Month: May 2017

Colesberg: Mr & Mrs Player inspired by Waste-preneur’s

The long-term vision and expansion of a project in Colesberg, simultaneously focused on the upliftment of the people in this community and recycling, was made possible through the Wildlands and Gary Player Invitational (GPI) partnership.

CEO of Wildlands, Dr Andrew Venter and Strategic Manager Dave Moldenhauer introduced Gary and Vivienne Player to 8 (of 9) inspirational souls (Wildlands’ Waste-preneurs*) at the Spoornet Depot in Colesberg yesterday afternoon.

“Our partnership with the Gary Player Invitational, Coca-Cola and PETCO is transforming the lives of thousands of community members around the country,” said Wildlands’ CEO Dr Andrew Venter. “Through their support we’re progressively expanding our network of Waste-preneurs, improving lives whilst cleaning and greening the communities they live in. Our Colesberg expansion is driven explicitly by Gary and Vivienne Player who believe in this community. Their personal commitment and dedication is truly inspirational.”

“Having grown up very poor, I suffered a great deal and always knew that one day I would do something for people in the same position,” said Gary Player. “It’s an absolute thrill for me that the Player Foundation with Coca-Cola supports Wildlands who makes it their mission to uplift rural communities through job creation while preserving the natural environments that these communities operate in, such as here in Colesberg.”

Over R1.7 million of the funds donated by The Player Foundation to Wildlands in 2016 through Africa’s premier golf event, was allocated to recycling staffing and logistic costs in both Colesberg and eThekwini.

“The plan for 2017 is to grow and support our Waste-preneur network, with a specific focus on PET and can collection,” said Venter. “This also links in with the presenting sponsor of the Gary Player Invitational – Coca-Cola, as well as with PETCO, a national industry body responsible for the self-regulation of post-consumer PET recycling.”

Coca-Cola, long-time partner of the charitable golf tournament, is committed to giving back to communities and through the GPI initiatives, can demonstrate lasting, sustainable and positive change in the quality of life of communities.

PETCO recently supplied these 8 Colesberg based Waste-preneurs with 4 trollies that will help with the collection and transportation of waste. PETCO’s support for PET recycling efforts ensures an on-going monetary value for post-consumer PET bottles. This sustains collection interest and reduces the volume of post-consumer PET bottles in the waste stream.

“This small yet hard-working team of 9 Waste-preneurs in Colesberg, have been dealing with recycling from areas close to their homes as well as the surrounding communities,” said Wildlands’ Strategic Manager, Dave Moldenhauer. “We also partnered with the local municipality for a Tourism clean-up initiative in April this year. With that specific initiative, we attended to the following local attractions – the Mountain Bike Trail, Walking Trail – Oude Dam, Struggle Route – Trail, as well as the War Graves. The material from this initiative and the ongoing recycling efforts by our team resulted in 3092kg of waste which was then loaded and transported to Bloemfontein where it was sold. The funds received from the sale of this recyclable waste was split between the group. I have also enrolled the services of a local business consultant to assist with registering this team as a formal company. This will allow the team to be entered onto the central database for the province (via the office of the mayor) and therefore be eligible for training, development and possibly financial assistance from one of the government departments. I am inspired by the tenacity and hope shown by this group of Waste-preneurs in Colesberg. They are role models to this community and country.”

“Our commitment to Wildlands is stronger than ever,” said Mr Player. “It is so touching to see the people involved in the project and the amount of work being done. So much by so few. I’m hoping this will be a trend that will spread throughout South Africa to help keep our beautiful country try clean.”

Hunting Association’s president resigns over ‘captive lion hunting’

Johannesburg- Reeling under a massive backlash from supporters of the captive lion hunting industry and a huge split within the ranks of its membership, the president of the Professional Hunting Association of South Africa [Phasa], Stan Burger, unexpectedly announced his resignation on Tuesday with immediate effect.

In a statement, Phasa said its President-Elect, Dries Van Coller, will now be at the helm.

Asked what had led to Burger’s resignation, and why the executive was not supporting Burger against the backlash, spokesperson Retha van Reenen said, “let me put it into perspective. A lot of the members decided not to sign an affidavit sent out last year that they would not support or promote captive lion hunting or captive lion breeding activities.”

As a body representing and promoting the interests of professional hunters, Phasa has faced an inordinate amount of challenges.

None more so than the fallout after the 2015 announcement that it had adopted a resolution at its annual general meeting to distance itself from the captive lion breeding and captive lion hunting industries.

In November 2016, a group of 13 Phasa members challenged the resolution and its constitutionality and took Phasa to the High Court in Pretoria where it argued Phasa had acted illegally when it took steps to suspend their memberships.

In its affidavit opposing their application‚, Phasa said some of the applicants were members of another hunting organisation, known as the South African Predators Association‚ which was in favour of captive-bred lion hunting.

Phasa said after receiving responses from the 13 members‚ it decided to lift the suspension of three members who had explained that they were not involved in the breeding and hunting of captive lions.

At the time, Burger said his organisation stood by its resolution to distance itself from captive-bred lion hunting and would defend its resolution in court.

Phasa said it gave the applicants seven days within which to provide reasons why their membership should not be terminated.

According to the judgment that was eventually handed down, Phasa lost the case.

In a statement, Burger said, “It has been a privilege to serve the association, but the time has come for others to now carry the torch”. Van Coller said Phasa would continue with minimum disruption as the association continued to serve the members of the professional hunting fraternity of South Africa.

Andrew Venter, CEO of Wildlands Trust and executive producer of the documentary film Blood Lions, told News 24, “It would be tragic for the South African hunting and tourism industries if Phasa were to backtrack on its commitment to stop the hunting of captive bred lions in South Africa.

“Stan Burger has led the charge to clean up the hunting industry in this regard, something I can attest to that there is little doubt.”

He said Phasa had, for the past 18 months, been under significant pressure from the “unethical hunting fraternity in South Africa”.

“It’s unfortunate that it appears that this faction may be prevailing. The fallout from the local and global outrage will further damage the industry and South Africa’s conservation reputation,” Venter said.

The Gumbi Community welcome a pride of Lion to Somkhanda

On the 17 May 2017 a pride of three lion (1 male and 2 female) arrived at their new home – Somkhanda Community Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal, from AndBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve. This translocation was carried out as part of Phinda’s lion management strategy, supported by Empowers Africa and inspired by a feature documentary – Blood Lions™.

“Unfortunately all did not go according to schedule due to torrential rains earlier this week,” said David Gilroy – Wildlands Strategic Manager of Conservation. “We managed to dart and relocate the male lion to a boma at Phinda on Friday night (12th of May) but had to put the capture of the lionesses on hold while we waited for things to dry up. We managed to locate and dart the lionesses early on Wednesday morning and were relieved to have the pride safely on route to their new home.”

When the lion arrived at Somkhanda they were moved into a boma where they will stay for a period of around 10 weeks in order for the pride to bond and become acclimated to their new surroundings. They will then be released into the greater reserve where they can roam freely over approximately 30,000 acres.

When asked what benefit the lion had for Somkhanda Gilroy said: “Introducing lion onto Somkhanda means that it will be repopulated with all the natural occurring species to an ecological balance (it was previously a game farm). The reserve will also now be a Big 5 reserve and ultimately contribute to KZN conservation and biodiversity targets. It will also benefit the community and boost tourism and investment. This is indeed a historic day for the Gumbi community – who are leaders in conservation, always setting an example for other community owned reserves.”

Nathi Gumbi a member of the Gumbi tribe and Wildlands’ Strategic Manager for Community Engagement (Northern KZN) said: “As a person who has been involved with the Somkhanda Game Reserve project (since inception) I speak not only for myself but for the Gumbi community as a whole. We are very happy about the lions coming to Somkhanda. The community feels privileged that the reserve is now going to be a Big five reserve as our dream is now a reality. It has been a long journey with a lot of effort from Wildlands, the Emvokweni Community Trust as well as the various partners involved. The Gumbi community are pioneers in their own right and this is evidence that community engagement can yield positive and inspiring results.”

“We hope this will be one of many partnerships with Wildlands and Blood Lions™,” said Krista Krieger Executive Director and Trustee of Empowers Africa. “We congratulate Wildlands, Blood Lions™, Phinda Private Game Reserve, andBeyond Travel, Different.org and all the other partners who have made this initiative possible! Empowers Africa is thrilled to have had the opportunity to participate as a partner in this project! We were also grateful to be accompanied by Black Bean Productions for the documentation of this incredible initiative.”

“The Somkhanda release is good news for the lion conservation community as it focuses attention on the real issues and solutions to securing the future of lions, rather than the misdirected messages coming from the predator breeding sector,” said Consultant and lead character for Blood Lions™, Ian Michler. “The release should also enhance the eco-tourism opportunities in the region.”

“Special fencing and a meticulous lion management plan have been implemented for the safety of nearby communities and this would not have been possible without the support of Different.org,” said Gilroy. “Jonsson Workwear have also raised their hands to get involved in this exciting initiative and are kitting out all the field rangers based at Somkhanda Community Game Reserve in their Combat gear.”

“Jonsson Workwear are inspired by ‘people with purpose’ and who is more inspiring than the very people that stand between our beloved wildlife and poachers,” said Debbie Nortje, Head of Marketing at Jonsson.

“We cannot thank our loyal donors and partners for their support in making this translocation possible,” said Wildlands’ CEO and Executive Producer of Blood Lions™, Dr Andrew Venter. “We must extend huge thanks to Empowers Africa, the Emvokweni Community Trust, Blood Lions™, Different.org, Jonsson Workwear and Phinda Private Game Reserve.”

Fair Trade and anti-animal interaction sentiments gaining traction in SA

Cape Town – Animal interaction is on a slippery slope to the end, digging its own hole as more and more people and companies are being made aware of the cruelty lurking in the industry’s very core.

Outspoken conservationist groups like Blood Lions have called out the disconnects bluntly, stating and proving that petting or interacting with lion cub leads directly to a canned lion killing later on.

As true as this is for lions in captivity, it is for all other wild animals.

Most recently, ostrich farmers and tourist farm operators in Oudtshoorn have stopped ostrich back rides acknowledging the “global tendency to keep and exhibit animals and birds in their natural environment as much as possible”.

Two farms, Cango ostrich farm and Safari ostrich farm, confirmed that ostrich rides and human-animal interactions will no longer be allowed on the properties. One ostrich farm, however, will still allow the interactions.

According to Renate Samoilhan, marketing manager Cango ostrich farm, the feedback from the public and tourism industry has been positive. “It is an ethical, positive and necessary step for the tourism industry,” she says.

Wild animal interactions continuing in SA… but for how long?

While the ostrich industry in SA is stepping up for conservation, many other wild animal interaction operators are continuing with the practice, citing financial gain as the main reason why.

The Lion Park in Johannesburg, after promising to end lion cub petting back in 2016, continued the practice.

A statement on why they shied away from the idea said, “We had every intention running the new park without cub petting and we tried to replace this with other activities. Unfortunately, this led to a dramatic and unexpected drop in the number of visitors and tour operators.”

South Africa’s elephant-back ride operators are equally stubborn to end the interactions. This despite the fact that our neighbouring countries like Botswana and Zambia have banned the practice altogether.

But conservationists and a changing public opinion is slowly but surely tightening the leash around wild animal interaction operators’ necks.

New criteria spells end of interactions

New policies outlined by Fair Trade Tourism (FTT), with specific regard to the highly-confusing (and sometimes damaging) volunteer tourism industry, are also helping to identify companies operating under the veil of conservation.

Fair Trade Tourism says since the organisation’s initial review of its standard to include additional criteria on volunteering in 2009 there has been a significant upsurge in both the supply and demand for volunteer products in Africa, many focused on so-called conservation or orphanage programmes.

This upsurge has brought with it concerns from various organisations regarding malpractices, which were especially evident in programmes dealing with vulnerable children and captive wildlife.

The Fair Trade criteria does not allow for any physical interaction by tourists or volunteers with a range of captive animals, including all large and medium-sized carnivores, big cats, elephants, rhinos, large apes, hippos, ostrich, crocodiles and venomous snakes. They also do not allow for tourists or volunteers to interact with any child or vulnerable person unless this takes place under continuous, qualified adult supervision.

Kapoet kussingvoet

Kapoet kussingvoet Uit soos ‘n kers … Die leeumannetjie is verlede week van die private wildreservaat AndBeyond Phinda in KwaZuluNatal na die Somkhandareservaat in die provinsie verskuif. Die projek, wat deur Wildlands, Empowers Africa en ander groepe ondersteun word, is deur die dokumenthe rolprent Blood Lions geInspireer. Die leeus word eers in ‘n afgesperde gebied gehou sodat hulle aan hul nuwe omgewing gewoond raak voordat hulle in die reservaat van 30 000 ha vrygelaat sal word. Leeus het voorheen natuurlik hier voorgekom, se David Gilroy, Wildlands se strategiebestuurder. Nathi Gumbi van die Gumbistam en Wildlands se strategiebestuurder vir gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid in die noorde van KwaZuluNatal se die gemeenskap verwelkom die leeus. Dit skuif die fokus na oplossings om leeus se toekoms te verseker, se Gumbi.

Virtuous circle combats pollution and malnutrition

Absenteeism used to be rife at Willowfontein Intermediate School outside Pietermaritzburg.

Not anymore, according to Life Sciences teacher, Thulisile Sithole who helps coordinate a daily feeding scheme at the school made possible by Wildlands and the FUTURELIFE Foundation.

Litter also used to be a problem.

“The school yard is cleaner now,” said Sithole, who last week joined teaching staff and learners in celebrating the delivery of a batch of 20 ‘Green Desks’ made from empty FUTURELIFE food sachets and other waste collected from schools.

The delivery of the Green Desks forms part of a broader “Virtuous Circle” project that promotes sustainable recycling partnerships involving the consumer goods industry, government and civil society – and most importantly, school children.

The Virtuous Circle concept is founded on three pillars – feeding, recycling and education. The delivery of FUTURELIFE Smart Food pouches, the collection of waste for recycling and the manufacture of the Green Desks is all made possible through the support of Du Pont, Amcor, FUTURELIFE, Wastebusters (the global packaging company) Woolworths, the KZN Department of Public Works and Rural Waste Poverty Alleviation Solutions (RWPA).

“Each desk takes as much as 64 kg of multi-layered waste out of the environment,” said Wildlands’ Strategic Marketing Manager, Buyi Makhoba Dlamini.

This means that the 20 double-seater desks that Wildlands delivered to Willowfontein on Friday, used up 1280 kg of multi-layered waste that would have otherwise ended in a landfill, or worse, left uncollected – a testament to the world’s endemic plastic pollution problem.

Given the shortfall of 300,000 school desks countrywide, Dlamini reckons that the programme, if rolled out nationally, could not only address this shortage in an environmentally friendly way, but also instil a culture of recycling among children, ultimately resulting in cleaner communities.

She said FUTURELIFE’s involvement had also opened the door to addressing a broader societal objective in impoverished communities: the nutritional needs of school children.

Currently, 24 schools in KZN receive FUTURELIFE’s Smart Food meals.

Sithole, who coordinates the distribution of the FUTURELIFE sachets to 1080 learners at the start of every school day at Willowfontein, said most of the learners came from desperately poor families.
“Before this project started, many kids were often sick and absent. They had nothing in their stomachs,” said Sithole.

 

“We are overwhelmed by the mercy that has come to us,” said Deputy Principal, Sithembiso Mfeka. “We believe that FUTURELIFE has ingredients that is bringing balance into the bodies of the kids and better functioning of their brains.”

Both Sithole and Mfeka said attendance, performance and results had improved since the feeding scheme began.

The FUTURELIFE meal (Smart Food) is presented in dual pouch packaging that separates the food powder from clean water. In breaking the inner seal, the powder mixes with the water creating a nutritious food shake.

“This is critical as many people in areas like this don’t have access to clean drinking water,” said Dlamini.

As part of its social responsibility drive, FUTURELIFE has distributed more than 9,1 million Smart Food meals since January 2009. This includes serving up to 150,000 meals to needy children each month.

“Working with Wildlands has enabled us to take the next step in teaching learners about sustainability and the importance of recycling,” said Julika Falconer, CEO of the FUTURELIFE Foundation.

In implementing the 2017 phase of the Virtuous Circle project has set out to manufacture a total of 580 Green Desks for distribution to under-equipped schools around Pietermaritzburg and Durban.

Comrades inspired to #GOGREEN

The #GOGREEN campaign – a waste management and anti-littering movement (a partnership between Old Mutual and Wildlands, supported by POLYCO) was launched at the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon earlier this year. Approximately 16 tons of waste was collected off the 56km route, some of which is set to be placed into 333 double-seater Green Desks, which will be distributed to disadvantaged schools in the Cape to help address the 300,000 desk shortage in South Africa.

#GOGREEN was developed by Wildlands and supported by Old Mutual, and aims to provide a practical solution for collecting waste from athletes and spectators at endurance events, while discouraging littering and promoting upcycling and recycling.

The Comrades Marathon Association were inspired by the success of this campaign in Cape Town and are now working with Wildlands to implement #GOGREEN along 27km of the 87km Comrades route.

In practice there will be 300 #GOGREEN Throw Zones along the 27km allocated to Wildlands, and essentially that means that a runner will see a bin on either side of the road every 150 meters.

There will be a team of around 100 Wildlands’ recycling staff that will ensure the 27km allocated to #GOGREEN and Wildlands will be spotless once the race has come to an end. They will also ensure all the waste collected is sorted and baled for transportation to RWPA (Rural Waste Poverty Alleviation) Solutions’ headquarters – where it will be transformed into Wildlands’ Green Desks.

“We believe #GOGREEN is a waste management plan that offers a sustainable way to collect and process the non-organic waste generated during a race such as this,” said Wildlands’ Strategic Manager Buyi Dlamini.

Karen Thomas, Old Mutual Head of Brand, says, “One of the most exciting aspects of Old Mutual’s sponsorship of events like Comrades, is that it allows us to be innovative and to connect with people in a direct and engaging way. This year, mindful of our responsibility to make the world a better place, we are proud to be part of the #GOGREEN campaign, which aligns strongly with our responsible business philosophy.”

Comrades Marathon Association General Manager, Chris Fisher says, “The CMA is excited about the introduction of the #GOGREEN Throw Zones along 27km of the Comrades Marathon route on Sunday, 4 June. This clean-up initiative is what Comrades subscribes to. We are proud to be associated with the #GOGREEN movement.”

The 333 double-seater Green Desks that will be produced from the waste collected at Comrades and distributed to KwaZulu-Natal schools in need, have been made possible through a partnership between Wildlands and POLYCO (Polyolefin Recycling Company NPC). POLYCO is a not-for-profit industry body which aims to achieve greater diversion of plastics from landfill. POLYCO is involved in supporting the recycling industry by funding collection, recycling, and new end-use growth projects.

POLYCO CEO, Mandy Naudé states “POLYCO is very pleased to be part of the Green Desks campaign, along with Old Mutual, #GOGREEN and Wildlands. This project is a perfect fit within our organisation in terms of finding new market end-uses for recycled polyolefin pellets or for difficult to recycle multi-layer materials. These desks are being made from 100% recycled material – predominantly polyolefin material, which is extremely durable and perfect for school desks. We look forward to a long association with this project in order to be able to assist to meet two key needs in our country – to clean up our environment and to provide the necessary desks to our schools.”

Wildlands would like to encourage all runners to throw their waste in the #GOGREEN Throw Zones, as well as the cardboard bins provided. We urge runners to work with us and Comrades and try reduce or even eliminate litter along the route.

Reserve takes pride in new lions

THREE lions are scheduled to start life in a new home today in the Somkhanda Community Game Reserve, near Mkuze, in the north of KwaZuluNatal.

The two females and one male will be brought in from the andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, where lion breeding has been so successful that the sanctuary has been able to stock other reserves.

“Wild lion numbers are declining across Africa, due mainly to habitat loss and poaching,” said conservation manager for andBeyond, Simon Naylor.

“It’s crucial for the future protection and conservation of the African lion that we expand and protect new ranges.

“The introduction of lion into the Somkhanda Game Reserve is a massive boost for lion conservation in KwaZuluNatal, South Africa and Africa.

“It will help reverse the current trend of declining lion numbers and wild lion range.”

“This lion translocation was inspired by a groundbreaking feature documentary, Blood Lions, which exposed the captive breeding and canned hunting industry” said wildlife organisation, Wildlands, which is overseeing the operation.

“The lion will be housed in a boma for about six to nine weeks to adjust to their new environment, and Wildlands hope to release them onto the Somkhanda Reserve at the end of July”

A pride of Lion we can be proud of

TOMORROW will see a pride of wild lions introduced to the Somkhanda Community Game Reserve in northern KwaZuluNatal. The pride of three lions (two female and one male) has been given to Somkhanda by andBeyond Phinda, as part of its lion-management strategy.

“Lions were introduced into andBeyond Phinda back in 1992 and have flourished to the point that on regular occasions the lions have exceeded the carrying capacity of the reserve and have had to be translocated to other reserves in South Africa;’ said conservation manager for andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve Simon Naylor.

“Wild lion numbers are declining across Africa due mainly to habitat loss and poaching. It’s crucial for the future protection and conservation of the African lion that we expand and protect new range. The introduction of lion into the Somkhanda Game Reserve is a massive boost for lion conservation in KwaZuluNatal, South Africa and Africa. It will help reverse the current trend of declining lion numbers and wildlion range.’

This lion translocation was inspired by the groundbreaking feature documentary Blood Lions, which exposed the captive breeding and canned hunting industry.

“It is estimated that there are currently between 6 000 to 8 000 predators in captivity in South Africa, mostly living in appalling conditions with inadequate breeding and welfare protocols in place to protect them,” said Andrew Venter, Wildlands’ CEO and executive producer of Blood Lions.

“Furthermore, lion ecologists state that captive breeding plays no role in the conservation of this species, and to date no captivebred, handreared lions have successfully been rehabilitated into the wild. It is a shame that we now need to refer to lion as either wild or captive, but we at Wildlands are very proud to say that we have assisted in the expansion of wildlion range through the introduction of this pride to Somkhanda. This is truly a pride we can be proud of!”

“A central theme of the Blood Lions campaign calls for lion conservation to be managed by the recognised conservation.community;’ said Ian Michler, consultant and lead character for Blood Lions. “The Somkhanda release highlights what this entails: securing suitable habitat and using wild lions from reputable sources in a responsible release programme. Congratulations to Wildlands and its partners for this initi ative that increases the range of wild lands in South Africa.’

Empowers Africa were one of the first organisations to raise their hands and support the translocation. Krista Krieger, executive director and trustee of Empowers Africa, said: “The lion habitat expansion project to Somkhanda Community Game Reserve represents what we think is the key to the survival of the African lion — strong community buy-in, education about the ecological importance of lions and.community benefit from ecotourism.”

The translocation process will start tomorrow at andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve and will end when the pride are placed in a boma at Somkhanda. They will be housed in the boma for six to nine weeks to adjust, and Wildlands hopes to release them into the reserve at the end of July.

A pride of Lion we can be proud of

This week will see a pride of wild lion introduced onto the Somkhanda Community Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The pride of three lion (two female and one male) have been given to Somkhanda by andBeyond Phinda, as part of their lion management strategy.

“Lions were introduced into andBeyond Phinda back in 1992 and have flourished to the point that on regular occasions the lions have exceeded the carrying capacity of the reserve and have had to be translocated to other reserves in South Africa,” said Conservation Manager for andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, Simon Naylor. “Wild lion numbers are declining across Africa due mainly to habitat loss and poaching. It’s crucial for the future protection and conservation of the African lion that we expand and protect new range. The introduction of lion into the Somkhanda Game Reserve is a massive boost for lion conservation in the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa and Africa. It will help reverse the current trend of declining lion numbers and wild lion range.”

This lion translocation was inspired by a ground-breaking feature documentary – Blood Lions™ which exposed the captive breeding and canned hunting industry. “It is estimated that there are currently between 6 000 to 8 000 predators in captivity in South Africa, mostly living in appalling conditions with inadequate breeding and welfare protocols in place to protect them,” said Wildlands’ CEO and Executive Producer of Blood Lions™. “Furthermore, lion ecologists state that captive breeding plays no role in the conservation of this species, and to date no captive bred, hand reared lions have successfully been rehabilitated into the wild. It is a shame that we now need to refer to lion as either wild or captive, but Wildlands are very proud to say that we have assisted in the expansion of wild lion range through the introduction of this pride onto Somkhanda. This is truly a pride we can be proud of!”

“A central theme of the Blood Lions™ campaign calls for lion conservation to be managed by the recognised conservation community,” said Ian Michler, Consultant and Lead Character for Blood Lions™. “The Somkhanda release highlights what this entails: securing suitable habitat and using wild lions from reputable sources in a responsible release programme. Congratulations to Wildlands and their partners for this initiative that increases the range of wild lands in South Africa.”

Empowers Africa, an organisation known for supporting programs around human empowerment, wildlife protection and land conservation, were one of the first organisations to raise their hands and support this translocation. Krista Krieger, Executive Director and Trustee of Empowers Africa said: “This lion translocation and reintroduction is exciting for Empowers Africa because it involves strong community involvement and viable community benefit. The lion habitat expansion project to Somkhanda Community Game Reserve represents what we think is the key to the survival of the African lion – strong community buy-in, education about the ecological importance of lions and community benefit from ecotourism. We hope this will be one of many partnerships with Wildlands and Blood Lions in their efforts to expand lion habitat and increase populations. We congratulate Wildlands, Blood Lions™, Phinda Private Game Reserve, &Beyond and all the others who have partnered to bring the last of the Big Five to Somkhanda!”

Different.org, a long standing supporter of Wildlands, are also supporting this translocation process by covering the costs linked to the fencing upgrade necessary for housing predators. Ryan Sobey, Head of Operations at Different.org said, “We are so excited to be a part of the introduction of lion onto Somkhanda and to see the reserve and the Gumbi people thrive and benefit.”

The translocation process will start on the 13th of May at andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve and “end” when the pride are placed in a boma at Somkhanda. The lion will be housed in the boma for approximately 6 – 9 weeks to adjust to their new environment, and Wildlands hope to release them onto the Somkhanda Reserve at the end of July 2017.