Biodiversity in the Tuli Block

Part of Africa is your gateway to a magical private game reserve in the Tuli Block in Botswana. Every month we ask a fellow co-owner to let us know why he or she decided to invest in this reserve. This month we had the pleasure of interviewing Anton and his wife Renate, co-owners since 2009.

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Can you tell something about who you are, where you are from and what you do in everyday life?

I am 31 years old, from Pretoria, South Africa.  I work in our family’s Property Development and Investment business, together with my dad and brother in-law.

Which countries have you visited in Africa?

With my love for birding and the African bush, I am lucky to travel the Southern African countries on a regular basis, which includes South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

What is it that makes Africa unique for you?

The wilderness, the big game (like elephant, lion, leopard), the small creatures (birds, frogs, snakes etc), the big trees, rivers – the biodiversity is just amazing;  speak of adventure.

And what is special about Botswana and the Tuli Block?

What makes Botswana so amazing, is the low population density, and the fact that their President has a great passion for wildlife and conservation.  The people are very relaxed and loving.  Botswana still has “raw” wilderness.  What makes the Tuli so special for me, is the fact that the drier Kalahari veld of the west, overlaps with the more tropical areas of the east.  The incredible biodiversity of the Tuli is the result.  You get Pel’s Fishing Owl, but also Pied Babbler.  Ret’z Helmetshrike, and also Swallow-tailed bee-eaters, thus species from both the drier west, and the more tropical east.

How did you find out about the reserve?

My dad and I did a flight in a small aeroplane in 2008, following the course of the mighty Limpopo River.  We accidentally followed the Sashe river and had to re-route.  Our path crossed the Tuli, and we just saw how big wilderness area it was.  We then saw an advert of the reserve in an in-flight magazine and on investigation found that the reserve is exactly the area we fell in love with from the air! We then bought a share in 2009.

When did you decide to invest in the reserve?

After a visit to the reserve after in December 2008, we invested in 2009.

Night pictures taken by Anton with his Trailcam/Cameratrap at a waterhole.

What was the main reason for you to invest in this reserve? Did you also visit other reserves in your search for a place/reserve to invest in?

It is only 5 hours drive to River Camp from my home, which makes it really accessible.  We always had the dream of a farm with big game, but to manage such a farm that is big enough is very difficult.  That is why this reserve is perfect; it is huge, has big game, and the management team is in place to maintain the reserve.

How often do you visit the reserve?

2-3 times a year, usually for at least a week.

What is your favorite spot at the reserve and why?

Sundowners at a beautiful waterhole, what a place!

Can you describe your perfect day at the reserve?

A few years ago I started a leopard identification project.  The aim is to get to know the individual leopards and their territories.  By getting to know the leopards, the better we can protect them.

So invariably our days start before sunrise in search of these beauties! While searching for especially leopards, we also enjoy taking in all the other creatures and sounds as well.  Mid-morning we will stop for a coffee at a waterhole, and spend some time photographing birds coming in for a drink as the day heats up.  Thereafter we will head back to camp, enjoy brunch and a relaxed afternoon, after which we will head out again on game drive.

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Are you inspired by this story and do you want to read more stories like this one? Go to our Blog.
Do you want to get a real taste of what it feels like to be a co-owner of this unique reserve? Go on our digital safari.
Or go to Contact if you want to contact us to get more information.