Kalahari safaris struggle in drought - 11th March 2020

More than one thousand animals have died on this Northern Cape game farm in the last few months.

South Africa's entire Kalahari region is suffering from one of the worst droughts locals have ever seen.

Burger Schoeman is the manager at Thuru Lodge; "we are trying to go on as we are at the moment, but it's only going to be so long before all our resources are out and we don't have any money left to do what we do."

Thuru Lodge, like many others in the area, is dependent on international hunters. But the weather conditions and the lack of animals to hunt have meant none are visiting the area.

Burger Schoeman: "unfortunately the drought forced us to place all our bookings on hold. We can't book a guy coming from overseas having the safari feeling and trying to give him the best safari he ever had but the animals that are here are very skinny and is dying."

The lodge currently spends around $14,000 a month on feed just to keep the animals alive. Workers on the farm are finding it difficult to survive. They depend on tips from tourists.

The rainy season will bring some relief, but it will take the area a year to recover and many businesses will not last that long.