Category: Student journeys

While doing a Bushwise course there are plenty of opportunities to learn and practice the tricks of wildlife photography; this is even a useful skill when hosting guests on safari! Bushwise student Jacques du Toit shares his experience in this blog.

3 min read

A picture is worth a thousand words

“A picture is worth a thousand words” is an expression coined by newspaper editor Tess Flanders in 1911 – he could never have imagined how true these words would be 110 years later. The social media behemoth that steamrolls across every electronic device today would not be as effective had it not been for the advancements in photography. 

So how can photography improve the game driving and guiding experience? Why is understanding this artform important for guides? And why do I love it immensely?

My journey with photography

I’ll start with my love for the art of painting with light (aka photography) and the journey it has set for my life. The earliest memory I have with photography was visiting my grandma’s house when I was a 7-year-old boy, and finding my grandfather’s tiny spy camera from WW2. I ran around their house pretending to be a spy, clicking away on the (filmless) camera, escaping the mundane by looking through that little viewfinder. 

It was pure joy, but never something that I’d imagined could be a career one day. It was only during my Bachelor of Creative Industries degree that I elected to do a minor in photography, which then led to my career. Seven years onboard cruise ships, operating a high-end premium portrait studio, and I was living the dream. 

Doing what I love, meeting the most interesting people while travelling the globe. The joy I could bring families and individuals by creating amazing portraits for them was so fulfilling. But I was missing home, not a home, but Mzansi, my land. This is what brought me here to Bushwise and the South African Wildlife College – my dreams of combining my love of photography with my passion for this land and all its wildlife.

How photography enhances a safari experience

Game drive experiences are without a doubt improved by photography. Every guest who seeks that African safari adventure wants to not only remember it in their memories, but to also have a visual medium reminder. This can be used to show off or to correctly identify whichever species they encountered at a later stage – birders, I’m looking at you. 

The lodges also gain “brand recognition” from these photos/videos from the location tag attached to these images. There are photography specialised safari lodges that have caught onto this lucrative market by offering exclusive photo safaris.

It’s not all about the camera

At the very least, most guests have a phone to take pictures with, which is why it’s important for any guide to have some idea of photography. In my experience, many guests on vacation with even the slightest interest in photography had expensive photo gear that they’re not sure how to fully utilise. 

I’ve presented basic and advanced photography seminars on cruise ships, and the guests were very thankful to learn how to properly use their cameras. This helped me build a good relationship with the guests which ultimately gave them a better experience and helped them better capture their special moments. Which  is why I think it’s such an advantage for any guide to have some photography skills on their CV.

I’m reminded of one of my favourite photography quotes: “a camera didn’t make a great picture any more than a typewriter wrote a great novel”  -Peter Adams. With a little knowledge of photography, a great photograph can come from the most basic camera, if you understand how to paint with light.

Do you want to learn the tips and tricks of wildlife photography to improve your game drive experience? When you join a Bushwise wildlife course, you’ll also learn about photography in the field! Apply today.

Words and photographs by Jacques du Toit

#Birding #trailsguide #wildlifephotography #photography #apprenticefieldguide #fieldguidetrainer #fieldguiding #safarianimals #gamedrive #fieldguidecourse

Willem (WH) was camp manager at our Mahlahla campus, a duty that every Bushwise student has at least once during a course. In this blog, WH explains the role of a camp manager, and also shares a very special birthday story!

3 min read

One may ask why do you appoint a student still studying to become an apprentice field guide as camp manager? Isn’t there an instructor (an experienced staff member) that supervises the activities on campus? After this the next logical question will be what does it entail? 

What’s being a camp manager all about?

One of the aims at Bushwise is to simulate an environment that is as close as possible to a real-life lodge environment. This is essential because no one can teach a person to handle situations like being in charge of a group of people – this is only learnt through experience. The instructors then guide the students to become not only exceptional field guides, but also excellent lodge managers, head guides the list can go on. 

Camp life in terms of hierarchy on the Mahlahla campus works as follows. There is an instructor on duty to which the camp manager reports to, while the remaining students report to the camp manager on duty. This type of system teaches people to take responsibility and learn accountability – which are key attributes that a field guide needs. 

Taking on new responsibilities

As camp manager you have the responsibility to make sure that all of the teams on duty (kitchen, dustbin, classroom) complete their duties to a high standard. If some of the duties are not done or poorly done, then the camp manager is accountable. By implementing this system, the staff members are under less pressure, which means activities and general camp life run more effectively while upholding high standards.

The students get randomly allocated a week that they have the duty of being camp manager. I usually do not have good luck, but I had the privilege to be camp manager during my birthday week. This was special because it all happened by coincidence. 

As the week wrapped up…

My birthday was on Friday. Throughout the day I got good wishes from all of my fellow students as well as all the staff members. After dinner, Rose (the boss of the kitchen) called a meeting in the boma. As camp manager, I was startled by this because it sounded serious. 

A million things raced through my head as to why she called all the students together. All of us stood there in silence not saying a word staring into the fire. ‘Too-whee-koo-whirrrr’ was the only sound rattling through my head as a fiery-necked nightjar called in the distance.

Rose came around the corner with a very small dim light in her hands. Before I could see what was in her hands the whole group burst out with ‘’HAPPY BIRTHDAY…’’. During that moment emotions took over my whole body! I had to bite my tongue to just not shed a tear as I did not see it coming. Rose handed me a cake to the sounds of my fellow students singing. The whole group had kept it a secret from me. I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present!

That realisation made me think. 14 people from across the country came to Bushwise – we’ve only been together for a little over a month. No one knew each other, but still there they were singing together and celebrating with me. That moment made me realise that I made some friends that would be a part of me for the rest of my life. 

Grateful for these memories and connections

I didn’t come on this course with the expectation of making lifelong friends, but here we are. I know Bushwise, and especially the trainers, will help mold me as a person while helping me to equip myself with the necessary tools to become an exceptional field guide. Making lifelong friends along the way while spending time in nature has been a wonderful surprise. 

When you’re with Bushwise, you’re with family. Wouldn’t you love to make friends and memories like WH? Apply for a course today and experience the magic of the bush.

Words by WH Geerkens, photos by Louise Pavid

#wildlife #AdvancedRifleHandling #gameranger #bushwise #fieldguide #stars #qualification #safariguide #training #guidejobs #animals #bestlodges #apprenticefieldguide #safari #fieldguidetrainer #sightings #fieldguiding #endangeredspecies #gamedrive #guiding #elephant #fieldguidecourse #fieldguides

There’s nothing like rest and relaxation in the African bush, especially when it’s hard earned! Bushwise student Zack de Klerk became camp manager just as the students went on an off-week (break between semesters). This was an excellent opportunity to see what campus is like when it’s quiet…

4 min read

Camp manager on an off week

For me, being the camp manager was quite interesting as my week overlapped with our time off. On the same day that I became camp manager, it was my turn to be group leader as well as do the afternoon game drive. 

The game drive was quite fun and I was able to improve a bit on my guiding. We don’t always see a lot of animals on our drives – we definitely see birds – and the people in my game drive group help me a lot to improve my bird call knowledge. 

Bird calls and town trips

I was only camp manager for four days and then it was our first off week and time for some rest and relaxation in the African bush. I decided not to go home and stay on campus for the off week with Shannon, Saki, Kerry and Josh. 

On Monday, we all went to Hoedspruit to get some pizza and groceries for the week. We also did some birding on the way there. And then on Tuesday morning, all of them left to go to Kruger National Park for the rest of the week.

While being alone on campus, the bush really seemed to become more alive. I didn’t really go out of my rooms early in the mornings or after sunset because I was a bit afraid that Miss Whiskers (the name we gave the female leopard that’s on campus with us) would be outside walking around our rooms like she did a few weeks before. With me being the only one on campus, I didn’t want to run into her during the night. 

I heard her for three nights in a row (Tuesday , Wednesday and Thursday) around 11pm and then again at 4am. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. 

Listening for Miss Whiskers

During the days on campus, I enjoyed some much-needed rest. With no one here, the Nyalas came quite close to me and the dwarf mongooses as well (they even stole  some of my eggs when I left to go to the bathroom – sneaky things!). 

After the off week, I went back to being the camp manager and tried my best to keep everything running.

I set up a little rope rack for the dishcloths so that they can dry properly after being used. And I noticed that after people used the coffee station, they left it in a complete mess soI had to have a talk with everyone at dinner one night about it. It didn’t get better though because no one took it seriously. So every time I walked past the coffee station, I just quickly cleaned it up. 

Other than that my last few days of being camp manager went quite smoothly and there weren’t any problems. At the end of it, I was quite glad to switch from dish  duties to classroom duties because that usually takes the longest and I do struggle with washing pots – I won’t leave my team to do it on their own though. 

Being camp manager is an important role

I wish we could be camp managers more than once so I could get a better understanding of how to handle certain situations and feel a bit more prepared to take control in the situation rather than just listening/following someone else’s orders. I still think it’s a good thing to be able to follow someone’s orders though. And I honestly can’t wait for the rest of the course. I’m just so happy that I’m here and able to be doing this.

Sometimes you don’t even have to leave campus to have an amazing experience at Bushwise. Whether you’re enjoying a little rest and relaxation in the African bush, or driving a game viewer in a Big 5 reserve, it’s all part of your training. Apply today and live your wild life!

Words by Zach de Klerk, photos by Louise Pavid (except the camera trap image)

#wildlife #gameranger #Birding #bushwise #fieldguide #qualification #trailsguide #leopard #training #guidejobs #animals #apprenticefieldguide #fieldguiding #tracking #endangeredspecies #trackandsign #gamedrive #guiding #fieldguidecourse #fieldguides

This blog is by Daisy Gleeson, a Bushwise student who hails from London and has travelled between the UK and South Africa a few times in her life. Daisy shares her experience leaving a 9-5 job to pursue her dream of becoming an African safari guide.

Read time: 5 mins

Between the UK and South Africa

My first time in South Africa was in 2003, when I was six years old. Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to go between the UK and South Africa more times than I can count. My parents grew up in Zimbabwe and I have family that live in Africa. 

I grew up just outside of London, in the UK. When I was 17, I left school and entered the world of full-time employment. I worked within the hospitality, retail, insurance and service provider industries, but I couldn’t shake feeling unfulfilled. I started to wonder whether there was more to life than just working a 9-5 job to get by.

My parents split their time between the UK and South Africa (they have a house in George). Following a trip to visit them a few years ago, I knew that I had to find a way to come to South Africa and do something that was more than just a holiday. I started doing research online; not entirely sure what I was looking for, but hoping that I would find something.

Initially, I liked the idea of a volunteer project, but the ones I found only lasted a few weeks, and I knew that wasn’t going to be enough time. During my online search, I came across Bushwise and I bookmarked the webpage in 2020. I kept coming back to it, reading the information over and over again, each time becoming more certain that this was the path I wanted to take.

I knew Bushwise was for me

Due to Covid, my next trip between the UK and South Africa was only in February 2022; by this time, I had thoroughly researched Bushwise and their IFGA Safari Guide Course 6/12 Months. I sent my dad a message before I arrived explaining that I knew this was what I wanted to do, and he agreed that we could discuss it when I arrived.

As my older sister had followed a more traditional route by going to university and then into a career, I was unsure about how they would take the news that I wanted to spend a year in South Africa studying to become a field guide. 

However, when I spoke with them about it, they were so thrilled I didn’t even need to convince them at all. In fact, my dad was so jealous that I was almost certain he was going to try and join me and do the course as well. 

My parents supported this huge decision

Whilst I was there, we stayed in the Pilansberg for a few days. On safari, I was looking at things in a new light. How did the guide conduct themselves? How did they get to the position they are in now? What is it really like to be a field guide? I was so inspired by the knowledge they had, and how they could notice things that most people wouldn’t even look twice at.

Something I had not even considered before was that I could not actually remember a time when I had been on a safari with a female guide. I started to wonder why this was, and whether it would be difficult to succeed in an industry I had perceived to be dominated by men.

Finally making my move between the UK and South Africa

I knew that the next course was going to start in July, so I didn’t have much time to spend worrying about the realisation that in just a few months time, I was going to leave life as I knew it behind and embark on a completely new adventure. 

When I came back to the UK in March, I handed in my resignation at the job I’d been at for the past four years. The people there had become my family; but they understood that I was leaving to do something that I had dreamed of doing for a long time.

One of the main concerns for both my parents and myself was how safe it would be for a young woman to travel to a different country alone. I looked into the Hoedspruit area, where I knew I would be staying, and reached out to a few of the other international students who I knew were going to be at the same campus as me. We all had the same questions, but we were all so excited about the prospect of living and studying in the African bush.

Now that I’ve been at Bushwise for nearly two months, I couldn’t be happier that I took the plunge and entered into the world of the unknown. Every day is different and full of new knowledge and experiences beyond what I could have ever imagined. I’m so grateful that the African bush is my new office. 

It’s also exciting to be a part of the first Bushwise field guide course where there are more women than men, which to me, is a great indication that the future of the guiding world is shifting in a positive way.

Isn’t it time for you to make the leap and change your career? Apply for a Bushwise course today and soon, like Daisy, you too could make your dreams come true.

#gameranger #bushwise #fieldguide #qualification #safariguide #training #animals #apprenticefieldguide #safari #fieldguiding #gamedrive #fieldguidecourse #fieldguides

Siphiwe has just begun her wildlife career. As she looks forward to a promising future, she reflects on where she’s come from and how this experience will shape the guide she’s going to become.

Read time: 3 min

My name is Siphiwe Khoza, from Welverdiend village in South Africa. I’m one of the lucky four students that were awarded a full scholarship through the new Bushwise and the Southern African Wildlife College collaboration to start our wildlife career. 

There were 99 applicants, then 18 were selected for the interviews and only four of us made it (myself, Thinnah, Slon and Queeneth). It was not an easy journey, but I finally made it to the end.

The start of my wildlife career

I am so excited to be a field guide student and have a career in wildlife. I’ve always wished to study and have more knowledge and experience with wildlife and find employment in the guiding industry, sharing the information with others. 

There is a lot that I wish to share with the people in my village. I’m gaining more and more knowledge on a daily basis and seeing things differently from how I used to see them. 

We have amazing Bushwise trainers who do their job in an outstanding way. It seems quite impossible to train someone who knows nothing about wildlife in the period of six months and then become a pro at the end of the course, ready for a wildlife career. But it is possible with Bushwise trainers.

Learning more each and every day

I’m enjoying every second I get to spend here each and every day, from the classroom lessons to the game drives, doing different courses, and meeting new international friends – as the wildlife college accommodates students from all over the world. 

I have the coolest classmates ever. We have been sharing stories and experiences of our countries and getting to know each other. It is an amazing opportunity for me to get to know people from different backgrounds, as I’m going to work with different people after completing this course.

Incredible sightings on course

One of the best sightings we’ve ever had on a game drive was the day we came across a herd of 60 elephants from different age groups. It was the most amazing sighting we’ve ever seen at the water hole, with the matriarch leading the herd and the others following behind, making sure that no member is left behind. 

It was an amazing experience to see how elephants interact with one another. The same behavior that the herd of elephants does is the same behavior that our trainers do, they ensure that every learner is covered before we move on to the next module. 

I remember one day when I was going through a tough personal situation, and I was the one driving that morning for three hours. I couldn’t even do my guiding in a professional way. 

After the end of each drive, we got feedback from the trainers and fellow students. This is really helpful because it gives us a chance to reflect on our performance and think of how we can get better. 

Growing in my wildlife career

After the feedback, it made me realise that life has some ups and downs, it changes like the weather. One day we have cool warm beautiful weather and the next day we have very bad weather, but we have to keep on going no matter how tough situations are.

I am now a strong woman who is ready to put a smile on my face and do my work with passion and enthusiasm no matter how tough life is. I am going to become a nature guide soon, and life will always have challenges that I have to face and overcome without my clients noticing. 

All thanks to the Bushwise trainers for bringing back the confidence in me, turning metal into steel, from my weakest point to the strongest – just like a parent preparing a good future for her children.

I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me after the end of the course with all the knowledge and experience I’m gaining each and every day.

#Birding #bushwise #fieldguide #qualification #safariguide#training #animals #apprenticefieldguide #safar #fieldguidecourse #studying #fieldguides

Part of becoming a field guide is living amongst wildlife, respecting their space as they respect yours. Have you ever seen a leopard at night? Shannon Scullion experienced this first hand recently – and it’s an experience few people will ever have!

Read time: 4 min

In the second week of being at Bushwise, I was allocated the task of being camp manager. I enjoyed this week particularly because I like taking care of people, which I’m realizing quickly is a big part of being a great field guide. 

Taking on responsibility

I was responsible for making sure that all of the duties on campus were being done, such as taking out the bio bin, washing dishes after meals, and making sure that my fellow students knew what was for dinner and that I was available to help them with any problems that may come up. 

I was also in charge of keeping a radio on me. That way I would be able to contact Rose the chef, or Vaughan our head trainer after hours. This reassurance of having this instant contact on me made me feel especially comforted one night on campus before I went to sleep. 

When you’re living amongst wildlife

When we arrived at Bushwise, I was fully aware that we would be sharing our space for sleep and study with some wild critters. 

Wayne, one of our trainers, showed us a presentation in this first week to help us understand what we could expect to see when living amongst wildlife over the next six months. This included spiders, snakes, scorpions, centipedes, ticks, porcupines, honey badgers, spotted hyenas, vervet monkeys, baboons and last but certainly not least, leopards. 

Now I would be lying if I told you that this didn’t make me nervous, but coming from Australia where I would regularly encounter wildlife in my bedroom, I wasn’t too worried. I was excited to see all these things!

What will we see next?

One night during my week as camp manager, after some hours of after-dinner studying and a shower, I got into bed to watch a movie. I was just about to drift off to sleep when I heard a loud, short noise that almost sounded like a car door closing. 

I looked over at Sandra, my roommate. She was on the phone to her boyfriend and didn’t seem too fussed about the noise outside our bedroom. So, I settled and tried to go back to sleep. 

What’s that sound?

A few seconds later, there it was again. I looked over to Sandra again and this time she was looking back at me. “What was that?!” she said. We waited in silence for the noise to reappear. It did. 

As we were trying to figure out what it was, maybe a door having been left open and banging against a wall, the noise changed to a distinct and continuous rumble. We knew instantly then. It was a leopard just outside our bedroom door marking her territory! 

Instantly my mind started to race, I was freaking out. My mind even got me thinking, could this leopard open my door and come in here?! I knew this wasn’t logical, this is just one of the amazing things about living amongst wildlife. Still, hearing a leopard a few feet away from your bedroom door makes your mind start to run away with itself. 

I was just about to reach for the radio, just in case, when Sandra said excitedly, “Turn the lights off! Where is your torch?” We turned off the lights and I gave Sandra my best torch. We pushed ourselves up against the window and there she was, Mrs. Whiskers, her yellow eyes reflecting back at us. 

Expect anything when living amongst wildlife

She was the beautiful young female leopard that had been caught on Josh and Kerry’s camera trap that was set up by the waterhole at the other end of the campus a few nights before. We’d all named her Mrs. Whiskers. 

I couldn’t believe it. It was incredible! I didn’t feel scared anymore. I was just in awe of this beautiful creature, and the fact that she was sitting a few feet away from us. I didn’t even need to use the radio, but it was still nice to have it. 

Bushwise students learn about the importance of respecting wild animals while living amongst wildlife and creating safe places for people and animals to coexist. Wouldn’t you love to learn about wildlife, in a wild place like this? Apply for a Bushwise course today and start your career journey.

Words by Shannon Scullion, photos by Louise Pavid

#bushwise #qualification #trailsguide #training #animals #apprenticefieldguide #fieldguidecourse #studying

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to run a bush camp? In this blog, Bushwise student Chulu Msofe shares his experience as camp manager. This part of field guide training is important for gaining leadership and management skills.

Read time: 4 mins

We have just come back from our off week. Everyone’s excited to be back and learn new things and see what nature has to offer. This week was my week to manage the bush camp, which was the first time I’ve been in such a role. 

As a camp manager, I was responsible for making sure that the kitchen was stocked and if there were any shortages, I reported them to my superior. I was also in charge of the kitchen keys and chose a fellow student to have the spares in case something was needed when I wasn’t around. 

On Monday we started the day with a beautiful sunrise and bird calls. Everyone was up having a cup of tea or coffee with some rusks and fruits by 6:00. At 6:30 we started our game drive, where we got to learn about trees. I like to call this a green day – where we get to learn about different plants and trees on our game drive. 

Queeneth was our guide for the day and she explained how animals benefit in different ways from trees. For example, elephants can eat different parts of the tree for food – such as fruits, leaves, roots, tubers and bark – and they can also use the tree as a water source.

When we got back to camp, we had a lecture on birds – which I was quite excited about because I honestly love birds. Darryn was our trainer, which made the lecture even better because he’s also obsessed with birds. He gave us a lot of information about how to identify birds, where different birds are found, their foot structures, what kind of foods they eat and what kind of lifestyles they live. 

We also learned some interesting facts about their behaviors like preening, which helps them to condition and maintain the function of their feathers.

On Tuesday, it was finally my turn to be the field guide. I woke up at 5:00, prepared the snack box for the drive, checked that everything was fine in the kitchen and did safety checks on the game viewer – making sure we had water, a hi-lift jack, a spade, a toolbox and a first aid kit on board in case of emergency. I was then ready to drive my fellow students in Group A (the guests). 

I introduced myself as the guide and my trainer, Darryn, who was joining us. I was so excited to have my first guests on board. After coming out of the campus gate, we saw a herd of impalas and wildebeest. 

I stopped and explained what I knew about them and gave my “guests” a chance to ask any questions. On my drive, we saw some interesting birds – like Bateleur eagles, a kori bustard and a red-crested korhaan – as well as some leopard tracks. 

Once we arrived back at the campus, we had a lecture on fish, which was quite interesting – but not as interesting as the birds for me. After having lunch, we went on our second game drive. This time our guide was Menina who brought us luck, as we saw a bachelor herd of bull elephants and a black-backed jackal. Group B, who was guided by Christian, saw a buffalo, which was also pretty cool. 

On Wednesday, we had an epic sighting. We saw a bull elephant make a mock charge toward us in the morning and we finished off the day with lots of kudus thanks to Ricardo, who was our guide.

We started Thursday with spotted hyena calls passing just by the side of the campus fence. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find them during the morning drive. We went back to the bush camp early because it was a washing day for the game viewer. 

As camp manager, it was my job to supply the washing equipment – like the car’s shampoo and gloves for cleaning – and make sure everything was returned to the right place after cleaning. After our lecture, we had a bush walk where we studied civet, wildebeest and impala tracks, as well as identified some trees. I like walking in the bush because I feel much closer to nature. 

On Friday, we did another uneventful morning drive. After lunch, we did placement talks and got some feedback on how well everyone is doing during the first semester. The day ended with having a braai at the bush pub. 

During my week running the bush camp, I discovered just how friendly and willing people are to help out. I also learned that being a good leader means being a team player, which helps people feel more comfortable to share their views and opinions with you. This will then help you to know if anything needs to be changed, and you can give them feedback if you tried out one of their suggestions. 

Some of the tips I have are if someone has a complaint, don’t take it personally, and always be honest if you were wrong. This will strengthen communication within your team, which makes the job much easier. So far I have loved my week managing this bush camp and my time at Bushwise because it feels like we’re one big family.

Live and learn in a bush camp in the African wilderness, when you join a Bushwise course. Apply today!

#lion #gameranger #Birding #bushwise #fieldguide #stars #qualification #safariguide #sleepout #animals #apprenticefieldguide #safari #fieldguiding #gamedrive #guiding #fieldguidecourse #studying #fieldguides

Bushwise student Ricardo shares his experience as camp manager and all the amazing wildlife sightings from the week.

Read time: 3 min

I took over the camp manager position from Trevor this week. He was a great camp manager. For example, he got up early every morning before anyone else and kept watch while they were busy in the kitchen so he could lock up. 

Everyone has different leadership styles. Mine is a little different because I have a background in accounting. As my week as camp manager fell during an exam week, I realised delegation would be essential to keeping my stress levels low.

So, in the evenings I’d look at a list of all people who are going to lead a game drive the following morning and I would give the key to the most responsible person to open the kitchen up – which meant I got to get a little more sleep. 

Over the last week we have had two game drives a day at 6:30 every morning and 15:00 every afternoon, during this time we have seen some amazing wildlife sightings. While this is happening, we were given so much new information about everything from trees, grasses, birds, mammals, reptiles and even amphibians. 

This information would normally be an overload of new information, but the way the trainers explained everything to us made everything entertaining and interesting. 

For example, leadwood would make amazing firewood for a braai (which we call hardekole in Afrikaans) because it can burn for days, but we learnt it’s illegal to cut down since it’s a protected tree. 

Other protected trees in our area include marula due to traditional beliefs and apple leaf (appelblaar) trees due to folklore belief that it creates bad luck when cut down and will cause a rift in your family.

Two of my favourite trees I’ve learned about so far are jackal-berry and magic guarri. The jackal-berry can be used to brew beer, used in porridge, and the wood is even great for kitchen utensils and canoes. 

The magic guarri leaves can be used to put out fires, stems when cut and frayed could be used as paint and toothbrushes – and when desperate you could use the ash of leadwood as toothpaste. A traditional belief of magic guarri is that the branches are used to find water using a method called divining.

But enough about trees. On one of our drives, we had one of our amazing wildlife sightings – a hippo with its calf. They have to give birth in water shallow enough for the baby to be able to pop its head up for breath. The calf can only hold their breath for up to a minute while adults can hold theirs for up to five minutes. 

The name ‘hippopotamus’ comes from ancient Greek meaning river horse – which is very suitable as they can reach speeds of 35km/h! That’s very fast for such a gargantuan animal. 

It is also reported that the hippos are the most dangerous animal in Africa. That’s one of the reasons they are considered a dangerous game when on land. Personally, I believe crocodile attacks are underreported. But overall the lesson is enjoy the sighting, but don’t get too close to the water.

The sighting I enjoyed the most has to be the pair of male cheetahs we saw lying in the grass while a hyena approached them. After the hyena went walking off, our head trainer took us out on foot to get a better view of these amazing cats while still maintaining a respectful and considerate distance.

My time at Bushwise has really been amazing so far and I’ve really enjoyed being camp manager. The trainers are exceptional, they’re incredibly knowledgeable and have great story telling skills. For me Bushwise is the best.

Amazing wildlife sightings are just part of the experience on a Bushwise field guide course. This could be you – apply today!

BY: Ricardo Strydom, photos by Louise Pavid and GVI Limpopo

#bushwise #fieldguide #safariguide #training #guidejobs #animals #apprenticefieldguide #safari #fieldguidetrainer #sightings #fieldguiding #guiding #fieldguidecourse #fieldguides