'South Africa has it all': Mya's Heritage Day celebrates love for fauna and flora

Five-year-old Mya Zeelie loves that South Africa has it all.

She loves the national flag, her traditional dress, local music and the many wonderful animals.

Living in Royal Malewane, Thornybush Game Reserve, Mya's love for nature resulted in a fun family project called Mya in Wild Land when she was four years old.

Mya's mother Chanyn-Lee Zeelie said it began as Mya would dress up as a ranger, like her parents, look for animals and tell people their characteristics.

“Mya is an outgoing, fun little girl who loves nature and people. We started filming these sweet moments so Mya in Wild Land began,” she said.

Her favourite things in the bush are wildflowers, zebra and giraffe “because she loves their patterns” and to have picnics by the dams out in the wild. 

Zeelie said Mya loves dressing up.

“She enjoys wearing her ranger khaki clothes on safari and her colourful, traditional dress whenever she can. She also has pink vellies [shoes] in which she climbs trees and has many wild adventures in.” 

Mya has grown up surrounded by nature. 

“She has enjoyed game drives since she was two months old and her love for nature has grown from there. We have many happy memories in the bush as a family and this is where she has so much fun. She loves sunsets and seeing the stars at night.” 

Mya can speak English and Afrikaans fluently and is learning to speak Tsonga from her friends at the lodge. At preschool she enjoys playing games and learning.

“There is a good balance between time at school, at home and in the bush. There are some days where Mya loves to play 'ranger' where she pretends to be our guide in the bush. This is when we make our little Mya in Wild Land videos about her favourite things in nature.

“On other days she wants to be a 'guest' on a game drive where she puts on her dresses and enjoys being in nature without filming. She also loves playing in the bush with her friends.”

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