News

Shark Safety Strategies – feasible or far-fetched?

January 22, 2021

Sharks inhabit all five of the Earth’s oceans and can even be found in some freshwater rivers and lakes too. While this may be alarming to some people, it is important to remember that not all sharks pose a potential threat to people. There is an incredibly diverse range...

Shark Nets – What’s the catch?

January 7, 2021

Did you know that the shark nets along the KwaZulu-Natal coast do not prevent sharks from reaching the surf zone on swimming beaches? Luckily, it is highly unlikely that you will ever be attacked by a shark. So unlikely, in fact, that the odds of dying from a shark attack...

Somkhanda steps up to help save the world’s tallest mammal

November 26, 2020

WILDLANDS, a programme of the WILDTRUST and the Emvokweni Community Trust (ECT) working collaboratively with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) and Tracy and Du Plessis Game Capture (TDC) recently welcomed 10 giraffes from the Munyawane and Phinda Private Game Reserves to Somkhanda Community Game Reserve. During a recent translocation, eight...

Back to the WILD – A story of orphaned rhino

November 25, 2020

Somkhanda Community Game Reserve, co-managed by WILDLANDS – a programme of the WILDTRUST, will for the first-time release two white rhino orphans back into the wild, giving them a second chance at a normal life. Makhosi (4 years old), who was named by the Zulu Royal family and Mpilo (3...

Community owned reserves collaborate to strengthen Elephant Gene Poole

October 14, 2020

In a historic translocation in 2016, Somkhanda Community Game Reserve welcomed a herd of 13 elephants donated by Nambiti Game Reserve. This was hailed as an epic collaboration, as, for the first time, two community owned reserves had successfully worked together to extend elephant range and distribution. This illustrated the...

WILDLANDS Receives Protected Area Grant Funding For Somkhanda Game Reserve

August 19, 2020

The continental-wide collapse of wildlife tourism caused by the pandemic has eliminated an essential funding stream for wildlife protection. This threatens to undo years of rangers’ conservation gains, compromising decades of development and conservation work across Africa. The Wildlife Ranger Challenge, of which Somkhanda Community Game Reserve is a participant,...

Somkhanda makes an exciting shift in their Wildlife Economy Model

July 9, 2020

The Covid-19 global pandemic has had a massive impact on the income generation models of businesses globally, with local and international Safari tourism being the hardest hit. The Somkhanda Community Game Reserve has not been spared. Fortunately, the reserve does not only depend solely on Safari tourism but has also...

Youth Empowerment and Capacity Building for Conservation

July 7, 2020

With the unemployment of youth in South Africa standing at just over 50%, it is not surprising that the Youth employment sits high on the agenda of our government and the world at large. As we close off the Youth Month theme for 2020, “Youth Power: Growing South Africa together...

Enter the Comrades Race the Legends Virtual Event and Run for Rhino

May 21, 2020

Dear WILD Supporter, WILDLANDS has been a beneficiary of the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) for a number of years and with their help have raised millions of rands through the support of both local and international runners. With our “new normal” due to Covid-19, we have all been pushed indoors...

Request for Assistance – a community in need

April 24, 2020

WILDLANDS has been active in the community that borders the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve for many years, working on various projects with the community leadership. This included support to the community to safeguard them from the negative effects of mining and support for livelihoods. Recently we have funded, through the WILDSERIES...

Waste Trapping Innovation and Partnership benefitting Durban Port

April 9, 2020

WILDOCEANS, the marine conservation programme of the WILDTRUST, recently received a funding grant from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Marine Plastics and Coastal Communities (MARPLASTICCS) initiative to launch a project that aims to explore alternative ways to stop plastic from making its way into the marine environment...

Shark Attack: Local & International experts come together for South Africa’s sharks and rays

March 24, 2020

A launch in Cape Town earlier this month introduced ‘Shark Attack’ to South Africa, a 3-year shark & ray protection effort led by WILDOCEANS (a programme of the WILDTRUST) and made possible by the Shark Conservation Fund, with the goal to improve the status of threatened sharks and rays in South...

Local footwear manufacturer supports conservation

February 27, 2020

In an exciting new partnership between The Ranger Boot and Shoe Company, a prominent footwear manufacturer based in Pietermaritzburg (KwaZulu-Natal) and WILDLANDS, the Somkhanda Community Game Reserve field rangers will be stepping out with confidence and style as they receive the latest Ranger branded boots sponsored by The Ranger Boot...

The WILD Needs YOU – BEFORE this TAX year ENDS

February 21, 2020

WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust – IT No: 4329/1991/PMB) is a South African Non-Profit (NPO: 004-949), and Public Benefit Organisation (PBO: 130001485) registered in terms of Section 18A of the Income Tax Act. Your donation to the WILDTRUST qualifies you for a Section 18A tax certificate. To put...

International ocean advocate and award-winning actor, Shailene Woodley, partners with South African conservation non-profit

February 12, 2020

Environmental advocate, actor and Ocean Unite Network member Shailene Woodley recently gave of her energy, time and passion to a cause close to her heart: promoting the conservation of South Africa’s oceans. Woodley added her voice to those of South African divers, surfers, paddlers, fishers and marine scientists to highlight...

Christmas came early for the WILDLANDS’ Entrepreneurs

December 20, 2019

WILDLANDS, through a programme known as the ‘Rural Sustainable Enterprise Development and Skill Strengthening Programme’, is made possible by a grant from the Walmart Foundation. Recently, WILDLANDS handed over start up stock to 25 of our 74 program beneficiaries who are entrepreneurs at the KwaMbonambi community (Northern KwaZulu-Natal). These awards...

Curbing the rhino crisis – not all doom and gloom

December 20, 2019

With four suspected poachers recently apprehended at the Somkhanda Community Game Reserve, it is no wonder that 2019 has been hailed as one of the best for the reserve. 2019 has seen great achievements for Somkhanda with 6 rhino calves born. This is an incredibly important contribution to Zululand’s rhino population...

Dr Andrew Venter to step down as CEO of the WILDTRUST

November 29, 2019

Dear Valued Partners & Friends of the Trust, After 19 years at the helm of the WILDTRUST, Dr Andrew Venter has decided to step down as CEO of the Wildlands Conservation Trust (WILDTRUST). This is part of a structured executive leadership team development and transition process that he has implemented,...

Green Desks donation inspire a brighter future for all

November 22, 2019

WILDLANDS – a programme of the WILDTRUST embarked on an innovation journey three years ago where they pioneered the Green Desk. These desks were the first of their kind providing a solution to divert multi-layered plastic waste from landfill. To amplify this innovation, the #GOGREEN campaign, supported by Old Mutual...

Somkhanda Game Reserve – the first community owned reserve to contribute to WWF’s Black Rhino Range Expansion Project

November 14, 2019

Somkhanda has become the first Community Game Reserve to contribute to the latest WWF Black Rhino Range Expansion Project (BRREP) which saw 17 black rhinos from South Africa being successfully translocated to Liwonde National Park in Malawi. This is the first international move for BRREP and its 13th to date....