Ed’s note: This is the second blog post in a series written by Rich Laburn.
“Let your intentions be good – embodied in good thoughts, cheerful words, & unselfish deeds – & the world will be to you a bright and happy place in which to work & play & serve.” – Grenville Kleiser
It’s never going to happen unless you get intentional. Change is a given, but how your ability to seize the opportunities of this change lies in your intent. This intent could be personal, professional or it could be about South Africa. South Africa will continue to get better as more of its citizens start getting intentional about making it as such.
Recently I met an artist by the name of Simon ‘Max’ Bannister who created an Intention Circle at Londolozi Private Game Reserve. This ‘Land Art’ is made from discarded strips of rusty game fencing. The same wires that once separated wild animals, including elephants, from each other are now two enormous ‘tusks’. Facing west towards the Spring/Autumn equinox, the ‘tusks’ represent the intent to create an elephant corridor connecting the The Limpopo Transfrontier Park to the Blyde River Canyon.
What I like most about this piece of ‘Land Art’ is more than the tangible look and feel. I like the notion of having an intention for something greater than self, and in particular I like an intention for South Africa.
Last night I watched a thunderstorm through the arch of these two ‘tusks’. This time of year makes me comprehend another passing cycle, more passing change. The summer heat will soon swelter in, subsiding into autumn hues then winter bite before emerging into spring once again. The change is constant and everywhere. The change will never end. Plants sprout leaves, animals give birth and abundance is all around. Yet trees are pushed over, newborns are killed and rivers flood themselves out to wait again for the rain.
In South Africa, as in the bush, there are negatives and positives to the motion of change. Businesses will prosper, wealth flourish and democracy reign supreme as much as crime will continue, public services fail and corruption fester. The people with the right attitude and intentions are the ones who are able to best serve this change and as such best serve this country. For me the lessons are in the bush, for others wisdom will be found elsewhere. The questions, though, are ultimately the same….Is your intention to create a space and a place where this country can be the best version of itself?
Ed’s note: This post is a guest post from Rich Laburn who has worked extensively in the South African bush and currently at Londolozi Private Game Reserve. This is the first of four posts that Rich will be writing.
There is nothing quite like South African wildlife. It is impressive and has endured long before the first seeds of the country were sown. In South Africa the opportunity to spend uncluttered time with this wildlife is phenomenal because of the accessibility and diversity of game reserves. South Africa hosts many concessions and reserves that provide exclusive opportunities to experience wildlife in its purest form and in uncrowded freedom. Frustratingly though, with so much wildlife around, it’s impossible to experience all of the remarkable encounters that occur every second of every day. Instead, all you can do is pick one animal at a time and give all your energy, thoughts and appreciation to moments spent with that being.
Where I work, at Londolozi Private Game Reserve, the animal that is most frequently picked is the leopard. After 30 years of continual respect, habituation and game viewing, these elusive cats are content to allow us to view them for hours on end. Following them down dry riverbeds and gazing up at them whilst they fall asleep in the cradle of large trees, the leopards viewed by the rangers, trackers and guests are plentiful. From the 17 year legacy of the recently deceased Female leopard to the muscular Camp Pan Male. The Nyeleti female with 3 tiny cubs and the Nottens Female who has just taken over her mother’s territory, these leopards are iconic. They are stars in their own unwitting way, yet still wild animals working with the pure existence of nature for their survival.
For me, there is one leopard that I feel the most affection for. The Maxabeni Young Male, so called owing to the spot pattern on either side of his shiny pink nose. Unlike his more evasive twin brother, this young male is willing to share his journey into adulthood. Cocky and cheeky but still desperately trying to learn where his place in the world is, every moment spent with him is different, interesting and thought provoking. I have watched him hunt his first antelope, leap away in fright from prowling hyenas and how his body language shifts from fear to confidence in momentary flashes. He has taught me lessons of persistence, courage and the value of cutting your losses. He is only a year old, yet he is wise.
This leopard is just one of many different animals that we as South Africans are lucky enough to have on our doorstep in the game reserves throughout this country. I don’t know where else in the world people are granted access to the exclusivity of spending time alone with wild animals, deep in the bushveld. It is here that the madness of the daily grind fades, the pollution of noise and carbon dissipate, and the seamless progression of days into nights into days allow you to just sit, enjoy and possibly learn something small from a moment with that being. It’s moment such as these that make South African wildlife truly rock.
It’s never going to happen unless you get intentional. Change is a given, but how your ability to seize the opportunities of this change lies in your intent. This intent could be personal, professional or it could be about South Africa. South Africa will continue to get better as more of its citizens start getting intentional about making it as such.
