Guardians of our Wildlife

The relentless poaching of rhino continues to escalate across the continent – particularly across the Greater Kruger National Park region of South Africa, which is home to more than 80% of Africa’s rhino populations. As organised crime syndicates keep changing their tactics, more than 10,000 of these magnificent animals have been lost to poaching in the past 10 years.

Singita and various conservation partners have been actively involved in rhino conservation and protection for the past 30 years, and in supporting the Singita Lowveld Trust (SLT), we remain steadfast to ensure the survival of the species.

The SLT supports 24/7 anti-poaching and law enforcement efforts which are critical to safeguarding the many species of conservation concern.

The SLT also supports the expertly trained canine (K9) dog unit and anti-poaching (APU) field rangers – including the piloting and deployment of innovative technology – such as trail cameras, night-vision equipment, virtual tracking harnesses for dogs, and 4x4 all-terrain vehicles for increased mobility and off-road tracking. The K9 dog units are gamechangers – providing invaluable support in detecting, tracking and apprehension capabilities.

Our combined efforts have proven to be highly effective: we have good rates of early detection and follow-ups on incursions preventing poaching on the property, and only a single rhino has been lost on our properties in the past five years. And yet, this is a fragile achievement, as the pressure remains relentless and poachers’ tactics are ever-changing – which requires sustained 24/7 vigilance and ever-increasing resources to hold the line.

Key Successes

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Guardians of our Wildlife

Biodiversity

Singita Lowveld Trust

Der Singita Lowveld Trust betreut in Südafrika vielfältige Naturschutzprojekte bei Singita Sabi Sand und Singita Kruger National Park – von Anti-Wilderei-Programmen bis hin zu Wildtierforschung und Landmanagement, Nachhaltigkeitsprojekten und Partnerschaften mit den umliegenden Dörfern, beispielsweise Frühförderung, digitales Lernen und eine Kochschule auf internationalem Niveau.

Ein hochqualifiziertes Team von Hundeführern und Spürhunden unterstützt den Kampf gegen Wilderer im Sabi Sand Reserve, während der Trust in Zusammenarbeit mit der internationalen Nichtregierungsorganisation Panthera nachweisen konnte, dass die Gegend die höchste Populationsdichte an Leoparden von allen Schutzgebieten in Südafrika aufweist. Durch das „Furs for Life“-Projekt von Panthera, mit dem Singita zusammenarbeitet, konnte die Nachfrage nach Leopardenfellen um 50 % gesenkt werden.