Poachers Beware

When SA4x4 was invited to join an anti-poaching initiative hosted by Mapesu Private Game Reserve in Northern Limpopo, it didn’t take much persuading to get the folk from Opposite Lock and Front Runner along for the experience…

- Anton Willemse

When the full moon is out in that triangle at the northern tip of Limpopo, just where the borders of South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe meet, it seems a signal is sent to all the skelm cigarette smugglers and rhino poachers in the region. Taking advantage of the extra light, they step up plans to cross borders, cut fences and carry out shameless animal massacres.

It’s easy to understand why. This is a region of massive game reserves and stretches of no-man’s land which adjoin the Mapungubwe National Park. It’s a sparsely populated landscape of wide river valleys and rocky outcrops, dotted with those magnificent upside-down trees, the baobab. But after years of incursions and severe animal losses, the owners of Mapesu Private Game Reserve are striking back.

This is why, on a recent Monday morning just prior to the full moon, a group of bush-mad 4x4 enthusiasts from SA4x4, Opposite Lock and Front Runner made the six-hour drive from Gauteng to accompany the reserve’s Anti-Poaching Unit (APU) on their moonlit patrol. Ryno Cloete from Front Runner was driving a 130 Defender festooned with all sorts of camping gear, Pieter Swart from Opposite Lock arrived in a dark grey Hilux bristling with body armour, a canopy and spotlights, while I have brought my usual re-engine red Legend 45. I am accompanied by Dimitri Fogg of Beastly Adventures, who has agreed to drive and to cook while I take photographs. Little persuasion needed.

San sighting