Emdoneni News

Children’s Project at Emdoneni

The school holidays are fast approaching and wondering what to do with your kids for some educational entertainment? Look no further, we have the best option you have been searching for! Emdoneni Lodge with Cheetah Project prides itself on actively welcoming children of all ages. Kids’ activities (for kids older than 4 years old), are well planned and structured and are done by experienced guides who are passionate about kids and nature. Drives and activities are tailored to suit children’s interests and attention span. Children are allocated to a specific ranger who enjoys interacting with younger guests. Game drives and walks are designed to ensure that the kids’ safety is taken into account and that they experience activities they might not normally enjoy in the city. Babysitters & child minders are available during meal times only (additional cost). We try not to use modern technology in our activities offered, but rather to teach children to love nature and what it has to offer! Kid’s meals are specially prepared for children. Activities We Offer for The Kids (over than 4 years) Include: Animal Adventure Game Drive: Learn more about the animals at Emdoneni Lodge with Cheetah Project with your game ranger. Don’t forget to put sunscreen on and bring a hat! Duration: 1 hour Kids Night Drive: Do you want to go and look for nocturnal animals while your parents are having their dinner? Don’t forget to bring a jacket! We might hear and see the resident bush babies! Duration: 1 hour Walks: Guided short afternoon walks with your own ranger, pointing out insects, tracks of animals, trees, vegetation & interesting facts. Be careful not to wake Mum and Dad from their afternoon nap and don’t forget to bring a hat! Duration: 1 hour Spot the Poop! Your ranger will help you recognize the different types of animal poop while you go on a poop spotting adventure… this is so much fun! Duration: 1 hour per child Animal Tracks: Learn how our ancestors used to find their dinner, by tracking them. Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes Stargazing at Night: Trying to find all the magic in the sky! Duration: 1 hour Educational Bug Scouting: Teams or individuals scout for different species of bugs to put in their bug containers, with the help of your guide. Duration: 1 hour Target Shooting: Learn how to shoot with a bow and arrow – like the hunters of old times! Duration: 1 hour Katty Shooting: Shoot at targets with a catapult, safely and without harm to nature’s creatures! Duration: 1 hour Emdoneni Junior Game Ranger Course: Hey Kids!! Always dreamt of become a Game Ranger? Then this is your chance! Join our qualified guides for a 3 hour training course at Emdoneni Lodge with Cheetah Project You will learn more about: Different cat species (Cheetah, African Wildcat, Serval and Caracal) Resident animals like antelope, birds, crawling insects and others Tree identification Animal tracks Direction Get your very own pack consisting of: Canvas backpack Note book Cap Before dinner a graduation ceremony place where you will receive your certificate. You will take receive a certificate from the guide after the completion of the course This is the course of a lifetime. Come join us and help us to conserve our nature for the future! Duration: 3 hours / Ages: 4-12 years

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Hluhluwe Game Reserve

ABOUT HLUHLUWE GAME RESERVE 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. Established in 1895, game viewing is the prime attraction. Viewing hides overlook waterholes enabling visitors to see animals at close range. 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 origionated 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. The Park covers some 96 000 ha and contains an immense diversity of fauna and flora. Hluhluwe is characterised by hilly topography,and this northen section of the park is noted for its wide variety of both bird and animal life. Apart from game-viewing drives, there are two self-guided auto trails which provide information on both the management and natural history of the reserve. Guided walks are also available, particularly rewarding in the early morning and late afternoon. Credit: KZNwildlife

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Emdoneni News

St Lucia in all it’s beauty

The Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park The Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park – now known as the iSimangaliso Wetland Park – was declared South Africa’s first Natural World Heritage Site on 1 December 1999. It is considered South Africa’s third largest park and extends from Mapelane (Cape St. Lucia) in the South, to Kozi Bay Nature Reserve in the North. The iSimangaliso / Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park incorporates Lake St Lucia, the St Lucia and Maputaland Marine Reserves, the Coastal Forest Reserve and Kosi Bay Nature Reserve. The park has 280km of near pristine coastline and comprises of 328 000 hectares of magnificent scenery. Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park encompasses an immense mosaic of habitats ranging from marine systems (coral reefs and beaches) and coastal forests (from salt and fresh water marshes to the open estuarine waters of Lake St Lucia itself) from lush coastal plains to the drier woodland areas. This is a remarkably beautiful place in South Africa. The park is situated in the southern end of the Mozambique coastal plain near the towns of St Lucia, Mtubatuba, Hluhluwe, Mkuze, Mbaswana and Manguzi. This is a transitional zone in terms of fauna and flora between the temperate forms of the south and the tropical forms in the north and many species are endemic to this coastal plain. The protected area is home to the largest population of hippopotamus and approximately 1,000 crocodiles as well as a wealth of plant and animal life. The largest mammal found in the Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park is the humpback whale and on land the African Elephant. In 2001 Elephant was introduced into the wetlands system and this has brought this area closer to “big five” status and has re-introduced a key ecological vector. Other mammals include Buffalo, Rhino, Zebra, Eland and Kudu. Wildlife Safaris on horseback is an extraordinary experience as the game see you as part of the horse and don’t frighten easily which affords you the opportunity to get up close to the animals. Of great interest is the staggering array of birdlife to be found in the St Lucia Wetlands. Over 500 different species of birds are resident or pass through the wetland system annually and comprise of marine, wetland and forest birds. The park has one of the most diverse variety of frogs and their choruses can often be heard at night and on dull rainy days. The highly endangered gaboon adder and a large variety of other snake species reside in this subtropical coastal dune forest. Other reptiles, such as the marine turtles, the Leatherback Turtle and Loggerhead Turtles utilise the protective beaches of the St Lucia Wetlands Park to breed in November of each year. The St Lucia Wetlands Park is a popular destination and offers a wide range of activities. Fishing, boating and bird-watching, scuba-diving, hiking and camping are all on offer and the region offers marvellous photographic opportunities to the amateur and professional photographer alike. Credit: SA Venues

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Cat Rehabilitation, Emdoneni News

Cat Releases

Emdoneni Cheetah Project is a unique project in Zululand, a project that is not focused on the quantity of cats held, but on the quality of existence for the few cats we have and giving their offspring the opportunity to be rewilded and to live a free life back in their natural environment, caring and hunting for themselves. In South Africa there are very few institutions of this nature that are willing to depart with their cats without being remunerated for them. Emdoneni‘s policy has always been not to sell any of our cats and that the aim of the project is to rehabilitate areas in Zululand and other areas that these cats were previously indigenous too, but became extinct. Up to date, 17 serval cats has found their home back into the wild from Emdoneni, our first cheetah is in the process of being rewilded and was donated to Gondwana Game Reserve in the Cape. This cat’s market value is around R130 000 today, but we chose to release her free of charge, as this is what we stand for. In addition, 11 caracal and 2 African Wild Cats has also been released in back into the wild on various private game reserves in Zululand. Rewilding is a slow process, after the kittens are born, the mother has to raise them for almost 8 months and then they will stay at the project until about 14 months, until they are capable of being released. To put this in prospective for people to understand, these specific cat’s food, veterinary cost, camps, water supply, etc. until the day they are released, are fitted by the project. The reasoning behind doing 2 daily tours at the project is to raise funds so that the project can be self-funded. Many people visiting the project do not see or realize the work and efforts to run a project like this and the financial implications to do so. We have never had one negative comment about or animal husbandry and over the last year have improved the projects facilities, for example size and quality of camps, veterinary rooms, new freezer room and food preparation facilities, etc. This is all funded by visitors, including the running cost of food, salaries, veterinary bills, etc. We see the guided tours as a necessity to keep the project alive, as other institutions rely on donations and others rely on the sale of their offspring to fund their projects, not mentioning animals that are being bred for hunting purposes. 1. Wildcat release Another successful release! Our first 2 African Wildcat released in Zululand. They were born of Apple and Khaya, our resident African Wildcats. They were raised naturally by their mother until they were 6 months old. We then isolated them in a wilding enclosure until now. They were successfully released on a private game reserve. 2. Serval release Grasslands and savannah of iSimangaliso – optimal habitat for serval survival (Read more) 3. Zera release Zera is currently in a 3 hectare area and she is adapting well to her ever increasing world. Zera was bought at a high expense from a breeder. When she arrived at Emdoneni she was really sick, malnourished and in a sad state… with the necessary love, medical care and attention she pulled through and became this amazing very special cheetah. She spent a couple of years with us whilst planning her release.

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Emdoneni News

Deals & Specials

Receive a 20% discount when you book a 2 night stay direct from our website. Offer valid until end of May 2017. Please click here: https://goo.gl/n3MME0 Don’t miss this opportunity!

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