Conservation

The Pafuri area has always been recognised as a unique ecological region: The 24 000-hectare area is the meeting point of a multitude of habitats, resulting in a region of incredibly rich biodiversity. It is by far the most diverse area within the Kruger, more than 75% of the Park’s bird, mammal, fish, amphibian, reptile, and tree species being found in an area only slightly more than 1% of the total expanse.

However, hunting in the 19th and 20th centuries ensured that certain species were no longer found in the area, such as both black and white rhino. This also had the effect of reducing numbers of key medium-sized ungulates such as impala, nyala and bushbuck, as well as impacting on the populations of species such as Burchell’s zebra. Blue wildebeest and giraffe were inexplicably absent from the concession, although they almost certainly occurred there historically.

The vision for the Concession, therefore, is one that aims to protect all the species within it, reintroduce species that have become locally extinct, and at the same time, provide employment, skills transfer and income in a sustainable fashion to its owners.

Since 2002, Wilderness Safaris has been involved with the Makuleke Concession, contributing considerable funds to several conservation projects so as to return the area to its former natural biodiversity.

To protect the area, Wilderness Safaris has covered the costs of an anti-poaching operation which trained some 20 Makuleke community members on a permanent basis. Since its inception, this anti-poaching unit has ensured that wildlife numbers have grown dramatically and many high profile species are seen on a daily basis.

Wilderness Safaris and the Kruger National Park have shared the costs for relocating species into the area from further south in Kruger’s central district. In 2005, white rhino returned to the area for the first time in over a century. They were joined by founder populations of giraffe and blue wildebeest, as well as additional Burchell’s zebra and impala to bolster numbers in the Makuleke Concession.

The Makuleke Large Mammal Reintroduction Project (funded by the Wilderness Safaris Wildlife Trust) has been launched, with a full-time field worker who is in the process of researching and monitoring these and future reintroductions, as well as resultant changes in the ecology of the area.

The introduction of significant species which have been absent for many years (more than 120 years in the case of the white rhino), the protection of all animal and plant life, and partnering with the Makuleke people in sustainable ecotourism mark the beginning of the restoration of ecological integrity to the area.