A KIDS Are Alright Challenge nominee and two of her friends realised their dreams when they spent four weeks working with cheetahs in Africa.

Emma Butler, 18, from Wimblington, was nominated for the Kids Are Alright Challenge after raising hundreds of pounds to allow her to travel to Namibia and work at a wildlife sanctuary.

The teenager joined Georgina Bates, 18, of Parson Drove, and Cathy Eglen, 20, of Chatteris, in a group who worked with the big cats, baboons, caracals, lions and leopards during the trip.

Miss Butler said: “The trip was the best four weeks of my life and I would love to go back and do it all over again.

“I got to work with the cheetahs - which was the best part of the trip - but everyone was really friendly and it was amazing to work with children at Na’an Ku See school.

“I really hope I get the chance to go back again and visit one day.”

The group fed and assisted with the animals’ health checks as well as releasing cheetahs into the wild as part of the visit.

Miss Eglen said “the trip was a real eye opening experience that I would love to do all over again.” Miss Bates described it as “the experience of a lifetime and I got the opportunity to do so much”.

The trip formed part of the BTEC in Animal Management course at the college’s Wisbech campus.