Fr. Jorge in the Kruger National Park

INTRODUCTION

Fr. Jorge was very fond of visiting Kruger and sightseeing while filming with his video camera. The mission where he was stationed, Waterval, is situated 30 km away from one of the entrances to the National Park.

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One Monday, commonly considered a day off for the priests, Fr. Jorge decided to spend some time in the reserve contemplating the beauty of its scenery and tracking animals armed with his camera.

A few weeks earlier, a catechist’s husband from one of the villages served by the mission, employed as a guard in Kruger, had been fatally charged by an elephant while riding his bicycle in the Park.

As Fr. Jorge spotted a herd of elephants crossing the road ahead of him, he alighted from his car—something absolutely forbidden by the Park—to record the view. A traffic police officer arrived and stopped his car behind Fr. Jorge’s and started recriminating his behaviour. As the priest was of quick temperament, he loudly replied to the officer: “How do you dare reproach me for this when your employees are exposed to dangerous wild animals as they ride bicycles in the Park?”

The police officer—not involved in the management of the animal reserve—was taken aback by Fr. Jorge’s response and let him proceed without issuing a fine but warned him not to repeat such an imprudent action.

 

NB: The names of the characters have been changed.

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