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"Just stick your fingers here," said Sean Powell, the shareholder experience manager at Limpopo-Lipadi Game and Wilderness Reserve. He is inviting me to put my hand into the middle of a large dollop of elephant poo.
I do as requested, and feel that the dung, while still moist, is completely cold throughout. From this, Sean surmises that the elephant passed this way the previous evening, as during the winter months (our summer) dung cools at a rate of one inch every two hours. In the summer it takes four hours per inch, and by now would have attracted the attentions of a dung beetle.
This is part of the training that Sean will give to shareholders, who rather than invest in the traditional world of bull and bear markets, prefer to put their money into a game reserve. The experience includes learning to drive the 4x4 Jeeps that every shareholder is provided with, free of charge, during each stay, basic first aid techniques, and learning enough about the wildlife to observe them without being eaten or squashed.
As the morning progresses, I learn to tell the difference between the droppings of a grazer - such as a rhino - and a browser, like the elephant. Rhino poo is almost black because it is composed entirely of grass.
But the elephant eats leaves, twigs, and, unfortunately for the trees, bark and roots, so its dung is a much lighter brown, and coarser. It makes a good mosquito repellant when you are sleeping under the stars, because, when burned, its smoke hovers about two feet off the ground, just above head level.
We have been tracking an elephant that walked along the track earlier in the morning. It came out of the bush and onto the track as some speed - Sean can tell that because, when relaxed and walking slowly, elephants' back feet completely overlay the tracks of their front ones. But in this case, the overlay is only about three inches, meaning he is going about 16 kilometres an hour.
There is just one set of tracks, which means it is almost certainly a bull, and the limited fissures at the back of his heels means he is not that old, possibly about 20.
Limpopo-Lipadi is a few miles into Botswana from the South African border. The reserve has been established by brothers, Rob, Alan and Gary Marneweck - architect, banker and ecologist respectively - who are obsessed by the environment, and want to make sure that at least one small part of the African continent is restored and managed to benefit both animals and the local communities.
Their commitment has been recognised by the Homes Overseas Awards which has given Limpopo-Lipadi the gold award for most sustainable development two years running.
The brothers initially got funding from the Development Bank of Southern Africa, but are now looking to sell 500 shares in the reserve for US$195,000 each. Owning a share entitles the holder to stay on the reserve - either in a private residence, or one of the camps and lodges built along the banks of the Limpopo and in the hills towards the north of the reserve (see below).
The Marnewecks have taken meticulous care with every aspect to ensure impact on the environment is minimal. For example, only one tree has been cut down in the process, and that was by mistake. Others have been incorporated into the buildings and their roots have been boxed around for protection. When I ask if a few branches will be pruned to allow the shareholders a better view of the river, Gary looks horrified.
The previous owners used the land for hunting, but the animals already seem to realise this is now a haven designed entirely for them. Internal fences are being ripped out to allow them to roam wherever they want - a concept they have taken fully on board. On our first night, four white rhino stomp around just out of range of our campfire, completely unfazed by our presence. A bit later a huge, shattering roar in the bushes behind us indicates that a male lion has come to visit (shareholders won't get night time visitations from their more dangerous neighbours - electric fences protect a strip of land around the lodges and camps).
The brothers are enriching the population with appropriate introductions, such as red Hartebeest, sable and roan antelope and wild dogs. The birdlife is amazing, too - during my four-day visit, I saw an Osprey, fish eagles, a Martial eagle (carrying a very startled guinea fowl), black eagle and giant eagle owl.
It's not just the animals that have benefited. Until the Marnewecks took over last year, the staff lived in traditional tin shacks - freezing at night, and boiling during the day. Now they have been given special sacks and sand with which to build new homes. This means each staff member will have an insulated room with en suite bathroom.
The reserve has established strong bonds with two nearby villages - Tsetsebjwe and Molotemane - and the relationship is welcomed by the kgosi (chiefs) Motsamai and Kgalegae. Shareholders will also have the opportunity to get involved with the local communities.
This is not a classic stockmarket or property investment, and it may seem a bit reckless in the current economic climate to spend US$195,000 on what is effectively membership of a wildlife reserve. But this is something that you can pass down to your descendents - and who knows, by the time your grandchildren are enjoying Limpopo-Lipadi, wilderness may be a very rare commodity.
What a share buys you
Gold status (one or two shares) entitles the "sole beneficial user" to visit the reserve as often as they like for a maximum of two weeks at a time, subject to availability, at Island Lodge, Lipadi Rock Lodge and Kirkia Camp. They can bring five guests free of charge on each visit.
Platinum status (three shares) entitles the sole beneficial user to visit the reserve as often as they like within the 90 days normally allowed for foreigners in Botswana. They can stay at any of the camps or lodges and have preference booking at Island Lodge, Lipadi Rock Lodge, Kirkia Camp and the conference facilities. The sole beneficial user can bring 11 guests free of charge per visit.
If a shareholder purchases five shares in Limpopo-Lipadi Botswana Investments, they will be a diamond status shareholder and entitled to their own unit or lodge on one of nine sites set out along the Limpopo River or on one of three sites on Lipadi Hill. The cost of the unit, its design and the management of the building contract will be additional to the price of the shares. A basic unit design, based on the standard "river camp" type, is allowed with a maximum of four bedrooms and/or eight beds, totalling 300 square metres (excluding decking). As with the rest of the development, the promoters will manage all designs, service level and other contracts.
A private lodge owner can visit the reserve as often as they wish within the 90 days (as above); use the reserve vehicles, conference facilities and restaurant etc. The owner can also buy his own reserve vehicle for private use. All rules remain as in the agreements that govern the entire development. Levies will be either ZAR 4 500 per month if there are three or fewer sole beneficial users of the unit, or ZAR 7 500 per month if there are four or five. Routine maintenance on the private unit/lodge is the responsibility of Limpopo-Lipadi Farms (Pty) Ltd as is the case for the shareholder lodges and camps.
Diamond status entitles the sole beneficial user to bring nine guests staying with him free of charge per visit in his private unit.
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