Rewild Zambezi, Zimbabwe
2023 - Rewild Zambezi - donation of USD 50,000
We were able to transfer the promised USD 50,000 to the Great Plains Foundation for Rewild Zambezi Stage 2 at the end of February 2023. Our site visit in June 2023 shows construction work on the new Research Center.
During our 3-day visit we had the opportunity to get to know the Sapi area and to inspect the work on site. At the moment there is a rudimentary Research Center at the Staff Village behind Tembo Plains Camp. The new accommodation for the researchers is under construction and will be ready for occupation in the second half of 2023.
At the moment, a survey of the flora and fauna in the Sapi area and daily monitoring of the elephant herds is being carried out. One animal of each herd (the matriarch) wears a transmitter and the team knows at any time where the animals are. State-of-the-art software is used for this purpose. An important finding will be how the 'new' elephants settle in, whether there are problems with the resident elephants and to what extent the animals move out of the Sapi area (mobility). It is important to note that in the east of the reserve, rural areas are adjacent and conflicts between elephants and farmers must be given great attention.
The relocation of further animals has been postponed until 2024. For the time being, reliable data should be obtained regarding the welfare of the animals already relocated. Furthermore, logistical problems have to be solved. Findings from the first relocation have shown that certain sections of the road between the Savé Valley and the Sapi Private Reserve need to be extended and improved so that the heavy trucks can move the animals safely. This will take time and clarification with the government.
We were impressed by the commitment of the people on site and the infrastructure that was built in a short time. One must always keep in mind that the dry season in the Mana Pools / Sapi area is relatively short and only in this time material or animals can be moved.
It will be exciting to watch the transformation of the Sapi Reserve from a hunting ground to a full-fledged conservation area over the next few years, and we are sure that something great is being created here. The camp from which to visit the reserve,
Tembo Plains, is a truly beautiful premier camp.
Our partner
Dereck & Beverly Joubert - Great Plains Foundation
Dereck and Beverly Joubert are globally recognized, award-winning filmmakers, conservationists, and National Geographic explorers-in-large based in Botswana. Their mission for more than 30 years has been the conservation of key wildlife species, with a focus on large predators. They are the owners of Great Plains Conservation, which operates some of the most beautiful camps in Botswana and Kenya. Through the Great Plains Foundation, various nature conservation projects are driven forward.
The Jouberts have published 12 books, produced 30 films for National Geographic, and written half a dozen scientific papers as well as many articles for National Geographic magazine. They have received 8 Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, a Grand Teton Award, multiple Golden Panda Awards, a World Ecology Award (along with Britain’s Prince Charles, Sylvia Earle, and paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey), and a Presidential Order of Merit awarded by Botswana’s ex-president, Seretse Khama Ian Khama, for their conservation work.
The Jouberts’ films have received widespread attention and have been viewed by millions of people. Films like «Eternal Enemies», «The Last Lions», «Soul of the Elephant» and their masterpiece «Eye of the Leopard» are known world-wide. For more information, please visit their website
www.wildlifefilms.co
All of Dereck & Beverly's work has one goal: to save the wild areas of Africa and protect the wildlife that depends on them. The President of Botswana described them aptly when he said, "Theirs is a life long passion; for each other, for big cats, for Africa...they are true "children of Africa."
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