Hope you are all well. As the manager of Buffalo Camp, I can tell you that I surely miss being in the bush. We often take these things so much for granted that we don’t always realise what we are missing until we don’t have these privileges any more.
Being a ranger myself until recently, I can assure you that it is a complete different lifestyle here in the bush.
Our traffic is not nearly the same as that in the city. Trusts me, when I say that a herd of elephant or buffalo will keep you waiting as long as they want while they amble slowly across the road. They definitely have the right of way. The only difference is that we enjoy watching them and we are not in a rush to go somewhere.
Our gambling is also different in the bush.
Talking out of experience, there is often some form or other of gambling going on between the rangers. With our sort of gambling though we have nothing to lose and you can earn some confidence and respect.
Here are some examples of Bush Gambling:
• When do you think the first Impala baby will be born?
• When do you think can we expect our first big summer rain?
• Which ranger will be the first to spot the new lion cubs?
• How much rain did we have last night?
I can carry on and on!
Even though our lifestyle in the bush is different, our traffic and gambling are much more interesting and I can assure you that a lot of things are the same all over.
It all boils down to what we make of it!
Initiative, a little bit of imagination and respect (for nature) plays a big role in the bush!
Contributed by: Melanie Opperman – Buffalo Camp
