Metallica, Lions & Other Bad Ideas

Who’s on the Podcast

Marnus Roodbol - Lion Conservation Project Manager at Endangered Wildlife Trust 

Working in lion conservation with the Endangered Wildlife Trust, Marnus Roodbol is a conservationist shaped by years in the bush, fieldwork across southern Africa, and a life that somehow swings between serious lion conservation and complete campfire chaos.

Recorded fireside beneath a fruiting jackalberry at Raptor’s View, this episode of Sundowner Sessions finds Brett Horley catching up with Marnus, conservationist, storyteller, and long-time friend. 

The episode opens with one of the more surreal safari stories you’ll hear. A VIP booking at Matswari Game Reserve turns out to be Metallica. A few bongo drums around camp later, Marnus somehow finds himself flown to Cape Town and pulled onto stage to play drums live with the band after guiding them on safari.

“After taking them on game drive… suddenly I’m on stage with Metallica.”

From there, the conversation drifts through early conservation NGO days, long-distance walking and cycling expeditions across southern Africa, malaria, bush life before social media, and the realities of learning conservation the hard way.

Things eventually take a proper bush turn when Marnus recounts a night in a remote tent camp where he made the questionable decision to broadcast lion calls into the darkness through a speaker.

Half an hour later, lions surrounded the camp.

“Boss… what now?”

The next morning, tracks revealed one lion had walked just two metres from his tent, while another circled behind camp during the night.

Funny, lightly chaotic, and filled with the kind of stories that only surface around a fire, this episode captures the unpredictable side of life in conservation perfectly.

Until next time - keep your sundowners cold and your stories wild.

Listen Now!

Learn More About the Endangered Wildlife Trust

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) works across Africa to conserve threatened species and ecosystems through science, field conservation, community partnerships, and on-the-ground action. From predator conservation to protecting critical habitats, their work plays an important role in safeguarding Africa’s wildlife for future generations.

Explore more about the Endangered Wildlife Trust and its conservation work here.