“When I arrived here in 2010, I wasn’t a bush person,” admits Vicky Maluleke, laughing out loud, “but it didn’t take long to become one, and I still love it here.” Camp Co-ordinator at EcoTraining’s Makuleke Camp in northern Kruger, Vicky, is from the local Makuleke village and has an exciting story.
If you are thinking, “Why would I want to become a bird nerd?” of all the animals in the African savannah? Don’t leave me just yet. Trust me; you will not be able to fight it. I have turned many sceptics into bird nerds. Just keep reading.
I used to be a city girl through and through, growing up in Munich, Germany. The older I got, the lesser I enjoyed the city life’s merits. I was looking for something else. I did not know what that was until I found it: reconnecting with nature in the African wilderness.
Emerging from a simple dome tent on my first morning at EcoTraining Pridelands camp, I noticed the cool air and the red-orange glow of sunrise penetrated the darkness. Four and a half years ago, I qualified as a Guide, and here I am back in the throes of assessment week.
Barely 5 minutes from the charming safari town of Hoedspruit lies an unassuming gate into a little-known wonderland of treasures. Pridelands Conservancy officially dropped its fences to become part of the Greater Kruger in 2017, and since then, the area has flourished. An influx of wildlife has migrated to the property, from predators looking for new territories to hungry elephants keen to sample the pristine vegetation.
Makuleke is a stunning area of northern Kruger with ample photographic opportunities, and when paired with an Instructor that knows where to look and how to go about taking the photo you get a great photographic course.
On World Female Ranger Day, we would like to introduce you to some of the strong and inspiring women who risk their lives daily to protect our wildlife.
From the very first time I set foot in South Africa, I knew I had come home. Perhaps not in the literal meaning of the word, but it was something I felt in my very being. My soul, never quite at peace, felt awash with relief that it had at last found a place to belong.
Insects… always a dilemma whether to hate them or love them. On one side where caterpillars are ugly, adults mesmerize us. It’s hard to tell how many species we have and how many we are still trying to discover. Just like their not-so-clear love we still lack a clear vision for them. And one the most important out of them are none other than sweet Honeybees.
After almost six months of training across four different reserves in South Africa and Botswana, it was finally time for our group to disperse on their highly-anticipated internships. For my part, turning up at a beautiful 4* lodge in the northern Kruger, I was a heady mix of anxious and excited.
Study wildlife conservation and accredited field guide courses at any of our pioneering African training camps.
Located on the banks of the Mara river,
the camp is nestled between communities
and wildlife conservancies.
Explore the untamed wilderness of Kruger
National Park’s Makuleke Concession
with EcoTraining.
Located at the confluence of the Limpopo
and Shashe Rivers, in the eastern
corner of Botswana.
A natural wonderland with free-roaming
elephants located in the Limpopo
Province of South Africa.
A unique safari destination that offers
visitors an immersive and unforgettable
experience.
Offering a diverse and rewarding
learning environment, teeming with life
and rich in ecological variety.
Want to become a field or nature guide? Explore our immersive courses and training programmes for professional safari guides and guardians of nature, taught and led by experts in the industry.
EcoTraining offers career and accredited courses, wildlife enthusiast courses, gap year programmes and customised group travel courses.
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