Gonarezhou and relocating to Grumeti, Zim & Tanzania – Sept & Oct 2015

September was a month characterised by dramatic change. With my MBA completed and our family holiday in the USA done and dusted, it was time to return to gainful employment. With a couple of exciting SA4x4 photojournalism assignments on the cards, my old friend Duncan Gutsche agreed to accompany me on a three country mission to test drive the new Toyota Hilux. What followed was an action-packed two week adventure through northern Kruger, into Mozambique at Pafuri, before entering Gonarezhou National Park via the Sango border post.

Rather than tackle the stereotypical northern Gonarezhou safari circuit to see the Chilojo Cliffs and Runde-Save confluence, we opted instead for more adventure and set out to explore the whole of this enigmatic park that I had last visited 19 years previously. The wildlife in the central region was sparse and skittish, but so were the vehicles, giving us the feeling of being properly immersed in a genuinely wild tract of African wilderness. There is no denying that the less visited south-central region of Gonarezhou provides an ideal landscape for true 4×4 exploration.It is the perfect place for anyone who enjoys their overlanding to be wild and soulful.

Gonarezhou National Park is a scenically stunning protected area and – under the guidance of Frankfurt Zoological Society project manager Hugo Van der Westhuizen – the park’s infrastructure and wildlife have both experienced a dramatic resurgence. With FZS looking to sign a co-management agreement with park authorities during the months ahead, the potential for Gonarezhou to reclaim its mantle as one of the foremost protected areas in Africa is no longer a pipedream. For the sake of its rebounding wildlife, re-energised ZPWMA conservation staff, wilderness-loving 4×4 enthusiasts and safari aficionados from around the globe, lets hope this far-sighted agreement is signed without delay to unlock increased funding and technical expertise for more effective management of this amazing national park. Find out more about the park and our overland adventures at:

https://www.stevecunliffe.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SA-4×4-Gonarezhou-Final.pdf

After a week of self-guided Gonarezhou exploration and top quality camping at the sole-use wilderness sites of Chumulavati, Chilojo and Runde Gorge, we existed the park through the main northern gate at Chapinda Pools, traversed the wildlife-rich Malilangwe private game reserve and braved an inordinate number of police roadblocks and shakedowns en route to the relatively untrammelled eastern reaches of Botswana. Most people know very little about this unpublicised region of Botswana so – for anyone interested to learn more – the link below will educate you about a tourist-free destination of lush green gorges, large vulture colonies, great day hikes to San rock art sites, and so much more. There are a lot more reasons than Northern Tuli Game Reserve to venture into Botswana’s oft ignored eastern reaches, and this SA 4×4 cover feature is sure to enlighten and delight you in equal measure:

https://www.stevecunliffe.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SA-4×4-Eastern-Botswana-Final.pdf

 

October marked the start of a very exciting new chapter in my life when I accepted a position with the renowned Singita Grumeti Reserves. After attending the annual Singita management conference in Cape Town, Katherine and I packed up and rented out our house before boarding an aeroplane and relocating with our two little boys to Tanzania. Sasakwa Hill in the western corridor of the world famous Serengeti ecosystem is where we will be based for the foreseeable future. I will be managing the Grumeti Fund: a dedicated conservation and community non-profit that oversees all conservation, law enforcement, community outreach, research and monitoring, and stakeholder engagement activities for the 350 000 acre Singita Grumeti Reserves concessions.

Grumeti – one of the standout conservation success stories of the 21^st century – is the brainchild of eco-philanthropist and US hedge fund owner Paul Tudor Jones. Having committed the next three years of my life to building upon the successes and hard work of my predecessors, I hope to see Grumeti continue to evolve and develop into one of the most widely recognised and respected conservation projects on the continent. The model of eco-philanthropy in combination with delegated reserve management – a form of conservation outsourcing if you like – to a well-resourced private sector partner may well be the saving grace and future of protected area management. It’s a model that offers a viable solution and ray of sunshine in the face of the relentless poaching onslaught currently confronting cash-strapped African governments that are woefully unprepared for dealing with it.

There are no shortage of challenges operating a complex conservation project of this nature, but being right at the coalface with an unequivocal mandate and  the necessary resources to truly make a difference is a very exciting place to be, so watch this space for further details as the Grumeti conservation story continues to unfold.