Tenikwa Awareness Centre

In 2001 founders Len and Mandy Freeman bought an undeveloped 46 ha piece of land in the Crags, on the Garden Route of South Africa. They started out with one little hut on the property, taking in their first injured and problem animals and nursing them back to health. Their ability to heal and rehabilitate animals quickly became known and before long they were receiving injured wild animals of all kinds.

This lead to Tenikwa registering as a fully fledged rehabilitation centre with Cape Nature Conservation. Subsequently more animals including birds, penguins, bats as well as wild cats started ending up at Tenikwa. One of these species, the cararcal is particularly persecuted in South Africa, with numbers declining at a rapid rate. Len explains that it is due to ignorance that these cats get killed and that there are in fact many alternatives to killing.

Hence, the awareness centre came into existence, with the objective of making people aware and educating them about the true nature of these animals and methods of conserving these species for future generations to see.

Today, Tenikwa is home to leopards, cheetahs and the four lesser species of African wild cat (Caracal, black-footed cat, serval and african wild cat) as well as birds and other species of wild animals.

Tenikwa has a dual purpose, on the one side its a rehabilitation centre and on the other an awareness centre, which allows for the public to interact with these animals (those born in captivity, that cannot be re-introduced into the wild)

Visitors to Tenikwa can go on a one hour, very informative guided tour and get to meet the different wild cat and bird species. A very intimate experience is the cheetah walks, where visitors can go for a sunrise or sunset walk and experience nature through the eyes of these beautiful creatures.

Rates

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*The cheetah walk is not available to under 12 year old children or under 1.3m in height

Getting There

From Plettenberg Bay Direction (N2 North)

Take the N2 North in the direction of Port Elizabeth. About 16kms from Plettenberg Bay, turn right at the BP Petrol Station/Garden Route Superette. Follow the Tenikwa signs.

From Port Elizabeth Direction (N2 South)

Take the N2 South in the direction of Plettenberg Bay. About 16 kilometres from the Toll Gate, turn left at the the BP Petrol Station/Garden Route Superette. Follow the Tenikwa signs.

GPS Coordinates S33.96486 E23.49062