Animals in the bush at Shamwari Game Reserve, Eastern Cape

Shamwari is a private game reserve established in 2000 by a businessman from Port Elizabeth. He bought failing farms and consolidated them into a 25-hectacre game reserve, gradually re-establishing species that had been killed by hunters and farmers. It is about an hour and a half northeast of Port Elizabeth, off a gravel road from route N2. I was there for 48 hours and had four game rides, two of them just me and the guide, Pirro, a font of knowledge back in his home area after playing semi-pro rugby in England. Here are a few of the animals I saw, shot from the Land Rover with my point-and-shoot Canon.

Cheetah brothers

King of the jungle

White Rhino

Elephant

Leopard tortoise

Pirro hunting hippo

And a shot of the lovely Long Lee home and gardens, where we were served high tea, a "full African breakfast," lunch and dinner. Another structure housed the 6 a.m. light meal before heading out in the bush and an open bar the rest of the day. Photos of Margaret Thatcher and Ian Fischer graced the entryway. Really felt like a colonialist here, but great to see the animals! Nearby, the reserve also hosts a rescue and rehabilitation program for wild animals that had been abused in circuses and zoos. Animals are carefully re-introduced to this habitat. Elephants are in huge supply from Kruger, Pirro said. The two cheetah brothers attacked a female cheetah; Pirro had to rescue her and the conservation experts relocated her to a distant part of the park.