Animal Conservation in South Africa

Mongena Game Reserve is a part of the 18,000 hectare Dinokeng big 5 game reserve. The biggest threat to conservation today, especially to species such as elephants, lions, hyenas, and other big game animals that require lots of space, is the threat of habitat loss. This threat is due to farming and increasing human pressure. To reverse this trend, conservation has to be sustainable, A to land owners, and B to communities surrounding the conservation areas. If conservation does not benefit surrounding communities, it is seen as a frivolous pastime for wealthy tourists.

What we are aiming to do is increase the size of the reserve by including previous cattle farms on the boundary. Our current project centers on the rehabilitation of a 3,600 hectare cattle farm for incorporation into the Dinokeng Game Reserve, thus growing its size by 20 percent.

If a successful working model can be created there is an opportunity to expand it even further.