My parents never really used to take me seriously when I told them that I wanted to be a game ranger when I grew up. They used to assume that this adventurous idea would eventually fade away, and it was only a childhood fantasy that arose from me reading books about wild animals and watching documentaries on National Geographic. Little did they know I was being dead serious.
Recently I was lucky enough to have my parents come to visit me at Londolozi and they got to see me living out my childhood dream first hand. I felt so privileged to spend three nights here with them and introduce them to my new, extended, Londolozi Family. After taking them behind the scenes and opening their eyes to my day-to-day life it didn’t take long for them to realise why this has always been my dream, and not just a crazy idea.
The bush provided as it always does, but it was one sighting in particular that will always be engrained in our memory, for a fairly unusual reason. On our last afternoon, we watched a large herd of buffalo, 450 strong, approach a water hole and wallow and drink in it for a good hour or so. Besides being an event to behold, it was a story that my Mom reminded me of that made that afternoon particularly special.
A buffalo calf stands for the oxpeckers to groom him.
‘Kalinzu and the Oxpecker’ was without a doubt my favourite childhood book. Growing up I would always ask either of my parents or older siblings to read it to me before going to bed. It’s a story about a buffalo calf, Kalinzu, and how he and his mother were split up after being harassed by some hyenas. We were about to live out my childhood story!
Amongst the chaos, Kalinzu strayed too far from his mother and the rest of the herd and was alone and confused for days on end. After searching and searching to no avail, eventually, an oxpecker landed on his back. Something clicked and he knew that this meant the herd could be nearby! He plucked up all the energy he had left to search one last time and at the end of the day, it was this very oxpecker that guided him back to his mother and the rest of the herd.
A yellow-billed oxpecker perches neatly on a buffalo’s back. We generally only see this species of oxpecker around buffaloes mainly due to them being larger in size, they are able to find enough ticks and ectoparasites on one individual to sustain their larger body mass and therefore don’t need to fly around as much
All hidden meanings aside, and now that I know more about animal behaviour, I’ve realised that the book highlighted one of the most iconic relationships in nature, that of the oxpecker and buffalos. A perfect example of a mutualistic relationship whereby both the oxpeckers and the buffalo benefit. I won’t delve deeply into the intricacies of the relationship but if you are interested in learning more here is a little piece that compares this relationship to the spirit of Ubuntu: “I am because of you.”
A young buffalo calf stands in amongst the rest of the herd. Buffalo calves usually don’t venture far from their mothers and are eventually weaned at around 12 months. Forcing them to become more independent when their mother gives birth to a new calf, usually another 12 months down the line.
After the buffalos left the waterhole we went to find a comfortable place to have sundowners and reflect on the special time that we had together. I was filled with nostalgia as we proceeded to get quite sentimental after drawing parallels to our current situation. I couldn’t help but think about how strange life is, you never know exactly what path it’s going to take. I was reminded how important it is to live in the moment and never take anything for granted – especially not those bedtime stories!
And so for me, seeing oxpeckers and buffalos together brings a smile to my face and reminds me of my roots. It completes the full circle from when the seed of becoming a ranger was first planted into my head, to where I am now living out that dream with a new, extended family.
Splendid story, thanks for sharing!
A very nice story, the buffalo calf is adorable and the sunset magnificent. I can’t remember a single story on animals as a child as there were far too many! Among them I remember Raik the cheetah. I was looking forward to get news on the cheetah and the lion dynamics but this one came as lovely as unexpected!
Lovely story, thank you!
Very nice, Robbie. Thanks.
Robert I am so pleased to hear that your childhood dream has come true, and that you are a Ranger at Londolozi living your dream out. I love the buffalo’s and that calf is beautiful. So glad you could spend 3 days with your parents and I’m sure that they are very proud of you. Keep up the good work and live each day to the fullest.
Robert, Good for you. A great story of life and your dreams. So glad your parents were able to be a part of it all
A lovely story. And how wonderful for you that you can really live your childhood dream and enjoy life in the bush.
Robbie, thanks for the wonderful story. The pictures were pretty good also. A life spent in the bush with nature is a life fulfilled .
Great story, Rob!
That’s a really cool article. I always wanted to be a game ranger as a child too. However, at 16, I had to move with my family to Australia and my dream never eventuated. You are very blessed. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll still end up in the bush. Enjoy the it, it must be magnificent!
It’s never too late, Carly! You are correct, we are very lucky to life the life we do.
beautiful pictures of oxpeckers! Thanks!
You’re welcome, Paul!
The more you observe of nature, the more you understand….
How profoundly put – thank you Lisa!
Splendid photo of that river of gold!
Thank you, Marcia.
A lovely blog, Robbie. Thanks for a wonderful 4 days, see you in May.
We can’t wait either, Martha! I hope you enjoy the festive season. Until May 2022!
Such. Lovely story. How blessed you are to be able to share that with your parents, they must be so pleased and proud. Londolozi is filled with people who care so much about these animals and have the opportunity to share it with the world and educate us on compassion, appreciation and understanding. Just a thought, I wonder if you all might begin to change the name from “Game” wardens to wildlife wardens, caretakers etc… The word comes from hunting animals for sport, for food and trophies-Londolozi and it’s caretakers being the complete converse of that horrific word. Thank you for sharing such a heartfelt post with us.
We were all so pleased to share in that special moment! You make a good point, the word, “game” can sometimes tag along with it negative connotations such as the ones you have mentioned – depending on the way you look at it. We prefer referring to ourselves however as, “safari guides,” who attempt to orchestrate a great safari experience for guests whilst educating them at the same time.
Wonderful story! It’s so nice to learn how you traveled your path from a boy loving the story of Kalinzu, the Buffalo calf to realizing your dream of becoming a ranger. I’m sure your parents loved spending time with you in your happy place.
We all loved our time together. Thank you Denise, I’m glad you enjoyed the read!
A wonderful read Robbie!
Thanks Jules!
Always lovely to hear a story that is a dream/vision that comes true ….how lucky that your dream took you to Londolozi ! Wishing you many years immersed in this wonderful patch of paradise with the oxpeckers there to remind you that dreams can become a reality.🙏🏻😉
Thank you, Cally! The Oxpeckers will always remind of just that!