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LOZIBA! THAKA VALLEY.. BLACK RHINO REWILDING

Right in the heart of Zululand Northern Natal, is a place of breath-taking outstanding natural beauty, where an ambitious project is taking shape to rewild the area and create a conservancy. The conservancy will include resident elephants, communities and private game reserves. Ultimately it will offer a haven for the critically endangered Black Rhino.
In 2018 Thaka Valley rural farmers and Mawana Reserve reached out for assistance with human elephant conflict. A small team led by Grant Fowlds of Project Rhino spent 6 hours searching for the elephants by helicopter, luckily the elephants had moved on. Grant began surveying this valley and concluded that establishing a conservancy here would be a successful partnership for the communities, the animals, and the landowners.
This is truly a project that needs to succeed and cannot be written in a short story…
Consisting of 37 various reserves/farms the valley targeted is around 100,000 hectares of which Loziba could encompass 20,000 hectares in phase one and 40,000 hectares or more in staggered inclusions and be part of the Thaka Valley Communal Wild Conservancy (CWC). The area is lush with a wide variety of flora and fauna, large koppies and majestic flat-topped mountains. Endless grassland plains are supplied with abundant water flowing from two rivers, and various waterfalls. Further down the Thaka Valley there are eternal hot water springs and pools of luscious green mineral mud. It is truly a spectacular wonder.
According to local folklore this was the bathing area of King Shaka the legendary Zulu King.
The mighty Black Umfolozi winds itself through the valley and fills it with life, some parts wild and bubbling, others narrow and calm. The Hlonyani River crosses through and has impressive breathtaking areas of wide flat rocks on different levels, creating a bounty of pools and natural water features.
Culturally the Valley is rich with history. Many small communities lie dotted around the Koppies in the same areas of their ancestors. Situated high up on the slopes and tops, this enabled communities to see enemies approaching and sight herds of game. Today they live and farm corps such as mielies here. The impressive flat topped mountain known as Isihlalo Kashaka is said to have been the place King Shaka surveyed his kingdom from.
35 elephants live here and it is their home, unfortunately much of the fencing is broken, so the elephants are roaming out of the area and communities conflict with them. In a combined effort, 5 of these elephants where collared to enable them to be monitored daily via satellite. Tragically two years ago, during an attempt to herd a young raiding bull away from the community, Beyers Coetzee lost his life. A memorial to this great man by sculptor Andres Botha sits was erected at the site. He was a huge part of Loziba and this project will honour his legacy and love of the wild.
The urgent funding for the first phase of Loziba is vital to the elephants safety by restoring the fences on one of the reserves, which will prevent them from entering the communities crops.
There are over 7000 head of game here which include both brown and spotted hyena, leopards, giraffes, rooikat, servals, zebras, waterbuck, rooi hartebeest, reedbuck, warthog, and an amazing array of snakes including the African python. Baboons and vervets call this their home too. An array of birds including the secretary bird and our vulnerable vulture..
I observed many giraffes and noted the young bulls have more muscular legs, larger ossicones and are thicker set than their Kruger cousins. Their hides are glossy in the sun. While Grant and I drove up one steep path I was entranced by a young bull as he cantered gracefully all the way in front of us before disappearing into the Acacia.
The African Thorn Bush – Acacia - which is the most recognizable and iconic tree of Africa, is bountiful here and certain areas have perfect vegetation for Black Rhino...
On a hike up one of the flat-topped mountains where the team was spread out, I literally collided into a large herd of zebra who raced away up a huge grass escarpment that swept up towards the sky in a large spoon shape. From the other side it would have been one of the flat top mountains we had driven around on a previous day and gazed up at the sheer scale of the cliff. Now here we were on the wide flat plain at the top. This left me breathless and I will never forget crossing the flat yellow veld grass and gazing over the cliffs at the incredible vast plains below.
It was here that I looked up and right there in the sky for a moment - a cloud formation - a Rhino. See my photo of the cloud. Thaka Valley once was the home of the Black Rhino. Their spirit is strong here and tangible in the land that bore them.
It is vital for the Black Rhino to bring them back here.
The closest natural historic range where these iconic critically endangered animals live is the Hluluwe Umfolozi Park.
This valley was also the historic hunting grounds of the Zulu Kingdom, and perhaps all these elements meeting here is why they chose this place. It is a whole eco system. A world on its own. A truly African Eden.
Many visionary minds have mapped and researched here for this project. Thousands of hours of planning, building relationships with reserve owners and communities. Time has been invested in the education of the community and showing them how they can benefit from the conservation of endangered species.
A tree planting project is also already employing 8 people.
Loziba ,as its planned will be a gamechanger for the black rhino and will include all the “Big 5”. A first phase size of 10, 000 hectares will be the core sanctuary area for endangered species, the black rhino, white rhino, elephant, giraffe and Lion. In the next phase it hopes to reach 33,000 to 40,000 hectares. Adding to this will be areas allocated for various luxurious lodges, budget lodges, and could include regeneration of the incredible Thangami Spa where the hot springs are eternal even during drought. The whole Thaka Valley is an eco-tourists dream, with endless mountain biking, hiking, game viewing and wild camping. Rafting and river walking on parts of the Black Umfolozi are in my sights.
This Short Story…
We had large bonfires at night, normally Sundowners with a fire on a Koppie to see the red African sun, as it set over the Mawana Mountain, and then back to our lodge, where we sat around the fire, talking and laughing, surrounded by the barking of Hyena, and a galaxy of stars…
We had some serious driving testing skills and glad to say all vehicles where undamaged and no one was injured!
We ate delicious Puto Pap (wonderful local African meal made from maize enjoyed across all our cultures) and meat braaied by Kallie..
As a gesture to kickstart investment many thanks go to Mr John Charter of Human Elephant Foundation, the recently formed US based Truwild and three philanthropists who purchased farm Zoekmij.
Soon to be introduced will be a donation effort where you can “own” your piece of Loziba.
Grant Fowlds of Loziba and Project Rhino, James Arnott of CWC Africa and of Loziba, David White CEO of DRG Outsourcing, John Charter of Human Elephant Foundation and myself were hosted by Karel “Kallie" De Walt of Mawana.
Please join us to rewild the land here. The time is crucial to our endangered species.
Spread the word and buy that hectare to help Save the Rhino.
See Loziba website for more information https://www.loziba.com
CWC Africa Projects https://cwcafricaprojects.com
See the MOJO Streaming interview here.
Please feel free to comment here and share or message me directly.
LONG LIVE LOZIBA!
*Reference words
Koppie: An Afrikaans word for a small hill rising from the veld.
Veld: Afrikaans word for field
Meilie: Afrikaans word for corn

  3 years ago
Chake Conservancy Masai Mara.

Chake rangers ready for the bush patrols.
Who is ready to support them stay in the bush for snare removal, poachers tracking?
We need more tents, sleeping bags and boots.
Due to a big drought in Kenya which has been experienced for the last few months ago, people been going without food due to scarcity of food, vegetables and water. Poachers has moved to the game reserves and in animal dispersal areas to set snare traps for bush meat. We as Chake conservancy has planned a two weeks patrol in the bush to look for poachers and snare removal. We're requesting animal lovers and those interested in supporting the wildlife protection to join us and help such facilitations.
We're checking out if all things are in order. chakeconservancy.org
Checking our supplies.

  4 years ago
Wildlife Channel Raises Alarm Over Imminent Slaughter of 40 Elephants in conservation disaster

 

Toronto, April 4th 2004 – Toronto based MojoStreaming, a leading platform for impactful storytelling and urgent wildlife issues, today draws international attention to a critical wildlife conservation

emergency unfolding in South Africa. Within the next week, an innocent herd of

40 elephants, including vulnerable calves, faces the threat of imminent

slaughter unless immediate intervention occurs. This potential tragedy

highlights the broader, ongoing crisis of elephant culling practices in Africa,

threatening the survival of these majestic creatures classified as endangered

species.

 

In an urgent cry for help and to spark a global

public awareness campaign, MojoStreaming urges individuals, organizations, and

governments worldwide to take immediate action to prevent the senseless killing

of these 40 elephants from the Mawana Game reserve in Northern Natal. This

situation is not isolated; it symbolizes a much larger emergency affecting

thousands of elephants across the continent, where culling has become a

contentious method of population control.

 

Elephants, known for their intelligence, complex

social structures, and significant ecological impact, are increasingly finding

themselves in conflict with human interests. While the challenges of

cohabitation between humans and elephants in areas of dense population are

acknowledged, MojoStreaming emphasizes that culling is not the answer.

There are humane and effective alternatives to

managing elephant populations that do not involve slaughter, such as

translocation and the creation of wildlife corridors to allow safe migration.

MojoStreaming calls on its global audience,

conservationists, policymakers, and the international community to rally

together in defense of these 40 elephants and the thousands more at risk. This

is a pivotal moment to advocate for sustainable wildlife management practices

that respect the intrinsic value of all life forms and ensure the survival of

one of the planet's most iconic species.

As part of this urgent awareness campaign, MojoStreaming

will be hosting a series of special programming, interviews with wildlife

experts and all stakeholders in the Mawana saga, as well as exclusive content

focusing on the plight of Africa's elephants and the conservation efforts

underway to protect them. Viewers will gain insight into the complex issues

surrounding elephant conservation and learn how they can contribute to making a

difference.

The imminent threat to these 40 elephants is a

wake-up call to the world about the broader crisis facing Africa's elephant

populations. It's time for a collective, global response to end the senseless

culling of endangered species and to work together towards solutions that allow

humans and wildlife to coexist in harmony.

For more information on how you can help and to

learn more about the conservation efforts, please visit www.mojostreaming.com.

MojoStreaming President Bernard van Speyk is

initiating an effort to bring all the Mawana interest groups together to hammer

out a solution where community safety issues are implemented firstly, and then

alternative non-lethal methods are used to assist the well being of the herd.

 Together, we can make a difference. Together, we

can save these elephants from slaughter and work towards a future where human

actions contribute to the preservation, not the destruction, of our planet's

wildlife.

About MojoStreaming

MojoStreaming is a global platform dedicated to

bringing the world's most pressing social, environmental, and political issues

to the forefront through powerful storytelling and documentary filmmaking.

Committed to making a difference, MojoStreaming provides a voice to the

voiceless and shines a light on the stories that matter.

 For more information, contact:

Bernard Van Speyk

Founder & President

MojoStreaming Ltd.

[Contact Information]

bernard@mojostreaming.com

+1 416 788 0144

  2 years ago
INDIVIDUAL INVOLVEMENT EPISODE 2.


In the second episode of this campaign am saying that Africans can only truly understand this, if they are exposed to content underlining the importance of biodiversity and conservation frequently.


It is no secret that television programmes, newspaper articles and social media determine what we talk about in our homes, workplaces and local eateries. We are what we watch and read.

This is why it is high time  both mojo live streaming and the media, traditional and social-steps up to their role of setting the agenda and turns its focus to what really matters, the environment. The people who have the ability to reach millions of Africans on a daily basis and shape the narratives in the African households also wield the power to ensure that wildlife thrives in modern Africa.

I know that this content exists, but we need to see more of it. If Africans begin to see more content on nature and wildlife, the conversation will definitely begin to change. Especially if other Africans, who are equally invested in the wellbeing and the development of the continent, tell them conservation is important.

Today, young Africans, who stand to lose the most as a result of nature’s destruction, dominate the media both social and traditional on the continent. We are members of the most educated generation Africa has ever had. We travelled more than our  parents ever did and the internet has opened the world to us in ways that previous generations could not even dream of. We  are innovative, technologically savvy, and even braver than the generations that liberated us from colonialism. 

To be continued next week…..

  4 years ago
A Tale of Two Species


Must love guns
And bullets and ballistics 
Projectiles exploding out of barrels
Travelling at an invisible speed
Streaking towards a target
Doesn’t see it coming
Although it’s only passing through
Not so bad if it’s inanimate 
Bullseye target, aim for the red spot
No real bull, of any kind
No buffalo, no elephant
But when an animal is the eye
The centre of the sights
Indeed the projectile will punch a hole
Tearing through the flesh
Smashing bone
Not compatible with life

Must love hunting
Pseudonym for killing
Taking a life warms the heart
A wife squeals in glee
As an elephant groans in pathos
Its life ebbs away, pathetically 
Could be another woman
And a newly dead giraffe
Still it’s mostly the usual suspects
Men with guns, misnamed hunters
What species is this, elsewhere explored
That takes such delight
In taking a majestic life
Whereas others would cry
At such waste of the wanton 

Must love inflicting pain 
Seeing an animal in the distance fall
Not so many clean shots
Not so many instant kills
Doesn’t kill the thrills though

Must love never showing empathy 
Definitely not feeling it
Or compassion or kinship with living things
No theory of mind
No kindness because it doesn’t kill

Must believe the lie
Of killing for conservation 
Taking a life for money, to preserve life
Mental contortions, gymnastics of belief
To accomodate oxymorons of the mind
For the normal mind not axiomatic
Just flagrantly obvious
This is a different species, newly classified
And its scientifically defiant name?
Homo Mortis 

We can only look forward to the day
Turn the guns on their own mentality
Target their own anachronistic thinking
‘Let’s go hunting lying tales instead’
A more worthy prey
Leave lions alone, and wolves
In fact any innocent animal in a sight

That’s it, more a tale about one species
Everything that they are
All their distinguishing traits
Are not like the other species
Missing from this story
(But soon to be added in #tectonictonic)
The rest of us

A.E. Lovell


  4 years ago
Dafuskie 1