And if his arrival at Humani wasn’t memorable enough, his first few months truly made him part of the landscape. Those early days at Humani were famously spent in the workshops, where Pete thrived in an environment that tested both mechanics and character. Under the mentorship of Edson and Lucky, he learned how to get vehicles back on the road with almost nothing but resourcefulness, sweat, welding rods, and stubborn optimism. Changing propshafts under torchlight, rebuilding leaf springs, patching radiators, and improvised engine repairs soon became second nature to him. When something broke, Pete didn’t just fix it – he gave it a second life, usually faster than expected and with half the parts recommended.

After 9 months of workshop immersion, anti-poaching, dipping cattle and sheep, fixing fences, maintaining water lines, and surviving the occasional oil-drenched explosion of humour, Pete was moved to Zambia for 6 months to open a concession for Roger Whittall Safaris. Pete celebrated the end of his PH apprenticeship in 1998 by buying his first Toyota Land Cruiser. But this was no ordinary bush-ready rig. It was bright red and christened “The Red Bitch”, and soon became a legend in the industry.

Beyond the grease and grit, Pete was also hit with a proper Humani initiation: tick bite fever. Whilst most people get treated with heavy antibiotics to fight it off, Anne gave him aspirin to treat his severe headache and fever and told him he had a rough few days ahead. Assuring him that if he could tough it out he would never get tick bite fever again.

Welcome to Humani indeed. In the years that followed, whenever Pete visited Anne to complain about flu or headaches, she would hand him a course of the infamous Maloquine tablets, and, like the Whittall kids, Pete quickly learned not to complain unless he was in a coma. And so the bond between the Whittall family and Pete was solidified – an easy target for teasing, but deeply adored.

And adored he truly is.

To this day, whenever Roger sees Pete – no matter what mood he’s in – Peter is met with a big smile. Without fail. A man of routine, Roger has always treated Pete like family – loving him like a son, guiding him like a son, ribbing him like a son. There is a kinship there that needs no words, only a knowing grin.