The Zimbabwean Bush

My name is Joel Kasunugure and I am a proud Zimbabwean! I work as a manager of Ivory Lodge, part of the Amalinda Safari Collection and I love my job!

Ivory Lodge is located in the forestry area on the outskirts of of Hwange National Park in the north west of the country. We are all like close family here at Ivory Lodge and we endeavour to build close relationships with all our guests so that they too get that family feel from us and always look forward to coming back. This is exactly how I became acquainted with Debbie and Dan who first visited us back in 2017. We all made such an impression on each other and bonded instantly that Debbie and Dan returned home to us again at Christmas 2019, bringing another friend and brother to bond with, brother Anders!

Let me tell you a bit about my office surroundings and my every day life at work.

The Zimbabwean bush is not all about seeing shrubs, dead trees which have dried up, dry grass, but the Zimbabawean bush is the definition of all that is beautiful and mother of all awesome elements that one comes across in the wild. The Zimbabwean bush is our teacher and gives us knowledge. If you happen to be a lover of wild life, you get to understand and gain a positive perpective of all the life around you. You will come to see the bush through the eyes of the animals and plants and get to understand the relationship that exists between all things living in the bush (animals and plants) and us as humans.

I never take for granted being born in Zimbabwe and having this incredible opportunity to live and work in the Zimbabwean bush. From my personal perspective, this is the most wonderful thing that life can offer as a gift to someone. However, I am accutely aware that the Zimbabwean bush, just like many other remote places, faces great challenges. Our wildlife is under such threat, now leading to extinction of some animals and plants found in our beautiful Zimbabwean bush. Poaching, road accidents, snaring, disease, predator survival skills, predator-prey preference, human wildlife conflicts-habitat fragmantation and many more, are all contributing to the decline of our Zimbabwean bush.

On the bright side, being a lover of wildlife and having a great passion for nature has enriched my life beyond measure! To give back to mother nature, I am committed to being a role model to all the young people in my community so that they too may come to love and respect our beautiful Zimbabwean bush as they are sure to be the next generation of bush-lovers as I will one day need to hand over the torch to ensure the survival of our country's most stunning natural surrounding.

Having a supportive family, my wife and children, I feel empowered and so fortunate that I can continue this passion and love for our beautiful Zimbabwean bush. To them I give all my love and I live to leave a legacy of which they will be proud!

So, if you ever wonder where to next for inspiration and awe, then please look us up at the Ivory Logde in Hwange, Zimbabwe! Amalinda Safari Collection - Ivory Lodge

Chisarayi! Fambayi zvakanaka!
Salani! Lihambe kuhle!
Goodbye! Safe travels!