Tiger Canyons, Philippolis

Tiger mom near Philippolis, in the Karoo.

© Chris Marais

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There is nothing that truly prepares you for the majesty of an untamed tiger close up.

Especially when that huge, full-grown tiger leaps onto the dented bonnet of the game drive vehicle you’re in, and gives a series of chuffs (tiger talk) to communicate his happiness to see you. It’s at moments like these that you’ll be deeply grateful that the vehicle has sturdy bars protecting you from a playful bat from one of his gigantic paws.

Tigers don’t naturally occur in Africa. But maverick conservationist and film-maker John Varty, who has a passion for big cats, has established an African sanctuary for them at Tiger Canyons outside the little Karoo town of Philippolis.

John and his brother Dave founded the famous private game reserve Londolozi in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve together. But while John Varty was deeply involved in big cat conservation for many years, he also began fretting about the fate of the tigers in Asia. 'JV', as most people call him, saw it as crucial that tigers in viable wild populations be conserved in other parts of the world. It’s the same thinking that helped save the white rhino population in the early 1960s and later on, the Arabian oryx.

Tiger Canyons is a massive piece of land 25km away from the historic town of Philippolis. Although technically in the semi-arid Karoo, it includes part of the plunging ravines of the Vanderkloof Dam. Tigers adore water and are able to live in a variety of habitats, from snowy Siberia to jungle tropics to arid north-eastern India.

Despite John Varty’s background of luxurious Londolozi, this is not an opulent place – for tourists at least. There is no accommodation (you stay in town if you’re overnighting), and every bit of available funding goes to the tigers.

But to spend a morning or an afternoon with them could be the highlight of your trip to South Africa. Unlike many Asian parks, here you are guaranteed an opportunity to see wild tigers close up.

And one look into those blazingly imperious yet trusting eyes may even change your life.