Shaun D’Araujo, a game ranger at Londolozi shared his experience of guiding a blind woman during game drives and how her view changed his life!
Greater Kruger, South Africa (11 March 2020) – Going to a private game reserve is a luxury for many, even self-driving through the Kruger National Park and other reserves scattered around South Africa. The great privilege of all is doing these things and being able to see them.
Shaun D’Araujo, a game ranger at Londolozi, was assigned to guide a guest that had lost her eyesight. He was unsure how he would guide her during their drives as he had spent his 15-year career pointing things out.
His stresses were quickly put aside; he learned that the woman didn’t need him to talk her through the sightings. She sat and listened to everything and taught Shaun a lesson in life.
On their first game drive, he sat there and closed his eyes. He listened to the animals, the sounds of the birds, the rumble of distant elephants and the boisterous zebra. They listened to the hippos fighting and the fish eagles flying overhead.
It was at that moment that Shaun realised how much of nature he was missing by using only his eyes. Using his eyes, sat and explained a passing lion’s appearance in detail. Shaun was describing her scars and her missing tail, the colour of her eyes and the detail of her tongue. He realised that even using his eyes, he had seen many lions, but he had never really looked. He noted how you could see the life a lion has led by the scars that riddle their bodies.
Shaun learned about the blessings of life, about using everything to immerse yourself in nature. The feeling of the bark on a big tree, the way the sand feels between your toes and the sound of the water slowly rippling over the top of your foot.
Londolozi shared his experience, and it is powerful to watch! You will get goosebumps as Shaun explains how his whole world was opened up, all thanks to how a blind woman experienced a few days in the wild.
Take a look at the beautiful tale below. Let us know, what is one thing you plan to pay more attention to this year? We plan to sit quietly in the garden more and watch who comes to visit.
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