Conservation plays crucial role in protecting planet

The Herald

24-05-2025

Words cannot express my experiences of the last weekend.
I was fortunate enough to win a prize for a one-night stay at Founders Lodge, which used to be part of Shamwari.
It will be considered by most as a memorable and once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I fully agree.
Besides all the luxury and spoils, for me it was also an educational, and moreover, a change-of-mindset experience.
You are pampered from the time you arrive until you leave, with true five-star excellence. No wonder it is frequented by the rich and famous.
We often just see the luxury and high cost, not realising what happens behind the scenes, such as the tremendous costs involved in creating and maintaining an environment that would attract international tourists, who ultimately fund the cost of this conservation.
At the risk of sounding political, funding conservation is not high on the government's priority list.
Private funding is, therefore, the only solution, and considering the high maintenance costs, our local economy could never fund such large-scale endeavours.
Let's be brutally honest, competing with the natural beauty of the Garden Route and other areas is extremely difficult.
Frontier Country, as it is called, did not compete in the past.
However, Adrian Gardiner had a vision for this region that nobody thought possible, and through conservation, turned it into a nature lover's paradise.
I am not sure if it was our guide (or rather host) James, or the game drive itself that sparked a revelation in me.
Experiencing that game drive and being literally metres away from an elephant bull and a pair of mating lions is an experience you cannot relate to somebody else — almost a spiritual feeling of being one with nature and the universe.
It is not as simple as taking a piece of land and putting up a fence, building a fancy lodge, buying some wild animals and a few 4x4 vehicles and Bob's your uncle, you can rake in the cash. Quite the contrary.
Founders Lodge itself is a testament to attention to detail, while the security around the endangered species is next level.
AI algorithms are used in monitoring, with anti-poaching units and much more to safeguard these precious creatures.
The rhetorical question must be, how much does it cost to maintain an environment that is habitable and safe for animals such as elephants, rhinos, zebras and giraffes?
The key word here is safety and security, and we all know the high cost of securing something of high value.
A rhino horn, according to Google, can reach a price double that of gold at up to $400,000 (R7m) a kilogram.
Though we all recognise the rhino horn problem, the recent poisoning of vultures in Kruger is believed to be linked to traditional medicine poaching (if there is such a term).
There are also many species that are poached for not only use in traditional medicines, but also for decoration and meat.
Then we have not even addressed certain plant species. If not protected and secured, these would be eradicated close to extinction.
The cycad is one species that comes to mind.
Besides the threat of poachers, there is also the threat of encroaching alien vegetation, which in most parks are mostly under control, except for the prickly pear.
It is not indigenous, it comes from South America and is a pest in the area.
Elephants love feeding on the leaves and fruit of prickly pears, unfortunately leading to the further spread of the plant, but I for one am not going to argue with an elephant bull about his meal preferences.
The naive will question: 'Why do this if locals cannot afford to enjoy these experiences?'
Thanks to private conservation, rhinos, vultures, foxes and thorn trees will still be around 1,000 years from now for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.
We all know what happened to the dodo because of human greed.
What, if anything at all, has this got to do with weather and climate?
In the short-term, nothing, but in the long-term, everything.
We know the predicted consequences of the deforestation of the Amazon and its long-term effects on climate change.
Many countries have realised this, and two prominent countries are embarking on afforestation projects by planting trees in their deserts.
Saudi Arabia has embarked on planting 10-million trees in its desert, with China launching its Great Green Wall in the Gobi, which started in 1978 and is expected to be completed by 2050.
Afforestation means more trees, which absorb more carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
Trees also provide shade and cool the environment, as well as purify the air.
Starting with conserving one area at a time, we might just be able to save our planet and many species from extinction.
I just wish our city fathers gave Gardiner and like-minded people free reign of the Baakens Valley. It could be a paradise within our city limits.
This week in history:
2007: Four reported to have succumbed to exposure to extreme cold in the Bay
Dam levels:
70.24%, slightly down from previous week's 70.53%. Impofu down to 52.93%
Weather safety tips:
When travelling long distances, especially in isolated areas, ensure you have fresh water, some sustenance and warm clothing.
At this time of the year, if you are stuck in snow, exposure to the elements could be fatal.