One with the wild | Gus and Margie Mills

Gus and Margie Mills met while studying together and then went on to work side-by-side in the bush for their entire careers up to now. Even after spending countless years in remote places they still prefer being out in the wild, together.

by Benno Stander

Gus and Margie Mills with immobilised cheetah – Kalahari

On arrival at their newly built house on the outskirts of Nelspruit Margie instinctively opts for the patio when deciding where to sit. It is with good reason I realise when I take in the view of the valley surrounding the Tipperary River just off their stoep. Gus and Margie are not the kind of people you would find inside four walls very often, unless they are busy writing up all the fascinating things they discover outside. They have made outside their home and have lived there for as long as they care to remember.

Gus grew up in Jhb and when he was eight years old his parents took him to Kruger National Park for the first time. “It really struck a note and from that day I always said that I wanted to work in the bush,” Gus remembers. “I developed a great interest and love for the bush and came to the Lowveld as often as I could. Many people said that working out there is not a real job and that I’d never make any money. But that didn’t stop me.”

Spotted hyena cubs – Kalahari

When Gus wanted to go and study after school he first studied psychology but soon realised that it wasn’t really for him. He then moved over to do a degree in Zoology at UCT where he met Margie who was studying the same course. He later also completed his honours degree in wildlife management at Pretoria University and while he was busy with the studies, got the opportunity to do field work on the brown hyena in the Kalahari.

So in 1972 Gus and Margie got married and moved to the Kalahari where they were going to stay for two years. Before they knew it the two years had passed but luckily Gus was offered a permanent position as a biologist and they ended up staying for 12 years. Both Gus and Margie studied brown hyenas and spotted hyenas and consequently wrote a book called Kalahari Days, Hyena Nights.

In 1984 they were transferred to Kruger National Park since by this time they had two children and it was becoming difficult for Margie and the kids to be so far from any conveniences. They lived in Kruger for 22 years where Gus was a biologist doing studies on carnivores with specific focus on lion, cheetah, wild dog and hyena.

When the kids were out of the nest the two were just too happy to return to the Kalahari where they spent another six years doing a study on cheetahs. This was followed up with a year spent in England where they worked at Oxford while writing up all the findings from the time spent studying cheetahs.

When they came back to South Africa recently they decided to build a house on the banks of the Tipperary River just outside Nelspruit. “Gus wanted to live in the Kalahari for ever but I wanted to do other things so we decided to settle in Nelspruit,” says Margie.

Gus and Margie will also be writing a memoir of the time spent with the cheetahs of the Kalahari.

According to the couple the best and worst part about what they’ve been doing all these years is the isolation. “Kruger wasn’t that isolated and you actually have the best of both worlds with lots of unspoilt natural habitat as well as a community to live in,” explains Margie. Although they both truly love being out in the wild watching the animals Margie does admit that, “It’s sometimes a bit difficult being away from everyday conveniences like shops.” Gus has no issue with this and contests that he loves it and enjoys every moment he spends out there in the middle of nowhere.

Gus Radio tracking for cheetahs in the Kalahari

“Margie is a lot more versatile in her job and is interested in a lot more things. She was involved with community projects in Kruger for some 19 years and has an interest in just about every aspect of wildlife,” says Gus.

“I was a lot more tied to the camp when we had children in school en kept myself busy with teaching a group of local women to sew and plant gardens. We had a good time living in Kruger and even though every house had a little fence around it we were still in the bush and had many encounters with wildlife right on our doorstep,” Margie remembers.

Currently the couple is working on another scientific book based on the cheetah research which is set to be done by end of 2015. In the meantime Gus and Margie will also be writing a memoir of the time spent with the cheetahs of the Kalahari.

When asked what they plan to do next Gus quickly comments, “I don’t know and I’m actually now officially retired, but we are still very much interested in doing what we love.” According to Margie they might spend some time exploring all the other national parks in South Africa. Despite the beautiful view from the table on the stoep where we were sitting, I cannot help but think that they wont be spending much time there after all.

Cheetah on red dune – Kalahari

Find out more

Gus and Margie’s latest two books, Kalahari Days, Hyena Nights and A Natural History Guide to the Arid Kalahari can be bought directly from them. To place an order send a mail to Margie Mills