Would you swap your office job for a daily elephant encounter? Bonnie Culbertson talks with various safari workers to see if living in the wild is exciting, terrifying, or a little bit of both.
Witnessing a spectacular sunrise break over the African bush, accompanied by the sweet serenade of exotic birds and buzzing insects, is an experience most people only dream of. Yet, for a select few, it is simply the start of another day at the office. Living and working in an African safari lodge, or guiding overland safari tours, is an extraordinary adventure.
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Godwin Temba, who co-owns and manages boutique eco-retreat Kantabile Afrika alongside his wife, Vivian, wishes all of his guests understood how to respect the local wildlife.
“I worry about people not respecting animals and, in turn, endangering themselves. For example, elephants need their space and privacy. If people intrude on that, elephants can feel disturbed and charge as a way to protect themselves and defend their territory. Many visitors don’t understand this and end up putting themselves in the path of danger unwittingly.”– Godwin Temba
Commitment to Conservation
For the Tembas, the drive to help as many people as possible comprehend this deep respect for nature is what led them to open their camps, which have been recognised by Regenerative Travel for superior conservation and community development initiatives like foregoing pools in the drought-prone Serengeti, sourcing food and supplies from local villagers, and hiring young Tanzanians who dropped out of school and would not otherwise have access to a viable career path.
“When we live in the society that we are so accustomed to, we are conditioned to think that we constantly need structure and control over the environment,” says Temba. “But we need to give animals priority in their habitat—their path, their home—they have the right to use the land as they wish. Most people don’t get that and think we humans are superior and ‘own’ the land, which is very wrong. Living in harmony with nature shakes up that belief system.”
If you are interested in reading the whole article by Bonnie Culbertson in the New Zealand Herald, follow the link here.
