African Wildlife & Environment Issue 80

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

Woodlands to the west of Shingwedzi. From there I moved to Stols Nek in the southwestern corner of the KNP. All my colleagues over those years were so supportive, both in trails and as a section ranger, and I am grateful for each one that helped me and my family in so many ways. The advent of concessions within the KNP was very controversial, where many people thought the KNP was being sold off.This was however not the case, and the concessions targeted a niche market that was more in competition with the likes of the high-end safari lodges in the private reserves. I started the first concession at the old Jock of the Bushveld camp. This became known as Jock Safari Lodge with Duncan MacNeillie who was the successful bidder. We were still building the new lodge when 9/11 happened in the USA

helicopter, simulating a charge.The day I had to do mine I was feeling incredibly nauseous and thought I can’t tell anyone, because they might think I was trying to get out of it. In the Pafuri area I ended up having to put down three bulls that had been earmarked after leaving the KNP. This was all part of the culling program in those days. The reason that I was feeling so sick, was that I had full-blown Hepatitis A and ended up being hospitalized and isolated for ten days. I was only able to start my new job after two months, because I was too weak and sick to pitch up for work. I even had to postpone my wedding because I was too sick to even stand. When I did start, I ended up spending almost eight years being a wilderness trails ranger at Wolhuter, Nyalaland and Napi trails camps. My first section was at

31 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 80 (2021)