Hello, everybody. How are things going on your side? Did you have a ‘lekker’ long weekend? I had a good ol’ time. My parents were out of town, so I was in charge of the house. Thursday night I was out attending a social event; Friday I was at a club rugby game in Winterton. The top club side in KZN (College Rovers from Durban) came to play Drakensberg in a Murray Cup knock-out match. I’m proud of my side for never giving up and showing character. I think a friendly against Ladysmith should be on the cards, like the old days. Saturday night I had a few friends over for a post-birthday celebration braai – I make a mean salad.
To make the weekend even more special was the Springboks clinching the Rugby Championship (formerly Tri Nations, due to the inclusion of Argentina in 2012) trophy for the first time in 10 years. 10 years ago (2009) was a different time. I was still in Grade 9, chatting with my friends on Mxit, listening to Lady Gaga and wondering if we (South Africa) would be able to host the FIFA Soccer World Cup successfully.
I wore my Springbok jersey proudly to work on Monday. I was determined that nothing would spoil my day; then the wind started blowing more dust than a Kalahari sandstorm. I think it’s time for the rain to come and wash it all away. I got goosebumps when I saw the Springboks lifting the trophy.
One of my favourite times I felt similar was when I went leopard-tracking in Namibia a few years ago. One afternoon, I went on a 4×4 game drive in the Namibian bush. The leopardess we were tracking had a collar with a GPS-system. We were tracking for a while. We went up hills, down valleys, over termite heaps and tree trunks. Finally we found her. She was difficult to spot – a leopard can camouflage itself very well. It was great when I finally saw her: I tracked a predator.
Everybody is always saying save the rhino or save the lion, but not a lot of people are saying save the leopard. A leopard is the only one of the Big Five that can still survive outside the borders of a game park. Unfortunately, they remain a threat to humans and their livestock. They are losing their habitat as human expansion takes place. In Namibia, I came in contact with the global Leopard Protection! Their aim is to collect as much data on leopards as they can to protect the species for future generations. I applaud it and wish more people would get involved.
Cheers!
Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join us there!
