I often tell guests that working in the African safari world is not a job, but a lifestyle. And if you have been on Safari or visited Africa, you will know exactly what I mean. You, without human intervention, turn into a conservationist, and you have a new found respect for wildlife. A very good example of this is the Pygmy Kingfisher that Pierre caught in one of the rooms at the lodge recently, or the insects that are so carefully “relocated” to the bush by the housekeeping staff every morning. Every single creature, great or small is cherished, and we also sometimes take for granted how lucky we are to live this life, and it takes but one person to make one comprehend this.
Shane Lynch, Vuyani Safari Lodge’s newest family member is originally from Johannesburg, and lived in the city all of his life. He decided that he was tired of the hustle and bustle and fast paced life and packed up to move to the African bush. The first day I met him he confessed that he knows very little about this lifestyle and that he was very intrigued yet a little anxious. On his foremost evening at the staff village he had an encounter with an arachnid, which did not aid in his forecast of a lifestyle change. He had never been on Safari, never been woken by Vervet Monkeys, Chacma Baboons or chattering birds – he was a complete Safari rookie.
His first day in the Kruger was memorable, not only for him, but even more so for Pierre. From a guide’s perspective there is nothing as rewarding as watching someone who is seeing something for the first time. I am sure it is like this with many jobs. The enthusiasm and curiosity that people bring, the utmost fascination with an Impala (which is by far the most frequently spotted Antelope) the contagious excitement when one of the Big Five are spotted. And then by far my best moment when the African sun lays its head down to rest, the spectacular sunsets that the Drakensberg mountain range brings into being. That is the moment that most feel the magic of Africa. The moment they fall in love with our beautiful country.
These are the moments that we live for; these are the moments that make my lifestyle the best that I could have ever asked for. The awe in which everything is seen and documented, the moment that I realize how blasé I really have become and in that moment appreciate the marvel of it all. It reminds you why you chose this career path, why you love to share your moments, why you want the whole world to know that Africa really is exquisite.
It takes but one person to make me realize this, and I suddenly miss being out there sharing my knowledge and love for conservation. I look at the guides with so much pride – Pierre with the most delicate touch ensuring the little Pygmy Kingfisher is not injured and then watching intensely as it flies off into the open skies. Stacey reporting back with so much passion about the happenings of her morning safari and Jesse who sits in the parking area to ensure no one accidentally steps on the dung beetle that is making his way from North to South.
The best safari experiences, the breath taking sunsets at dusk and dawn, the implausible array of mammals, birds, reptiles and insects and lastly the enchanting feeling that penetrates your soul is what will convert you to the conservationist and aficionado of Africa that you might have never known you were.
*Justine Ferreira