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Cooke’s Story in September 2012 and since then
the story has met with great interest from people
around the world.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the
release of Boycat and Poepface in the South
Luangwa Valley and to commemorate the
milestone Fransje van Riel and Graham Cooke will
return to the area to follow in the footsteps of the
two leopards.
Collaborating with Kafunta and Norman Carr
Safaris, the very first My Life with Leopards
Safari will take place in October 2014, with others
following in 2015. The trip is an exclusive tailormade eight-night safari that can accommodate a
maximum of six guests.
Safari guests will spend the main part of the trip
in the southern side of the park, in close vicinity
of the island before exploring the South Luangwa
Valley further upstream, enjoying a combination
of exciting walking safaris and game drives in
comfortable open 4x4 vehicles.
The carefully chosen camps guarantee a highly
personal service, and the safari promises to be an
unforgettable wildlife experience.
Tours are subject to availability. Regrettably,
no children are allowed.
For further information and reservations
contact Fransje van Riel at fransje@vodamail.
co.za.
25
in the know
T
he South Luangwa Valley in Zambia is
one of Africa’s last great wilderness areas.
Famed for its excellent opportunities for
observing lion, leopard, elephant and other
big game, the remote and unspoiled part of
Zambia was the scene of a very special project
undertaken 20 years ago.
In April 1994, two much loved young adult
leopards were released in the South Luangwa
Valley by a young game ranger named Graham
Cooke. Graham had been living with the leopards
in the South African lowveld for a full year
before he decided to return Boycat and his sister
Poepface to the wild in the Valley.
Graham pitched a small and very secluded
tented camp on a remote island on the Luangwa
River for the last stages of the cubs’ rehabilitation
and it was here that Boycat and Poepface
tentatively ventured into the wilderness of their
new home.
Joining the cubs on daily walks to familiarise
them with the new environment, Graham
braved some of the area’s most dangerous
animals. After about a month Boycat and Poep
were ready to leave the safety that the small
camp provided and crossed the river into the
National Park to start their life in the wild. For
Graham, it was time to let go…
Author Fransje van Riel chronicled Graham’s
story in the book My Life with Leopards - Graham
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