Ranger Stories

Is it?

2010-01-18T05:05:00.000-08:00

Not sure if ranging is always all its cut out to be. I read an interesting report from an honourary ranger after a weekends work up at the kloof, at a rest camp. Apart from the report of two brief visits, one of which was to use the loo only, the report mentioned under comments the need for a sanitary bin in the ladies loo. Is this what ranger duties are becomming???? Where are the old days? Chuckle***

Ranger Stories - Diary entry from 22 January 2005

2009-07-06T03:12:00.000-07:00

The two twin elephants walked side by side into the dense thicket of green trees and shrubs. The forest like vegetation of the iNyathi concession offerred to them and their family a paradise. The small river trinkled over the rocks, a babbling brook to calm the soul.

All around us mountains and gorges towered into the sky. It was as though we were lost in a part of the world not yet discovered by man.

Folded rock faces displayed in perfect textbook cross sections how the world had been forced to change over billions of years. Giant Yellow wood trees too towered above us,making us small and insignificant in a vast and untamed wilderness.
We followed the tiny twin tracks up and down through mountains and across grassland plains. Red hot blood lillies drew such attnetion to themselves as a pair of Crowned Eagles soared above - screeching in their childlike play in the thermals above..

Across fynbos ridges and back through the forest and again over plains where the Natal Red Top grasses created images of tufted snow surrounding an abundance of zebra, red hartebeest and eland - all with young at their feet.
We searched for the spoor of the leopard, who must surely live there - his secret lost to time. Our time seemed so puny to the time taken to create this beautiful place.

The red earth shone bright through the conglomerates on the Enon structure. A geologists classroom come to life. Above our heads the rock kestrels mobbed a cobra. It lost its grip in the attack, and falling some thirty meters off the cliff face fell into the pool of water below with a single solid 'plop' sound. All else was silence, and seconds later no one would ever have known the encounter that had just occurred before us. Even we doubted that what we had seen was for real.

Beside us the brook seemed to suddenly pick up pace as a wall of debris dislodged a minature dam of old leaves that had built up, releasing the new flow of energy downstream. The birds sang in the multitude of trees, almost over exagerrating their bliss in paradise. I could hardly blame them, my own soul sang out in the same melody.

Ranger Stories: Journal entry of 21 January 2005

2009-07-06T03:10:00.000-07:00

I lay back in the bath, the light filtering through the leaves of the big fig tree outside my window. As I closed my eyes in peace, I heard the lioness call from just outside. Africa never leaves me.

2009-07-02T23:28:00.000-07:00

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Ranger Diary cont...

2009-07-02T23:04:00.000-07:00

Not too far from us, a herd of giant sized buffalo bulls emerged slowly from the thicket. They had found a muddy wallow lined with limestone and had caked their giant devil like heads thouroughly in it. The result appeared that the devil himself had appeared bearing skulls upon giant black bodies. I would not intend to pick a fight with them today.

Meanwhile across the plains on the opposite slope a Black Rhino fed in peace. Occassionally as the call of the lion would cast his lonely cry, he would pause to listen. But it seemed not to bother him too much. What a perfect afternoon with a mingling of the Big Game! And I here alone to sit and gaze upon it with all this time on hand.

Between the bank of clouds the sun began to shine a little. A light sheen highlighted the kings mane with golden tinsel. Beside me the grass rustled Africa's secrets in the wind, like a message staright to my heart. How I loved to be at home...in Africa.

Ranger's Diary Entry 20 January 2005

2009-07-02T22:53:00.000-07:00

Though the sky was overcast - the backs of the elephants could clearly be seen contrasting deep red brown against the dense green thicket. From upon the hill on which we viewed them, the wet soil revealed tracks of so many kinds. The elephants had slipped and skidded down the bank - the kudu had run swiftly up - and the warthog had stopped to scratch itself.

And then into view, so silently but suddenly a large male lion strolled. his blonde mane whispering as the gusty wind tussled it with gentle fingers. Silently he walked, ages it seemed across the grassy field. Hartebeest danced and leapt away, snorting in loud short puffs as they went, a wake creating in his presence as he walked. He was not, it seemed, as interested in them as they were in he, and as they glared in strolled on silently, as though in great purpose.

We followed him for ages, and at last he stopped to rest. And minutes later his deep throated roar echoed across the gorge. His whole body reverberating in the sound...as was mine.

He stopped a while in silence, as though expecting a reply from some distant horizon, but there was none.

Listen to that "Gut Feeling"

2009-05-27T01:04:00.000-07:00

Listen to that “Gut Feeling”
When I think of this story time and time again I still feel that same prickly feeling running up my spine, wondering what could have been had I not heeded that other common phrase.. “Listen to your gut feel”

This story happened very early in my career. I was barely nineteen years old and I must have been guiding full time for just on a month. At this particular lodge we were accompanied by trackers, usually a local man with the practical knowledge of the bush that was insurmountable to my own. At first my tracker, and later my best frind, Ignatius would travel with me on every drive. He knew the roads, and the Park, he had grown up in the area herding his fathers cattle. He could read tracks and signs which I had barely begun to see yet. He was my pilot, and without him, I dare say out loud, I felt completely lost.

I hated going on drives without Cross, whom I used to call him. He was my confidence, particularly once the sun had set. But tonight was Cross’s night off, and I had to stomach my uncertainty and just get out there, knowing I knew what I was capable of, it was merely a confidence thing.

The drive had gone well. We had stopped at the towers for an awesome sunset and drink stop, and there was no problems without Cross, I was doing just fine!
Darkness was set in full, and I thought it was time to start heading back to the camp for dinner. We edged down the slope from the high points, and as we reached the bottom nd leveled out, I was most happy to spot a very large white rhino bull grazing barely thirty meters away. He was on the opposite side of the vihicle to me, but he seemed content to graze and not be bothered by us. We still had a bit of time, and so I decided to enjoy some time with the large and somewhat handsome animal.

Because the rhino was on the opposite side of the vehcle, I propped myself up on the side of my door to gain height so that the animal could be seen properly in my spotlight.
And so we sat watching the rhino.

While we sat, chatting away as the Rhino wasn’t in the least bit interested in what we were doing or what we had to say, I suddenly felt a stirring, a feeling that something was watching me from behind. I casually turned the spotlight to search the push behind me, but there was nothing, only stillness.
So I turned my attention back to the rhino.

A few seconds later, while in conversation, I again felt the urge that something was watching me from behind. Again I swung the spotlight, looking more carefully this time at what could possible be in the wooded grass area behind me. Again there wasn’t a sign, sight or hint of any animal.
I turned the spotlight back to the Rhino, thinking surely, if anything was there, the rhino would sense it.

And then it ran through me, like electricity compounding every cell in my body. The hair on my back shot up as a shiver ran like a bolt through my spine and every hair on my body stood rigid. I swung the light around with such speed and verocity without a doubt that something was watching me and now extremely close. As the split seconds passed as my spotlight filled the air coming around to my door, the light filled the entire frame of a large male leopard peering at me through the grass barely two meters from my door. He had been staring at the back of my head for all this time.

I startled him in that second and he bolted, as I threw myself into the chair consumed with fear and fright. I had my breath stolen from me in seconds. It was just far too close for comfort, and the night was filled with fear and anxiety. I could sense my own death was merely seconds away.

Not one person breathed a word on the vehicle. After sometime, when I had caught my breath and the colour had returned to my face I spoke to my guests to ask them if they realized how close he was, and it wasn’y just his curiposity. My guests agreed that there was something rather eerie about the whole scene, and that they too had felt the shrill in their bodies the second they saw him.

I forgot about the rhino, started the car and drove without stopping until we made it back to camp. I was sick to the gut with what could have happened. it had turned out that this was a very large old male who was looking for an easy meal. It’s a time when these large cats are at their most dangerous.

I told my head ranger the story, and he agreed that a few more seconds could have had a very different outcome. He told me to always, always heed my gut warning, and that being tuned into the bush means exactly that. My gut was trying to tell me something from the start, and I chose not to listen to that until the end it was practically screaming at me.

To this day I both respect and fear the lopard with great intent. He is far to secretive and stealthy. I have tried at best to tune in my gut feeling, and always heed a warning or a spark. The ‘gut feel’ can lead you not only to awesome sightings and remarkable viewings in the bush, but it can also save your life.

Centipede Mishap

2009-05-17T00:17:00.000-07:00

Probably one of the most hysterically funny moments was the day I was showing off a centipede to my guests. Since this small creature can deliver quite a nasty sting with its back pincers, I had the centipede moving (rather quickly) over the brim of my cap, to allow a view for all my guests to see the fascinating small wonder of nature. I was standing perched on the side rail of the cruiser for a bit of height to show the guests on the back seat. As I leaned over to show the last row of guests, a guest in the middle seat was leaning down to pick up his camera bag on the floor of the cruiser. What on earth would provide such a well timed coincidence? But as the guest lent forward his shirt pulled away from his pants exposing his back, and at that moment the centipede fell from my cap and landed perfectly onto this bare patch of skin, and plopped neatly into the back of his pants! Oops, was all I said.

Right Back at Ya!!

2009-05-13T05:44:00.001-07:00

Most African People are known to be particularly terrified of snakes. This is probably a phobia or fear handed down from generations, in that should a venomous snake bite a person, he is surely to die. Although ancient medicines were conjured up for the tretment of snake bites, even today some of our advanced medical procedures are not always enough to help a victim of a venomous snake bite, particularly when time is delayed in getting the victim to proper health care facilties quick enough, or the victims own health conditions are not strong enough to sustain the bite while help is required.

While snake bites are rare despite the contact we have and the amount of people living and visiting the bush these days, this phobia amongst many of the black people of Africa remains. If they are scared, few things will change this, not education, not anything.

Ignatius my tracker I thought was a very brave man. He was not scared to admit however that he feared snakes. He would look at them from the vehicle but he would not veer near them, and would definitely not touch them. He was man true to his word, snakes were from another world. I respected Ignatiu’s fear… afterall, my own opinion of snakes was probably not too far behind his.

One day, after a morning drive together, we bade our guests off and headed back to the staff village where we lived about 15 minutes frm the lodge. Despite all rules, we always drove this road a little too quickly in our attempts to get home and grab as much sleep as possible in the short time between drives. We were on one of these ‘cruises’ home, myself driving, and Cross (Ignatius) sittng perched on his favourite trackers seat on the bulbar. He was confident on this seat, trusted my driving, and typically would never hold on.

As I took the corner to the right which opens from the thicker bush to the open areas, my eyes caught the glimmer of a huge python stretched breadth across the road. My stomach pulled into a knot as I feared I might run over him, and naturally hit the brakes as the vehicle skidded to hault veering in dust and noise towards the large snake who hadn’t moved. Cross, in a great leap of faith went flying off the trackers seat, landing in an arch on the ground like a rainbow perched over the snake. The funniest thing was that his hands and feet had barely touched the ground for a second, when he almost seemed to leap backwards, in a spring that a caracal would have been proud of, and like bare feet on hot coals was back on the trackers seat before the dust had settled. Ashamedly I laughed my guts out. Tears running down my face as poor Cross sat sullen and deeply scared and hurt at my laughing. But I couldn’t help it.

Cross didn’t speak to me for days after that, despite the good laugh it gave me. I was truly sorry, but that didn’t help. Only time would do the trick.
And I guess the wheel really does turn. Because it wasn’t two weeks later, when on the same cruise home, this time Ignatius at the Wheel and me on the trackers seat, we came skidding around the corner only to find two large hippo out of the water and on the road.
The thought of how dangerous this creature is out of the water, and being at such close proximity to it, sent me flying backwards in seconds as I plummeted out of the trackers seat, over the windscreen and into the passenger seat before Cross even had the time to hit the breaks. This time we laughed together, as the two hippos pounded off into the bush, and I knew I had to swallow my own embarrassment, to laugh with my friend again.

2009-05-12T02:32:00.001-07:00

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Listen to that Gut Feeling

2009-05-12T02:12:00.000-07:00

When I think of this story time and time again I still feel that same prickly feeling running up my spine, wondering what could have been had I not heeded that other common phrase.. “Listen to your gut feel”

This story happened very early in my career. I was barely nineteen years old and I must have been guiding full time for just on a month. At this particular lodge we were accompanied by trackers, usually a local man with the practical knowledge of the bush that was insurmountable to my own. At first my tracker, and later my best frind, Ignatius would travel with me on every drive. He knew the roads, and the Park, he had grown up in the area herding his fathers cattle. He could read tracks and signs which I had barely begun to see yet. He was my pilot, and without him, I dare say out loud, I felt completely lost.

I hated going on drives without Cross, whom I used to call him. He was my confidence, particularly once the sun had set. But tonight was Cross’s night off, and I had to stomach my uncertainty and just get out there, knowing I knew what I was capable of, it was merely a confidence thing.

The drive had gone well. We had stopped at the towers for an awesome sunset and drink stop, and there was no problems without Cross, I was doing just fine!
Darkness was set in full, and I thought it was time to start heading back to the camp for dinner. We edged down the slope from the high points, and as we reached the bottom nd leveled out, I was most happy to spot a very large white rhino bull grazing barely thirty meters away. He was on the opposite side of the vihicle to me, but he seemed content to graze and not be bothered by us. We still had a bit of time, and so I decided to enjoy some time with the large and somewhat handsome animal.

Because the rhino was on the opposite side of the vehcle, I propped myself up on the side of my door to gain height so that the animal could be seen properly in my spotlight.
And so we sat watching the rhino.

While we sat, chatting away as the Rhino wasn’t in the least bit interested in what we were doing or what we had to say, I suddenly felt a stirring, a feeling that something was watching me from behind. I casually turned the spotlight to search the push behind me, but there was nothing, only stillness.
So I turned my attention back to the rhino.

A few seconds later, while in conversation, I again felt the urge that something was watching me from behind. Again I swung the spotlight, looking more carefully this time at what could possible be in the wooded grass area behind me. Again there wasn’t a sign, sight or hint of any animal.
I turned the spotlight back to the Rhino, thinking surely, if anything was there, the rhino would sense it.

And then it ran through me, like electricity compounding every cell in my body. The hair on my back shot up as a shiver ran like a bolt through my spine and every hair on my body stood rigid. I swung the light around with such speed and verocity without a doubt that something was watching me and now extremely close. As the split seconds passed as my spotlight filled the air coming around to my door, the light filled the entire frame of a large male leopard peering at me through the grass barely two meters from my door. He had been staring at the back of my head for all this time.

I startled him in that second and he bolted, as I threw myself into the chair consumed with fear and fright. I had my breath stolen from me in seconds. It was just far too close for comfort, and the night was filled with fear and anxiety. I could sense my own death was merely seconds away.

Not one person breathed a word on the vehicle. After sometime, when I had caught my breath and the colour had returned to my face I spoke to my guests to ask them if they realized how close he was, and it wasn’y just his curiposity. My guests agreed that there was something rather eerie about the whole scene, and that they too had felt the shrill in their bodies the second they saw him.

I forgot about the rhino, started the car and drove without stopping until we made it back to camp. I was sick to the gut with what could have happened. it had turned out that this was a very large old male who was looking for an easy meal. It’s a time when these large cats are at their most dangerous.

I told my head ranger the story, and he agreed that a few more seconds could have had a very different outcome. He told me to always, always heed my gut warning, and that being tuned into the bush means exactly that. My gut was trying to tell me something from the start, and I chose not to listen to that until the end it was practically screaming at me.

To this day I both respect and fear the lopard with great intent. He is far to secretive and stealthy. I have tried at best to tune in my gut feeling, and always heed a warning or a spark. The ‘gut feel’ can lead you not only to awesome sightings and remarkable viewings in the bush, but it can also save your life.

2009-05-12T02:06:00.000-07:00

Ranger Stories
Living in the Bush in the many camps and lodges throughout South Africa, as a ranger and guide, one experiences the real romance and reality of what life in the bush entails. Whether a chef, a front office manager, a guide, or a therapist, life in the bush in the hospitality industry is definately not for the feint hearted. Funny stories, serious stories, close shaves and life changing encounters with the creatures of the wild..not to mention eccentric colleagues....here are just a few snippets of my favourite memories of working in the Hospitality industry out in the GAMADOOLAS!