Narrow Escapes

HOW DO YOU SPEND MOST OF YOUR TIME?
I am currently based in the little town of Hoedspruit, situated close to the Kruger National Park, where I spend most of my time either on safari or working on books. I was born in South Africa (1993) but then moved to Australia in 2002 where I completed my schooling and afterwards started working in a gymnasium. When my family moved back to SA in 2012, I decided to visit, and it was a trip to the Kruger Park that re-sparked my passion for African wildlife and photography. This would eventually lead me back to live out my dream as a photographic safari guide, photographer and author.

I spend approximately 300 days a year in the field, between the Greater Kruger region, Botswana’s Okavango Delta and the Kalahari, where I also host photographic tours.

ANY HEART-STOPPING MOMENTS OF RISK DURING SHOOTING, OR NARROW SCRAPES?

Yes, there were many across the duration of the project, as I was staying in a camp that had frequent lion, leopard and even elephant visitors! However, the closest call was when we were on a drive one afternoon and we came across a leopard mother and her young cub in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve. Due to the position of both cats, it was possible to park between them, with the mother on our right, close to the front right wheel of the vehicle (Toyota Land Cruiser), and the cub in a tree at the left rear of the vehicle. The cats were very relaxed, providing us with an immaculate leopard sighting.

But this changed when one of the guests behind me dropped his camera’s lens cap, falling quietly onto the sand next to the vehicle. I indicated to the guide to reverse slightly so that I could lean out and grab it. However, I completely misjudged the height of the vehicle and soon slipped and fell out, landing flat on my face and stomach. I anticipated an attack of razor sharp claws and teeth. I slowly looked up to find the female leopard up and alarmed, looking at me underneath the Cruiser, while her cub at the back hissed viciously, however, nothing happened. I lay no more than five metres from the mother, who surprisingly, lay back down while staring at me with intense curiosity. Not daring to move too much, I glanced up at the guide, who calmly told me to throw my legs back on, followed by my hand in order for him to pull me up. With the slightest movement the female was agitated again and I honestly thought that it would be the end, but still no attack. Quickly enough, I was pulled back onto the vehicle by the guide, leaving only the lens cap still lying in the sand as before. A second try saw a successful retrieving of the cap. There are stories in the book of other close encounters, such as how I almost stepped out of my room onto mating lions, which will provide readers with some amusement.