THE scene on a sweltering and blustery spring afternoon of September 2019 at the Matiovila Spring (a hot sulphur spring inside Kruger National Park serving as a perpetual source of water sustaining a plethora of animals) appeared to emanate straight out of the “you can’t make this up” script as hiking members of the Panthera group found their quest to collect much needed water impeded by successive herds of elephants which either had already gathered around the vital mire or were in the process of beating a path towards – whilst they were en-route to a scheduled night stop of their trek across the length of the Kruger National Park.
Some distance afar from the spring earlier that morning, the party of ten humans had, had a close encounter with the largest land animals when a stampede of the pachyderms agitated by the noise of artillery fire emanating from South African National Defence Force military exercises in the vicinity came into their purview and forced them to scatter across mopane trees to safety in an “everyone for-themselves” moment.
In the confusion, an experienced guide named Arnold Bam had screamed to the group to, “Ru-u-u-u-n!” Even though the group had been advised about the futility of running when confronted by an animal, in that instant, the rifle toting Bam – who a few months prior had been involved in a rare and unfortunate incident in which he was forced to shoot a charging elephant whilst leading another group – let instinct overtake reason!
‘It was a distinct juncture in the Panthera group learning to read the bush – such as avoiding utilizing wood of the Tamboti tree (a deciduous tree occurring in the warmer parts of Southern Africa) to braai meat whilst out camping, as it causes severe stomach cramps accompanied by diarrhoea and vomiting. The afore-mentioned experiences were taken away from the Kruger bush by a middle-aged Portuguese-born immigrant to Africa named José A Neves upon tackling The Kruger Trail – a 605 kilometre backpacking walk across the entire length of the Kruger National Park which took all of three years, trudged over six separate legs (in increments of 87. 7km, 103.0 km, 111.6 km, 108.0 km, 103.1 km and 92.5 km) at an average of 20 kilometres a day, to accomplish.
An erstwhile Coca-Cola executive whose résumé boasts participation in ten Ironman events, Neves had happen stance upon a poster limning a map of the Kruger National Park and partly inscribed with the words: Backpack the length of Kruger – whilst on a visit inside the world-renowned wildlife reserve, one winter day of 2018, which turned out to be the catalyst to his volunteering to take up the challenge.
The demands of the Trail happened to be just the fit for the Portuguese whose self confessed desire for adventure had resulted in it threatening his very survival, and additionally, fate having to continually caution him – as in the case of an incident in which he got stung by a swarm of bees, which necessitated emergency medical treatment.
The brainchild of a Dutch Reformed Church dominee named Louis Lemmer, as well as an initiative of the Magalies Region of the South African National Parks Honorary Rangers – the unusual safari took Neves and his party nicknamed Panthera (an eight-person group comprised of strangers), accompanied by a duo of trained guides armed with SANParks-issued rifles) six legs (walked over six days from Monday to Saturday, per leg), which commenced in the winter of 2019 and concluded in winter of 2022 to accomplish, as they traversed, whilst covering distances of 20 kilometres per day, an expanse teeming with predatory fauna and the unwelcome presence of lurking poachers.
Despite the risk involved, the curious adventurer in Neves didn’t hesitate to opt to tackle the wilderness upon being won over by the commitment to the environment lying at the root of the Honorary Rangers’ voluntary conservation involvement in South Africa’s 21 national parks, which has raised around R250 million for the reserves’ needs over the past decade.
Then aged 55 at the time of embarking on Leg One of the hike, Neves prepared for the Trail by undertaking two weeks of training hikes in the Tsitsikamma forest, inter alia – in anticipation of tackling a site hosting some 760 species of birds, reptiles and animals; 2000 species of plants which included 336 species of trees; 254 cultural heritage sites; and 130 Bushman rock art sites.
In the absence of no signposts within a place where any creature potentially constitutes another’s food source, the progress of Neves’ Panthera group – one of a limited auctioned to raise funds for the Honorary Rangers, and which successfully bid R95 000 to experience the trail – relied on GPS, which remained in the possession of the lead guide, whilst they trudged on, always statutorily in single file, laden with backpacks weighing up to 20 kilograms to a person, amidst terrain whose heat would reach 40 degree Celsius in one moment and bring to bear fierce storms at unannounced turn.
By the moment Neves’ party concluded its safari at Malelane in the south of the reserve, only four of the initial eight Panthera group stood alongside him as members who had completed a challenge which had commenced at Crooks’ Corner in the far north of the 19,633 square kilometre expanse!
Evidently a meticulous notes taker, Neves has included packing lists (i.e., insect repellents, gas stove, water bottles and sterilisation drops) and survival kits (first aid kit, et cetera) necessary to equip oneself with for enduring the Kruger Trail – presumably for those who fancy following in his footsteps.
Additionally, he also lists significant fauna ranging from mammals such as Tsessebe to birds named the Kori Bustard, et al., he sighted during the arduous trek. Walking Wild contains no less than 40 images (including one of a herd of elephants at the busy Matiovila Spring) recorded by Panthera group members and guides, depicting their journey.
A trade paperback, Walking Wild is published by HPH Publishing.
Available at leading bookstores countrywide, it retails for R395.
