Parkhill resident and environmental warrior pens first book

PARKHILL resident Basil Pather has fulfilled a number of roles in his lifetime: a conservationist, a wildlife game ranger, a member of the Green Scorpions and a family man.

As conservation manager of the Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve and Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve, he has also served as a member of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife for the past 34 years in conservation.

Now, he can add a published author to his list of accomplishments with his first autobiography, Buffel.

“This book is my personal journey and reminiscences on being the first person of Indian descent as a district conservation officer in South Africa. I also speak about my time here at Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve. For me, I see it as a tribute to the hard work, dedication and sacrifices made by all the staff, family and friends who’ve enabled me to live out my dreams. So, my autobiography is interspersed with my personal life while growing up in Pietermaritzburg to my time at Ezemvelo from a learner ranger to a conservation manager.

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“This was a Covid project. It was actually a good friend of mine, Prof Ryan Blumenthal, who planted the seed. We would often talk, and I would share anecdotal stories of my adventures, and he said, ‘Why not put these stories down in a book?’ He said with all my experiences, this could also be valuable institutional knowledge. I’m hoping to inspire future conservationists,” he said.

Pather said he hopes readers will take on the message of battling through adversity in reading his book.

“What I want people to know or take out of reading my book is that circumstances do not dictate your trajectory in life. Adversity builds character, and life wasn’t a red carpet for me. I had to work, and I had to go through a number of obstacles that shaped me into the person I am today. If I go back to my training in Namibia, I remember standing with two suitcases at Windhoek International Airport about to start my training, not knowing anyone or speaking the language. All the courses were in Afrikaans, so I was thrown into the deep end, so to speak, but I was determined to fulfil my dream,” he said.

Speaking on the title of the book, Pather explained that Buffel, Afrikaans for Buffalo, was a nickname he inherited when doing in-service training,

“When I was doing my in-service in South West Africa (Namibia), I was viewed by my fellow officers as someone who was determined and tenacious. I even charged a high-profile person for angling without a permit. For me, the legislation was clear: it was either right or wrong. Because I didn’t take nonsense and was straight as an arrow, the rangers gave me the nickname Buffel,” he said.

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• The book is available at Exclusive Books La Lucia Mall, and copies can be purchased/ordered through Pather’s wife, Shereen at shereen.pather2001@gmail.com.

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