explore the
Gora Wilderness
western cape safari
Wilderness reborn
Historically, the Western Cape of South Africa has been largely overlooked as a safari destination due to the fact that its protected areas were often largely restricted to the rugged mountainous landscapes that survived solely because they were unsuitable for cultivation, while the native large mammals were already locally extinct. Conversely, the fertile soils of the lower-lying areas received almost no protection and in time these lowlands were almost entirely converted to agricultural production. This formed the canvas for the rebirthing of the Gora Wilderness Reserve.
Unlike the northern wilderness areas of South Africa that survived through the colonial era without losing its fauna, much of the Garden Route and Little Karoo had been almost entirely depleted of the native larger mammals with a total local extinction of over 90% of the herbivores and the predators that inhabited the area.
A mere two decades ago, ate the dawn of the 21st century, a few landowners started to each do their part to restore some of the species that had been lost. This movement among private landowners to reintroduce native species culminated with the establishment of Sanbona Wildlife Reserve and Gondwana Game Reserve. Today these two reserves remain the only protected areas in the Western Cape to have successfully established small free-roaming elephant and lion populations.
landscape & Vegetation
Where 3 Biodiversity Hotspots Meet...
Situated within the transition zone between the temperate winter rainfall and subtropical summer rainfall regions of South Africa, the Gora Wilderness Reserve in the Garden Route and Little Karoo receives frontal rain during the winter months and thunderstorms in the summer. This year-round rainfall regime allowed for the proliferation of a living floral bouquet of vegetation types spanning across 6 biomes where 3 globally recognised Biodiversity Hotspots meet. These are the renowned Cape Floristic Region, Succulent Karoo and Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany hotspots, boasting with over 4,500 plant species in the region.
Within the reserve rainfall varies dramatically across the varied landscapes of the Gora Wilderness. The southern region between the Indian Ocean and the Outeniqua Mountains receive the most rainfall, increasing from 500 mm per annum along the coastline to over 1,000 mm per annum along the southern slopes of the mountains.
While north of the Outeniqua and Langeberg Mountains a rain shadow is formed which renders the area susceptible to increased aridity with an average rainfall of around 200 mm per annum.
Nestled in the heart of the Garden Route and Little Karoo, the Gora Wilderness is a place of extraordinary natural beauty and tremendous ecological significance, forming an essential sanctuary for numerous plant and animal species where 6 of South Africa’s 8 biomes converge.
A biome is a large geographical area charaterised by a distinct climate, vegetation and wildlife suite. Each biome sustains a diverse range of fauna and flora that are specifically adapted to the unique environmental conditions that prevail. The 6 biomes that converge within the boundaries of the Gora Wilderness Reserve are the Fynbos Biome, Succulent Karoo Biome, Subtropical Thicket Biome, Afromontane Forest Biome, Savanna Biome, and Grassland Biome. Their coexistence within a single reserve offers a rare and rich tapestry of biodiversity. This ecological phenomenon has created a variety of ecological niches, which in turn fosters an increased level of species richness and ecological complexity.
The coexistence of the full array of species from the diversity of biomes contained within the Gora Wilderness Reserve is serving to as an important lifeblood to life in a changing climate, as the diversity enhances ecosystem resilience allowing wildlife to adapt in a changing world.
succulent karoo biome
A unique and diverse arid ecosystem, deemed as the richest biodiversity hotspot in the world in terms of succulent plant species. The semi-desert abode of the iconic springbok, gemsbok (oryx) and desert black rhinoceros.
savanna biome
Known locally as the Southern Cape Thorn Bushveld, the savanna has been the most severely impacted as it often grows on fertile alluvial soils. Acacia trees dominate, among others, and historically these served as the haunt of giraffe in the Cape.
fynbos biome
Despite being the world’s smallest floral domain, the Cape Floral Kingdom Fynbos is world renowned for its astonishingly rich array of flora. It boasts with over 9,000 plant species, with around 70% being endemic to the Cape.
grassland biome
Covering a quarter of South Africa, the grassland biome serves as the Serengeti of the southern Cape. Historically the coastal grasslands teemed with bontebok, black wildebeest and the extinct quagga and blue antelope.
albany thicket biome
Characterised by a seemingly impenetrable tangle of subtropical evergreen trees shrubs and vines, the thicket biome served as a stronghold for the Cape’s elephant, black rhinoceros and buffalo populations in days gone by.
forest biome
Standing in stark contrast to the often open habitats that surround it the Afromontane forests act as a refuge for Outeniqua yellowwood, the largest arboreal giants of South Africa, and the bushpig and leopard under its canopy.
skin, scales & feathers
A Wild Display
of Life...
At the turn of the century much of the wildlife of the Western Cape had been reduced to a few, often species specific, scattered conservation areas far removed from one another, and none containing the full suite of species that once called the Cape wilderness home at the onset of European settlement. Some of the unique and South African endemic species found nowhere else that were protected in this manner include the bontebok, blesbok, black wildebeest and Cape mountain zebra, while for others in the likes of the Cape quagga and blue antelope conservation efforts came to late. The early 2000’s saw the establishment of two private reserves where the iconic ‘Big 5’ – African elephant, black rhinoceros, Cape buffalo, lion and leopard – had been reintroduced as the sole custodians of free roaming self-sustaining wild populations.
Far from being a lost cause the dawn of the 21st century saw concerted efforts to restore the wilderness that had been lost in smaller confined reserves, and by these efforts all of the herbivores that had been previously eradicated from the area had been returned. The rebirth of the Gora Wilderness now actively endeavours to link these, often small and isolated, reserves together in a contiguous tapestry in order to allow for the return of natural migration patterns across the summer/winter rainfall cline from east to west.
