Conservation Updates

This short clip was uploaded by documentary filmmaker Rian van der Walt when he recently visited Kariega Game Reserve to shoot for 'Heroes of the Rhino War' - a project in collaboration with the Wilderness Foundation to tell the inspirational and at times heartbreaking stories of the unsung heroes in the war against poaching.

Rushmere Noach 80th birthday celebration raises R190 000 for Kariega Foundation Save the Rhino fund. Last month Rushmere Noach celebrated 80 years of legal excellence and marked the occasion by joining with it's clients in pledging to Kariega's Save the Rhino fund.

We were happy to receive this update from Thandi's keeper, and Kariega Game Reserve operations manager Jason Loest: "She is doing fine and is calm and relaxed and although one never truly knows what an animal might be feeling I would have to say she looks quite content. She is displaying an almost inquisitive nature by..."

We received this message from Dr Fowlds this morning. Although it is sad news, we are still positive about Thandi's health and recovery and are sure that her resilience and fighting spirit will prevail. A massive thank you to Dr Fowlds for all your amazing work for Thandi, and all the very hard decisions you have had to make throughout the recovery period. We have no doubt that she could not be in better hands. Thank you too to the surgical doctors, Drs Johan Marias and Alistair Lamont, who flew up from Gauteng without charge to check on Thandi, as well as to Idexx who will be doing Thandi's blood tests. On the bright side, we will be holding thumbs that blood results will reveal she is pregnant!

WildAid documentary on rhino and elephant poaching to air in China, and Dr William Fowlds attends a conference in Vietnam on raising awareness about rhino poaching, hosted by the Department of Vietnam Forestry and Humane Society International (HSI).

If you're coming to Kariega Game Reserve on safari and would like to know more about rhino poaching and rhino conservation, our rangers are all knowledgeable on the topic and are happy to help with any questions you may have. You can also head down to the Curio Shop at Main Lodge for a range of rhino merchandise on sale with proceeds to rhino conservation.

Interesting results of research regarding contraception in free-ranging populations of African elephants, including at Kariega Game Reserve.

Kariega Game Reserve Conservation Volunteers honoured National Arbor Week this week by planting the 'miracle tree of the century' - Spekboom - and working on eradicating some alien invasive tree species.

Elephants, as megaherbivores, are known to have extensive impacts on vegetation, especially in enclosed areas. This raises the issue that elephants in enclosed areas may become limited by resource availability.

On Wednesday, the Kariega Volunteers teamed up with Rooting-for-Rhino and the Kingsley Holgate Foundation to bring the Children's Rhino Art Project to Farmerfield School. The Children's Rhino Art Project is a drive to raise awareness of rhino poaching amoung the youth, aiming to reach 200 000 children before World Rhino Day on the 22 September 2013.