Hwange Elephant Collaring in Zimbabwe
Wilderness Safaris’ Travel with Purpose itinerary, Hwange Elephant Collaring gives a unique behind-the-scenes conservation and community experience in Zimbabwe’s largest national park.
Taking place from 14th to 19th September 2019, all proceeds from this life-changing journey will be donated to the Scorpion Anti-Poaching Unit.
The Hwange Elephant Collaring journey is part of Wilderness Safaris’ unique range of inspirational itineraries based around the company’s conservation and community success stories. Each journey is set to give guests the opportunity to embark on adventurous and impactful journeys to exciting destinations, led by locally connected experts and authorities.
Wilderness Safaris Zambezi Environmental Manager, Arnold Tshipa has done extensive elephant research in Hwange National Park, including the collaring of some 32 elephants. Also bringing their expertise will be Wilderness Safaris’ legendary game water supply manager, Willem Botha, and Children in the Wilderness’ (CITW) Mxolisi Sibanda, who was one of the first male community health workers in the Zimbabwe Red Cross HIV/AIDS programme, before he joined CITW to spearhead a number of its local projects.
Together they will guide guests through this adventurous conservation-focused itinerary, teaching them about the park’s game water supply and human-wildlife conflict mitigation efforts; they will also visit Ziga village to interact with the CITW Eco-Club children, and learn about the women’s empowerment projects.
All proceeds from this trip will go to the Scorpion Anti-Poaching Unit, which has removed some 2 500 snares and significantly reduced the levels of poaching within the boundary areas of Hwange since its inception in 2011. The unit covers a 76 km-long stretch of Hwange bordering the neighbouring Tsholotsho Communal Lands. This group of rangers works to combat wildlife poaching and protects the area’s diverse fauna and flora, in partnership with Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management (ZPWMA).
“Wilderness Safaris has been committed to driving sustainable ecotourism in Zimbabwe for over two decades, and I am really looking forward to hosting like-minded guests on this purposeful journey so that we can continue making a positive difference to the ongoing conservation of this extraordinary park, as well as the empowerment of our local community partners”, Arnold concluded.