Botlierskop reserve. Picture: Jim Freeman
Two of the most “loaded” concepts in eco-tourism, believes Botlierskop Game Reserves and Villas owner Arnold Neethling, are “Big Five” and “free-roaming”.
Both, he says, are advertising hooks with an ability to snag casters in places it hurts their businesses most.
Botlierskop, just outside Mossel Bay on the Garden Route, is an almost 5 000 hectare reserve whose owner is reluctant to use either of these phrases in its marketing communications because it simultaneously creates expectations among guests and leaves the property up for criticism.
Label the reserve “Big Five”, he maintains, and visitors expect to see lion, buffalo, elephant, rhino and leopard. “If you claim to have them, guests have to see them regularly.
It’s not enough to tell them, for instance, that a leopard was spotted in an inaccessible ravine three months ago… if they don’t see them, you don’t have them.”
“Free-roaming” means animals have an unlimited area within which to hunt or forage. Neethling prefers the description “self-sustaining ranges”, where predators and herbivores can forage freely without exercising fatal pressure on co-existent fauna and flora species; big cats can’t hoover it of prey, nor can browsers and grazers turn it into a dust-bowl.
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Wildlife-loving tourists want to see big game, says Neethling, but most have become sufficiently environmentally sensitive to be offended by the idea that animals might be restricted to small areas simply to facilitate viewing.
“People generally know the difference between a game reserve and a zoo.”
As a “mid-sized” reserve, Botlierskop isn’t awash with the traditional tourist-drawcard animals but that makes spotting a pair of lions or a couple of newly introduced cheetah brothers all the more special.
Topography and terrain – the undulating foothills of the Outeniqua mountain range and dense bush – make finding reclusive species difficult. Conversely, the two resident lions (a handsome, if indolent, male and a more watchful female) made themselves almost ridiculously easy to spot during our two-day visit.
Despite being in a densely vegetated area of more than 1 000ha, they lay up against a boundary fence right next to the road.
That fence is in the process of being removed, which will increase their range to nearly 4 000ha.
“The animals were donated to us and range-extension is part of their wilding process,” says Neethling.
“We’re taking a bit of a risk here, because the lions will be sharing the space with two male cheetah we brought in to mate with our resident female, Katja, who is now raising three cubs.”
Mother and offspring are in a separate enclosure while she raises them to maturity, after which the male progeny will eventually be moved to other reserves to promote gene diversity.
“Having big cats on a smaller reserve such as ours is challenging,” sighs Neethling.
“There are a lot of moving parts and you can’t take your eyes off them for a second.”
Not the least of these “moving parts” is ensuring the relevant sections remain adequately stocked with prey animals.
Cheetah, in particular, are regarded as “killing machines” and hunt more often than lions. “They’re also super-efficient hunters.
I came across Katja and her cubs a few days ago; each one of them had downed an impala.”
The original Botlierskop farm was acquired in 1996 by Arnold’s late father, Dr Dirk Neethling, a veterinarian with a passion for wildlife and conservation.
Game was introduced after four years of land rehabilitation and the first guests were welcomed that same year. The initial focus was on day visitors – no lodges had yet been built – and this remains a strong focus of the operation. “A lot of cruise ships moored off Mossel Bay in the past year and passengers get ferried to shore and sent to us for game drives.
These excursions take place between the usual early morning and midafternoon drives undertaken by our resident guests, so we’re not placing any extra pressure on the reserve.” Day drives are also open to members of the public and cost from R600-R1 000, depending on season and package.
The latter includes guided game drives, bush trails, horseback safaris and outrides, spa treatments, and picnics. Details can be found on the website www.botlierskop.co.za.
The reserve gets its name from the mushroom-shaped rock formation that dominates the horizon above the day visitor centre.
Botlier is an “Afrikaans approximation” of the surname of an 18th century land surveyor of French origin.
The Moordk u i l River that runs through the reserve contributes greatly to the lushness of the vegetation which, in turn, ensures an abundance of wildlife that includes (apart from the previously mentioned species) hippo, giraffe, Cape mountain zebra, and various antelope and ruminants. Among the most eye-catching of these are thriving populations of black impala and golden wildebeest, originally bred by the older Neethling.
The reserve is also home to more than 200 resident bird species. My partner, Rose-marie, and I were accommodated in one of the 30 suites that constitute the Botlierskop Tented Lodge.
It’s quite a climb from the far end of the “tent” line to the lodge itself and guests are shuttled back and forth by golf cart.
Rose-marie and I have been fortunate enough to have visited a number of exclusive game reserves in our time together but the food emanating from the kitchen of Chef Craig Gouveia is of a class on its own.
While the lodge décor is what I call “standard African safari chic” with stuffed animal heads and wood figurines, the suites are more elegantly appointed.
The large wall-mounted photographs are so beautiful they can justly be described as works of art.
The super-sized bed was deliciously comfortable, which made getting up throughout the two very chilly winter nights of our stay to keep the wood-burning stove fed something of a labour of love.
Our suite overlooked the river and we elected to do forego the game drive and enjoy a late breakfast via room service on our final morning.
It was fun to look out the window, mugs of Amarula-laced hot chocolate in hand, and see gameviewing vehicles disgorge chilled and bedraggled occupants. Somehow we just knew they’d seen nothing of note.
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