Harnas comes closer to Windhoek

FIVE lions and two leopards were recently relocated from the farm Harnas in the Gobabis district to a farm near Windhoek.

The animals are all under the care of the Harnas Wildlife Foundation and they were relocated to their new home on the farm Na/ban Ku Se, which means “God watches over” in the San language. Jan Verburg, a foreign benefactor, donated money to help build the Harnas Lifeline Clinic at Epukiro near Gobabis to provide medical care for the impoverished San community.Verburg then approached the foundation and wanted to donate more money to create job opportunities for the San community, and thus the lodge 38 km outside Windhoek came to be.The lodge is registered as a non-profit organisation and 25 per cent of the profit goes back to the Harnas Lifeline Clinic, 25 per cent goes to the Harnas Wildlife Foundation, 25 per cent goes towards the upkeep of the lodge and the other 25 per cent goes back to the original investor to be reinvested in various projects all over Africa.The lodge employs 12 San people, who all come from the Gobabis area and have received training as field guides and general lodge workers.Twelve San workers helped to build the lodge and the four enclosures in which the wild animals will be kept.The lions originally came to Harnas when their mother was shot and killed outside the Etosha National Park about four years ago.The two male leopards are eight years old and their mother came to Harnas pregnant.She died of anthrax shortly after giving birth.These cats are the first to arrive on Na/ban Ku Se, which will be opened to the public in July.Jan Verburg, a foreign benefactor, donated money to help build the Harnas Lifeline Clinic at Epukiro near Gobabis to provide medical care for the impoverished San community.Verburg then approached the foundation and wanted to donate more money to create job opportunities for the San community, and thus the lodge 38 km outside Windhoek came to be.The lodge is registered as a non-profit organisation and 25 per cent of the profit goes back to the Harnas Lifeline Clinic, 25 per cent goes to the Harnas Wildlife Foundation, 25 per cent goes towards the upkeep of the lodge and the other 25 per cent goes back to the original investor to be reinvested in various projects all over Africa.The lodge employs 12 San people, who all come from the Gobabis area and have received training as field guides and general lodge workers.Twelve San workers helped to build the lodge and the four enclosures in which the wild animals will be kept. The lions originally came to Harnas when their mother was shot and killed outside the Etosha National Park about four years ago.The two male leopards are eight years old and their mother came to Harnas pregnant.She died of anthrax shortly after giving birth.These cats are the first to arrive on Na/ban Ku Se, which will be opened to the public in July.