And Mike Bester had a relationship with them from earlier. This is a country that most of the animals had been exterminated by the 50s and the Reilly family with the blessing of the king developed first on their own property the first facility, Mlilwane, and then on the Kings Royal Hunting Ground became Hlane Royal National Park. And then on additional property as success went on, the Mkhaya. Elephants were two different herds on one park and a herd in the park. They had three herds of elephants. And to basically meet them, for them to meet us, and feel each other out as far as were they willing to work with us ‘cos they knew by working with us that their problem wasn’t gonna get solved with too many elephants immediately, that further damage was gonna occur over a couple years of the permitting process. I mean, it was a major commitment to do what they thought was the right thing because as the damage was further intensified, that lessened the habitat for everything from vultures because they’re killing the trees to rhinos and everything else they had there. They had actually recreated these three national parks, refuges, reserves, with 22 different species of hoof stock, hippos, crocs, lions.
