Five conservation groups worth watching in Southern Africa

As a company that focuses on offering customized walking safaris across Southern Africa, Khangela Safaris is highly dependent on the work of National Parks and conservation initiatives to ensure that there are spaces that we can safely and easily access to spend valuable time in nature, observe animals in their natural habitat and discover plants and creatures of all shapes and sizes.

There is a careful balance between protection, conservation, and rehabilitation. We’re all responsible for leaving as little impact as possible on the environment. Here are five conservation groups we are thankful for and if you’re looking for an organization to support, this might point you in the right direction.​

Photo Credits: Bad Rabbit Studio

​1. Gonarezhou National Park: A conservation partnership
A few years ago Zimbabwe National Parks teamed up with the Frankfurt Zoological Society to help manage and protect this unique National Park. According to the official Gonarezhou website (highly recommended to scroll through and have a look at what they do):

“The Gonarezhou Trust is an innovative new model for protected area management drawn up between the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA), and the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS). Built on the back of a strong relationship developed over 9 years of support by FZS for Gonarezhou, the Trust is directly responsible for management of the Park for a period of 20 years, and became fully operational on 1st March 2017.”

This collaboration and a new way of approaching conservation can already be felt in the park and will hopefully continue to ensure a sustainable and long-term solution to protect the wildlife and beautiful landscapes for further generations to enjoy. It’s one of the reasons we love doing safaris to Gonarezhou and why we think you should include it on your travel bucket list.

Photo Credits: Luwire Wildlife Conservancy

2. Luwire Conservancy Foundation in Niassa

This game reserve is so large it is hard to grasp over 42’000 km² (that's bigger than the size of Switzerland, which is 41,285 km² in case anyone needs a reference)! Conserving such a vast wilderness area needs all the help it can get. One such group committed to protecting Niassa is The Luwire Conservancy Foundation. Their community projects and wildlife protection find a balance between rest and adventure. Their “activity menu” ranges from adventurous tourism to quiet refuge - ensuring everyone finds their perfect experience. If canoeing past the giant Inselbergs of Ngolonge is not enough you can trail walk around to make sure you were not dreaming.

Photo Credits: Zimbabwe Tourism Authority / Nick Dyer

3. Matusadona African Parks

This unique setup is not just another partnership: Africa Parks have a 20-year co-management agreement to rehabilitate this iconic National Park in Zimbabwe. The future of black rhino conservation is here. It always has been. The scenic sunsets on Lake Kariba have the backdrop of the rolling Zambezi escarpment as one of natures' best backyards making Matusadona one of the best parks to visit and enjoy.

Photo Credits: Bhejane Trust

4. Bhejane Trust in Hwange National Park
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The Bhejane Trust has been quietly assisting Hwange National Park with a multitude of resources. Keeping water pumps running and getting anti-poaching units out in the field are two of the most important conservation tools in Hwange. Another vast stretch of specially protected area that links up and becomes an integral part of KAZA TCFA. 5 countries have a shared conservation goal. Hard to believe? It is successfully happening now...

Photo Credits: The Tashinga Initiative

5. Zambezi Valley Ecosystem
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The Tashinga Initiative is a great example of successful conservation with an all-inclusive big-picture approach. Boots on the ground is always a great starting point and the Tshinga Initiative lives this and breathes this philosophy throughout their wildlife protection initiatives. Doing that over the whole Zambezi Valley is a real challenge and they have been able to coordinate with all stakeholders and players in the came. Having access to the latest communication networks available has proven to be the key. These are a few of the important components that make up the assistance the Tashinga initiative helps with. You can find our more about them on their website.

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It is thanks to National Parks and conservation groups like this, that we get to offer amazing safaris to guests from around the world.

​It's important to shed a light on these kind of initiatives and if you'd like to support or check any of them out on the ground, feel free to ask Mike to make the contact or organise a meeting with them on your next safari itinerary.