We have just entered the beginning of April. This month brings the start of shorter day light hours and colder nights while out on Safari. The bush at this time of the year has started to become quite dry or though it is much dryer this year than preceding years as the rainfall in March was virtually non-existent. The drier conditions increase the fire risk and with that in mind all the rangers are on constant standby to jump into action if needed. As a Ranger you definitely learn how to deal with bush fires as we do controlled burning of different areas on the reserve almost every winter.

Recently my fellow rangers and I, along with management, burnt firebreaks (a long narrow strip of reserve burnt in a controlled manner) on the reserve to help deal with the risk of runaway fires. Since I have started working as a ranger at Sabi Sabi I have learnt a healthy respect for fire and its incredible power both in a deadly but also reproductive sense.

When we burn we take into consideration the wind strength and direction. If the conditions are not favourable on the given day that the burn is scheduled to commence we will not burn as we may run the risk of then starting a fire that very soon may become uncontrollable at which time fighting the fire would be extremely dangerous. Here at Sabi Sabi we are trained in the correct way to deal with fire. We practise fire drills to gage our response time to a runaway fire and if our performance is not up to the required standard then retraining in the bad areas will be carried out. The rangers, trackers and management work as a team during a burn and I can tell your from experience controlling a bush fire is the ultimate team building experience!

Fire is an important game reserve management tool and if used correctly it will greatly benefit the reserve and it’s wildlife in the long run. Fire helps clear dead foliage and helps return important nutrients back into the soil. This nutrient shows itself in the form of lush green grass at the start of the rainy season and this is a welcome treat for the grazers on our reserve such as the Burchell’s zebra and blue wildebeest. Following the burst of green vegetation into February comes more rain and hotter day time temperatures reaching up to 45 degrees Celsius. In February it is hot as well as humid and at this point in the year we head into the Marula season. The Marula trees will start producing fruits which our elephants relish!

Personally one of my favourite sightings in the bush veld is watching a big elephant bull shake a Marula tree by pushing his forehead and tusks up against the trunk. As he shakes the tree the fruits fall to the ground whereby he will use his trunk to pop the fruit into his mouth like as if he were eating Jelly-Tots! However this season is still a long time from now! We first have to survive the cold of this winter up ahead. Having said that though, it is only cold at night and in the early mornings and day time temperatures are actually very pleasant. The predator activity also increases in winter as the herbivores will lose condition due to poor feed due to the dry conditions and I cannot wait to see what is in store for the rest of my cycle in terms of predator action!