Why We Do This

Woodland Kingfisher - Steve Garvie

When you wake up in the morning before the sun rises over Nambiti Private Game Reserve, and the crickets are interrupted by the call of a Woodland Kingfisher welcoming in the new day, this is when it all starts to make sense. It is the chill in the pre-dawn air that sends a shiver down your spine as you step out of your room to begin. It’s all a part of the life we live as a game guide. The possibilities of a new day are endless and the chance of seeing some of nature’s wonders drives you to start your search for that little something that will fill you with delight. From a pride of lion to the dew-soaked web of an Orb Web Spider shimmering gold in the first rays of the morning sun. These are the things that make up our lives.

But it is more than that. It is sharing it with people from far and near and watching the smiles on their faces as a lion roars before flopping to the ground to carry on with his nap. The look of awe on a child’s face when you remove a track set in plaster or as a millipede walks across their hand for the first time. Spotting a chameleon in the spotlight or just waiting patiently in silence and straining your eyes for a glimpse of a lioness stalking her prey in the dark of night. It’s feeling the wind change and the sound of the alarm and pounding hooves followed by a quick look of confusion as the lioness carries on with her night.

It is a passion and a lifestyle. One that allows you to get to truly know our world and what makes it tick. It can overwhelm you and remind you of how small we are in the greater scheme of things. That is why I do this and will do this for many more years. I would like to end off with a question. When last did you stop and listen to the beat of the African bush? I did, this morning.

- Brett Hoy, game guide at Nambiti Hills Private Game Lodge