Swellendam, Western Cape – In the wake of the recent wildfire in the Grootvadersbosch and Tradouw Pass area, I collaborated with the Swellendam Bewarea and Conservancy, a registered CapeNature conservancy, supporting wildlife-focused observations while firefighting crews worked to contain the fire.
I arrived on day two of operations and reported through the incident command structure, introducing myself to Station Commander Heinrich Lesley and the operations centre team, including the helicopter pilot assisting with aerial firefighting.
Soon after, the pilot raised a concern from the air: two bushbuck had been seen running into a fence line. With the assistance of a casual labourer and permission granted through the Working on Fire teams, we worked our way up the slope to search.
We found spoor and followed it as far as the terrain allowed, but the steep mountainsides and heavy smoke made a safe recovery impossible. No further sign of the bushbuck could be confirmed at the time.
We then shifted to scanning the burn area for injured animals and signs of wildlife caught in the fire. During this sweep, a porcupine was safely moved out of danger, and a few carcasses of smaller animals were found, highlighting the speed and intensity of the burn.
That evening, I continued moving between nearby farms, escorting displaced wildlife – including mongooses, tortoises, and a troop of baboons – away from active zones
By the following day, the scale of the affected area made one challenge clear, a single responder on foot can only cover a small portion of such a large landscape. The approach changed when I was asked to deliver water and food to frontline firefighters. Those deliveries became an opportunity to connect with multiple teams and units, effectively turning one set of eyes into many.
As supplies were handed out, I asked firefighters to stay alert for wildlife sightings, injuries, and movement corridors. That simple request quickly expanded reporting across the fireground. Information began coming in from different crews, and even newly arriving units shared updates as they joined the operation.
Over the following days and nights, fewer signs of distress were recorded, suggesting many animals had instinctively moved out of the area. Concerns remained about wildlife on the high peaks, but Deputy Commissioner Van Wyk and specialist teams pointed out likely escape routes used by animals to move away from heat and smoke.
Between checks of wildlife movement areas, most of my days and nights distributing food and water, sourcing tools for broken pumps, transporting some firefighters between points, and helping direct traffic through active zones.
As operations began to wind down, a moment of relief arrived. A firefighter I had not yet met stopped me – he had heard about the bushbuck and said he had just seen them cross the road toward Suurbrak. After days of uncertainty, it was rare and welcome news.
Beyond the wildlife outcomes, the experience reinforced how collective effort can multiply impact. A community’s act of kindness brought together people from all walks of life, fighting for the same purpose. My focus was wildlife, supported by a team of roughly 130 firefighters and community members whose contributions may never be fully recognized.
Nature is resilient, even when the losses are difficult to accept. In time, vegetation will return, animals will recolonize, and a recovering ecosystem will take shape across the burned landscape.
PS: Amazingly, despite hundreds of food parcels and plastic water bottles distributed during the operation, not a single bottle was found littering the area afterward.
