Positive interaction with the people of Maputaland has lead to initiating joint ventures to develop tourism and conservation of their land, by:
Establishing tourism and wildlife conservation awareness programmes at schools near to game reserves. Following up with post matriculation courses in Tourism Management skills to train students from these schools. Training adults in hospitality, tourism and manufacturing hand made merchandise to start their own small business enterprise.
Space for Elephants Foundation have trained 60 post matriculants to become tour guides and to develop their own micro tourism projects, such as birding canoeing, hiking, fishing, story telling, bush theatre, geology and gemstone trails, donkey cart trails, simple traditional overnight accommodation at their villages, indigenous meals at their homes, history and cultural tours. Adults were trained in hospitality and handcraft skills.
We have been invited by successful land claimants in Kwa-Zulu Natal to facilitate in sharing its expertise. In a joint venture with communities, Space For Elephants Foundation has established a 10-bed Thonga Village. It is close to Ndumo and Tembe Game Reserves and the Origin of Man Border Caves (Reservations may be done through SEF).
Together with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, identified 7 future corridors in KwaZulu Natal, which will create linkages between conservation areas.
In conjunction with the Gumbi Traditional Authority Space for Elephants Foundation is establishing an educational elephant and rhino museum, a research centre, an office building, a training facility for skills in conservation and tourism, as well as in manufacturing merchandise, a sales centre for these products and a cultural centre. This initiative will enforce economic and traditional values and encourage the promotion of local tourism.
In a joint venture with the Gumbi TA have established a small lodge within the Bheki Gumbi Wildlife Reserve, in which the Bhejane Training College is situated and working in conjunction with SEF.
Space For Elephants Foundation has embarked on a public awareness and skills training programme, so that people who encounter elephant and other dangerous animals, learn how to understand their behaviour.
And much more....!
Space For Elephants Foundation sees the Elephant as-:
The Symbol of African Unity -it was the original communicator over long distances. It walked freely across mountain ranges creating easy gradients for others to follow, through the forests -opening the pathways for hunters, explorers, doctors, warriors etc., thereby uniting the continent.
The Symbol of The Power of Africa - it is the strongest and largest animal, the king of all animals in the World.
The Symbol of Ubuntu and Family Unity– it has strong family values. It will protect its family before anything else by staying together in bonded groups. That is why it has survived for 5 million years - a fine example in fighting aids. Our aims are:
To promote the spirit of African Unity by establishing corridors to link wildlife areas so as to restore opportunities and benefits beyond boundaries along these linkages.
Pongola Game Reserve was a pioneer in the concept of translocating the entire elephant family to KZN in the mid 90’s. Dedicated monitors found that there were many then unknown behaviours of the bulls as well as the cows in looking after their family groups. The bulls, under constant surveillance, moved out of their fenced areas and explored large areas, showing no signs of aggression, visiting other sub adult orphans and returning to their new homes. During this time, neighbouring farmers welcomed these giant explorers, allowing them safe passage though their farms, even cutting and repairing the fences as they moved.
“Why not allow this to happen throughout the country,” thought Dr Heinz Kohrs, one of the elephant owners. Thus Space For Elephants Foundation was conceived. The many fascinating behaviours were then more closely monitored and researched. This activity was offered to tourists to take part in the process of “Listening to Nature”. The Elephants were now able to earn their own management costs - and pay towards neighbourhood projects wherever more Space for Elephants was seen to be needed. It took some time to learn that the real success of the Space for Elephants concept lay in listening to the edge communities' needs and developing nodes of opportunities in the tribal and state land along these linkages, involving schools wherever possible in a tourism awareness programme.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is working with Space For Elephants planning 7 wildlife and cultural corridors linking conservation areas in the Province. Priority is the Transfrontier Conservation Area corridor linking Swaziland with Greater St Lucia Wetland Park across theLebombo Mountains and then linking Imfolosi / Hluhluwe Game Reserve with Greater St Lucia Wetland Park. KZN Wildlife/ Ezemvelo is the first Provincial authority to establish an Elephant Management policy and forum. An Elephant owner’s liaison forum is being established. Dave Varty says “Why are we debating culling our greatest asset when we could be making corridors of economic opportunities from Kruger to the mountains “ I say “ Why don’t the exploiters of our massive mineral resources give back a small levy to assist us develop these corridors fromAngola to Mozambique as an alternative economic opportunity once these resources have been exhausted.” A challenge! We support the alternatives that exist to culling in any possible way we can and believe fully in seeking an African solution to our challenges. We can do it! But we must have the support of Central Government. K Z N Wildlife / Ezemvelo together with Space for Elephants Foundation will incorporate the people and wildlife in a vast network of conservation and economic partnerships, unlocking the huge economic potential and protecting our natural and cultural heritage for our and our childrens future. It is our objective to bring back to the elephants their space and to the people a sound economic base and empowerment. We are supported by many organizations some of them are: --
Elephants need to be included in the economic equation to become an asset to the people of Africa.
For further information: please contact Digs Pascoe: digspascoe@zulukingdom.co.za