Eminently Eve.
.
.
Click on the subheadings below to jump to their contents:
- Introduction
- Background story of An Eye for the Wild
- Booking, contact details & entry fees
- Directions, road conditions & best type of vehicle to use
- Arrival & experience with the staff members
- Activities
- Accommodation & meals
- Conclusion
NB: It is strongly advised to read all the reviews on this site in their entirety to ensure that the destinations really suit all your needs & preferences.
Introduction
To imagine that I have been to all the other 9 provinces we have here in Zimbabwe, (some even more than once) BUT I had never been to the Midlands is quite absurd. I’m so glad I finally had the opportunity to visit this province because I got to enjoy a completely different kind of intimacy with nature which was extremely fulfilling. Being that close to so many animal species was simply magical and I’m chuffed that An Eye For the Wild (ANEYEW) awarded me that opportunity. Such an incredible job they are doing for wildlife as a wild animal orphanage centre & sanctuary. Without wasting much of your time, let’s jump right into the details as I unpack all that you need to know about this wildlife haven as you plan your visit there.
Background story of An Eye for the Wild
The first 5 letters on the name ‘An Eye For the Wild’ stand for the names of the family members running this project who are Alan, No-elle, Echo, Yardli and Earthlie. Interestingly, I saw that there has been a new addition to the family who, at the time of typing this, is just a few months old and his second name is Wild. An Eye for the Wild is a non governmental, private wildlife orphanage run by a highly passionate family.
I get so inspired whenever I come across such establishments where a group of individuals (in this case a family) are willing to sacrifice a more self centred lifestyle for the wellbeing of wildlife. They literally turned their home and farm into a wildlife haven just to ensure that they save the lives of as many orphaned, traumatised & injured wild animals as they possibly can. Not only did they do that but they also opened up their home to us (the public) in 2016 so that we also get to learn more about wildlife through the incredible job they are doing.
Seeing all the pictures of school children at this place really warmed my heart. Every African child deserves to grow up knowing what the different wild animals we have here look like, not just seeing them in books or on TV… and for that reason I salute this family. With the help of donations and volunteer programs, the number of animals they are able to help continues to grow and I believe with more of our support, the sky is the limit. They have such outstanding drive & passion. It is inspiring & incredible to witness.
Booking, contact details & entry fees
Visits are strictly by booking and the booking process was quite straightforward. I contacted them via WhatsApp on +263774308372 and I got a timely response from No-elle who gave me all the information I needed. They are open all the days of the week except for Thursdays. Entry fee is $10 per adult and $5 per child under 12 years of age. The entry fee will allow you to see all the animals in rehab at that time, with a guide. For more details on other activities and fees you may jump to the Activities & fees section below.
Directions, road conditions & best type of vehicle to use
An Eye For the Wild is located just 9.5 km from Kwekwe CBD, about 16 minutes drive. You take Faraday street and turn left onto Robert Mugabe highway. You stay on that road until you get to the An Eye for the Wild right turn off which has a huge sign post so definitely not easy to miss. You can also use google maps and it will take you right to their doorstep. The road starts off okay from town but half way through it has potholes and then it becomes dirt for the rest of the way. With caution, a small vehicle can manage.
Arrival & experience with the staff members
On arrival we were greeted by Tinashe, our tour guide for the day who was so welcoming. Unfortunately our camera gear developed some problems and it took quite some time to sort out but he was extremely patient with us which was greatly appreciated. His intelligence and passion when it comes to wildlife is quite incredible.
I loved that he made sure the entire tour was more conversational and not just him tutoring us or reciting information that he had memorised. It was clear that he was talking about stuff he had witnessed and/or experienced which definitely kept us hooked the whole duration of the tour. We started our tour at around 9:30 am and finished around 11:30 am and every second of those 2 hours was so worth it.
Activities
Touring animals in rehab at the time
We were driving from Bulawayo to Harare so we unfortunately had limited time. We therefore ended up deciding to only learn more about the animals in rehab. This was $10 per adult and $5 per child under the age of 12. Immediately as we drove in we saw 2 sables lying relaxed on the ground. Unfortunately that is the time when our cameras were playing up and by the time the cameras were ready, the sables had already moved so I did not manage to capture them. However, that already showed me that this is the type of rehabilitation facility I was looking for all along. One that does not cage animals just so visitors see them but instead allow them free movement.
Tinashe then led us into the main section where most of the animals in rehab were and you can imagine my surprise when my eyes landed on one gorgeous juvenile female eland that was just lying on the lawn in front of the house. She got up & walked in our direction to greet us… what a charmer. I will admit, I was a little scared of her precious little horns which were just developing. So many what ifs were running through my brain at this point as she got closer & closer to us lol. Turns out she is actually very chilled & very playful. Unfortunately, soon after birth she developed a condition that caused a build up of fluids in her legs. She was therefore unable to walk which meant that she could never have survived in the wild. She was put on treatment by the An Eye for the Wild team and now she can actually wobble around which is super great for her.
Our second stop was at the hedgehog enclosure. Such pretty animals that look like miniature porcupines but are actually not related to porcupines at all. They are nocturnal animals (active at night and sleep during the day). We learnt from Tinashe that they are quite common in their area so people find them in residential areas and bring them to the sanctuary to be released back into the wild. One of the biggest threats hedgehogs face in addition to habitat loss is being squashed by vehicles when they are trying to cross roads. This is because instead of running away from danger they actually rely on rolling up when threatened and so they stand no chance when it comes to vehicles. They are therefore relatively safer in the wild far away from modern developments.
Bushbaby
We also saw a couple of bushbabies which I had never seen that close up before. It was definitely an incredible experience seeing those big eyes up close. One of them was interested in an apple he was being offered so he came out of his little ‘bedroom’ but the other one just wanted to sleep so we let him sleep as they are also nocturnal animals. Interestingly though, while still standing by his enclosure we got distracted by the exhilarating beauty of a Grey Crowned crane that was just passing by, and then the bushbaby decided to come out. It seemed he came out to investigate who was standing outside his home and that was just so adorable to observe the curiosity in his eyes upon spotting us.
The bushbabies were rescued from dogs which were attempting to kill them so they were injured but now are successfully recovering thanks to the care they are receiving from An Eye for the Wild team. The crane was one of the two cranes that were orphaned as hatchlings and because of their dependence on the parent for food and protection at that stage of their lives, they would have both died had they not been brought to the sanctuary.
Grey Crowned Crane
Other animal species we saw in the rehabilitation section were baboons, owls, tortoises, kudu, lion, bushpig, leguaan, monkey, nyala and klipspringer. Each of these animals has a sad past. Some are unfortunately injured for life so they can never survive in the wild like the Eagle Owl which can’t fly and the other one which lost one eye. I will not share too much here so that you still have some new things to learn when you visit. It was definitely an incredible learning experience for me. You may also find that when you visit there may be different animal species in rehab as they always work towards releasing their animals back into the wild as soon as they recover. For example the 4 baboons that we saw are scheduled to be released in Kariba as soon as they are ready for the wild life again.
Klipspringer (left) Female Nyala (right)
Other activities & fees
Other activities at An Eye for the Wild include:
a) Game drive – $10 per adult, $5 per child, minimum of 4 people
b) Horse ride – $5 per person
c) Nature walk – $5 per adult, $3 per child
d) Lion feed – $3 per adult, $2 per child
e) Braai facility – $2 per person, Braai wood – $1 per bundle
PLEASE NOTE THAT BOOKINGS ARE A REQUIREMENT
Accommodation & meals
The sanctuary was only opened to the public in 2016 therefore a lot of projects are still underway especially in the accommodation department. They do have an already functional campsite though with a beautiful and artful ablution facility. The external theme is African bush which is perfect as it blends in well with the natural surroundings while the interior is a more modern theme which ensures comfort. If you know anything about me then you know the first thing on my checklist when choosing accommodation is hot water and yes they do have reliable HOT water available as they use a Rhodesian boiler. I can totally see myself camping there one of these days which will allow me ample time to enjoy the game drive, nature walk and the other activities they offer mentioned above.
Tinashe was also kind enough to show us the stunning chalet they are building which is already at window level. I immediately fell in love with it as soon as I saw how they are building it around some naturally occurring rocks there. I can’t wait for my mind to be blown away when the chalet is all completed. They also have a bar construction project they have already started which is at a viewing point with exhilarating views. Then a restaurant and classroom which are almost done. I can already tell this is going to be one of the popular wildlife destinations in the Midlands.
Conclusion
I have written an article about how I’m weary of rehabilitation facilities as most only end up abusing the animals just to make money but I was really impressed to come across such a destination that puts the animals’ needs first. Their focus is not to entertain visitors at the expense of the animal’s well being but rather to educate and encourage us to fall in love with nature and appreciate each species’ role on this Earth. They believe each animal deserves to be free in the wild hence their clear rehabilitation & release programme when it comes to all the animals they take care of which are fit to go back into the wild. With that I 100% RECOMMEND An Eye for the Wild. You will learn so much about our Zimbabwean wildlife while enjoying the serene natural environment.
After your visit please come back with feedback on how it went for you either here or on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn :)… Remember to always have a little Intimacy in your life & as always I’m talking about Intimacy With NATURE :).
Thank you 😊
Beautiful!