Wild Dog Eco Tours

Wild Dog Eco Tours
Set amidst rugged sandstone cliffs and ancient baobabs in the Limpopo valley, lies the 36 000 hectare De Beers Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve, a piece of old Africa and home to a wild dog-based eco-tourism project. The tour incorporates a trip in which clients get a chance to radio-track the wild dogs with the researchers on the project. The trips are run either in the early morning (30 minutes before sunrise to approximately 10:30) or the afternoon (approximately 15:00 to sunset) when the wild dogs are most active. Visitors taking the tour are briefed on the project before setting out and each visitor is given an information file which includes a photographic catalogue of the Venetia pack and some background on the project. They are also given the opportunity to pick up radio-signals with the telemetry equipment, plot GPS points on a map and determine the bearing of the pack using a compass (a process call triangulation).

It is strongly recommended that visitors taking the tour opt for the morning trips, as this allows more time to locate the pack. The temperatures are also more pleasant! Although the teams tracking record to date has been excellent (88% of tracking attempts have resulted in a visual) no guarantee is made that they will get a visual on the pack.

For more information and bookings please contact:
Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve
Tel: +27-15-5342986
Fax: +27-15-5340971
Or email: venetia.reserve@debeersgroup.com

Directions:
From Johannesburg take the N1 North to Polokwane. Follow the R521 through Dendron and Vivo to Alldays. Keep on the R521 to Pontdrift. Turn right on R572 and travel on to Musina. The entrance to the reserve and Little Muck Game Lodge is approximately 5 km on the left hand side of the road.