Southern African countries like Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa have, over the years, opened their borders where conservation areas meet, allowing wildlife free passage between countries.
On this World Wildlife Day, we celebrate the interconnected relationship between ecology and economy, recognising that sustainable conservation efforts not only protect wildlife but also drive economic growth through eco-tourism and community involvement. By fostering a conservation-led approach, we ensure a thriving future for both nature and the people who depend on it.
This increased freedom of movement created vast tracts of land where governments, wildlife management, and environmentalists cooperated to help conserve wildlife ecosystems for future generations.
In a similar vein, Thornybush Nature Reserve took down the fences along the Timbavati border – which was already unfenced on its Kruger boundary. This meant that the 14,500-hectare wilderness of Thornybush became part of the Greater Kruger National Park.
This decision took a long time to come into effect but has had positive results for guests on safari at Thornybush, as well as for the local wildlife.
These bold (and sometimes controversial) moves had several aims:
While these motivations may have initially seemed only remotely related to the conservation of wildlife, they were in fact inexorably linked. Let’s take a look at the impact that these larger tracts of land had on wildlife and the communities that relied on tourism generated by game reserves.
For decades, the instinct of conservationists had been to keep their precious resources under lock and key from the ‘world out there,’ where dangers such as human-animal conflict, poaching, and modern development lurked. However, by doing this, wild animals were prevented from following their natural migration patterns, which were essential for their survival.
The concept was as simple as pasture management in agriculture. Wild animals naturally moved towards areas where food and water were abundant, allowing barren, overgrazed lands to recover. This meant they had to ‘follow’ the seasonal rain patterns of their host country.
Fences, however, prevented herds from leaving for greener pastures when they had exhausted their available resources.
Times of plenty allowed animals to increase their numbers beyond the threshold that the land could bear, and with nowhere to go, this ultimately led to overpopulation, famine, and starvation.
By removing the fences between game reserve areas, animals could move freely along their traditional migration routes, bringing back a natural, seasonal balance to the fauna in the area.
Global warming, with its changing, unpredictable weather patterns, also played a role. Wild animals were forced to adapt their behaviour, and in many cases, the wildlife management techniques that used to work before simply didn’t anymore.
It became vital that conservationists, landowners, local communities, and governments acted together to develop strategies to navigate major environmental changes.
Genetic diversity was limited in fenced-off, confined spaces, and inbreeding had to be carefully managed. Endangered animals, such as cheetahs, already had a gene pool so limited that it added yet another obstacle to their continued existence.
Some reserves were too small to sustain a viable population of particular species, so by joining forces, smaller reserves benefited from a far more efficient conservation effort when fences were removed.
Poaching remained a serious issue plaguing game reserves in Southern Africa. While fences deterred poachers to a degree, they were not entirely effective in stopping poaching. In fact, sometimes the very fences that were meant to protect animals inadvertently created a confined environment where they were easier to target.
While uncommon, it was not unheard of for animals to injure themselves on fences or to become separated from their herds by breaking through and being unable to return. This could be a death sentence for herd animals left to fend for themselves, making them more vulnerable to predators or poachers.
The aim of this initiative was to establish a broad band of conservation land stretching from the mouth of the Limpopo River on the East Coast of Africa to where the Orange River emptied into the sea in the West. As they say, charity begins at home, so it was important that game reserves in South Africa set the example.
By merging the conservation areas on its borders with the larger Kruger National Park, Thornybush committed to the greater good of enhanced freedom for its animal inhabitants, paving the way for conservation success in Southern Africa.
Clearly, this required cooperation among numerous conservation areas, but it also meant that more players were involved in a collaborative conservation effort. More players in the field meant more skills, knowledge, and experience working together for the greater good.
Allowing animals to move freely between reserves provided guests at smaller, more intimate lodges with a greater pool of wildlife to admire. Tourists could now enjoy the full diversity of a large reserve such as Kruger, combined with the luxury of the intimate safari experiences offered by Thornybush.
One only had to look at the impact that the Serengeti migration had on Tanzanian tourism to see that allowing animals the freedom to roam was a significant driver of increased tourism revenue.
Eco-tourism became one of the world’s fastest-growing industries, providing direct and indirect employment to many local communities near nature reserves.
The bottom line was simple: more tourism meant more employment for local communities. This had a knock-on effect on conservation efforts, as communities became more inclined to protect their natural resources rather than being lured by the short-term benefits of poaching.
Likewise, funds generated from tourism activities were reinvested into conserving the natural resources that made these activities possible.
Considering all these factors, the removal of fences between Southern Africa’s big game reserves contributed significantly to the welfare of the region’s wildlife and the continued success of the game lodge industry.
Thornybush’s decision to remove its fences marked a pivotal step in conservation, ensuring a thriving, interconnected wilderness for generations to come.
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