What makes an experience unforgettable? At the seasonal Kruger Untamed: Tshokwane, the lore of a legendary ranger is part of the culture woven into every thoughtful touch. Written by Ingrid Jones. Images by Kyle Lewin and supplied.
South Africa’s largest wildlife sanctuary, the Kruger National Park, covers about 20 000 square kilometres of wildlife and wilderness in the northern part of the country. It stretches over two provinces. To the west is Limpopo, to the south, Mpumalanga. Kruger Untamed: Tshokwane is but one of the many camps in the park.
Kruger Untamed, under the directorship of co-owners Alex Van Heerden and Renias Mhlongo, boasts the first concession in Kruger to achieve a perfect score on its environmental audit. Between the two owners, they share a 30-year journey of friendship and wildlife tracking. Open from 1 May to 30 September, this seasonal camp is a great breakaway for people who are serious about animal tracking, paired with luxury tented accommodation in the heart of the bushveld.
The 60-minute drive to the campsite was a mini-safari in itself. My guide, Jayden, knew just about everything about the flora and fauna we encountered. We barely left the airport grounds when I spotted my favourite animal, the giraffe. Three of them were elegantly peeping out from behind the baobabs. Jayden quipped, “It’s a good thing they are looking at us. It is said that if they are looking somewhere else, they are definitely looking at a lion.” So begins the first of my bushveld education.
Upon arrival at the camp, I am welcomed with a drink, a quick site tour, and a stern warning to never move around the campsite unless in the presence of a ranger. The tents are like something out of an African safari movie – dark greens, khaki, white linen, earth tone throws, a Stanley flask, and a fan that whirs lazily in the afternoon heat. The utmost care has been taken not to leave a toxic footprint, so the bathroom and toilet are designed around eco-friendly waste disposal principles. No food in your room at night; you don’t want the animals to come sniffing around your tent.
I had time to rinse my face and put on some safari clothes ahead of our first game drive at 4pm. As a Capetonian, I’m used to the winter cold, but that bosveld cold is from another planet and I was not well prepared. Luckily, there were extra blankets at hand. There are two game drives per day, one in the morning starting at 6:30am and then again later in the afternoon when the bush becomes dark and quiet and the sounds of the nocturnal animals echo through the trees. Everyone is keen to see the Big 5, especially the elusive leopard.
There are many stories told around campfires and one has to discern between what is lore and what is fact. Everyone has seen the biggest or the most frightful or multiple spotting of the rare pangolin or hit the jackpot with the thrill of a lion hunt. In conversation with master tracker Alex van Heerden, I asked him to tell me a story of the famous Harry Wolhuter, one of Kruger’s first rangers. It’s the 1904 saga of Harry on horseback when two lions attacked him shortly after nightfall. I sat with my jaw dropping inch by inch, listening to a story that vacillates between fact and fiction… Read the rest of this story in July/August 2025 issue (PAGES 28-32) of Sawubona magazine.
