Nola-Mari is our chosen SPECIAL PERSON. She joined Tenikwa late last year to finsh her Nature College Practical. Len and Mandy were so impressed by her guiding skills as well as her talent with animals that she was offered a permanent position at the begining of February 2011.

She was brilliant with guests and on her tours she would describe the need for conservation with rare clarity and utter conviction. Along with being a guide she took on the responsibilies of looking after the sick and young animals. She loved it so much that she volunteered at the local vet on her days off. Nola had found her passion with animals and never left work without smiling.

She became the surrogate mother of 3 serval kittens and was extremly patient and attentive to them. They are doing well now and one has been named in honour of Nola - we called him Mola!

Tenikwa had never met anyone so driven and with such vision and determination. One of her ambitions was to work with the moutain gorillas in the DRC, but sadly this was not to be and Nola lost her life in a tragic accident at Nature's Valley while she was hiking.

All of us at Tenikwa feel the loss of Nola deeply and she is greatly missed, but her life will be celebrated daily in all of our conservation efforts.