ever hope for and I was so excited to see him in the place he belonged the most.
Unfortunately, his beautiful life was cut short by what I can only describe as the most brutal, inhumane trap I have ever witnessed destroy a life with my own two eyes. That’s when I made that promise to Khan, that I would make sure he was remembered!
After his death, I was lost – completely! The thought of suicide was a constant itch under my skin. The image of his last moments alive replaying in my head, repeatedly. It took me some time but I got back on my feet just in time for another life changing adventure. This was with another younger orphaned Ocelot, who I named Keanu.
I had learnt so much from Khan. He was the greatest teacher I had ever had, teaching me things I didn’t think possible about the rainforest and about myself. My time to make Keanu a success was here, I wasn’t going to let anything stop me or get in my way. I needed to do this, not just for Keanu, but in memory of Khan.
These two beautiful wild cats have left me with countless memories. With the time spent together and the bonds created, I even consider them my own sons.
Through the tragedy, I have not let that stop me. In fact, I have decided to combine my sons and conservation together, to teach people about some of the problems we face in this world that are not being talked about. I have become I voice for the voiceless, telling our stories and experiences to every ear that will listen.
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