The vermillion sun peeks over the horizon spreading its soft morning glow across the African bush, verdant with recent rain.

 

I find myself at Mattanu Private Game Reserve, about 40 minute’s drive from Kimberley in the vast, semi-arid Northern Cape Province of South Africa.

 

At six in the morning the heat is already making its insidious way across the land and we have to do this thing relatively quickly before it gets too hot.

 

“This thing” being the darting of buffalo from the helicopter, as one does on a Monday morning of course. We are the guests of famous wildlife veterinarian Doctor Johan Kriek and his family, who own and operate the lodge and this rare game breeding farm.

 

“Don’t go near the back rotors, it will take your face off,” says Dr Kriek’s pilot son Johan Jnr, nonchalantly as I strap myself in the backseat – sans door. “Also, leave anything behind you don’t need. If any type of small item or paper flies out and gets stuck in the blades, we’re going down and we die. Now, are you ready?” he adds with a beaming smile. I nod silently, not able to speak.

 

Initial abject terror turns quickly into utter fascination as the helicopter lifts into the rising sun and we begin our search for the buffalo herd of more than 50. Then lo! We spot them and Doctor Johan shouts instructions to Johan Jnr.  We descend quickly to within what seems like a hair's breadth above their gleaming, sweating hides while Johan Jnr negotiates trees and such. Then he shoots. The dart sticks and we fly off. We (well, not me) dart and tag four more buffalo that morning.

 

A ground crew of about eight men rush to the sight of the drugged animal and they have to move very quickly to get these young beasts, weighing half a ton each, onto a flatbed trailer and drive them to an enclosed camp. Dr Kriek then examines the sedated animals for ticks, disease, measures and vaccinates them if necessary.  Then they are “woken up” with another quick injection and after a surly, vacant look in our direction they drunkenly trot of.  It’s a big job and it’s one they do every day. The operation is slick and seamless but it can be dangerous since there is a chance they can charge.

 

Mattanu is a Hebrew phrase meaning, “gift from above” – of course – and this 4800 hectare Game Reserve, owned by the Kriek family, came into being in 1991.  Dr Kriek, originally from Zimbabwe, imported 95 endangered Roan antelope and 65 rare Sable antelope species into South-Africa from Malawi.

 

This is widely regarded by many as the most successful game capturing and importation operation ever. Dr JC Kriek is also regarded by many as the pioneer for the breeding of endangered antelope industry in southern Africa. Ever since then more than 300 Roan, Sable and disease-free buffalo have been bred at Mattanu. The profits from the Malawi operation were used to purchase Mattanu Private Game Reserve, which was then a cattle farm in 1990 and to date many millions have been spent in the development of the infrastructure and the re-introduction of numerous species. To date there are over 36 different animal species and approximately 1000 animals on Mattanu.

 

“The Northern Cape is a very dry province and therefore not many diseases exist in this province. This is one of the main reasons why most of the animals breed so well and why the conservation of all our species is so positive,” explains Dr Kriek as we drive back to the lodge for brunch and I slowly get back a reasonable facsimile of a normal heart rate. I have experienced many strange and unique adventures in the course of my career but never, ever anything that comes close to this blow-your-head-off experience.

 

The previous day we had the good fortune to have their other son Jacques Kriek as field guide on a fascinating game drive.