South Africa - the next excursion

Part of our humanitarian mission in Southern Africa is to end human trafficking by preventing it from happening in the first place. This heinous crime is happening worldwide, and the victims of this horrendous act are often our most vulnerable children. We aim to give an opportunity of hope for the futures of at risk teens and impoverished youth, a future in which they can stand on their own two feet with dignity and confidence. We want to give them hope for their future, and the future of wildlife, by equipping them with experience and skills in wildlife conservation. We believe that the conservation industry offers a life of abundance and aspiration, giving honest individuals the chance to lift themselves up, provide for their families, and take part in establishing a future for their entire country’s wildlife.

Through hands-on experiences in the natural world we will be introducing the kids to a possible career in wildlife conservation. And with continuing exposure to wildlife conservation and skills being shared by local guides and reserve teams, we will be able to start the youth on a path to completing nationally recognized qualifications like FGASA (Field Guides Association of Southern Africa). Which will then open the door to employment on local game reserves. 

Report from Enslin and Savannah Scheepers:

The sun rose over a chilly, glistening land of rolling hills, misty forests, and distant mountains. The wild Indian Ocean crashed against the white beaches and tall cliffs, creating an expanse of sea vapor which intertwined with the morning’s mist, only to be broken by gleaming rays from a warm sun. 

This was our greeting on our way to the safe house in George. This was a promise of a very unforgettable day ahead.   

We arrived early at the safe house, expecting the excited kids awaiting us would still need to time to get ready to go. However we were met with the safe house’s shuttle, where all of the 12 kids, aging from 8 years old to 18, were already seated and ready to go. We could hear their laughter and excited chatter as they waited for the journey to begin. 

We led the way to Botlierskop Private Game Reserve. After stopping to fill up the vehicles with fuel, we headed towards the wild unknowns ahead. 

 We took a turn and left the ocean behind us, heading towards dew covered, green farmland, with towering mountains beyond. 

 We knew the kids in the shuttle behind were probably marveling as much as we were at the absolute purity of the world around us. And the further we went, the more the land seemed to increase in its richness. 

 We arrived at the reception of Botlierskop Private Game Reserve, where we were all met by friendly, gracious staff who got us checked in with no problems, for some of the kids it was the first time they had to sign a register, and a few had to make up a signature on the spot. It was great for the kids to see good examples of lodge hospitality, as we know this can be one of many options for them in the future if they are interested. 

 We still had a little time before the game drive, so the kids got to wander a bit and observe the beautiful area that they were in, all of them admired the curio shop with all the random toys and gifts. 

  When it was time for the drive, the field guides came to fetch us. Because there were 16 of us in total, we split into two cars, older kids with me and the female caretaker, Neldia, and younger kids with Enslin and the male caretaker, Emmanuel. 

The drives began… 

Savannah’s drive: 

I was with the female caretaker, Neldia, and the teens. Our guide’s name was Keenan. He was extremely passionate about wildlife conservation, he was very good with keeping the interests of the teens on this subject. As well as giving them a really great time! 

  After a briefing on safety, we left the lodge and entered game reserve. Keenan pointed out a group of giraffe in the far distance, their tall heads bobbing up through the trees on the mountain side. And the sight of this had the teens even more excited than before we had arrived. This would be their very first introduction to wildlife, and the experience could very well be life changing as it would show a possible future for themselves that they had never heard of… 

We made our way down the green hills, towards a black river. Keenan stopped for a few birds, a beautiful blue kingfisher and a pied shrike. I was glad he did this, because so often the smaller creatures are not pointed out, and mentoring the teens in the importance of all nature is very important. 

We headed down the muddy track towards the gushing black river, the teens started to get excited by the prospect of physically driving THROUGH a river in an open vehicle. 

Our guide did not disappoint. 

As the waves of water came up on either side of us, the whole vehicle erupted in laughter and surprised whoops. And this noise grew even more excited as we came out of the river and were faced with a towering muddy mountain in front of us. The kids did not think driving it would be possible…though Keenan showed them just what the game vehicles are capable of.   

It seemed to climb at an impossible upward angle and the teens became ecstatic! They absolutely loved this experience! 

Keenan made sure to stop at certain points to explain important information on conservation in the area. He showed the kids trees and plants that are invasive, as well as native plants and trees that have medicinal uses, all the while giving the kids samples of the plants so they could learn for themselves the taste, feel, and scent of certain plants. They really enjoyed this opportunity. 

The guide also gave an impressive description of the environment of the reserve, all the while pointing out and giving explanations on how guides take part in the conservation aspect of the reserve and its animals. 

We first sighted a group of bushbuck antelope, though they were quick to disappear into the thick bush due to their secretive nature. This sighting brought the teens into a quieter state, as they began to search hard to spot more animals. 

One of the teens later spotted a waterbuck antelope hiding in the bush, which was not shy at all. And Keenan shared interesting facts on the antelope, as well as a funny story which the whole group enjoyed. 

After this however, the group became awestruck as we pulled up onto the grassy ridge line, and there, with a backdrop of green hills, forest gullies, and mountains behind them, a small herd of elephant majestically and quietly enjoyed the warming sunshine whilst they munched upon the grass. 

The awe was palpable. Here before us was the largest land mammal on the planet. Yet with such greatness and power, they gave off a presence of calm regality. 

After allowing time to pass for all to enjoy this wonderful sight, our guide began to teach the teens about the elephants. Not only basic facts on their weight, social structure, and how old they are and can become, but much deeper, less known information on the elephants’ intelligence and emotion, and their important role in the ecology of the country. This gave the kids a whole new respect for the animals, and a better understanding of the elephants’ importance in conservation. 

After the elephants we descended back down into the fertile valleys. We came across a group of impala antelope amongst the shrubs and fynbos, and the teens were impressed by the beauty of the antelopes deep color. 

Our stop with antelope was brief, as our guide was aware something up ahead… 

Downward into the valley we went, coming once more to a black river where larger trees scattered its banks. Once more the kids enjoyed a fantastic river crossing, with some definite splashes upon all of us. 

More impala and waterbuck were ahead, munching on the grass in the open, green valley. But this was not what Keenan had brought us here for…in a dip at the end of the valley, we found three white rhinoceros.  

Once again, the awe of the sighting left the group in silence. They simply could only stare at the horned, dinosaur-like animals before us. Though the rhinos were relaxed and calm, but the utter power and strength of their presence could not be denied. 

After taking time to simply enjoy the impressive animals’ presence and behavior, Keenan then began to explain the interesting information about rhinos. He once more gave some basic knowledge, but mainly focused on giving the kids a good education of the rhinos’ importance in the environment, their current status as a highly endangered species, and why they are endangered, and why this is a problem. All of this was taken in by the teens with sharp focus and seriousness on the matter. 

From here, Keenan drove us through a long, rocky valley, streams popping out here and there alongside as we went. We kept upon this rocky path for a while, the great slopes rising high on either side of us. And then we began to head upwards, which was once again a very exciting climb, even steeper than before! Ever upward we went, a stunning view of the mountains and the reserve lay behind us, and before us…and equally stunning view. 

We had arrived on the top of a great plateau, it was entirely covered in a variety of tall grass, fynbos heather, renosterveld, and bedazzled with extraordinarily bright red, yellow, orange, white, and purple flowers. And beyond this grand display of diversity was the deep blue of the Indian Ocean, extending into the horizon. 

Amongst this colorful vastness, we saw lots of zebra, wildebeest and even ostriches. 

We were able to get quite close to the zebra, and once more enjoyed the many interesting observations and facts from our guide. But he had one more thing he wanted to show us. 

We continued all the way to the boundary fence line of the reserve. And there, though unfortunately they were on the opposite side of the fence on the other section of the reserve, there were three lions.  

Before approaching with the vehicle, Keenan, as he did at each sighting, gave the teens a very good word of caution about the animals we were about to see. He made sure they understood it was a privilege to see wildlife so close, but also, this is not a zoo. He described the very real dangers of wild animals, and the respect, stillness and quiet that was expected from everyone in the vehicle. Especially with the lions, as they are predators, and even with a fence in-between it would be nothing for them to get over. 

As we approached, the teens followed Keenan’s instructions on sitting still and quietly. It seemed as though no one even breathed as we pulled up close to the great cats. While two were still lying asleep, one female had something else in mind. She had an intense interest in the teens on the vehicle, and she gave signs of interest that gave the teens a unique opportunity to observe fascinating predatory behavior from the lioness. Keenan gave an explanation as to why she was acting this way, and it was only natural, as big cats’ instinct has them take note of young, old, and injured individuals, including humans.  

We pulled forward a bit more, and were greeted by the stunning, golden maned male lion. Who sat up at this point to show off his lovely mane. However, he also, after finally noticing the lioness’s gaze, seemed to realize the vehicle was full of teens. And he became interested as well. Keenan reassured the kids to just sit still and enjoy a unique moment of animal behavior not everyone gets to see. The lions lost interest, and our guide then explained more on the lion’s behavior, nocturnal and hunting abilities, and what part they play in the environment and conservation.  

After leaving the sighting, all the teens breathed a sigh of relief, though they all started chatting immodestly of the impressiveness of the lions and how amazing the experience was. They could not believe it. 

From there, it was time to start heading back to the lodge for a catered lunch we had being prepared. The drive back was very fun, as it involved more of the “mountain climbing” and “mudding” the kids had become so fond of. We went up and down many steep and impressive slopes, and the glorious expanse that is Botlierskop never ended. We saw a group of springbok antelope as we went, which is the National animal of South Africa, and therefore the nation’s rugby team mascot. All were excited to see the beautiful antelope in real life for the first time. 

We made one more stop by a stream on the way back, where Keenan gave the kids a little lesson in the area’s geology as well as taught them about fungus and lichen. All of this was new and fascinating for the group. 

Enslin’s Vehicle:

We were greeted by a man who introduced himself as Innocent, a name that will be used frequently throughout the entire drive by every individual on the vehicle. He motioned all of us to board the Land Cruiser (Safari vehicle) I had a front row seat with two boys aged about 8-10 two boys occupying the middle row and two more boys at the back with the safe house’s representative Emanuel. 

He started off the drive with an introduction and a safety briefing of general do’s and don'ts to be aware of while on the experience, the boys were very respectful and listened tentatively to every word he said and off we went on the grand adventure. 

We were motioning along on what seemed to be the main road of the reserve when Innocent pointed out the first remarkable sighting of the day, a small “tower” of giraffe in the distance on a hill, he stated that they were in accessible but I had a pair of binoculars that we passed along so everyone could have a "closer” look. The kids even without the binoculars were super impressed to see such “funny” animals as the boys noted. Questions were infrequent on the vehicle as the boys were just absorbing the moment for a few seconds. 

We drove through the beautiful landscape in an open vehicle that in itself was an exciting experience for the kids and the chilly air made us all shiver. After a quick stop and distribution of warm blankets, we were off again. Over bumps, downhills, over rocks and through rivers, the landscape was so diverse that around every corner there was a new wonderous tree or rock and the kids wanted to stop and see each one. 

We kept the first big sighting a secret from the kids as they were visible from basically the start of the drive but to get there was no easy feat, unless you are our man Innocent with his mountain climbing machine which he was incredibly proud of (it was one of the newest vehicles the reserve had recently acquired) the boys marveled at the strength of the car and heckled Innocent saying there is no way he can make it up the hill we were on... They were wrong and the car made it up the mountain with little to no problem, not that it was not bumpy and the exhilarating smiles on the boy’s faces made the accent a joyous experience. 

When we reached the top of the hill where we were greeted by five huge grey elephants grazing ever peacefully on the grass vegetation and overlooking the kingdom that they reign over. 

The boys were not nervous, or not that I could tell, they were just purely engrossed by the size and the presence of the gigantic creatures edging ever closer to us. Innocent was experienced, and it showed, but he was also thankfully aware of the ages of the kids on the vehicle so he kept his info on all of the animals light and funny whilst mostly trying to engage with the boys on a personal level. 

When we were finished viewing the elephants and we were off to the next sighting, but not before stumbling on a heard of impala where the kids pointed out that there were a few that did not look like the others. Innocent commended the observation of the boys and pointed out a genetical anomaly within the animal kingdom: it was a black impala. The kids wanted to know if it was an expensive animal, and turns out it is only slightly more valuable than the normal ones due to over saturation of the black impalas all over South Africa. 

We left the sighting with a lot of giggles as one of the boys pointed out some inappropriate behavior from two impala rams partaking in some mutual grooming. 

We continued to drive through the diverse landscape, every corner more beautiful than the last, through another river that was a lot of fun for the boys due to the shaking of the car and one boy exclaimed that I must watch him because he was unable to swim. Through the river into a meadow there were three tanks waiting for us soaking up the morning sun. 

The tanks were none other than the critically endangered white rhino and here we had three. Pulling into the sighting one of the boys insightfully mentioned that no one must take away a momma rhinos' baby because it will be the last thing you ever do. Innocent kept it light and funny and very interactive, encouraging the boys to ask questions but again they were just mesmerized with the moment.  

Following the rhino we were off to the animal the kids were asking for from the start of the drive... 

Lions. We were driving through the most beautifully dense and diverse plateau I have ever had the opportunity to witness. With grasses, shrubs and all the manner of fynbos and renosterveld your mind can comprehend, and I was not alone in remarking on the absolute beauty of the landscape, as the boys requested Innocent to please stop so they can appreciate it a little while longer. Around the next corner the atmosphere changed from blissful admiration to respectful awareness of where we were, and who was right next to the car. It was a big, beautiful sleeping lion. The male with his two girls were all enjoying the morning sun. We didn’t have a great visual but what we got to see was enough for the young boys. They were speechless, and just observed the hulking predator without blinking. No words were uttered in the sighting. 

As we left the comments jokes and questions came in full force. This is where the debate of the centaury started. Lions vs. Tigers vs. Rhino, who would win? I threw my towel in with rhino all the way, but the variables suddenly changed, and the stakes were raised to 100 loins vs. 1 rhino and the answer was simple...100 lions would win. 

We started our decent and I assumed that we would be heading back to the lodge soon, but Mr. Innocent has a few more surprises for our little group. The first was 5 hippo sunbathing on the embankment, comments like a hippo can hold its breath for 10 hours was being thrown around but was quickly corrected by Innocent to be at maximum 6 minutes. 

Through the valley, up another hill to a vast open area, this one seemed different to the last because it was filled with the biggest density of animals we have seen till then. 

I counted: 

8 Rhino 

3 Wildebeest 

5 Zebra 

2 Waterbuck  

And 1 eland. 

We spent the few last minutes with the animals before being notified we were almost back at the lodge. 

When both groups arrived at the lodge, we were directed to the huge outdoor table by very friendly and efficient staff, who almost instantly and hospitably served each child and adult with a beverage and delicious gourmet burger and chips. It was a quiet table as the very hungry group delved into the professionally prepared meal. Slowly as all had finished, the conversations started on the experiences had. 

Not long after this, it was time to go home. And it was a very tired, grateful, and chatty group that got back into the shuttle to go home. 

We could not have asked for a better experience for this group of incredible kids, Botlierskop Private Game Reserve and all of its staff, truly went all out to not only give the group of kids a great experience, but also, as we had hoped, an inspiring one that for some, could be a future in a career they never knew existed or was even possible for them… 

We look forward to our next outing…and the future of hope these kids now have.