Wilderness Foundation receives R5m from Shamwari

Three of the Shamwari Group properties - Shamwari Game Reserve, Sanbona Wildlife Reserve and Jock Safari Lodge have, over the last two years, taken part in the Forever Wild campaign by offering guests a discounted rate if guests donated a minimum of R150 per person per night when making their booking. Shamwari Group then donated R100 for every bed night sold on this offer.

Comments Shamwari Group general manager, Joe Cloete: "Naturally we are very proud to have raised, together with our guests, a staggering R5m and we strive to raise even more during 2014 to keep and continue to grow the awareness whilst supporting the Wilderness Foundation. The rhino battle is not over and we believe we must do everything we can to help them survive."

Distribution of funds

The funds to date have gone to many areas such as providing four vehicles to North West Parks and Tourism reserves to the anti-poaching and canine units; Nkomazi Game Reserve received a bakkie for anti-poaching purposes; funds and operating costs towards a dedicated helicopter and microlight in the Eastern Cape; aerial support in the Niassa National Reserve in Mozambique; equipment and funds for the Hawks and special police investigating units; four-wheelers and equipment for Western and Eastern Cape reserves as well as Stanley and Livingstone Private Game Reserve in Zimbabwe; and educational material and fact sheets on the history of rhino in South Africa and poaching facts.

A rhino hot-line has been set up offering an anonymous facility for tip-offs; the Rhino Survivor Fund was established to respond to, and assist in cases where rhinos have been poached but are still alive and can be rescued and rehabilitated; anti-poaching Level 1 training for reserves in the Eastern Cape; anti-poaching intelligence training and wildlife trade training for airport staff; and intelligence gathering and specialist support to the Hawks and special police investigating units.

Monitoring survivors

Two sniffer dogs were sponsored by the Wilderness Foundation to service the Eastern and Western Cape; funds were made available for monitoring and studying rhino survivors after poaching incidents; Wildlife Operations Group, a multi-agency partnership whose overarching objective is the reduction in the incidence of and the successful prosecution of wildlife related crime, received support; and funding for cameras for leopard monitoring in reserves in the Western and Eastern Cape.

For more information visit the Protect & Save 2014 on Shamwari Group's website. The funds raised will help in many ways to educate and provide valuable resources needed by the Wilderness Foundation.