Nature’s rescue team

Perhaps it’s not surprising that Mantis Collection founder Adrian Gardiner’s love for animals and the African continent was always “in his blood”. Because his father was involved in cattle ranching, Gardiner was exposed to nature as a child. He also had the great privilege of seeing wildlife at some incredible game reserves.

“I think everybody who lives in Africa wants their patch of Africa,” says Gardiner, who grew up in Zimbabwe. “So, after I sold my stud farm near Plettenberg Bay, I looked around various places in SA. And just by chance I was introduced to a little hunting farm between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown.”

Though he’d lived in Port Elizabeth for 20 years at the time, Gardiner didn’t realise how significant a part of Africa it is. But after reading legendary naturalist, scientist and historian CJ Skead’s historical accounts (and journals of the 1820 Settlers) he learnt that the Eastern Cape used to be one of the richest wildlife areas in Africa. Indeed, evidence dating back to the 18th century shows that Cape buffalo, zebras, black wildebeest, black rhino and Cape lions roamed the area once upon a time.

Gardiner bought the 1 200 ha property as a weekend getaway for his family. But when drought and financial difficulties led many neighbouring farmers to place their land on the open market, he purchased more. This extended the property to around 7 000 ha.

“Knowing nothing about the industry, I suddenly realised that I’d better make this commercial,” he says. “But I have quite a simple philosophy of life. I don’t believe in reinventing the wheel. I say to myself, ‘Let’s go see who’s done it.’ So I went to the [then] Eastern Transvaal Reserve, copied what they were doing, and tried to do it a bit better.”

‘‘ WHAT’S AMAZING IS THAT WE’RE THE ONLY HOSPITALITY GROUP IN

THE WORLD REPRESENTED ON ALL SEVEN CONTINENTS [EVEN ANTARCTICA]

ADRIAN GARDINER