About JAKES:

How did he become a ranger?

“I was always involved in tourism, even when I was at school (JC level ’94-’96), and after I was finished, I found that I was more interested in tourism than anything else!

In July 2000, I successfully completed both my Botswana National and my Mashatu Game Reserve Ranger’s Exam and began working as a Ranger.”

Most memorable sighting/s

“It was on a Monday afternoon game drive, I came across a honey badger, which was killing a 3m African Rock Python”.

“While driving back from Main Camp in June 2003 I came across an unusual white bird that I had never seen before. On closer inspection I saw that it was in fact a white Namaqua Dove - not an albino, as it did not have the characteristic albino pink markings”.

“Another memorable moment was, when driving into an open area, I came across a herd of elephants. We stopped to watch and noticed that they started to become unsettled and after a while we noticed that they were very wary of a leopard tortoise! As the tortoise looked out of its shell at them, it would have seen about 10 elephants running away at full speed! This is a first – a tortoise scaring elephants!”

Conservation message

Cut the branches but leave the trees alive. Take only what you need - the rest is for the animals.

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