During our visit to South Africa in 2022 we visited the Aquila private game reserve which is about 2 hours from Cape Town near a town called De Doorns (a Dutch name that translates to "The Thorns"). Aquila re-introduced the big 5 into the Western Cape region and is dedicated to the preservation, rehabilitation and re-introduction of animals to the wild.
This is a beautiful location in an area called the Southern Karoo.
Many of the animals have been rescued from the “Canned hunting” industry which is the practice of breeding animals specifically to be hunted and the practice of hunting tame, drugged animals and animals in small enclosures.
Our first guided game drive was just before sunset and the colors and shadows decorating the Flat-topped hills or the “Karoo Koppies” (translates to Karoo Hills) as they are known locally, was magnificent.
The lions were all rescued from the “canned Hunting” industry and are kept in a separate reserve that includes an entire mountain and valley. This allows the lions to roam freely. These lions could never be released into the greater reserve however, research is underway to determine whether it would be possible to re-introduce captive bred lions into the wild from birth.
All of the elephants at the Aquila Reserve have been the subjects of a rescue operation from a culling practice. We had the privilege of watching these giants up close and personal.
This is not exactly the authentic African wildlife safari experience as the animals are used to people being around. It did however allow us to get very close to the animals and it was a wonderful experience to observe the wonders of nature in a setting such as this.
The facilities include pristine accommodations with amazing views. We had a family unit that was large, had two rooms, a huge bathroom and a patio overlooking the reserve. There is a great restaurant that serves buffet style meals and cozy upstairs bar with fireplace. If you are looking for some pampering you can book some treatments at the stylish spa as well.
For more information you can visit their website at aquilasafari.com. I definitely recommend a visit to the Aquila Private Game Reserve to support their efforts to preserve wildlife for our future generations.
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