A good year for game reserves

The senior conservation officer and manager of the two game reserves of Lawrence de Lange, as well as the Longhill game reserves, Hein Gerber, said apart from the prolonged drought, both reserves had a good year.

Gerber said littering by visitors was however a problem, with visitors not adhering to the rules and regulations of the department of environmental affairs and of the reserves.

“No animals died of hunger, the food was sufficient, but it is getting scarce now and we need rain. We have had several births, but it is difficult to say exactly how many. We are going to have a game count in February.”

A veld fire had been brought under control and led to new growth, but it was of concern that the perpetrator had not been found.

He said the Lawrence de Lange reserve was the perfect outing for a game drive.

People could use their own vehicles for the game drives, while the Longhill side, which was directly opposite Lawrence de Lange, was for families to be able to have picnics or a braai and an opportunity to get away from town.

“The reserve has giraffe, black wildebeest, impala, zebras, blesbok, red hartebeest, kudu, ostriches and a few more animals. In a game reserve, the animals are in their natural habitat.”

He invited locals and visitors to enjoy the facilities, but cautioned people that as much as the game reserve was private, it still fell under the rules and regulations of the department of environmental affairs act.

He said anyone who did not adhere to such rules and regulations would be fined accordingly.

People found littering could face a fine of up to R500.