Ep 54: Fedrick Ndlovu – Life lessons from a ranger at the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve.


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Our guest today is my friend, Fedrick Ndlovu. Fedrick is a long-time ranger at the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve.

In this episode, we dive into Fedrick’s path into becoming a ranger, and how it almost didn’t happen because of a government mixup. We talk about his early days on the reserve facing the new threat of rhino poaching, and his rise up through the ranger ranks. We cover the effects of COVID on the team in 2020, leadership advice, what it was like working with the RHINO MAN team, and the loss of Anton Mzimba.

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Instagram: @ndlovufedrick | @timbavati_pnr
Facebook: @Fedrick Ndlovu | @Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
Twitter: @timbavati
LinkedIn: @Timbavati Private Nature Reserve

Ep 49: Orlat Ndlovu – Head of Ranger Services at the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve.

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In this episode, I’m talking with my good friend, Orlat Ndlovu. Orlat is the Head of Ranger Services at the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, which borders the Kruger National Park in South Africa. He’s been a dedicated ranger for over 14 years, and he was a close friend and colleague of the late Anton Mzimba.

In this conversation, we talk about Orlat’s early love of birds and how that passion for nature led to a career as a field ranger. We dive into the challenges he faced during ranger selection and training, the day-to-day work of a ranger in the Timbavati, and the many dangers of the job. We spend time unpacking the rhino poaching crisis, and how it changed the nature of his work. We go deep into what makes a good ranger, the nature of corruption within the ranger corps and how his team works to eliminate it, and the importance of educating and inspiring the youth. We even have a heartfelt discussion about the loss of Anton Mzimba, and the difficult task Orlat had in stepping up and taking leadership of his team during such a devastating time. Orlat is full of sage advice and love for the work he does.

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Website: timbavati.co.za
Instagram: @ort_027_@timbavati_pnr
Facebook: @orlat.ndlovu | @timbavatiprivatenaturereserve
Twitter: @timbavati