Conservation Updates

The Kariega Conservation Volunteers were involved in 11 game releases or introductions on the reserve, as well as 11 captures and darting procedures. Read all about it here.

Yesterday a small press conference was held at Kariega Game Reserve to inform our local media and supporters of the great news that Thandi is pregnant. Thank you to all who made it out to the reserve to share this special moment with us, and thank you to Alan, Jason, Dr Fowlds and Jo for organising the event.

Kariega Game Reserve is most pleased to announce that recent blood results reveal Thandi is pregnant! Wildlife vet Dr William Fowlds, who has been by Thandi's side since she was poached in March 2012 comments...

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.