German delegation lauds local conservation project

THE Wildlands and Emvokweni Community Trust welcomed the German Minister Barbara Hendricks and her delegation to Somkhanda, near Mkhuze, last weekend.

Dr Hendricks is from the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) and, through her department, plays a crucial role in supporting environmental and conservation efforts globally.

The purpose of this visit was of crucial relevance and importance as it enabled Wildlands and its partners, the Emvokweni Community Trust, the Global Nature Fund (GNF), African Insight, Wildlife ACT and IPSS Security Services, the opportunity to discuss conservation initiatives and plans for Somkhanda and other game reserves holding populations of endangered species.

Somkhanda Game Reserve, established in 2005 and formerly declared a protected area in 2011, recently welcomed a herd of 11 elephant to the reserve, bringing them a step closer to Big 5 status.

Important
Nathi Gumbi, one of the founding members of the Emvokweni Community Trust and key driver for the establishment of Somkhanda highlighted why the introduction of elephant was so important.

‘My dream was to have a reserve where the Gumbi people could live in harmony with the wildlife while at the same time benefit from the tourism potential created through it,’ he said.

‘The elephant forms the central part of our Somkhanda logo and was always the key species to completing both the tourism product and the ecosystem.’

‘Thank you for your work at Somkhanda. This is not only very important for the Gumbi Community and South Africa, but the whole World,’ said Minister Hendricks.

Dr Roelie Kloppers, Director at Wildlands said the success of Somkhanda Game Reserve is purely due to successful partnerships.

‘This visit highlights the strength of our partnerships and their equal commitment to the cause.’

‘It is an honour to have the German government support the work that we love, and be actively involved.’

Somkhanda Reserve Manager, David Gilroy said it was a reminder of the importance of this project – not only at a local level, to the community and species that the project supports, but to the international community, so they can see how critical this work is to the conservation sector.

Anti-poaching
Activities with the delegation included a tour of the facilities at Somkhanda, tracking of rhino and elephant on the reserve, understanding the anti-poaching operations in place and showcasing some of the investments made by the German government.

Pertinent to the visit, was the discussion with the field rangers and improved strategies on security measures on the reserve.

There were also demonstrations by the APU and ZAP (Zululand Anti-poaching) Wing.

This visit could not have come at a more opportune time as the CITES COP17 conference is currently taking place from 24 September – 5 October at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg.

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