Matt Lindenberg: What inspired you to become a ranger?
Hlulani Ngomane: I like conservation a lot, nature is beautiful. We survive because of nature. There is the creation of jobs, we also get medicine from plants, so I like everything about nature and I want to protect it.

ML: How did you hear about the Future Rangers Scholarship Fund?
HN: I saw it on Whatsapp, so I clicked on the link which directed me to Google for information. There were some questions to answer, so I answered them, and I got a message saying they would get back to me. I then received an email and went for an interview.

ML: The selection process was really hard physically, how did you cope?
HN: It wasn’t so hard until we got to the last training sessions and then it became really tough. The bag was the hardest.

ML: What did you enjoy most about the selection process?
HN: The running. I was number one on two occasions on the first day – I came in first in the morning and then again in the afternoon. And the following day, I was number two.

ML: How do you stay so strong and fit?
HN: I exercise at home in the garage. I do pushups and I have weights and I work out for 30 to 45 minutes every morning before breakfast.

ML: When you received the email inviting you to come for selection, how did you feel?
HN: I was so happy to have this opportunity because there are a lot of people out there looking for this kind of opportunity, but they don’t get the chance, so since I was one of the lucky ones, I was very happy and excited.

ML: Who did you tell first?
HN: My sister. She was also really excited.

ML: What is it about being a ranger that excites you the most?
HN: To be with the animals, as I said at the start, I really like animals, so I will enjoy being in the bush.

ML: You are one of the fittest guys here. How important is it for you to be in good shape?
HN: Being fit enables you to live a lot longer. For the job of a ranger, you need to be fit. If you meet one of the Big Five, you can quickly find yourself in a dangerous situation. You don’t know how they are going to react to you, so that is one of the challenges. The other challenge is the poachers.

ML: What is the perception or understanding you have of poachers?
HN: I don’t really understand poachers because what they are doing is illegal. They are destroying nature for future generations.

ML: Are you nervous or scared about becoming a ranger?
HN: No, I am prepared to protect the animals, to die for something, rather than die for nothing.

ML: What advice would you give to a young person interested in following your path to be a ranger?
HN: I would advise them to do exercise every day because being a ranger takes a lot out of you and you must be really fit. You must also be patient and not give up easily.

ML: Your CV is very impressive. How important is education for you?
HN: Education makes us better people and we learn a lot at school. It is much easier to get a job when you are educated. Today every company wants you to have a certificate.

ML: What are you most excited about for your future?
HN: I think improving the situation at home since we lost our mom. I live with my brother and sister. My sister was working on a game reserve and because of coronavirus, she was suspended and sent home. This situation is hurting us so I am very happy because now I am going to be able to provide for the family.

ML: What has the training been like at the South African Wildlife College?
HN: I am learning a lot about the trees and the birds and their scientific names, as well as the behavior of the birds. I love learning about the bush and the animals that live there.

ML: Is there anything else you would like to add?
HN: I want to thank GCC for the opportunity to be here and sponsor us.

Matt Lindenberg: Can you tell us your name and where you come from?
Sifiso Surprise Lukhele: My name is Sifiso Surprise Lukhele and I come from Cottondale, situated in Acornhoek.

ML: Why did you want to become a field ranger?
SSL: It has been my passion since I was young. I just want to protect the environment so that future generations can also see all the animals, plants, and other things in nature.

ML: Do you have any family or friends who work in conservation?
SSL: My uncle works in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, so since I was young, I have visited him and seen the importance of conserving nature and protecting the environment for the benefit of the next generation.

ML: When did you first develop your interest in animal conservation?
SSL: It was my first trip to see my uncle. I went there and saw how nature reserves are a good thing, so my passion really started then.

ML: What is your favorite wild animal and why?
SSL: My favorite animal is the elephant because it takes down the trees, which creates a path for other animals, such as the impala, but also provides opportunities for them to eat. They are like ecosystem engineers.

ML: You recently took part in the selection process to train as a field ranger, how difficult was it?
SSL: For me, it was hectic. But sometimes when you want something in your heart, you will do everything to succeed. It doesn’t matter how hard it is.  I really wanted to work in a game reserve in the future, so I did it.

ML: How did you feel when you received the email inviting you to selection?
SSL: I was happy, really happy. My dream had come true. I was really excited. I have wanted to work in conservation for a very long time because I really like being in nature and protecting the animals. This is where I want to be.

ML: What advice would you give young kids wanting to follow in your footsteps?
SSL: The first thing I would tell them is to take care of your environment, protect everything that you have because we cannot live without these natural resources, they do a lot of things for us, and we need to take care of them.

ML: On this course, what has been the most challenging part for you?
SSL: There hasn’t been anything challenging so far. The hardest part for me was the selection, that was the biggest challenge. But now it is not too challenging. I am used to it now. I was born to do this!

ML: If you weren’t working as a field ranger, what other careers interest you?
SSL: Since I was young, I have wanted to work in a reserve. I would like to be a tour guide too. That was my plan B.

ML: You have participated in the Eco Children summer workshops. Can you tell us about this?
SSL: I started attending the workshops in 2009. I started as a student, where I learned about water pollution and land pollution etc. and then they taught us about the importance of birds. I remember learning about the endangered ground hornbill and how we need to protect birds. So, they taught me a lot, and also now as a trainer, I teach people about the importance of our animals and trees.

ML: Who is your role model or hero in life?
SSL: My hero is Corné [Corné Havenga, General Manager of Eco Children]. She has helped me a lot since I was young. I met her at Eco Children and I think that she saw how much I liked nature. I also told her that I really wanted to do this as a career and asked her for a chance to work for Eco Children so I could share my knowledge of nature conservation. She is my hero.

ML: If you had a message for Corné, what would you like to tell her?
SSL: I would like to say thank you for everything that you have done for me. It wasn’t easy. Now I know how to save nature and what exactly we need to do to conserve nature. She taught me a lot. If it hadn’t been for Corné, I would surely not be following this career path. She really helped me a lot.

ML: When this program ends, what are you looking forward to doing?
SSL: For the next step, I would like to get a job as a field ranger. That’s the first thing. And from there, as I said, I would like to be a tour guide so I will do that via distance learning, but if there is an opportunity, I would also like to attend a course. It all depends on the situation where I will be working.

ML: If you had a magic wand that you could wave over the communities living next to the Kruger National Park, what would you wish for?
SSL: I would like to start some programs about our natural resources because I feel that a lot of people are damaging the environment because they don’t know any better. So, I think if I can establish some programs, people would understand why they need to protect the animals and plants. They wouldn’t cut trees, for example. If they knew how important they were, they would save them.

ML: Is there anything else you would like to add?
SSL: I was born into a poor family. My mom died in 2017 while I was still at school. It was at this time that I met Corné and she saw that something was not right and she gave me opportunities to grow. When you come from a poor family, it doesn’t mean that it is the end of the world, the only thing you have to do is concentrate, know what you want, and stick to your goals. I would also like to say thank you for the opportunity that GCC has given me to follow my dream.

Matt Lindenberg: What inspired you to become a ranger?
Godfrey Mlambo: When I look at our economy and the way people are behaving, the way they are treating our animals and everything that belongs to nature, even the trees, it worries me. This inspired me to take a step and become a field ranger where I could have an opportunity to conserve some of the things in nature and I got a chance and an opportunity to do so.

ML: How did you hear about the job of a ranger?
GM: My uncle works at Malelane as a field ranger sergeant in Kruger National Park, and has won some awards, so he has really inspired me to follow in his footsteps to become a future ranger.

ML: Did you have any previous wildlife conservation experience before coming to the Southern African Wildlife College?
GM: I gained experience at the Goodwork Foundation near Hazyview at the conservation academy. I was studying for my FGASA qualification (Field Guiding Association of Southern Africa) because I am dedicated to conserving nature. I like to be part of nature as well. So, I also went to work for Care For Wild Africa where we were taking care of the rhinos that had been rescued in Kruger National Park. We were feeding them, staying with them, cleaning their enclosures, just loving them. So, from here, I realized that I wanted to become a ranger and protect them.

ML: How tough was the selection process to gain a GCC scholarship place?
GM: I can’t say it was tough because I really wanted to be one of the top 12 students. For me, it wasn’t hard, but it was challenging because sometimes we were not sleeping. Imagine you are coming back from dinner and you just want to sleep and rest and just as you are falling asleep you hear the whistle and you have to wake up fast and start running. I even started sleeping in my shoes with my bag and rifle ready so that as soon as I heard the whistle I could jump up and run fast. This motivated me. If you want to become a ranger, forget about things like having a bath and smelling nice, you must sacrifice a lot!

ML: What was the most challenging part of the selection process for you personally? Was it the mental or physical side?
GM: It was the mental side. If you are not a person who is sure about what he or she wants, you might swear under your breath at the instructors because they challenge you. They challenge you in different ways. They want to check if you can lift things just like that. That was a little bit challenging for me. Sometimes I was like what is going on, but I said no, I will push, and the last day, the survival day, was a challenge because we had to carry these 20kg bags. Two of our teammates were injured, seriously injured, and the remaining three of us had to figure out how to move their bags too. It was during this moment that I realized how in nature conservation, and with field rangers specifically, that we need to work together, there must be a team dynamic to work towards the same goals. So, we fought very hard and we found a solution.

ML: When you found out that you had been invited to take part in this opportunity, how did you feel?
GM: I was very excited. I was recommended by Mr. Mike Kendrick, who knows me because he taught me wildlife photography at Sabi Sands Game Reserve. The moment he told me that I had been selected I started training. I said, guys, now it is time for me to train. I have to prepare for the selection. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I knew that something would happen, and I would need to be strong.

ML: Mr. Mike from Wild Shots Outreach (a program teaching young people from disadvantaged communities about wildlife photography) is an incredible guy. What can you tell me about him, about Wild Shots, and about how Wild Shots helped you move forward in life?
GM: Mr. Mike is a motivator to me. He is a father to me, he is a friend to me, he is everything to me. I feel like God has connected us because without him I would never have had the opportunity to stand in front of people and be proud of who I am and be proud of the company that is sponsoring me, the Global Conservation Corps. Now I am under GCC because of Mr. Mike. Let me say for Wild Shots Outreach, he supported me a lot, there were a lot of things that I was not able to afford financially but he was the one who helped me with every problem that would arise. Wild Shots and GCC were the ones who funded me up until the end of the course so I would like to say that Mr. Mike is such a good, kind, person. I don’t know who I can compare him to, but he is more than a person.

ML: How are you enjoying the ranger course? What are you learning?
GM: Personal hygiene, taking care of yourself, being a hard worker, being positive about what you are doing, and team dynamics so that you can work as a team to achieve the same goals. We also learn firearm handling, to be fast on our tasks, to think about what is important, and not about things that have no value. And if something happens, which is very important, leave everything and do the best you can. So, discipline, even when you are taking some lunch or eating, do everything with discipline, with order. The work is discipline, always when you are walking, how to hold your rifle, this is what we are currently learning.

ML: What do you find the most exciting part of being a ranger?
GM: For me being a ranger is being the protector of conservation, you are the bulletproof shield for the animals. Let me talk about the rhinos, it is you and the rhino, you must stand in front of the rhino, you must protect the rhino, anything can happen to you. You need to sacrifice a lot, even the animal you want to protect can change its mind and charge you, and the person who is going after the rhino can change their mind and shoot you, so you need to be strong, you need to sacrifice a lot. Being a ranger for me is a good opportunity because there are a lot of things you can do. Maybe in three years I can become a section ranger and go to the very top level, so that is a great opportunity. I also like that you can talk to the animals, the elephants, the birds, we are learning a lot about them, about tracks and stuff, so it is a very good opportunity for me to be a ranger.

ML: When you go home, the kids must love you, how do you inspire them?
GM: I think, when I go home I want to teach them how to conserve nature from the youngest ones to the eldest, I need to teach them the importance of the animals and even the domestic animals that we have in our homes. We must love them all and treat them equally. And hopefully, by doing so, I will inspire them to love nature and love growing up in nature because there are a lot of jobs and careers in nature. Many young people don’t consider jobs in conservation because maybe they are not inspired at home, they want to be an engineer, for example, which is not a problem, it is fine, but we still need people in conservation too to take care of nature. One day I will retire and it will be the turn of the young guys so I need to teach them, as Nelson Mandela once said: “If you want to change the world, teach the children.” Like this tomorrow will be better for them.

ML: Is there anything else you would like people to know about you?
GM: For me, I want to be a ranger, and from being a ranger I want to wake up one day as a CEO working in the environment sector, that is something that motivates me. My background, where I come from, where I started, also motivates me a lot. I am happy that now I have experience, I have knowledge, and I have a passion for doing something which is going to boost our economy and change the lives of people for future generations. I want people to know me, I want them to know the better things about me. Tomorrow will not be the same as today, tomorrow they will see a different Godfrey, a Godfrey in conservation.

Matt Lindenberg: Let’s start at the beginning, what inspired you to become a ranger?
Donald Rakgwale: My passion for wildlife started in 2015. I was in Johannesburg at the time and I loved watching videos about the rangers. When I came back to Limpopo Province, I decided to apply to ProTrack, and after a selection process, they accepted me and I joined them in 2015 and worked with them up until 2018.

ML: How did you hear about the GCC Future Rangers Scholarship Fund?
DR: I heard about it from my friends. They said: “If you are interested, you just need to send in your CV and maybe you will be selected.”

ML: When you found out that you had been selected from over 600 candidates, how did you feel?
DR: I was really excited when I was selected. I was excited just to come here and do this selection because I had little experience of selection for projects.

ML: Tell me about your relationship with Mr. Mike? He told me a little bit about your relationship, but I would love to hear it from you.
DR: Mr. Mike found me in a group chat after I found a pangolin in my community. It was November 2017 and I found a pangolin when I was moving back home. I was coming back from a night out and I heard something strange. When I looked down I saw a pangolin. I wanted to protect this animal, so I was like, wow, what can I do with this thing? I was lucky because it is extremely rare to see a pangolin.

ML: What did you do with the pangolin?
DR: My phone was broken, and it was a Sunday, so on Monday I spent all day traveling to town to fix my phone. When I returned home I posted a message that I had found this animal in our community and asked if someone could come to my place and collect it. By the end of the day on Monday no one had responded, but I had to do something for this animal, so on Tuesday, I contacted the Hoedspruit Rehabilitation Center. They responded quickly and the lady from the center sent the Hemmersbach Rhino Force team to my community. She had given them my location and they came with both cameras and weapons to collect it. Mr. Mike saw my post and was interesting in meeting me and wanted to hear more about my pangolin experience. So, he asked if we could meet and I agreed to meet him at Hoedspruit. We became friends and one day he said “Donald, I want to come to your community and teach the young people about photography.” So, I organized a small group and he took us to Karongwe game reserve to teach us about photography. It was so good, and he even gave me a camera.

ML: Mr. Mike was a huge advocate to have you join the selection process for the Future Rangers Scholarship Fund. What was the selection process like for you?
DR: It was a little hard, but if you know what you want in life, nothing is hard, nothing is difficult. You will do it, even if it is hard. You will push yourself to that level.

ML: What was the hardest part of the selection for you? Was it more the physical or mental aspects of the challenge?
DR: It was the physical side. On the final day, we had to carry heavy bags of sand and that was really difficult for me. It was the first time I had done anything like this.

ML: When you found out that you had passed the selection process and had a place on the course, how did you feel? What was that moment like?
DR: I was feeling happy, really happy. I am in. I am in. I am selected now. Wow!

ML: If you could send a message to the world about why rangers are so important, what would you say?
DR: I would encourage young people to love wildlife, even if it is difficult for them. Most importantly I would like to send a message to the people who live next to the game reserve, especially here in Limpopo Province. We had a group of youths who found a pangolin – after I found one – and they sold it. I would like to say, if you find a rare species like the pangolin, contact a game reserve near you so they can come and pick the animal up.

ML: I am sure a lot of kids look up to you. How do you inspire them?
DR: To inspire the kids, I watch wildlife channels and I teach them about the animals that I learn about, whether it is a little tree or a tiny animal. I just teach them about the things I have learned and they love to watch the wildlife channels too. Every time, they learn something new about wildlife. Some of them say “I want to be a ranger, too. I want to know more like you, Donald”. I get a lot of questions when I am in the community. Some of them ask me about the dangers of being in the bush – what do you do if you are charged by a lion, for example? They are very curious about this. So I give them the answers, but I don’t share too much because some of them come to me to get information about the big five for poaching.

ML: So, if you had a magic wand, or if you became the president of South Africa, what changes would you like to see in your community?
DR: I would love for the schools to teach the kids about wildlife so they can learn about endangered species. Some of the youth in my community pass their Matric (the South African National School Certificate) and then they don’t know what to do after their exams. The only jobs they think about are for law or the police, positions in the public sector. They don’t think of the private sector or conservation. There are a lot of posts in conservation that they can do, even to teach their community about the importance of conservation.

ML: This is exactly what we are trying to do at GCC to give the kids opportunities. From your experience, do you have any tips?
DR: I would go to high schools to encourage the youth. Tell them, if you pass your Matric, you can join us in this field, we can maybe find a scholarship for you because most of them look for bursaries. They don’t know that in the bush there are also scholarships for them where they can study for free.

ML: What are you most proud of?
DR: The thing I am most proud of is saving that pangolin. I’m still proud of this because no one does what I did. I searched and searched to find a solution, and no one does this. It was not simple for me, but that animal came to the right hands, so I had to do something. I also called people in our community to come and see it as it is so rare. Some of the elders had never seen a pangolin before.

ML: Just to conclude, what is the Xitsonga word for pangolin?
DR: Pangolin in our language is Xikhwarha, it means an animal with hard skin and scales.

ML: Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, it was a pleasure to meet you and learn about your unique journey.

Matt Lindenberg: What were you doing before you got this opportunity to become a ranger?
Annejie Mkansi: I was working at Timbavati Private Natural Reserve in Chimanimani as an operations room operator. I started working there in 2015 as an environmental monitor dealing with spraying alien-invasive plants and also making bricks with cement to build erosion structures. I was then promoted to the operations room where we deploy the rangers if there is an incident in the bush. We deploy the rangers, monitor the situation, and follow up.

ML: What inspired you to become a ranger and try out for a GCC Future Rangers Scholarship place?
AM: I heard that there was a selection process taking place at the Wildlife College to become a ranger and that has always been my dream.
Since I started working in the ops room, I saw the importance of taking care of nature so I pushed myself to apply, because I really wanted to become a ranger and protect nature.

ML: The selection process to become a ranger is extremely physical. How did you find the experience?
AM: I was not sure if I was going to be able to do it. But I was working on my self-confidence, pushing myself to go on. I also received a lot of encouragement that kept me going. We had to run 10km with a heavy bag. I don’t know how I did it. We were woken up during the night, we didn’t sleep at all, but because I wanted this, I didn’t sleep, so I heard the whistle when they called. As a ranger, you must always be listening and if you hear the whistle you have to wake up. This teaches you if you hear a gunshot you have to wake up and monitor and observe what is happening. If you don’t hear the whistle and continue sleeping, you cannot be a good ranger.

ML: Out of the 13 women who took part in the selection, you are the only one who made it through. How does that feel?
AM: I am very proud of myself. My body was so tired, my ankle was swollen, and I was limping. I wanted to give up, but the love and passion I have for wildlife kept me going. I pushed and pushed. My family is also proud of me because of what I did. I cried when I got home when I realized what I had achieved. There were 13 women at the start and when I saw them quit, I wanted to give up as well, because my body was so tired. But my heart, the love I have for animals, and all of nature, stopped me from giving up.

ML: How important is it for you personally to protect wildlife?
I want to protect nature and I am not only doing this for myself, I am doing this for the future. I also have a child and I want her to experience wildlife, I don’t want her to learn from books that we used to have rhinos and elephants, but now they are extinct. And I don’t want her to just read about them, I want her to see them, like me. I want to protect nature for the future and the children of the future, and not only my children, but all the South African children, and beyond so that when people come here to South Africa they can see the wildlife that we are protecting. We must protect it.

ML: Are you concerned about the dangers associated with being a ranger?
AM: The danger is there but I think that you have to put that aside. If you want to protect nature, you have to be brave, you have to have the courage to do your job, and you have to have the strength to protect both yourself and nature. We are currently learning about rifles and self-defense so we can protect ourselves from the dangers that will come.

ML: What experience has impacted you the most while working in conservation?
AM: I remember in 2017, I was off duty, but I didn’t go home that day and there was a rhino that had been shot. I went to see it and when I saw the animal dead, the pain that it caused me made me want to cry. If you are with animals, they become your family.

ML: What message do you have for poachers?
AM: It is very important not to accept bribes for quick money. Some people are influenced by bad people and I would encourage them not to accept anything from bad people and do something that isn’t right. I would encourage my fellow brothers from my community not to be influenced or forced to do something that could lead to them going to jail. So, I would encourage them to stop, to stop killing the rhinos because it isn’t only the rhinos that are affected but all the animals, even the birds, and the snakes, because they are part of the wildlife that we need to take care of. I would encourage everyone to take care of nature, it is very important in our lives.

ML: What would you say to a young person interested in following in your footsteps?
AM: Protecting nature is not only about animals, but it is also about protecting the environment; it is our duty to take care of it. I would encourage each and every person to protect the environment, not only because it is the right thing to do but because it also encourages people from other countries to come here, which in turn increases jobs. I would also say how important it is to take care of your job because now that we have COVID-19, jobs are rare and a lot of people have lost their jobs, so it is very important to take care of what you have, as it will help you in the future. I would say to young people, if you get a job from the area where you are protecting nature, you have to respect your supervisors, respect the people you are working with, listen to what they are telling you so that you can keep your job.

ML: How has the current economic situation affected your family?
AM: Today, I am the breadwinner in my family, I am the only one working to take care of the family and I am living in a big family, but I manage because I am using my mind and my heart. I am grateful for what I am getting from Chimanimani. It helps me to take care of my family, even if it is little, you don’t have to get more in order to do the right things.

ML: Can you tell us about your daughter? How are you trying to set an example for her?
AM: My daughter is so precious, I love her with all my heart. I will give her anything. She is my everything. As I said, I am not doing this only for me, I want her to grow up and be able to see this wildlife, all the animals, all the trees, all these natural resources. I want her to be able to experience all of the things that I see. I want her to know the importance of taking care of nature, and I want her to see what I do, and hopefully one day she will follow in my footsteps.

ML: You are on a really exciting new path; how do you feel right now?
My main problem has always been self-confidence, but I think that is changing now and I am starting to gain confidence because of all the encouragement. Some people like to discourage others by telling them that they are doing things wrong, but even if you make mistakes, and you are encouraged, it makes you focus and gives you self-confidence. Now I am gaining confidence thanks to you and your team who have been so good to me. I don’t know how to thank you but I will make it up to you.