Mokopane Biodiversity Conservation Centre, SANBI — Attraction in Mogalakwena Local Municipality

This review will be in two parts as we had two polarizing experiences in the different parts of the facility.

Part 1 We were warmly received by the gate staff at arrival. The nessecary administration was handled quickly and we were let in with a smile. Our first stop was at the enclosures. From the looks of things kand our limited knowledge about the subject) it looked like the animals were in good shape and are being taken care of in a responsible manner. All the enclosures were very clean, ample food is provided and they didn't look stressed. The kids loved getting up close to all the animals. Afterwards we had our picnic under the beautiful trees. The bathroom facilities were clean and accessable.

This part of our visit was fantastic!

Part 2 Not a huge negative, but something that needs a lot of work. Afterwards we went for a drive following the provided map. If you don't have an elevated vehicle, dont do this, the roads are not in a good shape (most likely due to heavy rain). The veld itself is extremely overgrown, it's nearly impossible to see more than a few meters through the bushes. There are parts were roads are indicated (on the map as well as the built indication boards) and if you look closely a road is kind of visible, but since its not maintained its impossible to drive on.

This part of our visit was less pleasant than the first, but it didn't ruin the day for us.

So a short take-away: the staff are super, the animals looks good, the facilities are adequate and we enjoyed every moment. But the veld is extremely overgrown and the roads are bad should you choose to drive around.

We will...

I paid R30pp and R10 for my car. Drove around 2 hours and saw only one animal in the wild. Buffalo in a kraal and next to it cows and a donkey in a kraal that was used for hippos and goats. Did I pay a entrance fee to see the Managers cows? Hope not. At the entrance gate was 3 employees sitting/standing around. I had to ask who is the one to help me. I was shown a young lady who could bearly speak english. When asking to speak to the manager that also created havok. i found the number of the office... phoned 3 times.... no answer. Was I to expect anything better????....

This is a lovely experience everytime, they do good work with animals and it's a n ideal place for a family outing. Very competitive pricing and you can go for a bush drive, braai, see animals and spend the night, which we did and that was totally awesome, really cheap for the experience. The staff is super friendly and accomadating. I would highly recommend this...