Here at Nambiti Hills, we understand the ways of nature. Predators prey on the small and delicate animals of the wild. Rivers run dry, and when the rains come, they overflow – showing little sympathy for those in their path. In the cooler months, the weaker of the wild are taken by the cold. Beautiful flowers, like the red Plough Breaker, spread across the valley in summertime, only to be reclaimed by winter’s frost. When the sun rises in the morning, the songs of birds always chime in harmony with it, and when the skies turn dark, the crickets have their turn to make a tune. This is the way it has always been.
In nature, there is no evil – there is only the natural order of things. Day and night, warm and cool, water and fire. Without one, there is no other.
In the early hours of the morning, on 22 August, a fire sparked on the plains of the Nambiti Big 5 Reserve. The long, dry grass of winter spreading the flames of up to 8 metres high, with winds of over 50km per hour, to aid its travels.
Finely attuned to their surroundings, the Guides of Nambiti Hills took it upon themselves to calm nature’s chaos. This is the instinct of survival.
As other animals do, in times of great threat, Guides from all around the Reserve worked together, with the Ladysmith Fire Department, masks and water in hand, to ensure the safety of those at Nambiti Hills Private Game Lodge.
After 5 hours of fire-fighting, we watched the flames die with the winds. Now, as is nature’s way, Kudu lick the ash on the burnt branches while other animals take the time to relax on the newly flattened, scorched earth – soon enough, all traces of the fire will be forgotten, as spring takes over the land and makes it new again. We would like to thank all those who assisted in fighting this epic natural force.