First-time visitors to the Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa would be forgiven for thinking they’ve been delivered into a wildlife-rich reserve dating back eons. For not only are the sheer number of animals unparalleled, but sightings at the water hole located just a few feet beyond the main lodge at Jamala Madwike are so prolific that co-founders Rodney and Nico have introduced a (tongue-in-cheek) experience called ‘the sofa safari’ – perfect for honeymooners looking to sleep in or soak in their private pools, while still game viewing.
A big part of Madikwe’s charm is that it is an ecological success story. Under 40 years ago, this entire area was nothing more than denuded farmland beset by drought and locusts. That is, until a feasibility study declared wildlife tourism the best option for the malaria-free area, and Madikwe Game Reserve was born.
The abundant game is the result of an ambitious plan called Operation Phoenix that kicked off in 1991 and sought to reintroduce more than 10,000 mammals into the reserve. Such was the success of the project that it was widely recognized as the largest and most successful translocation project in the world. Operation Phoenix celebrated other world firsts in that entire herds of elephant were successfully relocated, as was the critically endangered African wild dog. In fact, today Madikwe is in the fortunate position of supplying animals to other reserves in addition to its highly successful African Wild Dog program.
