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Jano Labat is the 5th born child of Maurice and Aline Labat, who were sugar cane growers near Souillac on a farm known as La Martiniere. He has always had a passion for the open spaces, the outdoors and animals and a great love of the sea.
When the opportunity arose in February 1964 to join the revolutionary group of Mauritians who had gone to the Lowveld of the then Southern Rhodesia to establish one of the first sugar estates there, known as Hippo Valley, he did not hesitate to set off for the 'great wild adventure'. This area of the country had previously been uninhabited due to malaria and other diseases, wild animals abounded and roamed freely. This captivated him and he vowed that one day he would own a game ranch.
There he met his wife, Odile, eldest daughter of Yolande and the late Rene Leclezio, then Estate Manager of Hippo Valley Estate. In 1968 they married in Salisbury and went on to have 3 children Nathalie, married to Graham Kendall with 2 daughters Emmanuelle and Delphine, Benedicte married to Chad Patterson with son Max and Thierry who are Professional Hunters / Guides still living in Zimbabwe. Unfortunately due to circumstances the others have had to leave the country.
Through hard work, Jano and Odile eventually managed to acquire first a sugar cane farm, Chiware, in Hippo Valley and then in 1997 his game ranch, Ngwane, in the Chiredzi River Conservancy. Jano's dream had come true! He loved the bush, started establishing safari camps and enjoyed the many species of game and had made lots of projects. Sadly both the ranch and cane farm were taken over in the chaotic land reforms and when in 2006 the homestead was eventually forcibly taken by armed soldiers they had no option but to leave Zimbabwe. They took with them wonderful memories of their country of adoption.
That same year, as Providence would have it, they met Graeme and Julie Bristow, well known in wild life and tourism circles in southern Africa, and together decided to start this project with lions in Mauritius. If Jano was to leave Africa, why not bring a little of Africa with him? Thus was born Safari Adventures with 'Walking with Lions', its first of many exciting projects.
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