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Four Paws Against Poaching: Canines in Conservation at Pilanesberg

Four Paws Against Poaching: Canines in Conservation at Pilanesberg

Four Paws Against Poaching: Canines in Conservation at Pilanesberg

By Fudhail Marriday –  Canine Handler, Canine conservation unit, Endangered Wildlife trust

My name is Fudhail, and I’m proud to serve as a canine handler at Pilanesberg National Park, partnered with my four-legged colleague, Remi — a dedicated conservation dog with a nose for protecting wildlife. Together, we form part of the K9 conservation unit, using a mix of training, instinct, and a lot of dog hair to protect this beautiful reserve.

Life has a way of surprising you — and in my case, it came with paws, floppy ears, and an incredible skill set. What started as an unexpected opportunity turned into a passion. There’s something deeply rewarding about making a real difference, even if it means getting dirty, sweating buckets, or being outsmarted by a dog on occasion (Remi keeps me humble).

Our daily routine is anything but ordinary. From controlling access at the park’s four gates. Remi and I are constantly on the move. We conduct fence patrols, presence patrols, and work closely with rangers on stop-and-search missions inside the park. Remi’s nose is a powerful tool — capable of detecting hidden wildlife contraband long before any human could spot it.

We also do public demos, showing off the skills that make these dogs such valuable assets in conservation, from tracking scents to detecting hidden items with uncanny precision. These demonstrations aren’t just for show, they are an important tool for raising awareness about the threats our wildlife faces and the role working dogs play in combating them. Remi gets the spotlight; I just try to keep up.

At the end of the day, this work isn’t just about protecting wildlife — it’s about partnership, purpose, and sometimes picking ticks off your teammate. Remi and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Learn more about our canine conservation unit
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Taking Flight: Mpumalanga’s Cheetah Population Is Taking Shape

Taking Flight: Mpumalanga’s Cheetah Population Is Taking Shape

Taking Flight: Mpumalanga’s Cheetah Population Is Taking Shape

By Olivia Sievert, Cheetah Range Expansion Project Coordinator, Endangered Wildlife Trust

 

What would’ve been a gruelling 30-hour, 3,000km road trip turned into a smooth few hours in the sky, all thanks to the incredible support from The Bateleurs and volunteer pilot Nick Lincoln!The adventure kicked off over the Freedom Day long weekend. While most were soaking up the sun or enjoying time with family, myself and Bateleurs pilot, Nico were hard at work at Rand Airport in Gauteng, determined to figure out how to fit a cheetah crate into a Piper Cherokee. The mission? To relocate a female cheetah from Buffelsdrift Game Reserve near Oudtshoorn to Ukuzwana in Mpumalanga, a vital step in building a new breeding population there.

After hours of removing nearly every seat from the plane, we hit a snag: the crate would fit… but just not through the doors. A frustrating setback, but a lesson learned!

Enter hero of the day, The Bateleurs’ pilot Nick Lincoln, who quickly offered to help. Plans were reshuffled, vets and provincial officials rebooked, and by Tuesday, I was on a flight with Nick and the crate heading to Oudtshoorn via Durban.

Wednesday brought much-needed rain to the region, great for the Karoo, not so great for flying with a cheetah. But with a lucky break in the weather, we were able to safely sedate the female, load her up, and take off. The breathtaking flight over Lesotho was our reward for a hard day’s work, and within 5.5 hours of darting her, we were touching down at Piet Retief Airport, greeted by the waiting Ukuzwana team.

With both a coalition of males and a female now successfully reintroduced, the new breeding population in Mpumalanga is officially taking shape. This milestone would not have been possible without the incredible teamwork and dedication from so many. We are deeply grateful to Ikhala Veterinary Clinic and Wildest Vet for their expert care, to Buffelsdrift Game Reserve and Lalibela Game Reserve for generously donating cheetahs to the project, and to the various provincial offices, especially Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency for their tireless efforts to restore cheetah to this region. Most importantly, our heartfelt thanks go to the Ukuzwana Witbad Foundation for creating the safe space these cheetahs so desperately need to thrive.

A very special thank you to The Bateleurs for your ongoing support of our work, especially of these critical translocations. We truly couldn’t have done this without you.

We’re filled with hope and excitement for what’s to come and look forward to sharing updates as this cheetah population settles and grows!

 

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A Swing for Conservation: Recap of Our 4th Annual Stellenbosch Golf Day

A Swing for Conservation: Recap of Our 4th Annual Stellenbosch Golf Day

 

A Swing for Conservation:
Recap of Our 4th Annual Stellenbosch Golf Day

By Tammy Baker – Business Development Officer, Endangered Wildlife Trust

We hosted our 4th annual Stellenbosch golf day proudly sponsored by Alexforbes on the 11th of April 2025.

100 golfers enjoyed a fantastic day out on the greens at the Stellenbosch Golf Club. The weather was magic, the scenery, unbeatable, and the company, rejuvenating. We have forged some wonderfully rewarding relationships within the Stellenbosch community, and we are grateful to be in a position to host this event year after year. The day would not be possible without the incredibly generous support of Alexforbes, alongside over 70 sponsors who support the day.

The EWT hosts four golf days per year throughout the country as a way to raise funds for our conservation work, and as a way for individuals and companies to be part of and support the EWT and what we stand for. We are committed to conserving landscapes across Africa as well as the species and people who rely on them. These events offer an opportunity to network with like-minded individuals and to become involved in and support an organisation dedicated to conserving threatened species and habitats for the benefit of future generations.

A special thanks to our headline sponsors, Alexforbes, as well as go2africa, aha hotels and lodges, Dream Resorts and Hotels and the Peninsula Hotel and every single sponsor that contributed to making this day such an enormous success.

Next on our calendar, you can find us at the Copperleaf Golf Club on the 23rd of May for our Ford Wildlife Foundation and Hatfield Motor Group-sponsored day.

On the 17th of July, we head to KZN Ballito and the Simbithi Golf Club for another Ford Wildlife Foundation-supported event.

We end the golf calendar year off at Dainfern Golf Club on the 23rd of October with our Alexforbes-sponsored day.

To get involved in any way (prizes, sponsors, golfers, volunteers) please get in touch with Tammy Baker on tammyb@ewt.org. We would love to have you on board supporting these important events.

 

upcoming events
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Cheetah range expanded into new Mpumalanga reserve

Cheetah range expanded into new Mpumalanga reserve

Cheetah range expanded into new Mpumalanga reserve

By Olivia Sievert – Coordinator of the Cheetah Range Expansion Project, Endangered Wildlife Trust

Left: Collaring. Right: Cheetah during transport

 

In March, members of the Carnivore Conservation team’s Cheetah Range Expansion Project embarked on a significant cheetah relocation from the Eastern Cape to Mpumalanga—but that’s just part of the story.

In collaboration with the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), we’ve been working for some time to expand the cheetah range across the province through the reintroduction of the species into suitable areas.

In 2023, the Ukuzwana reserve in Mpumalanga was identified as a key restoration site for this project—the first of many steps in this larger initiative.

Ukuzwana Witbad Foundation is a newly established initiative with conservation at its core. Its mission is to protect and preserve the entire ecosystem—from trees and insects to fish, antelope, and carnivores.

After over a year of tireless efforts by all involved, particularly the MTPA scientists and the Ukuzwana team, in December 2024, we were finally ready to select suitable cheetahs for reintroduction.

Around this time, Lalibela Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape had two male Cheetahs disperse. Born and raised in Lalibela, they were accustomed to open plains and had grown up hunting blesbok. However, they also posed a high risk of inbreeding, making it crucial for us to find them a new home and assist in their dispersal from their natal reserve via translocation. Ukuzwana, with its expansive grasslands and a population of over 1,500 blesbok, was clearly the perfect place for them.

When the time was right, I began the long journey to Lalibela to capture and relocate these males to Ukuzwana.

Fifteen hours, a few brief stops, and a couple of wrong turns later, the cheetahs arrived safely in Mpumalanga and were offloaded at their new home.

 

Cheetah leaving the boma

 

As with most translocations, they were first released into a boma. This allowed them to settle into their new surroundings, getting used to the sights and smells of their new home after the long journey.

But soon their restlessness set in—they were already attempting to hunt any bird that ventured into the boma. It was clear that the time for release had come! Four weeks after their arrival in Ukuzwana, the boma gates were opened, and within 30 minutes, the brothers eagerly set off to explore their new territory.

Since then, we’ve been keeping a close eye on them and are thrilled to report that both cheetahs have settled in wonderfully, successfully hunting within their first 12 hours of release!

Ukuzwana is now the second reserve in Mpumalanga, outside of the Greater Kruger area, to offer a safe haven for wild Cheetahs. This marks a significant milestone in the species’ restoration within the province.

“As a young organisation, we are honoured to be partnering with the Endangered Wildlife Trust through the Cheetah Range Expansion Project. Becoming only the second reserve in Mpumalanga to host cheetahs is a proud moment for us, and one that marks the beginning of our journey in supporting this critical conservation effort. We’re excited to walk this path together and contribute to a future where wildlife thrives,” the owners said shortly after the arrival of the cheetah.

The EWT are excited to continue its collaboration with MTPA and Ukuzwana on cheetah conservation and look forward to introducing a female soon to establish a breeding population. Together, we’re making crucial strides to ensure the Cheetah’s future in Mpumalanga and beyond.

 

Drone monitoring

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Blue Crane rehabilitation enclosure

Blue Crane rehabilitation enclosure

News From the Field

Blue Crane rehabilitation enclosure opened at Kogelberg Biosphere Wildlife Rescue and Training Centre

 

 

Blue cranes are being injured by powerlines and fence collisions, creating an urgent need for the care and rehabilitation of the species.  To address this, a Blue Crane rehabilitation facility has been established in the Overberg region of the Western Cape.  

The enclosure at a wildlife rehabilitation facility at the Kogelberg Biosphere Wildlife Rescue and Training Centre was constructed by Haygrove South Africa in collaboration with the Kogelberg Biosphere NPC, and funded through the International Crane Foundation/Endangered Wildlife Trust and Leiden Conservation Foundation. 

The first of its kind in the Western Cape, it serves a region where the need for services to deal with cranes living in agricultural habitats and often injured in collisions with fences and powerlines, is great.  The 4,000 m2 enclosure houses injured Blue Cranes during their rehabilitation. It is large enough to enable them to stretch and exercise their flight muscles, allowing for better outcomes on release. Rehabilitation will reduce the number of mortalities and result in improved survival of the species, which is in decline. 

Blue Cranes are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Species.  Blue Crane densities in the Overberg are 4-5 times higher than in the rest of the country.    

 

 

 

 

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Fifth National Crane Festival

Fifth National Crane Festival

News From the Field

International Crane Foundation joins Ugandan Government to celebrate Fifth National Crane Festival 

By Barbara Hamoonga (Communications and Marketing Specialist, Africa Programs – ICF and EWT partnership)

 

 

 

The critical importance of wetlands and sustainable development are among the messages conveyed to community members, conservationists and policymakers at the annual Crane Festival in Uganda at the end of February.  

On 28 February, the International Crane Foundation joined the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife and Antiquities and Isingiro District Local Government, to celebrate the Fifth National Crane Festival under the theme “Investing in wetland conservation for the benefit of people, cranes and other biodiversity.”  

The Endangered Wildlife Trust partners with the International Crane Foundation to conserve cranes across Africa, most notably the Grey Crowned, Blue, Wattled and Black Crowned cranes.   

This year’s festival was held at Isingiro District Local Government Headquarters, Isozi cell in Rwekubo Ward where the critical importance of wetland conservation was highlighted alongside promoting sustainable development initiatives. 

The event served as a platform for raising awareness about crane and wetland conservation while celebrating successful community-based conservation initiatives. The festival featured practical demonstrations of sustainable wetland management practices and created networking opportunities for conservation financing. 

“I am pleased to announce that the Government is working on strengthening policy frameworks to enhance protection of critical wetland habitats, support community-based conservation initiatives, integrate conservation priorities into district development plans and strengthen enforcement of environmental regulations,” revealed the Isingiro District Chairman, Mr. Alone Turahi (LCV) on behalf of the Chief Guest, Hon. Lt. Col (Rtd) Dr. Rwamirama Bright, the Minister of Animal Industry and Fisheries,  as he officiated the event.  “These commitments reflect our understanding that investing in nature is investing in our people and our future.”  

“The Fifth National Crane Festival represents more than just a celebration – it’s a testament to Uganda’s commitment to conservation and sustainable development. As we witness the alarming 80% decline in Grey Crowned Crane populations over the past 25 years, this festival serves as a crucial platform for uniting communities, policymakers, and conservation partners in protecting these magnificent birds and their wetland habitats.  

“Together, we can ensure that future generations will continue to witness the dance of the cranes across Uganda’s landscapes,” stated the ICF’s Uganda Country Manager, Patrick Engoru. 

Since establishing its presence in Uganda in January 2020, the ICF/EWT partnership has engaged extensively with local communities about sustainable conservation practices, developed partnerships with government institutions, including the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, and implemented community-based conservation programs that balance wildlife preservation with human prosperity.  Part of awareness raising included the annual Crane Festival as a flagship event for conservation awareness and community engagement.

 

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