24 - 30 April 2026 - Big 3 African Vet Safari

Day 1 - Friday 24 April

Arrive at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg - International flights for your own arrangement.

Note: International flights are for your own arrangement, but Brothers Safaris can assist with quotes and bookings as required. We can also assist with any other travel arrangements before or after your vet safari, throughout Africa.

On arrival in Johannesburg, your driver will meet you and transfer you (15 minutes) to your hotel for the night – The Radisson OR Tambo.

On arrival look out for a sign with your name on it. Please do not forget to exchange or draw some money at the Airport since this is the easiest venue-ask your driver to show you where. It is mainly for gratuities/items of a personal nature since you can pay for any extras at the hotel/lodges by credit card.

Your accommodation for the night is on a single room bed & breakfast basis and check in is from 15h00. Early check in subject to availability and may incur an additional fee.

Enjoy dinner at your hotel complex

Day 2 - Saturday 25 April 

After an early breakfast, it is time to check out and start the long drive to our base for the next week, in northern KwaZulu Natal Province. Departing at 07h30 we expect a drive of roughly 7 hours, pending stops and road conditions. It’s a long drive but give you a chance to witness some of the country side, industries and people going about their daily activities.

Enjoy a packed lunch on route and comfort breaks.

Arriving early afternoon we check in and settle into camp before going on a short game drive late afternoon. After stopping for sundowners to stretch legs and enjoy a drink, return to camp after sunset to enjoy dinner and a good night’s sleep.

Somkhanda Game Reserve is a malaria free, community-owned Big 5 game reserve that stretches across 12 000 hectares of natural Zululand Bushveld. This majestic reserve boasts the Big 5, various species of plains game and magnificent birdlife. Accommodation options are designed to immerse you in the natural beauty of this stunning reserve, while providing you with all the comforts of home.

The reserve team is dedicated to ensuring your stay is an unforgettable experience.​ You accommodation will be in tastefully decorated thatched lodge rooms. Rooms are designed to immerse you in the natural beauty of the reserve, while providing you with all the comforts of home. Each lodge room features a tea and coffee station, en-suite bathroom and comfortable living areas.

Your stay for the next 5 nights is on a sharing (twin or double), full board plus activities basis (accommodation, meals & activities). All drinks and extras are for your own account.

Day 3 - Sunday 26 April

It’s an early start to the day and after morning tea/coffee, it’s time to head out on your morning game drive on an open game viewer vehicle.

This morning you will be guided by a member of the reserve team, participating in monitoring of animals on the reserve as you go, and learning more about management practices in the reserve as an introduction to your hands-on safari here.

You will also be accompanied by your African Vet Safaris veterinarian on each drive, who will share additional information on relevant species and aspects experienced on your drive.

Enjoy a coffee break along the way, before heading back to the lodge mid-morning to enjoy a delicious breakfast.

After breakfast back at the lodge your African Vet Safaris vet will present a talk in preparation for the veterinary work to follow the next day – elephant immobilisation! This gives guests an insight into the procedures to be done, the conservation reasons and how to safely participate.

After the talks, enjoy lunch and some leisure time, followed by a mid to late afternoon game drive and sundowners in the bush.

Enjoy dinner back in camp, and a good night’s rest, if you can contain your excitement for tomorrow’s adventure…..

Day 4 - Monday 27 April

This morning you set off after an early breakfast and attempt to immobilise and (re)place a tracking collar on one of the elephants on the reserve… head to the rendezvous point on the reserve for final preparations and safety briefings. When the chopper arrives, it’s all go!

Once the elephant that has been earmarked for this necessary management procedure has been located, the animal will be darted from a helicopter, or vehicle, by your African Vet Safaris vet accompanying you on this safari.

When the elephant is immobilised and it is safe, guests will be allowed to leave their vehicle and join the duty veterinarian, hands-on! There will be an opportunity to help monitor and treat the elephant/ assist with procedures. Provided the patient is stable and the work is done, there will be time for those photos of a lifetime too!

Once all is done, the vet will reverse the elephant’s immobilising drugs, and you’ll watch him recover from a safe distance. Hopefully he heads off in a direction away from us!

Your participation in this safari covers the costs of this intervention, contributing directly to wildlife conservation – thank you.

After the immobilisation and the elephant’s recovery, guests will return to the lodge to catch their breath and share their experience in more detail as they examine their photographic records. There will also be a chance to ask your vet any questions about the morning’s procedure.

Enjoy some leisure time before enjoying lunch. Depending on plans and timing, lunch may be a packed lunch in the field on days when we are participating in vet procedures.

After lunch your African Vet Safaris vet will once again present a talk in preparation for the veterinary work to follow the next day – rhino immobilisation! The talk will focus on species specifics and procedure differences and the conservation reasons for the procedures.

Then it’s time to head out into the reserve again in the late afternoon for another game drive, during which we will endeavour to find our patient from this morning and conduct a visual check-up, if possible. Enjoy sundowners in the African bush .

Freshen up back at the lodge and enjoy dinner and the tales of the day around the camp fire. Enjoy another good night’s rest.

Day 5 - Tuesday 28 April

This morning you set off after another early breakfast and head to the rendezvous point for final preparations and safety briefings.

Today the plan is to work with two to three rhino which need various management procedures performed. Work needs to start early to avoid the heat of the day, but it takes time to find the right animals in a reserve this size and in the thick bush….!

The work you participate in forms part of ongoing reserve management and specific interventions are thus dictated by their needs, but it is likely that you will be part of the ongoing rhino dehorning and collaring program in order to combat poaching.

Your participation once again covers the costs of these procedures, contributing directly to rhino conservation – thank you.

The moment of truth arrives when your African Vet Safari vet darts the rhino from the helicopter…... Once the rhino is safely immobilised, you will have the experience of your life while assisting with the various procedures – ear notching for positive identification and management reasons, blood sampling for DNA to help combat poaching, collaring, potentially de-horning, etc. - all the while monitoring the health status of the patient.

All being well, there will be plenty of photo opportunities as you get hands-on with one of Africa’s most endangered species….

Once the procedures are done, you’ll retreat to the safety of the nearby vehicle while the rhino recovers and walks off into the bush, often a little disgruntled!

Once all the procedures are done for the day, you return to the lodge to savour the day’s experiences and have a delicious lunch, or enjoy a packed lunch in the bush, depending on timing.  

After lunch, there will be another talk – this time focusing on predator immobilisation, specifically lion immobilisation.

Depending on the lion prides’ locations and who needs collaring, we may start trying to dart this evening already….. If we are not successful, we continue our attempts tomorrow.

These particular lion are fairly habituated to game drive vehicles but are less shy at night, as for most predators. Hence our darting attempts are likely to be at night. Provided they are in an accessible area, one hopes to have success, but you may need to set up a “bait station” with your African Vet Safaris vet and use some animal calls to lure them in…. There are never any guarantees with wildlife in the wild….

These massive beasts are truly impressive and their size and obvious strength will make the hair on your neck stand up, especially when you get hands-on!Once all the procedures are done, and photos taken, the antidote is administered and you monitor the recovery of the lion, before leaving it capable to fend for itself. Sometimes the recovery can be a long process….

As for the other species, your participation in this safari covers the costs of this procedure, and hence contributes directly to lion conservation – thank you once again for choosing to make a difference!

Return to the lodge after dark for dinner and some sleep, after a busy day!

Day 6 - Wednesday 29 April

This morning you will have a canine unit demonstration from the anti-poaching team and also join them on a snare sweep on the reserve. In doing so guests better understand some of the challenges faced by those on the front line of conservation, as well as lending a hand to much needed work.

Pending timing, you’ll enjoy breakfast before or after this activity.

In case of bad weather or any other unforeseen circumstances, the schedule today may be swapped with one of the veterinary procedure days.

Enjoy lunch back at the lodge and some leisure time before a final afternoon game drive and sundowners in the bush.

As already indicated, you may attempt to dart lion this evening again.

Dinner is enjoyed back in camp with time around the fire discussing the many experiences of the past week.

Day 7 - Thursday 30 April

Enjoy breakfast before checking out at 08h00. The drive to Richard’s Bay airport is approximately 3 hours long.

Arrive in time for your domestic flight departing at 12h25 and arriving at OR Tambo in Johannesburg at 13h35 – included in safari cost.

Note: Please do not book any international onward travel departing before 17h30 to allow for late arrivals.

Onward travel is for your own arrangement, but please note that Brothers Safaris can assist with quotes and bookings as required. We can also assist with any other travel arrangements before or after your vet safari, throughout Africa.

*** Your safari ends here ***