Shamwari Untamed

We give an introduction to the extraordinary conservation efforts of the Shamwari Wildlife Department. Shamwari Game Reserve is home to one of the most diverse wildlife populations in Southern Africa. Various habitats stretch over 60 thousand acres of pure wilderness. This unique landscape is teeming with life.

The wildlife team is in a race against time to find the black rhino calf which split up from its mother after its release back to the reserve. A major search is underway but dense and mountainous terrain holds extremely difficult conditions. After a helicopter is brought in for the search with no success the team’s spirits are diminished.

John starts the challenging process to introduce a male leopard onto Shamwari which will improve the genetic diversity of the resident leopard population. First the leopard is released into a temporary holding camp where his condition will be monitored before his release onto the main reserve. The orphaned jackal pups are now three months old and very playful.

John monitors the new leopard with a satellite tracking device and also explains about more unique methods he is using to help the leopard to adapt to his new surroundings. We give background about Africa’s buffalo population and the value that disease-free buffalo holds. Johan has to perform surgery on one buffalo and move another buffalo back to the reserve.

The wildlife team is informed about a dead rhino in the river and they immediately investigate. Johan is concerned that the cause of the rhino’s death might be poachers so he decides to get the rhino out of the river to do an autopsy. Johan discovers that the cause of death was infighting where another rhino bull stabbed him.

Shamwari is home to two predominant lion prides, each defending their own territory on the reserve. In order to keep the population density balanced and maintaining genetic diversity, the team have to manage their breeding. Johan decides to use a contraceptive on certain lionesses to prohibit them from having offspring for 18 to 24 months.

The anti-poaching tracking dog named Blade and his handler Kabous are getting put to the test! During an exercise on the reserve Blade follows a scented track and must attack on command while Kabous ensures that Blade stays on correct track.Anja finds a dead hippo in the river. They paddle with a small boat to the hippo and drag it to the river bank.

Dr Johan Joubert is determined to capture a group of hippo. Hippo are extremely alert and Dr Johan and the wildlife department invents a system to capture the hippo in a strong capture camp without any human presence close-by. The capture camp has a trap door which close when the hippo steps on a metal plate. After much planning and effort they manage to catch a family group of hippo.

Dr Johan Joubert gets word about an injured cheetah on the reserve. This cheetah is part of a coalition between two males and Dr Johan decides to treat his injuries as hunting will become very challenging for the remaining cheetah on his own. They have to track the injured cheetah on foot through dense brush and Dr Johan manage to eventually darts the cheetah.

The wildlife department moves the family group of hippo which they captured a week ago to another reserve to start a new hippo population. Drama unfolds during the loading process as one of the aggressive hippo bends the gate of the holding boma and everybody has to take extreme caution. Finally the team manage to load all the hippo onto the game truck and they are transported to a nearby reserve.

The elephant translocation continues. The wildlife department manage to successfully complete the specialized task of anaesthetized a family herd of 10 elephant from a helicopter and get them loaded onto a big transport truck.

At the animal rehabilitation centre Megan is struggling to get the orphaned giraffe to drink milk and with the help of Dr Johan they try everything possible to help the baby giraffe. Persistence pays off and the baby giraffe quickly regains its strength after it learned to drink milk out of a bottle! They move the healthy giraffe to a bigger camp outside.

The Shamwari wildlife department takes a trip down memory lane and reflects on the year gone by. They meet at a sundowner spot on the reserve and relive all the fun times, the danger, the drama and the incredible moments which make their working lives in the Africa bush so special!