Quit an established business, abandon a comfortable, quiet life just to photograph predators in the impenetrable jungle of Africa? Doesn’t it seem crazy? However, probably each of us has our own destiny. For example, the heroine of our today's history has always dreamed of becoming a wildlife documentary. When fate gave her such a unique chance, she hastened to use it. And this is what came of it.
Animal lover
So get acquainted. Our heroine's name is Shannon Wilde, she is thirty-nine. She was born and raised in the Australian state of Queensland. The children's hobby for photography gradually grew into a rather profitable business. The girl began to arrange photo shoots for pets. Very original startup, right? Especially for Shannon, who always loved animals.
Our heroine was quite satisfied with the work, but then the routine became unbearable. Every day the same thing: glamorous cats, dogs, for the maintenance and care of which the owners do not spare money. Shannon felt that in life she lacks drive and adrenaline. Taking pictures of obedient pets is really boring. But if you capture, for example, a cheetah or a lion. But not in the zoo, but in its habitat. That's what Shannon dreamed of.
Fateful acquaintance
In the modern world of electronic technology, many people meet on the Internet, and our heroine was no exception. In September 2013, she began to correspond with a guy from South Africa named Russell McLaughlin. Young people found one common interest - this is photography. Both were fans of their craft. When in the course of the conversation it turned out that Russell also wants to capture a predator in its natural habitat, Shannon was in a wild delight. This guy was sent to her over fate.
In November of the same year, the lovers agreed to meet in Indonesia. They decided to go on a photo safari together. Before departure, Russell made an offer in absentia to Shannon. She, not seeing her new gentleman, agreed. When they first met each other at the airport, they had no doubt about the correctness of the decision. The next day, the lovers wedding in Bali.
The first steps
After the wedding, Shannon moved to live with Russell in Africa. The first year of life was very difficult, because the girl had to start all over from scratch. In Australia, she had her own business and stable income, but here no one was waiting for her. The first two years, our heroine worked for free. There were times when there was nothing to refuel the car. Even the electricity was turned off a couple of times for non-payment.
Being a wildlife documentary was also not easy. In the first year, a cheetah attacked Shannon. The scars remained for life. The girl admits that this was a good lesson for her, and the scars now serve as a reminder that you can not be so careless and unceremoniously invade the habitat of wild animals.
By the way, in the first week of their stay in Africa, Shannon was surrounded by angry lions. The girl recalls how their roar practically vibrated through her chest. She cried with fear and already said goodbye to life. Fortunately, the predators retreated.
Accident
One day, Shannon went to the Masai Mara Nature Reserve in Kenya. There a tragic incident happened to her: a woman suddenly lost consciousness, rolled off a cliff and lay for several hours on the ground. Imagine, and this is in the territory where lions live in large numbers! It is simply a miracle that, by the will of fate, wild cats did not see her.
It is not known how long Shannon would have been unconscious if her rescuers had not found her. The woman was taken to a local hospital. After the examination, it turned out that our heroine has serious health problems: the heart valve does not work well. Because of this, she lost consciousness.
The treatment and rehabilitation period lasted three months. All this time, Shannon was bedridden and slept twenty-three hours a day. Fortunately, now nothing threatens her health.
Success
Shannon took six years to promote his own brand. But now she is a highly sought after and highly paid wildlife documentary. The woman collaborates with National Geographic. Now she and her husband are working on a documentary about a black panther in India.