Meet the rangers: up close and personal with the animals

South Africa Special feature

There's no doubt about it, going on an African safari is the experience of a lifetime: the relaxing lodges, the wild bushveld and of course the fascinating wildlife. However, one forgets that there is a whole team of people, both behind the scenes and on the front line, without whom this wonderful adventure would not be possible. Arguably, the most important of these roles is that of the ranger - the expert who takes you out twice a day to spot as many animals as possible and give you an explanation of exactly what you are looking at. Here, with the help of some of these rangers, we introduce just a selection of the many animals we came across during our time in South Africa. We hope that both the rangers and animals inspire you to head off on this most thrilling of trips!

Contents

• 1

  Stephanie's rhino

  
• 2

  Jaap's hippo

  
• 3

  Matthew's elephant

  
• 4

  James' giraffe

  
• 5

  Heinrich's leopard

  
• 6

  Mike's zebra

  
• 7

  Scotch's water buffalo

  
• 8

  Morné's spotted hyena

  
• 9

  Morné's termite mound

  
• 10

  Riaan's creche