Unfenced, untamed, unforgettable

Expanding the world’s wilderness

Long before Africa was carved up into countries, before borders were established and fences were erected, the wildlife of the continent moved freely. Following the rain and ancient migratory paths in search of water and nutrients, great herds of antelope, zebra, elephant and buffalo traversed huge distances. Predator territories were not bound to demarcated reserves and ecosystems functioned naturally – from the ant to the mighty lion.

All over Southern Africa, fences have traditionally been erected to keep animals out of local communities, and animals in and people out of wildlife reserves. As custodians of 2.3 million hectares (6 million acres) – and counting – Wilderness helps conserve and expand these wild places. From the vast, arid Namib to Botswana’s natural wonderlands of the Linyanti and Okavango Delta, to the plains of the Serengeti and the rainforests of Rwanda, our ultimate goal is to increase the world’s wilderness, together.

As part of our ongoing conservation efforts, Wilderness has been working with Ecoexist since 2019, sponsoring satellite elephant collars that help collect data and map elephant movements in the Okavango Delta and Linyanti. The data collected by these collars helps conservation partners better understand elephant movements, which helps mitigate conflict between elephants and the communities they share space with.

We’re also protecting the other giants of the bush, the majestic baobab. In the Mombo area of Botswana’s Okavango Delta and at Wilderness Chikwenya in Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools, our teams are hard at work with efforts to safeguard these ancient trees, which can live to 1000 years old. With most of the damage currently coming from elephants, we’re experimenting with different methods to defend this impressive species.

Operating in unfenced, open systems also means having to monitor wildlife more closely, ensuring that human-wildlife conflict is kept to a minimum.

Through our partnership with local Botswana non-profit Communities Living Among Wildlife Sustainably (CLAWS) as well as the Lion Recovery Fund, we are helping to reduce human-wildlife conflict in the Okavango Delta. By offering both a logistical and physical presence, as well as monitoring and collaring where needed, Wilderness is central to protecting the largest stronghold of lions in Southern Africa.