Channels for Change - December 2022 Edition
Written by Courtney Drysdale
Viatu’s Channels for Change series is all about presenting those who are making a difference so that you can get inspired from the comfort of your couch. This month, we kick back and relax with the team at Shamwari Game Reserve. The perfect show for all ages or just as your very own comfort watch, Shamwari Untamed shows off fantastic conservation, nail-biting excitement and feel-good stories of animal rehabilitation. So chill out, grab some biltong (beef or mushroom) and dive into some Eastern Cape wildlife bliss that is not only good for the soul but also our planet.
December’s watch: Shamwari Untamed
“Shamwari is a conservation success story.”
Brief summary
December’s watch highlights the responsible tourism efforts of Shamwari Game Reserve, including all the amazing conservation work that they do, particularly that of protecting their rhino population, in a 13-part series. Located in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, Shamwari Game Reserve stretches across 25.000 ha of diverse landscape.
Shamwari Untamed is told largely from the perspective of the wildlife vet Johan Joubert and ecologist John O’Brien. It follows the dedicated Shamwari team on the reserve and tracks their efforts to protect and conserve their diverse populations of wildlife. With everything from elephant relocation to caring for orphaned white rhinos and even a tiny giraffe, this series is sure to delight and captivate anyone who loves animals and wants to learn more about the behind-the-scenes of running a game reserve.
Available on: You can find this docu-series on Netflix, where we hope it helps grow your love for the Eastern Cape as much as it did ours.
The sustainability factor
Overall: 4/5
Shamwari Untamed successfully highlights the various dimensions of sustainability and conservation that keep Shamwari Game Reserve up to a high standard. Their approach to conservation is very balanced and the team always maintains a healthy distance from the animals that they care for and rehabilitate. They have a strict code that encompasses everything from how rehabilitated animals must be handled to how to maintain animal populations through hormone treatment and thus eliminating practices like culling.
This series highlights a message that is as relevant as ever by exploring the plight of rhino poaching. With the lowering of Covid-19 restrictions, rhino poaching has spiked again in South Africa, showing that despite how intimidating these animals may look they are still incredibly vulnerable.
The Viatu review
Themes
This show does a great job of exploring the great diversity of conservation stories in South Africa, from rehabilitation to game capture and environmental management. There’s a real focus on protecting endangered species, such as rhinos, although, in Shamwari, no creature is too big or small to be important. The series includes some incredibly heartwarming tales of recovery and perseverance along with tragic stories of the loss of wildlife. An example is that of young rhino calves who end up on the reserve. Although the calves come to the reserve under very sad circumstances (their mothers were poached) they are rehabilitated and eventually happily united with each other.
Production
Produced by South African-based Tracks Multimedia (Pty) and Hungry Bison Films (Pty), Shamwari Untamed has some fantastic cinematography, capturing unfeigned scenes like a group of young elephants frolicking in the water. For the most part, the production lends itself well to following multiple storylines but at times it could be a little bit more polished as not all of them follow through. An example of this would be the tiny 3-month-old elephant, who we see rescued but never find out how its recovery goes. However, this is still an unmissable series full of exceptional shots that are guaranteed to inspire awe and show that ‘local is lekker’ (an Afrikaans word used when something is good or pleasant) as the popular South African saying goes.
What makes it different
Shamwari Untamed is special for a few reasons. Its focus on a single game reserve in a lesser-known area of South Africa, which is home to outstanding and often endemic biodiversity, makes this a really interesting and informative watch that feels a bit more intimate than other larger-scale docu-series. What’s more, the duration of the series is also a great way to not only follow multiple stories but to give viewers a more in-depth view of different conservation efforts that are used across South Africa.
Shamwari means ‘my friend’ in Xhosa and Shona. The name does ring true when you see the genuine care and dedication of the team that cares for this beautiful reserve and its wonderful wildlife. This watch teaches us to value the relationships that people have with the wild world and its creatures, as well as appreciate just how much work goes into conservation efforts. At Viatu, we love featuring those who champion wild spaces that are home to incredible biodiversity.
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