Salutes pour in for wilderness activist
Nature conservationist Ian Player is credited with bringing South Africa’s white rhino back from the brink of extinction
TRIBUTES poured in yesterday for renowned conservationist Ian Player‚ who died at home on Sunday, aged 87, after a stroke last week.
The older brother of golfing legend Gary, Player worked tirelessly to protect white rhino and founded several environmental organisations.
One, the Wilderness Foundation, said: “Despite physical challenges that hounded him all his life‚ Ian was fully committed to his life’s work of nature conservation and his quest to understand the human spirit and psyche. He died at his home surrounded by his family.”
Yesterday President Jacob Zuma sent condolences to the family, thanking Player for his exceptional and consistent work in the field of nature conservation.
His spokesman Mac Maharaj said: “He did exceptionally well in this field, consistently for decades, and put South Africa on the map. His passing is a great loss to the nation and for the nature conservation community worldwide.”
Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said: “His contribution to the preservation of our natural world and his leadership in saving the rhino from extinction in South Africa are achievements that cannot be beaten.”
KZN environmental affairs MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu called Player a son of the soil whose legacy should be celebrated.
“We have lost a leading pioneer in the field of environmental protection but also a well-known activist in terms of conservation and biodiversity.
“We will remember him and [his friend, mentor and wilderness guide Magqubu] Ntombela for [their] roles as pioneers ... [and] global activists for conservation and environmental protection.
“But over and above that we want to celebrate heroic action on the part of Dr Player, who left behind a living legacy for all of us to emulate.”
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife COE Dr Bandile Mkhize paid tribute to Player saying: “He was a fiercely pragmatic and intelligent thinker. Hamba kahle, great one.”
From 1952, as warden of the iMfolozi Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, he spearheaded two far-reaching initiatives. The first was Operation Rhino, in which he led the team that pioneered the methods and drugs to immobilise and relocate large endangered species.
The team captured and moved many of the remaining southern white rhino to save them from the brink of extinction.
The second initiative was Player’s recognition of the value of wilderness for the human spirit and for biodiversity conservation. This led to the designation of KZN’s iMfolozi and St Lucia Wilderness Areas in the late 1950s – the first wilderness areas to be zoned in South Africa and on the African continent.
As an environmental educator, and after taking early retirement from the Natal Parks Board where he served as chief conservator of Zululand, Player started the globally recognised Wilderness Leadership School, which was the first organisation in Africa dedicated to providing a wilderness experience for people of all backgrounds, races and nationalities.
He retired to turn his attention to nature conversation within the NGO sector.
This resulted in him becoming a founding force of the Wilderness Foundation in Africa and the UK, the WILD Foundation in the USA and the Magqubu Ntombela Memorial Foundation.
Player suffered a stroke on Thursday, prompting his brother, Gary, to announce on Twitter on Friday: “My beloved brother Ian has cast his canoe onto the river of life that will shortly take him across to the other side. I will miss you.”
Wilderness Foundation CEO Dr Andrew Muir said the organisation’s personal support went to the Player family.
“It was Dr Player’s wish to have a private family funeral service. A memorial service will be held in due course with details forthcoming,” Muir said.
Player’s list of awards is extensive, ranging from Knight in the Order of the Golden Ark (Holland) to a decoration for Meritorious Service (South African civilian award).
When he was not saving the environment he was enjoying it through one of his favourite hobbies, canoeing.
His love for the sport led to him, in 1951, initiating the 120km Dusi Canoe Marathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, which he went on to win three times.
He wrote several books including White Rhino Saga and Zululand Wilderness Shadow. His biography Into the River of Life was published towards last year.
He is survived by his wife, Ann, sons Kenneth and Amyas, and daughter Jessica. — AFP, Times Media, Twitter