Author: Buyisiwe

Wildlands, a leading Hilton based environmental NPO, are dedicated to conserving South Africa’s biodiversity and together with the Msunduzi Municipality launched the Kerbside Programme in 2013. The Kerbside/ Orange Bag programme is aimed at providing residents with a convenient and hassle free recycling collection service.

“Wildlands are very proud to be able to say that they assisted the Msunduzi Municipality with the establishment of the Orange Bag recycling model,” said Wildlands’ CEO Dr Andrew Venter. “However, after almost 3 years of successful recycling collections Wildlands have decided to hand over this service and the rolling out of this programme to the new and upcoming network of SMME’s. We are shifting our focus to more catalytic interventions that have defined socio-economic benefits.”

Wildlands will now focus their local efforts on their Waste-preneur (community members who collect and barter their waste for livelihood support) and school networks. These are both strong networks that have a significant impact on waste management in the 2 municipalities, namely Msunduzi and uMngeni, whilst underwriting the development of 1000’s of micro-entrepreneurs and embedding the philosophy of recycling at a scholar level.

“Since establishing this model it has been exciting to watch the industry expand at a rapid rate! There are a group of emerging SMME’s that the Msunduzi Municipality have committed to supporting this coming year and they will ensure the Kerbside Programme continues to run smoothly and effectively for residents. As Wildlands we would like to convey our sincere and heartfelt appreciation to the Msunduzi Municipality for their amazing contribution and continued support in ensuring the Kerbside Programmes’ success, and as a result will continue collecting from the 7 Recycling Villages which we have across the 2 municipalities, as these provide an important community service,” concluded Venter.

A leading environmental non-profit organisation, Wildlands, received three special awards for its outstanding community work in the green-jobs sector at the iLembe District SEEP & ECO-Schools Awards for 2015, held in KwaDukuza recently.

The iLembe District Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) started the School Environmental Education Programme (SEEP), with a primary purpose to instill a culture of conserving the environment in youngsters.

Wildlands’ David Moldenhauer was honoured for his role in the Youth Environmental Services (YES) programme – a partnership between the Department of Environmental Affairs and Wildlands, which currently boasts about 200 school leavers who work with communities in promoting environmental conservation.

David Moldenhauer said it was wonderful that communities, Wildlands and stakeholders such as iLembe EDTEA and the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) were able to work together in a way that truly made a difference. He added that, “With a shared vision and combined commitment it is clear that great potential awaits those willing to take responsibility for their futures.”

Moldenhauer also thanked his team on the ground who worked hard to achieve the results that they were recognized for. “I would also like to thank Sandile Mathenjwa who received this award on my behalf, as I share this recognition with him,” he said.

Tongaat based Ubuntu Earth Ambassador, Thinta Khumalo, received an award for Wildlands’ Recycling and Trees for Life projects which have made a difference to the lives of his fellow Ndwedwe community members.

Wildlands was also recognized for assisting Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife with the 2015 Coastal Clean-up (19 September 2015). The Wildlands’ team of volunteers cleaned the beaches adjacent to Beachwood Nature Reserve in Durban. International Clean-Up Day occurs around the world in an attempt to clean up the beautiful coastlines and create awareness about the health of our oceans.

These awards are indicative of the organisations’ commitment to building resilient communities and a sustainable future for all.

From the 9^th to the 13^th of March ITB (Internationale Tourismus – Bȍrse Berlin) will be celebrating 50 years of being the leading travel and tourism trade show worldwide.

The response from the Global Community to the practice of breeding lions, as well as the mis-management of wild lions – purely for the entertainment of the tourism community – over the last year has been astounding. Who would have thought that a single lion, Cecil, and a documentary such as BLOOD LIONS™ could have brought upon such a rapid and engaged response? It is for this reason that ITB – a major international tourism trade fair in Berlin, Germany – asked for the ground-breaking film BLOOD LIONS™ to be shown, as well as for panel discussions and a workshop to take place to figure out how tourism and travel activities can play a part in ensuring the exploitation of predators is no longer an acceptable practice.

BLOOD LIONS™ will be available at ITB on Stand 242 in Hall 4.1.  The producer, Pippa Hankinson, will be screening the film as well as participating in a number of key events:  

• Together with Dr. Simon Morgan, Director of Wildlife ACT, Pippa has been invited to present the keynote address at Fair Trade Tourism’s annual event on the Main Stage in Hall 4.1 on Thursday 10^th March at 10h15. They will also be participating in the subsequent panel discussion entitled “Imagine Helping Africa”, where issues regarding the quality in the volunteering sector, as well as how this might impact on the image and brands of the continent will be examined.
• The full documentary BLOOD LIONS™ will then be screened inRoom Regensburg (adjacent to Hall 4.1), on Thursday 10th March at 14h45.
• The screening will be immediately followed by a Workshop in Room Regensburg at 16h15 exploring “Predator Interactive Voluntourism”. BLOOD LIONS™, Wildlife ACT, Fair Trade Tourism and Global Nature Fund will form part of the panel discussion. This valuable debate will include questions such as whether these interactions support ethical and sustainable. The role of predator sanctuaries will be looked at, together with the criteria for identifying bona fide conservation projects. The link to “canned” or captive hunting and the “tiger bone trade” will also be examined.
• On Friday 11th March at 14h00 at Pow-Wow in Hall 4.1, there will be a 30 minute presentation on “Predator Interactions – are tourists and volunteers being conned?” where the trailer and some short clips from the film BLOOD LIONS™ will be shown. This will be followed by a short interactive Q&A with BLOOD LIONS™ producer Pippa Hankinson and Wildlife ACT director Dr. Simon Morgan, around whether tourists and volunteers are being misled.

BLOOD LIONS™ is a feature documentary that exposes the captive lion breeding and canned hunting industry in South Africa. Approximately 1,000 captive-bred, hand-reared lions were killed in the country last year, fuelling a multimillion-dollar international industry.

It is estimated that there are currently between 6,000 and 8,000 predators in captivity, mostly living in appalling conditions with inadequate breeding and welfare protocols in place to protect them. Volunteers believe they are supporting bona fide conservation projects and that the cubs will one day be rewilded. However, lion ecologists state that captive breeding plays no role in the conservation of this species, and that to date no captive bred, hand-reared lions have successfully been rehabilitated into the wild.

“There is still a lot of work to be done though and unfortunately the abuse of the “Voluntourism” dollar is still high, with lion cub petting and lion walking still being promoted heavily in Southern Africa,” said Dr. Simon Morgan of Wildlife ACT. “Wildlife ACT and Fair Trade Tourism brought the message about this abuse during the World Youth Travel Conference in Cape Town, by hosting a screening of BLOOD LIONS™ with a follow-up workshop with the conference delegates and producers of the film. It was at this conference in Cape Town that some organisers of ITB realised the importance of bringing this message to the global travel industry and kindly offered the BLOOD LIONS™ team, in partnership with Wildlife ACT and Fair Trade Tourism, the opportunity to bring the same message to unsuspecting supporters of this abhorrent practice of breeding lions to be bottle-fed, petted, cuddled, taken for walks and then ultimately hunted for profit.

In this chain of exploitation it is the tourism dollar earned from the “voluntourism” market and the add-on lion walks that are really cashing in on these poor animals which are bred simply for the bullet. Although the wild lion population of Africa is in decline, it is important to note that the captive breeding of lion play no role in the conservation of this species, in any way, and this is scientific fact. There are therefore no facilities which breed lion that can claim to contribute to the conservation of this species in any meaningful way. The global travel industry has a role to play in bringing these practices to an abrupt end and we will explore these issues while at ITB.”

Wildlands is proud to announce the launch of the Pierre Neethling Scholarship, aimed at supporting PhD studies that will make a catalytic contribution to our ability to develop and implement benchmark sustainability programmes. Mr Pierre Neethling was a highly respected Trustee and Chairman of the trust, who dedicated his personal time and resources to promoting conservation as an empowerment tool and a driver of both the aesthetic and economic growth of South Africa.

Mr Neethling’s interest, passion and dedication to bridging the gaps between society, nature conservation and economic growth is carried forward in the Pierre Neethling Scholarship.  This award is focused on building the capacity of aspiring South African environmentalists and conservationists. Therefore, Wildlands is inviting and encouraging prospective PhD students to apply for the Pierre Neethling Scholarship by submitting an application for support of their PhD studies in Sustainable Natural Resource Utilisation no later than the 29th of February 2016.

For General Enquiries Please Contact:

Ms. Sarisha Ramanand – Strategic Manager: Sustainability on 033 343 6380 or 081 541 3275 or e-mail sarishar@localhost/import-data-post. All email applications should use the heading Pierre Neethling Scholarship in the subject line. Alternatively, applications can be sent to Wildlands Conservation Trust, P.O. Box 1138, Hilton, 3245.

The Different Group has come up with an innovative way to carry out profitable business while at the same time investing in South Africa’s people, wildlife and heritage. Through their Financial Services business, they have established Different.org, a philanthropic platform through which they, and other South Africans, can contribute towards significant social and environmental work being carried out in the country.

2015 saw Different.org partner with Wildlands to raise funds for the crucial monitoring of populations of Black and White Rhino, and a pack of newly introduced African Wild Dog, on a community owned game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal. Somkhanda Game Reserve, owned by the Gumbi community and managed in partnership with Wildlands, holds significant populations of these endangered species. With the current and numerous threats facing these animals, constant monitoring is imperative to their conservation. This monitoring is carried out on the reserve daily by a professional monitoring organisation, Wildlife ACT Fund. All information regarding the location of the animals, their condition and their behaviour is then fed into management to allow effective use of resources. This intensive operation requires a dedicated team and it is for this work, that Different.org committed to raise an amount of R204 000 for the monitoring of this population in 2016.

“African Wild Dog require additional conservation land for the success of the species and it is important that we continue to locate suitable habitat to introduce new packs. Due to their quick and far ranging habits, they can be challenging to manage without knowledge of their movements, and it is for this reason that monitoring is so important,” commented Mark Gerrard of Wildlands. The funds raised through the Different.org platform will also be vital for the ongoing monitoring of the black and white rhino population, which, under the current climate of rhino poaching, is absolutely vital for reserves such as Somkhanda.

In an already monumental year for Gary Player, the sporting legend’s charitable tournament of golf and giving, the Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola, raised a record R 6.2 million in donations and during its all-star auction dinner at the South African leg of the series at Sun City.

The Gary Player Invitational South Africa, which finds itself in its 16th year as the sport’s premier charity event, has raised more than R800 million across the world in an effort to help sustain the worthy causes supported by The Player Foundation. All proceeds raised from the event will go to charity beneficiaries – Wildlands in partnership with Qhubeka and Wings and Wishes.

“I am thrilled that once again we managed to raise a significant amount of money for our foundation,” said Gary Player. “The generosity was truly special and it’s a great privilege that such a substantial amount was raised under the umbrella of golf and giving.”

The Gary Player Invitational is frequented by international celebrities, prominent business executives and pro-golfers who gather upon Gary Player designed courses to team up in support of The Player Foundation’s contribution towards the betterment of others. With 2015 bringing Gary Player’s 80th birthday and the 50th anniversary of his career Grand Slam, this year was no exception as guests rubbed shoulders with the likes of Graeme Smith, Aaron Mokoena, Ronan Keating, Carly Booth, Roland Schoeman and Richard Sterne.

Presenting sponsor, The Coca-Cola Company are extremely proud of the partnership with Black Knight International and the results the tournament achieved over the years. “We are always excited to be involved in this premier charity golf event that celebrates the partnership of influential business and sports leaders to raise funds for beneficiaries supported by The Player Foundation. We recognise that healthy and thriving communities are critical to the sustainable future of our world. Uplifting vulnerable communities with focus on women and children is a shared goal for both The Player Foundation and Coca-Cola.”

The most sought-after auction item of the evening was The Masters fetching R 425 000 with other items on auction such has The Open, Wimbledon, Swarovski encrusted Rhino sculpture by Gadget Candy, The Gary Player Wildlife Collection by David Yarrow, UEFA Euro in Paris 2016 and many more.

“The support we have received from the Gary Player Invitational series truly has made a difference in the world,” said Marc Player, GPI series founder and CEO of Black Knight International. “From the professional golfers and celebrities to our sponsors, they make it all possible to change people’s lives.”

Non-profit foundation Empowers Africa is hosting a special screening of the new documentary film, Blood Lions™, which exposes the shocking captive lion breeding and canned hunting industry in South Africa. This will be the first public screening of the full 85-minute documentary in the United States.

The fundraiser will take place at The Explorers Club, 46 E 70th St, New York, starting with cocktails at 6:00 p.m. The special screening will be followed by a panel discussion on South Africa’s captive lion industry and its links to canned hunting, voluntourism and the burgeoning lion bone trade with Asia, featuring Dr Andrew Venter, CEO of Wildlands, Dr Luke Hunter, President of Panthera, and Ian Michler, Blood Lions™ consultant, and lead character.

“We are hosting this fundraiser to support the Blood Lions™ campaign to raise awareness and put a halt to this brutal and unethical industry,’’ says Krista Krieger, executive director of Empowers Africa. “If hunters, volunteers and tourists stopped supporting South Africa’s commercial lion breeders, it would go a long way towards closing their facilities down.”

According to leading South African NGOs Wildlands and Endangered Wildlife Trust, as well as the respected New York based NGO, Panthera, captive lion-breeding does nothing for lion conservation. Not a single captive-bred, hand-reared lion has been successfully released into the wild. Instead, every day in South Africa, two to three captive-bred, effectively tame, lions are killed in canned lion hunts. Helping to fuel this industry are eager volunteers who unwittingly pay up to $1,000 per week to hand-rear lion cubs that have been forcibly removed from their mothers after birth.

Says Dr. Andrew Venter, CEO of Wildlands: “The scale of the industry is huge, with some 4,000 lion cubs born in captive breeding facilities in South Africa each year. Unbelievably, in South Africa canned lion hunting is legal, generating some US $10 million per year.’’

Dr Luke Hunter, President of Panthera, says the growth in Asian demand for lion bones (used as a proxy for tiger bones in traditional Chinese medicines) has created yet another revenue stream. South African lion breeders export over 1,000 lion skeletons annually for the lion bone trade in Asia. Hunter says: “There is absolutely no medicinal value in lion parts – you might as well consume cow for all the health benefits of lion bone. South Africa’s legal trade only fuels the demand for big cat body parts, providing a ready market for cats poached in the wild.’’

In order to reserve a seat for the Blood Lions™ event on 2 December, a donation of $150 can be made for regular seating or a $250 for VIP seating. “All donations from the screening will be granted from Empowers Africa to Wildlands to support the Blood Lions™ campaign. Funds raised will be used to recruit additional NSPCA Wildlife Unit inspectors to prevent abuse in the captive lion industry and to support wild lion conservation in South Africa,” Krieger says.

“We are thrilled to be supported by Empowers Africa in New York,” says Blood Lions™ co-producer Pippa Hankinson of Regulus Vision. “It’s been four years since I embarked on this project and I am determined to see an end to this cruel industry. As Martin Luther King Jr. famously said: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

For tickets for the event, click here. http://bit.ly/bloodlions.

The internationally acclaimed film Blood Lions™ – Bred for the Bullet, has partnered with the Born Free Foundation to bring you the London premiere. The controversial film will be screened on the 27th of November at 19h00 at the Royal Geographical Society in London (1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR – Exhibition Road Entrance). For a small contribution of only £20 you can witness this ground breaking film.

“Blood Lions™ joins other films, like Gorillas in the Mist, Echo of the Elephants, The Cove (Taiji dolphins in Japan), Blackfish”— Born Free Foundation president, Will Travers says, “which have truly influenced the way we interact with wild animals.”

Lions bred for slaughter in South Africa is big business. The Blood Lions™ story is a compelling call to action to have these practices stopped. Blood Lions™ follows presenter, researcher and safari operator Ian Michler, and Rick Swazey, an American hunter, on their journey to uncover the realities about the multimillion-dollar predator breeding and canned lion hunting industries in South Africa.

“Being able to screen Blood Lions™ at the Royal Geographical Society with the Born Free Foundation as a partner is a great honour,” said Ian Michler – Presenter and Researcher for Blood Lions™. “The film and its messages continue to receive global attention, and this opportunity allows us to extend the discussion on a personal basis to include the British people and media.”

The Blood Lions™ team are implementing campaigns of awareness and action aimed at the general public; Government (both local and international) and provincial decision-makers; the scientific and conservation community (NGO’s); the tourism industry; the professional hunting bodies and the volunteer agencies. The Blood Lions™ team are also establishing two projects to feed funding into, namely – a Wild Lion Range Expansion Project and NSPCA (National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in South Africa) support.

“We are proud to partner with the Born Free Foundation for the UK premiere of our feature documentary in London later this month,” said Pippa Hankinson – Producer and driving force behind Blood Lions™. “The support that the film has received from across the United Kingdom has been phenomenal, and it is already playing a significant part in our campaign to create global awareness around the captive lion breeding industry in South Africa and to end the terrible exploitation of these lions.”

Andrew Venter, CEO of Wildlands and Executive Producer said: “Blood Lions™ exposes the cons of Lion breeding and hunting in South Africa. Over 900 lions are hunted each year, with 99% bred for the bullet. They are hand-reared by paying volunteers that believe they are saving ‘Africa’s Lions’. 4 days after their release from a life in captivity they are considered wild and can then be shot by hunters looking for a guaranteed kill; or slaughtered for the Lion bone trade to China. We have to stop this barbaric and fraudulent practise and believe that Blood Lions™ will help us do this. Creating awareness through this film across the world is an absolute honour, and Wildlands are very proud to be a part of this movement.”

Born Free Foundation president, Will Travers, concludes by saying: “South Africa’s failure to address the canned hunting industry has emboldened those who make a living out of the death of lions bred, raised and slaughtered on a ‘no kill, no fee’ basis. The canned hunting industry is unnatural, unethical and unacceptable. It delivers compromised animal welfare and zero education. It undermines conservation and creates a moral vacuum now inhabited by the greed and grotesque self-importance of those who derive pleasure in the taking of life. Blood Lions™ lays bare the truth.”