Wild Lives

Writer: Mahina Perrot Photography: Ian Salisbury

Few people have the incredible privilege of working inside a national park in the pristine African bush. There is simply nothing like waking up every morning to the sound of lions calling, and jumping out of bed as baboons start stomping on your tile roof. You might have to take another route to work because a pack of wild dogs is lazing on the road, or because a hippo is grazing near the pathway.

Of course working at a lodge inside a park comes with many challenges, especially for people living in nearby villages that may have to walk long hours to get there, as well as being wary of wild animals, and then having to spend a long time away from home. Yet the rewards are priceless; from being able to get up close to nature, to interacting with people from all over the world and inspiring future generations to care about the local wildlife.

What is important to remember is that animals have the right of way at all times. Mfuwe Lodge, located in South Luangwa National Park, for example, is famous for the elephants that like to walk through the lobby each year around October to November. The pachyderms are not the only ones who feel at home there – their human cohabitants have to move and work around them.

‘I remember in June 2015, it was dark around 6.00 pm, and I was alone at the reception when a leopard walked through!’ recalls Front Office Manager Beauty Nyongani. ‘I was mesmerized and could not even take a photo. It was a mixture of joy, fear, excitement and disbelief,’ she adds.