The History of the Shamwari Game Reserve

Located in the South Eastern Cape Area and home towith leading conservationists, embarked on a carefully
all of the 'Big Five' game animals, the Shamwari Gameplanned and highly ambitious attempt to re-establish the
Reserve is one of the most significant wildlife centresecosystems that had been so carelessly destroyed.
in South Africa. Yet it wasn't always so - less thanOver the years, through careful and determined work,
thirty years ago, the native wildlife was almost entirelythe area has once again became one of the most
eradicated. The story of the Shamwari Gameecologically rich and diverse parts of South Africa. A
Reserve is one of the most inspiring in modernhugely significant moment came in the year 2000,
conservation - the story of a rich and uniquewhen the reserve became sufficiently well stocked to
ecosystem that was brought to the brink ofreintroduce large predators, including lions.
destruction by human interference, then restored byShamwari Game Reserve Today
dedicated conservation.Although so much has been achieved in a relatively
History Of The Reserveshort space of time, the work on the Shamwari Game
By the middle of the 20th century, the area that is nowReserve is far from over. With the reserve only being
known as the Shamwari Game Reserve had beena few decades old, conservation is still an active and
stripped of most of its significant wildlife. The Blackongoing process, and the area remains fragile. A large
Rhino, the Cape Lion and the Cape Buffalo were allprofessional team continue to monitor and develop the
hunted to extinction in the area, and the onceecosystems and wildlife populations in the reserve.
numerous elephants had been reduced to just aIn order to fund the conservation, the Shamwari Game
handful of the creatures. The land itself, which used toReserve has developed a commercial aspect, with a
be fertile, diverse, and home to numerous kinds of floranumber of luxury lodges open to visitors and numerous
and fauna, had been devastated by years of intensivesafari programs offered. Visitors can also get more
farming.practically involved - alongside the professional
In 1990, businessman Adrian Gardiner bought a piececontingent, volunteer conservationists are always
of farmland in the reserve to act as a holiday home.welcomed, taking part in placements that may be for
He researched and discovered the past history of thejust a few weeks or may stretch on for several
area, and soon became determined to restore themonths.
area to its former glory.Today, whether as a visiting tourist or a volunteer
Beginning with just over a thousand hectares of landconservationist, everyone is able to experience the
(the Reserve now stretches over 25,000 hectares)beauty of Shamwari Game Reserve and to help
and seven professional staff (there are now oversecure its future.
three hundred), Gardiner, working in close co-operation