Even dinner time is work time
Monkagedi Gaothobogwe | Monday October 5, 2015 11:00
A salivating meal is soon followed by brain cracking quiz to the trainees, as soon after dinner a multimedia equipment is set in front of them for their night assignment. On this occasion, the instructors have recorded a wide selection of frogs-calls; they play one after the other, and ask the trainees to identify the types of frogs making the calls.
To a neutral person, it is a wonderful night of being entertained with unusual yet sweet melodies of frogs on this particular evening.
The instructors are working round the clock to ensure that their trainees grasp as much as possible in their little time; it is a congested, concentrated program that should yield qualified field guides after three months.
The frogs identification lessons is soon followed by various types of fish that also have to be identified by the trainees as they are displayed on the giant multi-media screen in front of them.
The instructors would later divide the trainees into small groups for tomorrow’s assignment.
As early as 5am, the trainees are up for the new day’s work, which starts with a tasty breakfast.
Before sunrise they hit the road in a safari truck, led by two of their own as field guides.
It is a sightseeing lesson where the trainees interchange daily as field guides under the watch of their instructors.
Jacob and Jibi lead the group as field guides in this three hours long field trip.
The guide takes his guests through the protocols; we would be on the look out for holes in the ground for nocturnal animals, as well as tracks; he also warns it may be long day. Interestingly his message is, safety first, safety of the tourist is placed above everything else; the guests are advised not to stand in the truck and not to make loud noises that could scare the wildlife.
As the cold morning drive continues, the guides stop and explain to the guests about the diverse vegetation, the wildlife; we see hundreds of impalas, herds of eland, kudus, as well as various species of birds; guinea fowls, qualia bird, vultures, eagles, and t a rare species called the kori bastard.
The field guides also spot lion paws inside the vast Motloutse river; the thought of a lion nearby soon start giving others that chilly feeling.
Encounter with some of these wildlife species is not always a pleasure, unless you are sure they do not pose a threat. When a giant cobra was seen during the ride, it was not surprising that the immediate reaction from one of the instructors was to speed away from the snake as it could strike everyone in the van. Once we were safe distance from the cobra, the cobra discussion continued.
It was impressive hearing a field guide explaining the sci3ence of some rock formation; even explaining how those types of rocks came about.
They also must muster such subjects as geology, anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, ecology, to explain certain features in an intelligent way to a tourist.
During one of their ecology inspired field guide talks, they would discuss how one species of acacia tree is in the habit of producing a bitter taste in the mouths of browsing kudus, as well as sending messages to nearby trees to start producing bitter taste as self-defence.