Freephone an expert 01306 744 656

Send Enquiry
Opening Times
Monday
10am - 5pm
Tuesday
10am - 5pm
Wednesday
10am - 5pm
Thursday
10am - 5pm
Friday
10am - 5pm
Saturday
10am - 2pm
Sunday
Closed

Call 01306 744 656 or

For other destinations and types of holiday, visit Kuoni
For other destinations and types of holiday, visit Kuoni 

Things to do in South Africa

Wildlife conservation at Thanda Safari Lodge

Guests can join the team for the day tracking the Big Five, helping with game counts or assisting with the translocation of animals…

By Pierre Vivien Delvaux
CEO of Thanda Group (Pty) Ltd - South Africa

Thanda Safari Lodge sits on an enormous 14,000-hectare reserve. Its sheer size means guests traverse only half of it on game drives. The other half is pure wilderness – undulating plains, ridges and mountains with scopes, scarps and staggering plateaus.

With such a low commercial footprint, the space allows our experts to carry out conservation in peace, sustaining animals such as the cheetah and rhino, both creatures with threatened existence. Behind the scenes our wildlife management team work on a 24/7 basis to maintain the reserve, combat poaching and participate in breeding programs that help critically endangered species survive.

Guests can join the team for the day tracking and monitoring the Big Five, helping with game counts or depending on the season, assisting with the translocation of animals. While working, you’ll gain unparalleled insight into our ongoing conservation strategies and how the team monitor different species. Learn how to thoroughly inspect elephant herds, identifying each one by their distinctive markings. Or how the team analyses footage from camera traps strategically placed to capture hyena in its nocturnal habitat. Then there’s the vegetation, critical to the sustainment of its wildlife. A day out in the field and you’ll discover how the land is assessed for its game-carrying capacity by measuring rainfall and veld condition.

Otherwise, choose from two half-day excursions tracking black and white rhino or observing cheetah. Extraordinary effort is required for managing such a magnificent beast as the rhino. You’ll help a specialist monitor them by tracking on foot, using binoculars and recording data from camera traps. Cheetahs are a little harder to come by but with the help of GPS collaring, you’ll be able to identify their locations and map their whereabouts. It’s all the more exciting with a crack of dawn start time.

Categories

  • Trips to take
  • Wildlife

Available in these itineraries…

Alfred & Pierre Vivien Delvaux

Pierre Delvaux established Thanda in South Africa in early 2002 for the entrepreneurial Swedish Olofsson family. His experience as a partner for Hills Howard Zululand, an accounting and managing consultant practice, as well as his degree in Commerce and Business Management, made him the perfect candidate to lead Thanda Safari into one of the Leading Hotels of the World. Pierre is also the Chairman of Thanda Foundation Trust, a charity that seeks to uplift South Africa’s impoverished communities.

Plan your holiday withAlfred&

Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Laura, who's travelled extensively in South Africa. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it alone. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember - ex banker who can show you the hottest foodie spots in Cape Town, the award-winning young sommelier who can introduce you to Stellenbosch's finest wines and the walking safari ranger who can guide you to the best game.

Freephone an expert 01306 744 656

Subscribe to Newsletter

Let us inspire you with holiday ideas, exclusive event invites and travel offers from our network of contacts around the world.