Wildlife farming and rehab

From the Nyala camp Hennie takes us along to visit a friend who was forced off his land in Zimbabwe and has now begun raising endangered wild dogs and the gorgeous and very valuable black and brown sable antelope.  We drive through the areas where the sable are kept—stunningly beautiful and graceful animals with exquisite horns.

We also see some of the rhino that roam the property and Ian holds forth on the terrible predicament of rhino poaching, which has been escalating throughout South Africa.  He tells of the tremendous lengths that farmers have to go to in order to better protect animals—showing us how on his farm they have even begun cutting the tips of the rhino’s horns in hopes of dissuading the ongoing and unpunished slaughter of these gentle giants.

Most stunning, however, is the opportunity of seeing his pack of wild dogs being fed.  Ian and his son first drive to shoot the dogs’ meal—an impala.  Not exactly what we’d signed up for, but for them, this is work as usual.  The animals must eat, and the spectacle of wild dogs eating is unique.  They have the reputation of being ruthless killers—one of the reasons they are endangered is their appetite for cattle, which has farmers killing them off—.  They are also known to shred their prey viciously and often consume a good portion while the animal is still alive.  Gruesome details which thankfully we won’t have to witness as the impala they’ll be feeding on is quite dead.  As we arrive at the enclosure where they’re kept, the dogs congregate at the gate—a scary sight—yipping and leaping about, clearly switching into high gear for a whatever meal they’re smelling.  We drive into the enclosure and head into they area where Ian says they have a den, where there are a litter of  four adorable pups.  The animals chase the vehicle and have worked themselves into a frenzy.  Ian pushes the impala close to the edge of the truck bed, the dogs jump up, grab the leg and drag the animal off.  Within three minutes there is nothing left—only a pack of dogs with bloodstained mouths.  We are awestruck, horrified and fascinated all at once.

We make our way through other sections of the farm, driving by waterholes and past vast tracts of land, ending up back at the house where rhino are grazing freely just outside the fenced-in garden, next to a flock of ostriches.

On another occasion we head through Hoedspruit past endless rows of orange trees and mango farms to a rehab center for a variety of animals, although the main residents are birds.  Our guide Oscar entertains while he explains the importance and roles of various raptors and vultures.  The center also has some big cats—none of which will be able to return to the wild—and we are fortunate to finally lay eyes on some beautiful leopards.  As a special treat one of the rangers brings out one of the cheetahs, who is now being used in educational programs—and we’re able to pet the large, purring cat.  Quite exciting.

From there it’s back to another camp along the Olifants River for our last night.   Here the hippos and the crocodiles congregate along the river, while we enjoy a gigantic bonfire and the spill of stars in the beautiful night sky.

		Side-trips in the bush VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL