Susan Painting

The Anti-Poaching world is most definitely a ‘Man’s’ world, running around with firearms in camo, sitting in the bush in the middle of the night. There really was nothing glamorous about it at all, except for Susan. Susan worked for the Dept of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, a government entity that we worked both closely with and often found ourselves at loggerheads with. Even when we were in dispute Susan and I always met eachother with a big smile and warm embrace, she was always bubbly and happy to be on the job no matter what time of the night we called on her. Dressed in Cargo pants and combat boots her long nails were either bright pink or even glittered blue, hair perfectly done. One night on a call out we came across poachers who had wandered across private property, this was an opportunity for an arrest, to make their lives somewhat difficult as well as keep them off the coast for a while. That night we had apprehended a suspect and needed the presence of DAFF to make the arrest, Susan was there, looking perfect in the middle of the night. Susan and I were given the task of keeping the suspect in the back of the bakkie while the rest of the team pursued the other suspects over the rocks in the dark. The suspect was quiet in the back of the bakkie and so we became relaxed, chatting and giggling, suddenly the poacher came flying out the back of the canopy kicking and fighting (high on really cheap drugs). I was in such shock that before I could gather my wits, Susan had him by the scruff of the neck and the back of the shirt and threw this fully grown man back into the back of the bakkie like he was a sack of potatoes, she didn't even break a nail!!! I never looked at her the same way, she was cute, but she was a badass!