If you're reading this magazine, you might have considered a career as a "game ranger" at some point during your childhood. It only takes one glimpse of a SANParks ranger, tanned elbow jutting from a bakkie turning down a "No Entry" road in the Kruger, to decide: "I want that bush life."
It was no different in my family - my older brother, younger sister and I all wanted to be game rangers. My sister Celetje actually did it - she didn't become a ranger per se, but she's a field guide at Shamwari Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape. Field guiding has become a popular career choice, especially for young people who prefer a life in the bush over a nine-to-five career in the city.
But how does one become a field guide, and what are the daily demands of the job? Surely it can't be all sundowners and watching leopards? In this article, we meet four people who answered the call of the bush.
Pieter Dannhauser Field guide, Nkorho Bush Lodge, Sabi Sand
It's a great privilege to be called a field guide. I'm reminded of this every morning when I watch the sunrise in the bush - what a joy!
I grew up on a farm in the Vredefort district in the Free State; living close to nature was always part of my life. As a family, we often spent holidays at Sabi Sand. During these holidays, I began to realise that I wanted to live and work in the bush one day - I had a passion for nature that I wanted to share with others.
After matric, I did a field guide course through EcoTraining (Hoedspruit), which included a six-month practical stint at Elephant Plains Game Lodge in Sabi Sand. I stayed at the lodge and two years later moved to nearby Nkorho Bush Lodge where I've been a field guide for a decade.
This lifestyle has been a dream come true, but it isn't always as easy as it looks. You meet a wide spectrum of people and some guests are just plain difficult.
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