Johannesburg-born Kyle Malyon is safe at home after completing his 21 day Mammoth Ride raising awareness and funds for the HERD Trust and the work they do with elephants. A dream come true for this relationship manager at a law firm who has a passion for travelling and a lifelong love for elephants that took him on this epic adventure.
What started as a crazy idea to circumnavigate the entire South Africa solo on a motorcycle became reality when he started his journey on the 17th of March with his first overnight stop in Lephalale. His trip took him on the closest tar roads to the land and sea borders, including the two central provinces, covering all nine provinces and finally arriving in Parys on Thursday 4 April before heading home.
Kyle managed to raise about R25 000 for HERD with his Mammoth ride and pre-events.
Arriving a day earlier in Parys than planned, he explained that with the road between Askam and Kuruman not being tarred and the concern that he would run out of fuel, he had to change his original route going straight from Augrabies to Kuruman, cutting out Askam.
Meeting at The Beer House on Thursday, Kyle told Gazette the ride was great and all went according to plan. “I met all kinds of great people and had lots of fun.”
In Parys he was treated to authentic Mexican food by The Stash, who also supported his pre-event – Beers, Bands & Elephants, two weeks before his trip.
Will he take up the adventure again? Without doubt, yes, but not completing it in three weeks time – rather three months , he says, adding that he would not change the route but will do it the other way round as the last days of the journey included long, straight roads, that would be best to start with.
It’s all about creating awareness for the elephants, says Adine Roode, founder of HERD, and that Kyle certainly did.
His favorite places on the journey? Definitely the Wild Coast and Augrabies, being a first visit for him to both. “We have a beautiful country and beautiful people.”
“If you have a dream, do it. Go out, find a way and make your dream come true. I wanted to go around the country in some or other way for the past at least 25 years, but I had to find the ‘how”, he says.
After founding Fiery Octopus, a social motorcycle enthusiasts group, and having done numerous motorcycle tours, he decided this was the way to go. Having read the book Elephants in my Kitchen, he did some research and came across HERD
“Having a lifelong love for elephants, taking on an epic adventure like this would only be fitting if I could do it for the elephants,” he says.
He will now organise a group of motorcycle enthusiast for a weekend of volunteering work at HERD and an official handover of the money raised.
On Monday it is back to work for Kyle. His next dream – to kayak on the Orange river.
About HERD:
Herd (Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development) Trust launched in 2021, following a 24-year journey in caring for
elephants displaced or orphaned due to human-elephant conflict. Herd Orphanage opened in 2019 in response to a growing number of young orphaned elephant calves that needed a place of rehabilitation and, importantly, an existing herd that would accept them
unconditionally.
The Jabulani herd is now a family of 16 elephants – 11 orphans and five born to the herd over 10 years ago. In 2004, the lodge,
Jabulani, was built to sustain the herd, with proceeds from tourism assisting in caring for and managing the rescued herd.
In 2021, a decision was made to move the Jabulani herd and Herd Homestead operations, together with the Herd Orphanage, under the umbrella of the Herd Trust, a registered PBO. That allows for public funding to ensure the well-being of all the elephants.
Donations for HERD:
Visit www.herd.org.za to read more about HERD or support them by adopting an elephant.
You can also follow Kyle on @themammothride and @fiery_octopus on Instagram.
