A joyous ending for Dr Pete Morkel’s biography

MOKOPANE – Mike Morkel, Pete’s older brother and author of Pete’s biography, who lives in Polokwane, said: “Pete is a graduate of the University of Pretoria where he received his bachelor degree of veterinary science. He has been working full time as a wildlife doctor ever since. He has extensive experience with the physical and chemical capture and the translocation of African wildlife.”

Mike said Pete worked with wildlife in eleven African countries, much of his time being spent working with rare species, especially the Black Rhinoceros, on which he is a world expert. “He is currently a member of the African Rhino Specialist Group of the IUCN SSC, and has twelve publications to his name.

I cannot put into words what went through my mind when I realized my good deed almost cost me my hard work of five years and Pete’s biography when I gave a lift to a young man travelling from Polokwane to Gauteng.”

Mike said the young man asked him to drop him of in Mokopane at Super Spar in Thabo Mbeki drive. “On climbing out of the car he stole my briefcase including my laptop with Pete’s biography on.”

He posted a request for help on Monique Sambers’ Facebook page in Mokopane and within hours, with the help of a businessman, he found his laptop. “I was relieved but the joy was short-lived when I realised the hard drive was wiped. My hope was now on the publishers that they still had a copy that I sent two weeks ago. The publishers phoned me with the news they still have the copy but two chapters were not there.”

Mike said it left him to look for the two lost chapters on every computer and document that he worked on the past five years. “At long last I found the chapters and the biography is now complete. I’m hoping to hear from the publishers within the next two weeks and that the biography will be printed before December. It will be joyous chapter closed on this book.”

redaksie.bosvelder@nmgroup.co.za