The wild, wild West

29 May 2015

Drakenstein Lion Park is a sanctuary for lions, located near Cape Town

Home to many wildlife sanctuaries and nature reserves, the Western Cape is known for its wildlife-spotting opportunities. Caro Malherbe investigates.

The penguins at Boulders Beach

African penguins at Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town.

Boulders Beach, situated in the naval base of Simon’s Town on the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula, is home to a colony of African penguins. Guests have access to a penguin viewing area and three boardwalks. The best time to visit is from October to March.

For more information, click here.

The gannets at Lambert’s Bay

Lambert’s Bay Bird Island on the Cape’s West Coast.

Lambert’s Bay Bird Island is situated 100m offshore of Lambert’s Bay on the Cape’s West Coast. The island is one of six breeding colonies of Cape gannets that can be viewed year round. Visitors to the reserve can also view the ‘Bone Box’, an endemic animals’ skeleton gallery.

For more information, click here.

Wildflowers at Rocherpan

Rocherpan is a coastal nature reserve, 25km north of Velddrif on the Cape West Coast, which is home to birds and colourful wildflowers. The reserve has a seasonal vlei (shallow minor lake) between March and June. The adjacent section of the Atlantic Ocean was declared a marine reserve in 1988. Rocherpan is one of two locations where the endangered Cape Horned Pondweed is known to survive.

For more information, click here.

Lions at Drakenstein

Drakenstein Lion Park is a sanctuary for lions just 30 minutes from Cape Town. The park is home to both white and brown lions, Bengal tigers and a chimp haven. Visitors can stay over at the camp for a ‘sleep with lions’ experience.

For more information, click here.

Meet Gerrie at the Giraffe House

Gerrie, the hand-reared giraffe at Giraffe House in the Cape Winelands.

The Giraffe House is near Paarl in the Cape Winelands in the Boland region of the Western Cape. It hosts a range of birdlife and wildlife as well as a hand-reared giraffe named Gerrie.

For more information, click here.

The whales in Hermanus

Hermanus, along the Cape Whale Coast, is the whale-watching capital.

The Southern Right whale, Bryde’s whale and Humpback whale can be found along the Cape Whale Coast, from the coastal settlement of Rooiels in the west to Quoin Point in the East.

Hermanus is known as the whale-watching capital. Onrus Walker Bay in Hermanus is an ideal spot. Other places include Stony Point near Betty’s Bay, the cliff paths of Kleinmond, the De Hoop Nature Reserve, Gansbaai and Witsand in the Garden Route and Klein Karoo.

The best time to view the whales is between June and November.

For more information, click here.

Ostriches in Oudtshoorn

Ride on an ostrich at the Ostrich Farm in Oudtshoorn.

The Ostrich Farm is situated in Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape and visitors can feed, watch and interact with the huge birds. They can also watch an ostrich race, stand on an ostrich egg and take a ride on an ostrich.

For more information, click here.

Big cats at Jukani

The black leopard at Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary lies on the outskirts of Mossel Bay on the Garden Route. The sanctuary’s main focus is on the conservation and education of big cats. Visitors can see lions, tigers, leopards, wild dogs and other smaller wild cats.

For more information, click here.

Raptors at Radical Sanctuary

The Radical Raptors Bird of Prey Sanctuary along the Garden Route.

The Radical Raptors Bird of Prey Sanctuary is located along the Garden Route, near the Bosfonteinrivier and is great as a family activity.

For more information, click here.

Leopards at Tenikwa

The Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre is situated in Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape and offers guests the opportunity to interact with indigenous cats of South Africa, such as leopards, cheetahs, caracals, servals, African wild cats and black-footed cats.

For more information, click here.

Fynbos at De Mond

De Mond is a coastal nature reserve that helps to conserve the Blue Crane.

De Mond is a coastal nature reserve on the Heuningnes River, approximately 26km south-east of Bredasdorp on the south-western Cape coast, between Arniston and Struisbaai. Indigenous vegetation includes dune milkwood forests, saltmarshes, dune fynbos and limestone fynbos. De Mond is also home to grysbok, steenbok, Grey duiker, caracals, reptiles, amphibians and extensive birdlife. The reserve is a breeding ground for damara and Caspian terns and conserves the rare African Black oystercatcher and Blue Crane.

For more information, click here.

Calves at Walker Bay

Go whale watching at Walker Bay in the south-western Cape, east of Hermanus.

Walker Bay is situated in the south-western Cape, east of Hermanus. The reserve includes five coastal areas between Hermanus and Die Dam near Struisbaai. Walker Bay shows records of Middle Stone Age people and Khoi and San people. It is also a hub for whale watching as every year the Southern Right whales breed and calve their young in the bay.

For more information, click here.

The rare bontebok at De Hoop

De Hoop is situated in Overberg and is home to the Cape Mountain zebra.

De Hoop is situated three hours from Cape Town, in Overberg. The reserve offers hiking trails and whale watching. It has 86 mammal species including the rare bontebok, Cape Mountain zebra, eland, Grey rhebok, baboon, Yellow mongoose, caracal and Coastal leopard. The nature reserve has over 260 bird species and is the only breeding ground in the Western Cape for the Cape Vulture. The marine reserve protects dolphins, seals and Southern Right whales.

For more information, click here.