First we smell them: pungent, somewhere between heavy sweat, urine and dung. Then we hear them: crashing, tearing and snapping the thick Eastern Cape indigenous bush. Then we see her: a huge female elephant with a tiny, days-old calf at her side, its little ears folded tightly against its body.
She is directly in front of the Landcruiser, looking straight at us, her huge form brightly lit by the morning sun. I can sense Melanie, in front of me, who has never been in Africa before, go rigid with shock, surprise and excitement.
The elephant puts out her trunk, probing us inquisitively. The trunk wavers towards Melanie and I can feel her cringing in near panic. Then back to Keir, our ranger at the wheel. This could mean big trouble and a terrifying high-speed reverse, but the elephant stays calm and so does he. It comes for him again.
"Hamba," he whispers and the elephant has seen and smelt enough, and moves off. Suddenly, as if from nowhere, the rest of the herd emerges -about 30-strong, small and medium-sized creatures and an enormous bull, heavily in musth, testosterone at many times its normal level, with only one thing in mind - the young cows in season.
Our tension turns to delight as we watch them file past, many with branches and twigs in their mouths. Keir explains that unlike some of their northern cousins, these elephants have not had bad experiences with humans and their attitude is relaxed. They are highly intelligent animals that communicate invisibly, inaudibly and effortlessly.
This experience was a highlight at Shamwari game reserve, the brainchild of entrepreneur Adrian Gardiner, whose efforts have transformed 22 000ha of largely depleted farmland back into the territory it once was, after centuries of plunder and abuse. When European settlers arrived 200 years ago, they set about clearing the land and indiscriminately wiping out the animals. What had once been one of the richest wildlife areas in Africa was turned into a dustbowl.
The Shamwari Wildlife Department was set up to ensure that the reintroduction of wildlife and native plant species was overseen by experts. A large part of the reserve has been set aside as the "first official private wilderness area in Africa".
Ranger Keir Lynch followed his formal training with experience at game reserves in the Western Cape, Northern Province and KwaZulu Natal and his knowledge of the wildlife and plants at Shamwari is impressive.
Our fellow guests, honeymoon couple Robert and Melanie Graham, were the ideal people with whom to share these game drives. This was their first such experience and their enthusiasm was palpable. They were overjoyed at each new sighting and stunned by their first sighting of white rhino. As a team we were able to spot plenty of game.
Being accustoned to lowveld game reserves, my first reaction was "Oh oh, what's this?" But, by the end of the first evening drive and the next morning's encounter in the thick bush, I realised this place is special and the enormity of what has been achieved here is not commonly understood.
On our drives we came across two big lionesses in impressively good condition, one with two cubs. We also saw a leopard female with a cub, lying calmly in the long grass surveying the surrounding landscape and, similarly, a cheetah. We even found a rare serval with a cub. There are many species of antelope, including kudu, oryx, impala, springbok, red hartebeest and blesbok, as well as zebra and white-tailed gnu (wildebeest). The predators are wholly sustained by available prey.
We stayed at Riverdene Lodge, which consists of nine twin rooms, sleeping 18 guests. Rooms are fully air-conditioned, with television and telephone in a comfortable lounge area. The public areas consist of two elegantly furnished but casual lounges -one with a bar -a dining area and a rimflow swimming pool with sun deck and poolside bar. There is also an outdoor dining area with barbecue, ideal for the warmer summer months. At the time of our visit, the weather was chilly, and warm clothes are recommended for morning and evening game drives.
But trainee manager Elliot Goba made sure we had everything we needed for a comfortable stay, all double-checked by manager Karen van Zyl and assistant manager Liza-Mari Swanepoel. Time at the bar was enlivened by arch-Springbok rugby supporter, barman Andre Poney, and Keir's wife ranger Alouise Lynch, who has an entertaining fund of wildlife stories. Even in non-game drive mode, Keir kept the answers to questions flowing at the bar and over dinner. Guiding is certainly a demanding job, the ranger having to keep his or her wits about them at all times, spotting animals, explaining ecological phenomena, late to bed and early to rise.
Other accommodation includes Longlee Manor, built in 1910 by the descendants of William Foulds, one of the early settlers. Restored and expanded, the Edwardian mansion has the feel of a country manor. At Eagles Cragg Lodge each room has its own private deck and plunge pool with an uninterrupted view of the bush. Lobengula Lodge is tucked deep in the valley bushveld -a thatched five-star, ethnically decorated establishment.
Bushmans River Lodge is located along the Bushmans River, which flows through the propery, with beautiful views. Here accommodation is available for individuals, small groups or families. Bayethe Lodge offers nine, air-conditioned, twin-bedded tented suites, with en suite bathroom, outdoor shower, private plunge pool and deck.
Perhaps one of the most important attractions at Shamwari is the Born Free animal rescue and education centre not far from Riverdene. It is a co-operative effort between Shamwari and the Born Free Foundation, an international wildlife charity that saves lives and prevents suffering among wild animals.
The centre at Shamwari provides an "old age home" for seriously damaged lions and leopards that are kept in spacious enclosures with the natural bush left in place, allowing the animals privacy. It is not a zoo and sightings of the animals are not guaranteed.
At the time our visit, the residents included a lion from Liberia which belonged to former leader Charles Taylor who abandoned it in a concrete pit. It went without food for an extraordinary long period of time and has serious defects as a result. Another lion which had been mistreated in Romania arrived in similar condition. Both are recovering but will never be normal again.
A magnificent male lion which we did manage to get a glimpse of came from Greece, where he had been so badly abused that he is extremely aggressive towards humans and will even try to bite and claw through the electrified fence.
A trio of neuted male leopards that were found by soldiers in Sudan as cubs are now thriving and live happily together in their enclosure.
We were shown around by a young man called Vuyo who is one of the animals' enthusiastic care-givers. He studied nature conservation with the help of Shamwari.
The centre was created in memory of Julie Ward, a pretty young animal lover who was murdered in Kenya when her vehicle broke down. The Born Free centre provides a resource centre for visitors, school children and students, especially those from less-privileged backgrounds.
- For more information, email [email protected]
- The author was a guest of Shamwari Game Reserve which is part of the Mantis Collection. Specials for SA residents from R1 850 a person a night are available until the end of August.
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