Alex van den Heever and Renias Mhlongo have spent more than 20 years working together in the wild among others tracking leopards and lions at Londolozi in Mpumalanga, stalking jaguars in South America nad grizzly bears in America.

There is a herd of books out there by white South Africans or white foreigners about game ranger reminiscences or elephants in kitchens and that sort of thing. Ed Stoddard reviews ‘Changing a Leopard’s Spots: The Adventures of Two Wildlife Trackers’.

Pietermaritzbyrg-based veteran wildlife tracker Alex van den Heever's childhood turned tough after his parents divorced. However, when he became as close as family to his shangaan-speaking tracker and learnt first-hand what it was like to be a child in the time of apartheid forced removals, he realised he hadn't been badly off.

Renias Mhlongo was born in the greater Kruger National Park. As a boy, he was responsible for 17 cattle, protecting them from the lions, hyenas and leopards resident in the area. His father’s rule was simple – come home with all the cows or not at all. Today, Mhlongo is recognised as one of the best wildlife trackers in the world. Alex van den Heever, his friend and colleague of 23 years, sat down with Mhlongo to hear his thoughts on diversity and transformation in South Africa.