From textbooks to tracking: Six weeks and counting at Lion Sands
Words by Oliver Binks, Career Course Internship at Lion Sands Private Game Reserve
After a busy six months at the MORE Field Guide College, with some qualifications now under my belt, I was given the opportunity to join the Lion Sands KNP team on a six-month placement. This enables me to learn from their highly experienced guiding company and see firsthand what life in a luxury lodge environment entails.
Arriving at Skukuza Airport six weeks ago, I simply had no idea what to expect. The next phase of my journey into the guiding profession, a life-long dream, was now underway and I couldn’t have been more excited. I was greeted by my mentor, who was standing at arrivals with my name on a board, welcoming me to the Kruger. We then made our way to Tinga Lodge for a quick tour, before heading to the staff village to get settled in.
I was amazed by the living conditions for this little community of staff members. A large common room with a TV, pool table, couches, tables and chairs, and a fully functional kitchen with an industrial refrigerator. Outside, a swimming pool, loungers, and a braai stand looked like an inviting place to hang around between drives. The en-suite room with air conditioning was definitely a pleasant surprise as well. The sense of a home away from home was evidently achieved, making it easier for everyone to stay on for six weeks at a time. Everyone at the lodge was very welcoming and made me feel like part of the team from the get-go, which I still greatly appreciate.
Induction was a two-and-a-half-week process consisting of between one and two days in each department around the lodge. This was to see how everyone from housekeeping to the ecology team does their part to ensure smooth day-to-day operations and create the best experience possible for the guests. It was incredible to see the attention to detail and effort all members of the Tinga and Narina teams put in to make the safari experience memorable for their guests. I particularly enjoyed my short stint with the butlers who are there every day, from start to finish, to cater to the needs of their guests and always with a smile.
Since the end of my induction, I’ve been part of the safari team comprised of guides and trackers. A typical day involves a morning and evening game drive of around three hours each. In between drives, there’s roughly four hours, during which I can go on bush walks with an on-site mentor, gaining valuable hours towards my trails guide qualification or work through my NQF4 workbooks.
Spending time with the team has been such a valuable experience and has included more learning than that out of any textbook or manual. Professionalism and knowledge are in no short supply, which has allowed me to pick up little tips and tricks and start building my own guiding style. Generally, with every set of guests, there will be a bush breakfast, bush dinner and/or a boma dinner which I’ve been able to sit in on and assist in hosting the guests, allowing us to connect with them outside of the Land Cruiser.
The property makes it easy to show the guests why we love what we do, with a beautiful concession inside the Kruger National Park. With both the Sabie and Sand rivers flowing through the property, the sightings have been incredible, including many firsts for me. My favourite was my first leopard kill. We watched as the sub-adult stalked her prey (a baby bushbuck), eventually pounced, and shot off into the thickets. We later found her in a tree with her kill, while hungry hyenas waited below for scraps to fall.
In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve done my best to get involved in as much as possible, because the busier the day, the more you learn! It’s a real privilege to be here, and I’m looking forward to the next couple of months.
