It was during her childhood that Lente developed a great love for animals and the African bushveld. At just six years old Lente was given an orphaned cheetah cub after a neighbouring farmer had shot its mother. Together, Lente and her mother cared for the cheetah which soon became part of the household.
In 1985, Lente and her husband, Johann bought a farm on the border of her father’s land. Following her father’s passing, Lente inherited the family farm and further acquisition of adjoining farms resulted in a sizeable property which they later decided to transform into the Kapama Game Reserve.
Lente Roode went on to found the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre and Camp Jabulani. She recently received a WESSA (Wildlife & Environmental Society of South Africa) Lifetime Conservation Achiever Award for her contribution to conservation in South Africa.
HESC (http://hesc.co.za) is a non-profit organisation which invests all funds made back into nature conservation. Today, HESC is one of the leaders in the breeding and research of endangered species. The centre provides a safe haven for orphaned and sick animals, with an education centre where people can learn about endangered species by observing them at close range.
