One night while patrolling on foot in the Kruger National Park, ranger Tinyiko Golele and her team came across a herd of breeding elephants.

Unfortunately for the rangers the giants picked up their scent and came charging at full speed.

Golele was the only woman among the team of men who, between them, had many years of field experience in the bush. But when she saw even the most experienced among them run for cover, she didn’t wait for further instructions and followed suit.

Golele is now a regional ranger in Shingwedzi in the Kruger National Park and looks back on the incident with much laughter.

“I thought we would just stand still according to what we learnt in our training. But when I saw the sergeant run past me I realised I had no other choice but to also run,” she says.

She looks resplendent in boots and the matching earth green work suit she dreamt of putting on during her childhood in M’tititi.

While growing up in the village which borders the Kruger National Park, the young Golele had no clue about the world beyond the wire fence separating her home from the park.

All she heard from the elders were tales of wild animals that sometimes broke through the fence, damaged the village’s crops and killed their livestock. Back then when black people were only allowed into game parks as servants, she swore that one day she would wear the earth green and khaki uniforms just like some of the men and women who worked in the park. A journey that started with a dream driven by curiosity has finally come full circle.

Tinyiko Golele is a chief ranger in Shingwedzi area of the northern Kruger National Park. The chief ranger is responsible for the security of the area with field rangers who report to her daily during and after doing foot patrols. Photo: Lucas Ledwaba / Mukurukuru Media

Golele is now among a growing number of women moving up the ranks in a field once considered the domain of hardened men with rifles.

She manages a team of rangers that patrols the park on foot and by car daily, to ensure the safety, security and comfort of tourists and to protect the flora and fauna from poachers.

Golele, who describes herself as a shy family person and mother of three, is also a philomath of sorts. She studied towards a qualification as a field tourist guide before she was recruited by Sanparks through one of their outreach programmes.

She has since obtained a BSc degree in environmental management from Unisa. She then studied towards a law degree but did not complete it. She is now pursuing another degree with the African Leadership University in Rwanda and plans to establish a foundation to assist young women, especially those like her from rural areas, to reach their dreams.

“When I was age 12, I swore that I wanted to create a positive impact in society. But I asked myself, how am I going to create this positive environment because creating this I needed positive resources, so I realised I needed to focus on education,” she says.

Part of her mission involves paving the way for more women to enter the field of nature conservation.

“If I can achieve this then I want to say to others, especially women that want to follow the path, to say that it’s doable. It’s doable. We tend to discourage people. But you need to associate yourself with people who can make it to be something,” she says.

Tinyiko Golele is one of few senior female rangers in the Kruger National Park. She is on a mission to encourage more women to take up careers in nature and wildlife conservation. Photo: Lucas Ledwaba / Mukurukuru Media

The path to regional ranger status is not an easy one. It involves passing through various stages from field ranger, lance corporal, corporal, sergeant, section ranger and ultimately, regional ranger.

Golele started as a section ranger after undergoing various training courses, including a gruelling survival course in the bush which included tough physical training and valuable lessons on reading the bush, understanding its moods and messages.

As a regional ranger, Golele’s duties include liaising with section rangers daily, communicating with other regional rangers and planning patrol routes. The work is consuming and involves sharing of crucial operational information and intelligence to help the rangers counter the activities of poachers.

As regional ranger Tinyiko Golele’s duties include liaising with a team of field rangers and other regional rangers across the Kruger National Park. Photo: Lucas Ledwaba / Mukurukuru Media

She cites climatic change as one of the biggest threats to the environment and warns that if nothing drastic is done the consequences will be dire. Golele also warns that humans remain a major threat to wildlife and the environment through poor environmental management systems, pollution and poaching.

“What we need to do as Africans is to maintain what we have,” she says.

Golele advises that to counter actions that pose a threat to the environment, there needs to be a tightening of policy around environmental crimes. She also says communities need to be taught the significance of nature conservation to ensure that they become partners in preserving Africa’s heritage.

Despite the daunting and demanding responsibilities she carries, it is not difficult to detect the deep love and passion she has for her work.

“Fear was one of my weaknesses when I started. But when you are passionate you develop strength and the fear goes away. I have crossed that river of fear,” she says. DM/ ML