ELEPHANT AND BLACK RHINO SAFARI - 2008 & 2009

This safari takes you ‘behind the scenes’, giving you the opportunity to interact with researchers, ecologists, vets and guides while discovering the fantastic world of wildlife in Southern Africa. The focus of this safari will be on elephant and black rhino, but many other species will be viewed and enjoyed along the way...

The traditional wildlife viewing activities included in the safari programme make this an ideal safari for first time visitors, as well as seasoned travellers to Africa wanting something new and exciting!

Not only will you have a fantastic time but your participation also means donations to the various research projects, thus you are helping save endangered species.

Guided throughout by a specialist Brothers Safaris guide, and various local guides, you will be given a unique and rare insight into the world of wildlife in Southern Africa.

Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime safari, while helping to conserve Africa’s wildlife through your participation...

Day 1 – Sunday

Arrive at Johannesburg International Airport (OR Tambo) – flights for your own arrangement.
On arrival transfer from Johannesburg International Airport to your nearby hotel, via the free shuttle service provided by the hotel.
Your accommodation for the night is on a bed & breakfast basis.

Enjoy dinner at your hotel complex – for your own expense.

Your hotel is a sensational hotel, casino and convention resort that combines timeless classical elegance and sheer excitement, conveniently situated alongside Johannesburg International Airport. This 80-key three-star select-services hotel offers you cosy, comfortable and affordable accommodation and delightful service. All guests enjoy breakfast at the charming Primavera Restaurant and access to a magnificent variety of facilities.

The rooms are furnished with two upholstered armchairs, a coffee table and a large desk. The en-suite bathrooms have showers over the bath, and dressing area is equipped with a hand basin in a marble vanity. Other amenities include a hairdryer and a personal key-pad safe. The radio/TV offers a range of channels

Day 2 - Monday

After breakfast at the hotel (included in safari cost) you will be met in the hotel foyer at 10am by Brothers Safaris, and transfer to the Elephant Sanctuary near Hartebeespoort Dam – approximately 1 hour.

Check in and enjoy lunch on the deck, with the elephants...

Enjoy an afternoon tour and hands on experience, with one of the resident guides and your specialist Brothers Safaris guide. You will learn all there is to know about these magnificent animals, and this experience will add great value to your sightings and experience in the wild.

The Elephant Sanctuary is not a rescue centre for elephants (although most of its residents have been rescued) but a commercial centre that accomplishes great work with the resident elephants and guests, in terms of the experience and education they offer through their passion for these amazing animals.

“Sundowners” at the sanctuary before returning to the lodge for dinner and to overnight.

“The Elephant Sanctuary provides a safe-haven for our elephants and offers a platform for guest education and interaction. We offer guest and elephant driven programs where the most important part of our operation is happy elephants and satisfied guests. Our programs offer one of a kind elephant interaction and are unique to the Elephant Sanctuary.
All our elephants are rescued African elephants and we have gained their trust through our unique reward based training. We believe in forming bonds between humans and elephants and all our elephants are exercised and stimulated daily which provides a firm foundation for trust.

Elephants are highly intelligent and delightful and you will discover a different character, personality and temperament within each one. We are a family orientated operation catering for the young and old. Our focus is on education through interaction, so you will not only learn a lot about elephants, but also get to touch, feel, feed, and walk trunk-in-hand with these magnificent animals.”

Nestled in the Magaliesberg Mountains only one hour from Johannesburg and Pretoria, the Elephant Sanctuary lies in a malaria-free area. It is surrounded by natural indigenous bush and is home to impala, klipspringer, baboons, porcupine, caracal, leopard, a host of other small mammals, 350 bird species and of course six magnificent African Elephants. The lodge is situated on the sanctuary grounds, immediately alongside the elephant sleeping quarters, which makes for some interesting night sounds…… All suites are luxurious en-suite units with Indo-African décor. The lodge has a private swimming pool for the warmer months of the year.

Day 3 - Tuesday

Start the day by “waking” the elephants and assisting with their morning brush down and exercise. Join the guides on some of the morning’s husbandry duties.

Enjoy breakfast/brunch at the lodge before transferring to nearby De Wildt Cheetah Centre.

Enjoy some shopping at the local craft market on route.  Lunch for your own expense, if required.

At the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre we go on a private tour of the facility. After the tour there will be an opportunity to have your photo taken with one of De Wildt’s Cheetah ambassadors.

De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre is renowned for its breeding success of rare and endangered species. The very rare King Cheetah was first bred here and similar success was achieved in breeding the Wild Dog, Brown Hyena, Blue Duiker, Suni Antelope and various species of vultures. Visitors to the Centre can see most of these animals up close and learn interesting facts about their nature, habitat and way of life when taking a tour in an open vehicle, conducted by a knowledgeable guide. The centre is a CITES approved cheetah breeding centre.

We return to the Elephant Sanctuary lodge late afternoon for dinner and to overnight.

Day 4 - Wednesday

After an early breakfast we check out and transfer to northern KwaZulu Natal province for the next 4 days – approximately a 5 hour drive with a stop on route to enjoy lunch (for your own expense).

Check in to Safari Lodge early to mid afternoon, and after high tea we enjoy a game (wildlife) viewing boat cruise...

This is game viewing with a difference and allows you to stretch your legs and enjoy a refreshing drink while viewing game along the shores of the lake.

Return to the lodge late afternoon/early evening for dinner.
After dinner we will watch a video on the historic re-introduction of the elephant into this reserve, before falling asleep to the sounds of Africa just outside your canvas tent...

The Game Reserve was first proclaimed in 1894 and is the second oldest reserve in the world. It is a sanctuary to a large variety of wildlife, including giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, impala, hyaena, buffalo, rhino (white and black) and leopard. Exactly 100 years ago after the last sighting of elephant in the Pongola area, two breeding herds were reintroduced in 1993 as a direct result of the dreams and vision of Dr Heinz Kohrs, owner of Safari Lodge, and a Veterinarian by profession.
In 2006 black rhino were re-introduced to the reserve as part of the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project, which is a partnership between the World Wildlife Fund and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.
Birdlife in the reserve is prolific due to the diversity of habitats, with in excess of 350 species recorded.
Pongola Game Reserve is a co-operative conservation project between private landowners, tribal communities and government conservation services, and aims to form the heart of a large ecological and socio-economically viable "Big Five" reserve.

Safari Lodge was originally built in the 1920's, and this 16-bedded lodge captures the history and romance of the "colonial era".
The sweeping views and tranquil setting provide the venue for a unique African experience. Eight luxurious safari-style tents, each with en-suite bathroom, outdoor canvas shower, private veranda and personal bar, ensure a secluded retreat in unspoilt savanna bushveld, teeming with game and birdlife. Unwind with dusky birdcalls, moonlit vistas and the distant gentle lapping of water.  The lodge is rated 5 star.

Day 5 - Thursday

After early morning tea and coffee, we set out on a game drive (wildlife viewing) with our local ranger and Brothers Safaris guide in an open game viewing vehicle.
We will endeavour to locate and spend time with some of the elephant and black rhino on the reserve, as well as many other species we come across, furthering our knowledge on these magnificent beasts in their natural environment.

The research work that is being done with these elephant in the reserve and surrounding area will be explained to us by the local rangers/researcher while on drive. Allied to this quest the "Space for Elephant" Foundation has been formed to realise the goal of a biosphere large enough to viably sustain an elephant population of a thousand elephants and allow the re-establishment of the ancient elephant migration routes. Your safari cost includes a donation to this worthwhile conservation project.

We will also discuss in detail the WWF-KZN Wildlife black rhino expansion project and what exactly this entails, with special reference to the animals on Pongola Nature Reserve. This species is highly endangered and projects such as this are crucial to the survival of the black rhino. Your safari cost also includes a donation to this worthwhile conservation project.

We return to the lodge late morning for brunch and some leisure time.

Mid afternoon we enjoy high tea before setting out into the reserve again. This time we will do a more typical game drive, with less focus on elephant and black rhino, depending on the morning’s viewing and our luck...

We return to the lodge after sunset and sundowners in the bush, to enjoy dinner and overnight.

Day 6 - Friday

This morning we will endeavour to approach some of the elephant and/or black rhino on foot with our armed ranger and Brothers Safaris guide ... this will give you a whole new perspective on these animals and the work that the researchers do daily... (this is dependent on circumstances and the group, obviously putting safety first).

We return to the lodge late morning for brunch.

Enjoy some leisure time before high tea and setting out into the reserve again. We have a choice of staying on land or going out on the boat again, depending on our experiences to date and the mood of the group.

After sunset we return to the lodge.

Day 7 - Saturday

After an early breakfast we head for nearby Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve for a half day of game viewing in this reserve. Enjoy a picnic basket at one of the camps in the reserve.

Hluhluwe Game Reserve is set in the heart of Zululand, the oldest game reserve in Africa where Zulu kings such as Dingiswayo and Shaka hunted and put in place the first conservation laws, where today the "big five" of African legend stalk the verdant savannah. 'Imfolozi' on the other hand, is the heart of the Zulu Kingdom, the home of the White Rhino, where wilderness trails take you along mighty rivers wandering through thorn savannah inhabited by the big five of African legend.
Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park, was established in 1895, and has game viewing as its prime attraction. Viewing hides overlook waterholes enabling visitors to see animals at close range, as well as while driving through the park.
As the home of Operation Rhino in the 1950s and 60s, the Park became world renowned for its white rhino conservation. Other areas of focus for which Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park is famed include wilderness trails which originated in Imfolozi in the 1950s and its renowned Game Capture unit recently upgraded into the Centenary Capture Centre, a bench mark for animal capture and sustainable utilization throughout Africa – we will visit the centre and associated craft market during our visit to the park.
The Park covers some 96 000 ha and contains an immense diversity of fauna and flora. Our hope is to catch a glimpse of some of the predators we won’t see on Pongola Game Reserve, especially the mighty lion...

We return to our lodge mid to late afternoon for leisure time, or another boat cruise game viewing along the water’s edge – you decide.

Enjoy dinner back in camp and turn in for the last night under the African stars in Safari Lodge...

Day 8 - Sunday

Enjoy an early morning activity of your choice as a group, with just your local guides.

After brunch back at the lodge we check out and start our trip back to Johannesburg International Airport where the safari ends late afternoon. We enjoy lunch en route – for your own expense.

If you are flying home today please do not book a flight departing before 8 pm.

Over and above donations made through your participation in the various activities, we make additional donations on behalf of every safari participant to:
1. De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre
2. The Space for Elephant programme
3. The WWF-KZN Ezemvelo Black Rhino expansion project

Costing:

This safari is available at a cost of ZAR26 000-00 per person sharing.
Single supplements apply – subject to availability.

This is based on a minimum of 6 persons participating in total, and allows for a maximum of 8 participants. Larger groups may be accommodated on special request.

This cost includes board and accommodation as laid out above, all land transfers in a comfortable air-conditioned mini-bus, guides (Brothers Safaris specialist guide, and various local guides and researchers), all tours, presentations and activities as laid out above, entrance fees, VAT and Government Tourism levies.

Not included are drinks, dinner and lunch on day 1, lunch on days 4 and 8, any optional additional activities, items of a personal nature, gratuities, travel insurance and flights.

Departure Dates:

Tailor-made departures and alternate dates are available on request.

Please note that due to the nature of this experience, times and plans may need to be adjusted slightly as we proceed, especially since wildlife do not read itineraries very well! We will however always endeavour to complete all activities as laid out, but please bear with us should changes become necessary.

Please note the following regarding the darting/other procedure/s:
While every endeavour is made to locate and dart the animal in question, factors such as severe weather conditions or illness involving the animal, which are unpredictable, may prevent the darting from going ahead. Every effort will be made to ensure that the client participates in the darting procedure, or similar, as laid out in the itinerary, but the animal's welfare will not be compromised at any stage, and a procedure may have to be aborted and the animal revived in certain circumstances. This may shorten the procedure/down time, and hence the close up experience for the client. Brothers Safaris, its staff, and appointed agents will not be held liable for any losses incurred by a client as a result of such situations, and accept no responsibility whatsoever. Every endeavour is made to ensure the health and safety of all our clients, but any procedure with a potentially dangerous wild animal is of such a nature that certain circumstances may be beyond our control. Should any such situation arise which leads to death or injury due to any reason whatsoever, Brothers Safaris, its staff, and appointed agents, will not be held liable for any losses incurred as a direct, or indirect, result of such a situation, or our actions in such a situation.