WHAT is known today as the Swartberg Game Reserve, an established wildlife destination set amongst 8 000 ha of protected wilderness in the Klein Karoo, was just a number of intensively farmed small holdings, riddled with alien vegetation and agricultural waste 20 years ago.
When the Geldenhuys family began acquiring these small holdings at the foot of the Swartberg Mountains in Matjiesrivier in 1998 it did not look like a game reserve at all. There was a lot of work that needed to be done.
“As the cleanup operation unfolded, the team began to realise the true scope of the task at hand. With the dream of conservation, they persisted and many months later a boundary fence was erected,” says Craig Geldenhuys, the next generation owner who moved from Cape Town to invest his time in the game reserve.
The aim of these efforts was to re-introduce wild animal and plant species and allow the area to return to its former glory.
20 years down the line and the results have been staggering.
The Cape mountain zebra that were introduced to the reserve are now one of the most prolific bloodlines in the country and have contributed countless family groups to a global population that was once less than 100.
“It is a great feeling knowing that our zebra can now be found in all of the Cape provinces and what that means for the species and conservation going forward,” Graig says.
Other species in the reserve include gemsbok, nyala, eland, kudu, red haartebeest and the heart throbbing giraffe!
Predators like the brown hyena and Cape mountain leopard are becoming regular visitors to the reserve. Together with an increase in sightings of secretary bird, aardwolf, caracal, honey badger and various bustard species – the conservation work is clearly paying off.
The game reserve offers a number of wildlife experiences with their top experience a Giraffe Walk, while self-catering cottages and a boutique lodge are currently under construction.
Follow them on Facebook at giraffewalks or the website – www.swartberggamereserve.com.
