Lion Sands Private Game Reserve, also known as Lion Sands Reserve, was established in 1933 by Guy Aubrey Chalkley, and forms part of the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve as well as the Kruger National Park, which together with some other parks make up the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa.
The wildlife in this park includes the Big Five. The preserved plains of the Sabi Sands and the Kruger National Park hold one of the planet's highest concentrations of game per hectare. This, coupled with ethical and responsible conservation management, has resulted in animals that are highly habituated to human presence. Land Rovers pose no threat and can get close to countless animal species (including predators, general game, reptiles, insects, and birds-a-plenty).
Guy Aubrey Chalkley, affectionately known as Chalk, was a keen hunter and traveled extensively throughout Africa. It was on one such adventure that he stumbled across Kingstown. Belonging to the Transvaal Consolidated Lands, this was a jewel of a property on the border of the Kruger National Park. These were the same lands that became the basis of the world-famous Sabi Sand Wildtuin (Game Reserve).
Guy was filled with affection for the animals around him and admiration for the pristine condition of the Kingstown property. It’s a known fact that he never lifted a rifle to an animal in this reserve. Guy purchased the property on 25 November 1933 from Transvaal Consolidated Mines for four thousand pounds and fourteen shillings.
John More, who married Guy’s granddaughter, Louise Chalkley, introduced Kingstown to the public in 1978 when he built two camps: River Lodge and Bush Lodge. Even during those early days of extreme basic bush operations (hot water was a luxury), the More family concentrated on keeping Kingstown in its pristine state.
Today, the family employs a full-time ecologist (the only reserve in the Sabi Sand Wildtuin to do so) to monitor the effect of commercialization on the wilderness.
The game reserve has 4 game lodges:
Lion Sands Game Reserve | Map | Accommodation | Activities | Wildlife
- Lion Sands Chalkley Treehouse
- Lion Sands Kingston Treehouse
- Lion Sands Tinyeleti Treehouse
https://www.sabi-sands.com/lion-sands-game-reserve.html Lion Sands Game Reserve
http://www.lionsands.com/ http://www.lionsands.com/about/location.php
http://www.lionsands.com/more/story/
About Ivory Lodge: https://web.archive.org/web/20150511062429/http://www.lionsands.com/our-lodges/ivory-lodge-sabi-sand/
About Tinga Lodge: http://www.lionsands.com/our-lodges/tinga-luxury-lodge-kruger-national-park/
About Narina Lodge: http://www.lionsands.com/our-lodges/narina-lodge-kruger-national-park/
About River Lodge: http://www.lionsands.com/our-lodges/narina-lodge-kruger-national-park/
Wildlife at Lion Sands: http://www.lionsands.com/on-safari/the-wildlife/