It was an early morning with the sun already shining so bright, the journey is about 100 kilometers outskirt of the city of Bloemfontein. It was a journey to Emoya Wildlife Reserve in Malseesport, an enthralling wild the destination that takes one to the belly of nature.
The 400-hectares wildlife reserve, which houses tamed wild animals especially lions and tigers, draws thousands of tourists from across the world to South Africa because of its spectacular “Lion show”- an arresting situation where the lions entertain onlookers.
Arriving at the reserve, an exquisite restaurant provides guests with breakfast buffet that prepares the mind for the wonders of the Lion Show that amazes and captivates visitor’s mind.
But visitors are usually guided trained tour guides, and if you are lucky to have Botha Bernard the owner of the reserve, as your tour guide, you will not only be entertained but also learn more as he takes time to give insight on the animal reserve.
The particular interest in lions is because the owner of the farm has been in love with lions since childhood. Interestingly, he started the reserve in his own garden about a decade ago with a little lion that he found in distress and decided to buy. Until his marriage some six years ago, Botha has consistently nurture lions and tigers from birth to maturity in his backyard.
While Bernard or any other tour guide undertakes the tour, the emptiness of the reserve strikes you because the wildlife has not sensed human beings around. Moments later as you stroll further into the reserve, the whole environment charged as the wildlife community wake to the human intruders, and the hitherto empty vast lands-as far as eyes could see-changed as the animals started creeping out of their presumably hidden places to the visible cage barriers in preparation of the show some 50 meters from the open restaurant venue.
But how do animals know we are here? A tourist asked. “Some animals not only hear from far, most perceive human presence from afar also”, Bernard notes.
The reserve parades over 27 lions and 10 tigers that have been tamed and trained by their master. Although, tamed and trained, the animals are not opened to public contact as aggression particularly to the unknown cannot be ruled out.
The larger fencing is demarcated with other several fencings as the animals are kept in different compartments according to their period of nurture. Amazingly, lions have been known to have a bitter rivalry with tigers in the wild, in here, in the same compartment lives four lions and a tiger peacefully! The guide explains that it was only possible because the animals were raised together. Very well then, in here, the wild has got the human trait of co-habiting irrespective of differences.
Then began the lion show, Botha jumped into the midst of the lions, talking to them and as well playing around with them. At first, very many were scared as different thoughts run through their minds. What if the animals suddenly become wild? To add more fun to the scary show, a dead horse was butchered and thrown into the den. Surprisingly, all the lions rushed to have a taste which they munch like they have been hungry for several months.
The rush continued with the tiger also wanting a taste of the delicious horse meal. Known for its reserve and seclusion nature, the tiger dragged some meat to a farther area from where all other animals were to have a separate, lone party. As the animals in a particular compartment were busy savouring the meat, others in different compartments were seen fuming, scratching and roaming back and forth apparently wanting a feel of the meat show as well.
But the increasing number of the wild animals and the safety of the nearby community is a source of worry to visitors. Botha also shares that fears as he has put in measures to avoid population explosion. In doing this, all females are repeatedly vaccinated with pills to prevent pregnancies and as well the animals are fed just once in every week.
Just by the side of the restaurant is a collection of kiddies’ toys encouraging bravery of witnessing wild animal displays while also enjoying kiddies play. But interestingly, even as such is encouraged, the owner did not pretend in hiding his fear for never wanting to teach others the skill of taming wild animals. He believes it is an extremely risky endeavour that is meant only for the brave mind which must be developed from a very young age.
Earlier, travelling through the about 100 kilometers journey from the city of Bloemfontein to the wild animal reserve, a beautiful landscape and well-built road network that stretches even to the outskirt of town forces a senior journalist on the trip who has spent larger part of her private and professional life abroad, screaming, “if only our country (Nigeria) could have half the network of good roads in this country”.
The more than an hour journey from the historic city of Bloemfontein/ Malseesport was very stress free as the neatly tarred roads give the feeling of still being within the city but only for the long stretch of dry landscapes and hilly mountains.
In contributing to conserving nature’s provisions, all animals in the farm are not to be sold or shot at any point in time, according to Botha. The spirit behind putting together Emoya is strictly borne out of the love and compassion for sustaining and conserving the wild. It was interesting to find out that particularly lions are in high demands across the globe presently as people believe its bones have extreme sexual value leading to a massive hunt of the king of animals, according to Botha.
