If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together - African Proverb

Teamwork is essential in any industry. It is no different on safari. Working together is key to provide the ultimate bush experience. This is why this blog is dedicated to my team mate, tracker and my good friend Candy as well as all the incredible trackers of Sabi Sabi...

As I walk out of Earth Lodge early in the morning, eager and curious to what the day will bring - the first thing I see before hopping on the vehicle is a smile that says a thousand words. An expression of excitement from my tracker. I look at his face and read "Let's do this!"

Every day I watch Candy as he sits on the front of the vehicle on special seats fitted to the bonnets of the game viewing vehicles. He scans the African bush every morning just as we read the newspaper. What has happened during the night? Are there any signs of what's to come?

He has an exceptionally keen eye for detail as he effortlessly spots anything from the largest elephant to the smallest insect and even animals that seem to be disguised as rocks or trees hundreds of miles away! He recognises many individual animals by noticing their small, unique features and by reading their behaviour. I watch in amazement as he understands and interprets nature in a whole new way.

Tracking is an acquired skill where one gathers all the clues that nature leaves behind in order to find and view a specific animal. For example: to identify the spoor of a leopard is one thing, but to see the tracks as the vehicle is moving and to determine where the leopard is going - is another! The trackers seem to find and follow tracks left by animals effortlessly, despite overcast conditions and sometimes very hard soil where there is no definition to be seen in the track itself at all. This is an art many of them have been practising from a very young age as they tracked their cattle in the fields of their communities where they come from.

Us as rangers have the privilege of learning and observing the ways of our trackers. Their predictions of animal movement is astonishing. We would not be able to act as a vital link between mighty Mother Nature and our keen guests without them.

So here is to teamwork and friendship which ultimately makes for the most quintessential safari experience for all! A big thank you to the trackers of Sabi Sabi. We are eternally grateful for the priceless knowledge you share with us every single day!