SOUTH AFRICA - Guardians of the South African Wildlife English

DAY 1
PARIS / Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. DAY 2
Tambo International Airport -  Swaziland - Mlilwane Game Park
 
DAY 3 
Mlilwane Game Park Swaziland. DAY 4 
Mlilwane Game Park Swaziland. DAY 5 
Mlilwane Game Park Swaziland - Malolotja Nature Reserve Swaziland. DAY 6
Malolotja Nature Reserve. DAY 7
Malolotja Nature Reserve - Care for Wild. DAY 8
Care for wild - Sabie – Graskop - Gods Window scenic viewpoint - Berlin falls - Blyde River Canyon - South African Wildlife College . DAY 9 
South African Wildlife College - Elephants alive . DAY 10 
South African Wildlife College - Kruger National Park. DAY 11
Kruger National Park - Selati Game Reserve. DAY 12
Selati Game reserve - Pro Track - Dullstroom. DAY 13 
Dullstroom - Veterinary Science department at University of Pretoria - RHODIS Rhino DNA Database - Tambo International Airport
Tambo International Airport Johannesburg / Paris. Day 14
Arrival at Paris International Airport.

DAY 1
Departure to Johannesburg from your international airport, diner & night in the plane.

DAY 2
Arrival at OR Tambo International Airport atJohannesburg by the end of the morning
Departure by mid day for Swaziland with a light lunch on vehicle (5h drive) in A/C private minibus
Arrival by the end of afternoon at Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, part of the Big Game Parks non profit trust. 
Dinner and night at Reilly’s Rock Hilltop Lodge

DAY 3 
Breakfast at Reilly’s Rock
Departure for Main Rest Camp 
Visit of Main Camp Museum and meeting with Big Game Parks representative with emphasis on history of the parks and conservation
Lunch at Hippo Haunt Restaurant in the park
Afternoon dedicated to discover the reserve with a Big Game Parks representative  
Dinner & night at Reilly’s Rock Hilltop lodge

DAY 4 
Breakfast at Reilly’s Rock lodge
Different activity options for the day: Hiking trails, Horse Riding Trails, Mountain Biking trails, birding walk or Game Drives available at your own account
Departure from Reilly’s Rock lodge for sundowners 
Dinner and night at Reilly’s Rock Lodge

DAY 5
Breakfast at Reilly’s Rock Lodge
Transfer to Malolotja Nature Reserve (1h15 drive) in A/C private minibus
Lunch followed by discussion with the management of the reserve
Game drive / shorts hikings with a guide in the reserve
Dinner and night at Malolotja Nature Reserve

DAY 6 
Breakfast
Morning dedicated to a meeting with an ecologist about Malolotja Ecology past and present, topography and history
Lunch followed by afternoon Game Drive, short Hiking opportunities and discussions with the ecologist 
Dinner and night at Malolotja Nature Reserve

DAY 7
Breakfast and transfer in A/V private minibus to Care for Wild Rhino Orphanage Sanctuary 
Lunch packs at Care for Wild facility
Afternoon tour and discussions at Care for Wild
Dinner and night at Care for Wild

DAY 8
Breakfast and transfer in A/C private minibus to South African Wildlife College (day drive)
Different stops on our itinerary :
Sabie for start of Panorama Tour
Gods Window scenic viewpoint
Berlin falls 
Lunch at Potluck Boskombuis
Blyde River Canyon View Point
Arrival at South African Wildlife College by end of the afternoon
Dinner and night at South African Wildlife College

DAY 9
Breakfast 
Morning dedicated to a lecture and discussions about conservation practices with the South African Wildlife College representatives
Lunch at South African Wildlife College
Afternoon with South African Wildlife College and the NGO Elephants alive 
Dinner and night at South African Wildlife College

DAY 10
Early light breakfast and transfer to Kruger National Park in A/C minibus (1h drive)
Arrival at Kruger National Park for self-guided safari in game drive vehicule
Breakfast at Satara Rest Camp in Kruger National Park followed self-guided safari on our way to Letaba Rest Camp
Lunch at Letaba Rest Camp followed by discussions with Michelle Van Der Merwe of park management team on the role of eco-tourism
Self-guided safari in the Kruger National Park
Dinner and night at Letaba Rest Camp

DAY 11
Early Light Breakfast and transfer to Selati Game Reserve in A/C private minibus
Breakfast and welcoming discussion with Selati management and research team 
Day dedicated to the discovery of the Selati Private Game Reserve with games drives and discussions with the Selati guide and scientist
Dinner with Selati representative and night Selati Game reserve lodges

DAY 12
Breakfast and transfer in A/C private minibus (45 min drive) to Pro-track center for lecture on anti-poaching and practical actions
Lunch at the Thirsty Giraffe near Pro-track center
Transfer to Dullstroom area in A/C private minibus (2h30 drive)
Discussion about local conservation with Stonecutters representative
Dinner and night at Stonecutters lodges

DAY 13
Breakfast and transfer by A/C private minibus (4h drive) to the Veterinary Science department, University of Pretoria
Lunch at RHODIS followed by a meeting with RHODIS representative and discussion on Rhino DNA Database
Transfer in A/C private minibus to OR Tambo International Airport with a stop in a Café/ restaurant for wrap up discussion and conclusion of this mindblowing experience about conservation
Arrival at OR Tambo International Airport for check in by end of the afternoon
Flight departure to Paris - Dinner and night in the plane

DAY 14
Arrival in the morning at your International airport

Départ garanti : 6 personnes
Groupe limité à : 8 personnes

BIOS of the different structures we will meet with :

Big Game Parks

Credited with pioneering formal conservation in Swaziland in 1961, this family run, not-for profit organisation, has set the world record for any rhino range-state. Since 1991 they have lost only 3 rhinos to poaching and their model is the envy of conservation organisations around Africa. 
Big Game Parks, led by the Reilly family, has reintroduced 23 large mammal species back into the Kingdom during a turbulent period where conservation has battled against human conflict and the very notion of conservation has been in question. Through uncompromising principles and with the support of the monarch, BGP has over the years, influenced the legal system to strengthen the position of nature conservation in Swaziland. An essential contributor to their success has been underwritten by the mantra of “nothing for nothing” and that wildlife must pay its own way. The Parks are not subsidized and thus all conservation efforts have been funded solely by BGP.
While her natural real estate is tiny, BGP’s contribution to conservation philosophies remain significant on the global stage. By virtue of managing the Kingdom’s representation at CITES, BGP’s voice is revered and a resounding authority.

South African Wildlife College

The Southern African Wildlife College, which was established by WWF-South Africa in 1996, is based 10 km west of the Kruger National Park in South Africa. It is a SADC approved, non-profit higher education and training institution delivering conservation education,  training and skills development programmes to help conserve the region’s rich biological diversity and ensure that its threatened species are conserved and protected. In doing so, the College provides tomorrow’s conservation leaders, field rangers and the community with the skills needed to become partners in saving the continent’s natural heritage. 
The applied training offered by the College covers the full spectrum of skills needed and focuses on providing courses that will not only develop and open up career opportunities for conservation personnel but will also help to transform the biodiversity economy of the region and open up southern Africa’s existing protected area network and broader trans-frontier conservation areas (TFCAs).

Swaziland National Trust Commission (SNTC)

The Swaziland National Trust Commission is the parastatal organisation responsible for the conservation of nature and the cultural heritage of the Kingdom of Swaziland.

With regard to Swaziland's biodiversity, the Swaziland National Trust Commission is not only responsible for running the country's nature reserves, it also carries out a variety of activities to promote the conservation of Swaziland's flora and fauna throughout the country. These include environmental education and community outreach programmes
The objectives of the Swaziland National Trust Commission are to:
•Preserve natural and cultural heritage
•Continue to develop nature conservation in the country
•Create awareness and educate the public on conservation of natural and cultural heritage
•Promote tourism relating to the natural and cultural heritage of the country
•Implementation of all activities relating to biodiversity conservation, including responsibilities as recognised by the Swaziland Environmental Authority and other government bodies
•Implementation of other biodiversity related legislation
It is important to ensure that all STNC's activities have a minimum negative impact on the long term conservation of the natural and cultural heritage. The SNTC has a vital role to play in enhancing the quality of life in Swaziland, through conservation of its natural and cultural heritage, in the long term. SNTC's responsibilities are on a national level and are not restricted to existing SNTC managed areas.

Care for Wild

Founded by Petronel Nieuwoudt in 2001, Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary is the largest orphan rhino orphanage and sanctuary in the world.
Rescue, Rehabilitate, Release
Their vision is to secure free-ranging African Rhinoceros in protected sanctuaries across Africa, to ensure the survival of the species for future generations.
Baby rhinos that are orphaned in the wild rarely survive. The mission of Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary is to rescue every rhino that is orphaned, to heal them and to provide a totally secure environment where they can grow, roam free, and breed to ensure that there will always be rhinos in Africa.

SanParks Honorary Rangers

SANParks (South African National Parks) recognises the Honorary as its trusted channel of public support and fund raising and the relationship is managed at the highest level of both organisations. They have provided the lion’s share of support for anti-poaching initiatives by donating much-needed equipment, supporting the air-wing and funding the training of the rangers and K9 units.
In the past three years they have provided SANParks with more than R150m in donations and volunteer support.

Selati Game Reserve

This organisation is becoming a fascinating study for agricultural land being reversed into natural wilderness. Over the years they have bought neighbouring lands in order to expand their protected areas and today sustain the Big 5. This requires skilful biodiversity management and are a leading example of various tourism approaches. 
1 – selective breeding of valuable animals.
2 – hunting as a conservation tool.
3 – ecological training as a form of eco-tourism. 

This is underpinned by wealthy landowners who have a passion for the great outdoors and are looking to sustain the position of the reserve and have thus employed renowned ecologists Dusty and LouretteJoubert. They have created and manage a recognised volunteer project run by an English scientist, Steven Seager. The opportunity to learn first hand about the implications of nature conservation in today’s day in age is golden, and this represents one of the finest opportunities in southern Africa to experience this in an intimate environment while being accommodated in luxurious and unique South African -style comfort.

RhODIS

RhODIS® (Rhino DNA Index System) is a project that was initiated by the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory of the University of Pretoria in order to help with the plight of the rhinos. The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory is collecting DNA samples of rhinos across the country to create a database using the unique DNA profile of individual rhinos. The goal is for all rhinos to be on the system. This will deter poachers and assist in forensic prosecutions. 
The South African Department of Environmental Affairs introduced amendments to the norms and standards for sample collection and identification of live and poached rhinos under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004 which requires that samples are collected from all poached rhinos and other rhinos that are immobilized or die using RhODIS® kits which then have to be submitted to the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory for inclusion on the RhODIS® database: 
Our contact: Dr Cindy Harper: Dr. Harper is the Director of the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort. She is also the lead in charge of the RhODIS and eRhODIS projects and oversees all of the decisions made.

ProTrack

Protrack anti-poaching unit, is in business to provide specialist rural security services to farms. It is the group’s intention to be the leading company in this regard. 
ProTrack shares a commitment with all responsible South Africans to the environment and to enforce all the laws laid down by the South African government against whomever contravenes one of these laws.
It is the company’s policy to up-grade the status of a game guard as this is natures greatest friend. The man that gets between the animal and the poacher. There is no other way!
Our contact is Zayne Barkus, who heads up the Anti Poaching Unit and facilitates weapons training and bushcraft designed to prepare rangers to combat poachers