As you all know we have partnered with the pioneering safari guide and wildlife training organisation EcoTraining,  who work with a number of reserves and one of those is a beautiful place called Pridelands.

Situated in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, north of the Hoedspruit Airforce base, Pridelands Conservancy, a former buffalo hunting farm, has been rehabilitated into a wildlife conservancy. The area presents a magnificent example of intact vegetation of Combretum woodland. 

Pridelands is a unique piece of land. The landscape and habitat vary, and this means there is potential for high biodiversity. The variation across the landscape allows for lots of niche spaces for the various species that occur in the Lowveld region of South Africa.

In September 2017, the fences between Pridelands and the Greater Kruger National Park (GKNP) were dropped making Pridelands part of the GKNP; with an additional 2000 ha of land which extends the habitat for wildlife. 

Since the fences have been dropped, habitats have been opened by animal movement, and a variety of wildlife from the Big Five to wild dogs and hyenas have been seen on the Conservancy. Pridelands also have high bird species diversity.

From Monday 1st June WildEarth will be adding this stunning reserve into our daily shows which is incredibly exciting.

Some of the extraordinary things to look out for are the hyena clan which dens on the property and has four youngsters, a leopard with three cubs and many many herds of elephants that love to swim in the main dam on the reserve. There is even a big tusker called Ezulwini who often visits the camp.

Photo credit cover image: Ecotraining

Meet the guides

Tayla McCurdy

WE are very excited to have Tayla McCurdy back on our screens. Born in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, Tayla left high school determined to live and work in the bush. Holding both guiding qualifications in South Africa and Zambia, she has guided and managed 5-star lodges across the globe. In addition to her guiding background, Tayla has also trained guides for a few months in Sri Lanka and worked for over 2 years at WildEarth as a Guide on our LIVE shows.

Michael Anderson

Born in Zimbabwe, Mike grew up in a wilderness area close to the Hwange National Park. Here his love for nature and the environment began at a young age, forever pretending to be a Ranger, stalking through the bush. In the year 2000, Mike moved to the UK and completed Higher Education and began a Degree in Zoology.

In 2010, Mike decided to begin a Guiding Career in earnest, becoming a qualified Field Guide through EcoTraining and in 2012, completed his Lead Trails qualification. Mike has worked in 5* Lodges in the Sabi Sands and Timbavati Game reserves for 5 years as well as various freelancing assignments with student groups around South Africa. He is an Advanced Trails Guide, with a Savanna Regional Bird Guide qualification and Tracks and Signs Level 2 and his passions are birding, walking and the guidance and mentoring of young people.