You may have friends who returned from safari with a slew of closeup photos and videos of wildlife. Elephants walk by so that you can see how long their eyelashes are. A lion roaring so closely that you feel the sound in your chest. African wild dogs squealing as they devour a kill. Yes, you can use long-range camera lenses and get ultra-close shots. But sometimes the animals are that close to the game vehicles.
Game viewers at Etali are open-top vehicles that allow you to experience Madikwe Game Reserve without any barriers to nature. You can get up close and personal with the incredible animals, big and small.
Why is it safe to go on safari and get this close to wild animals?
Let’s take a look at the two main reasons why:
1. Your guide is an expert in animal behaviour
The safari guide industry is a regulated one. All guides must pass a written theory test, as well as a practical test where they take an experienced assessor on a game drive.
As part of that training, safari guides learn how to approach wildlife cautiously and respectfully. This is especially true at Etali, where our guides have years and years of experience being in the bush—and also have to pass a practical test given by the lodge’s founder, owner and manager, Koos Potgieter.
Safari guides are so much more than just excellent drivers. Yes, they know how to drive and how to navigate off-road, rough terrain. Beyond that, they know how to read animal behaviour and maintain a safe distance while still providing guests with memorable viewing opportunities. Guides are experts at reading the behaviour of animals, so that you as a guest can safely view them and have an unforgettable experience.
The animal will signal if they do not want you to get any closer
Each species has a way of telling you that you’re too close or that they are unhappy with your presence. Guides know the language and give the animals the space they need. When you’re on safari, ask your guide to tell you some of the warning signs of elephants. It’s fascinating to learn about their behaviour. For example, if an elephant vigorously shakes his or her head at you, that’s elephant language for “you’re too close, please don’t get closer.”
Your guide is trained to deal with the wildlife and the bush
Guides in Madikwe Game Reserve are held to an even higher standard. They are required to carry a .375 or .458 bolt-action rifle during game drives. To do so, they must not only pass the national standards to operate and use a rifle for business purposes but also pass a Madikwe-specific test called the “30-20-10.”
As Etali’s guide Doctor—who has been guiding for over a decade in Madikwe—says, “I take the rifle, but I’ve never had to use it.”
Guides have both training and experience to turn an unexpected situation into an unforgettable experience. They are experts in positioning the game viewer in such a way that the animals are relaxed in the presence of the vehicle and feel comfortable doing their wildlife thing while you have the privilege of observing them.
2. The wild animals are used to the game viewers
In areas where safari game drives are common, animals become accustomed to the presence of game viewers. Over time, they learn that the game viewers are not a threat. The result is that the animals have a lack of interest in the game viewers—so you can observe without interfering.
Our history as humans has caused animals—even predators like lions—to be afraid of two-legged creatures like us. If you approach wildlife on foot, their first instinct is to flee. But when we humans are sitting down in the game viewer, we cease to be threatening. Even the tracker sitting way out in front on the tracker seat is non-threatening.
It’s not that animals don’t know that it’s us in the game viewer. They know. They can hear us, see us and smell us. But animals are used to humans being seated in the game viewer. Actually, specifically in game viewers—you cannot safely get as close to animals in a private vehicle as you can in a game viewer.
Madikwe is proudly celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, in 2024. We were proclaimed a game reserve in 1994. Our wildlife and the game viewers have been around each other for decades.
Off-roading is allowed in Madikwe, so when you find the animal you’ve been looking for, you can get close to it
It’s all well and good for the animals to be accustomed to the game viewers, but you also need the game viewer to have permission to drive on the terrain to get up close to the animal. The rule in many game reserves is that you must stick to the road and not off-road.
Madikwe, however, is one of the game reserves where the game drives can off-road for the “Big Five” (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) or other special sightings. In other words, when you spot an animal that you want to get a closer look at, you can.
The reserve is extremely sensitive to the environment, and has rules for the guides for off-roading, to minimize the impact on the environment and maximize the guest experience. Our guests often comment on the respect that Etali guides have for the environment.
Getting so close to wildlife is a privilege based on decades of respect and trust between the guides and the animals. It is essential to remember that these are still wild animals. Guidelines and regulations are in place to protect both visitors and wildlife, and it’s important to follow them to ensure a safe and sustainable safari experience.
Etali Moment: Our guests recently had an up-close sighting with one of Madikwe’s elephants
Etali guests recently had a breathtaking encounter with an elephant. The big bull walked right next to the game drive vehicle. Everyone in the vehicle was silent, holding their breath, and looking up in awe. This type of sighting—when the animal comes to you on its own—is one of the most special sightings. It means that the animal is comfortable.
Ready to create your own Etali Moment?
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