Balule will grow with 4500 hectares!

Fantastic news from point of nature conservation:

Jejane joins Balule
Jejane Reserve (The game reserve on your right driving north from Hoedspruit, about five km from town almost to our railway gate) is taking down its fences with Klaserie and joining Balule Nature Reserve, adding nearly 4500 hectares of very well managed game country to the mix. As a result our railway gate will soon be moved closer to Hoedspruit and located where the Jejane gate is now.


Best regards from the bush,
Corné van Dongen.
http://www.amukela.com/

Property market in the Balule Nature Reserve.

As property consultant for Century21 Wildlife Properties I would like to bring under your attention the properties which are currently for sale in the Balule Nature Reserve.


The Balule is made up of autonome reserves who all have their own entrance gate, game-warden, security staff, constitution and unique features. As a buyer one can choose to become a member of the nature reserve which is recommendable. Every reserve has a levy system. Olifants North is a share-block company, all the others are privately owned land.

In the following Balule reserves we have properties for sale:

Olifants West Nature Reserve.

 Parsons Nature Reserve.

Grietjie Nature Reserve.

Olifants North.

Olifants West Nature Reserve.

Olifants West is the largest reserve in Balule,
comprising of 8800 hectares of pristine bushveld. The entrance gate (Olifants West Gate - Balule ) is located on the R40 about 16 km. north of Hoedspruit.
Mixed woodland bushveld. Leadwood, bushwillow, marula, knobthorn, tamboti, weaping boer bean tree, buffalo thorn, fig tree, cork wood. Dry riverbeds, rocky outcrops, good mountain views. The Olifants river flows through this reserve. Large dams. 250 birding species. Big-5. Plains game, cheetah and wild dog.

Winter in the bush.

June & July are the coldest months in the bush. Temperatures can vary enormous, we had 0,4 Celcius on monday 27 june, 06:15. Later that same day I saw that it was 24,6 Celcius at 14:30.
A difference of more then 24 degrees in one day, that is a lot. Most of the times we have deep blue skies during the day, almost like we are living closer to heaven:

Blue skies of Balule.

And that is off course the reason why it cools down quickly in winter, there are no clouds to

Rhino poaching in South-Africa.

Schoolkids on safari.

When I was 11 years old –in 1980 in the Netherlands- my teacher told us schoolkids that rhino’s would be extinct in 2000… and that only some would survive in special created nature parks, but not anymore in the wild.  Big schock for us innocent school children! But then immediately the good news came: we were going on a schooltrip to the biggest nature park in the Netherlands –Safaripark the Beekse Bergen, 120 hectares- to see those rhino’s. In that special created safaripark we also saw lions, elpehants, giraffe, zebra, monkeys, leopard and much more. It was a great day to see al these special animals.

At home I told my parents, and my father showed me in his somewhat dated book –‘Africa and Asia’ pictures of the rhino, and other animals. Then I read about South-Africa and the Kruger park, which was then 2 million hectares big!

Crossborder conservation.

These days we speak of the Greater Kruger Park: the Kruger National Park together with the private nature reserves on the west,
Gonarezhou in Zimabwe –north- and the Limpopo park in Mozambique –east- of the Kruger park. An enourmous crossborder conservation area, which has become a safe haven for the animals. At least that is what we like to believe.

Wounded cheetah next to the R40

Wednesday morning at app. 08:25, estate agents of Century21 Wildlife Properties saw a wounded female cheetah limping next to the road.


Action was taken immediately: the head warden of Balule was contacted, he arranged a deputy warden to come and monitor the situation.


Unfortunaly the cheetah (named Century by the estate agents) run off when a vetinarian came to dart her. But good news: yesterday (Friday) I heard she went back into the Balule again. If they find here, she will




After good nursing and recovering of her wounds, these 3 cheetahs will be placed in a boma in Balule, after which they can be rehabilitated in the wild again. I shall keep you informed.