A Journey Through Lapalala

A JOURNEY THROUGH LAPALALA

PARTICIPATE IN AFRICA’S FINEST SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION INITIATIVE A JOURNEY THROUGH LAPALALA THE ECOLOGY

Some of the planet’s earliest sedimentary formations have been generous in Lapalala’s creation of breathtaking and diverse habitats; bountiful waters and waterfalls flow through 44km of Palala and Kgogong river landscape, elevated rocky outcrops look out over valleys, grassland plains and dotted woodland where wild animals have roamed for thousands of years. A BOLD VISION FOR THE FUTURE

Lapalala’s vision and promise are to continue to protect and conserve its biodiversity, uplift its neighbouring communities and create a responsible and sustainable model to secure its conservation status into the future. Duncan Parker, son of the late Dale Parker who with Clive Walker founded Lapalala in 1981, has partnered with Lapalala’s neighbour Gianni Ravazzotti. Together with Peter Anderson of Anderson Wildlife Properties, a sensitive plan has been formulated so that the vision and legacy of Lapalala can be safeguarded for the future. AN INVITATION

Like-minded individuals with a keen interest in conservation are invited to participate as custodians in this remarkable and exciting venture. Lapalala Wilderness will be the first off-grid, sustainable Big Five private protected area of its size. A large portion of the reserve will be maintained as a wilderness area free of man-made structures. CUSTODIAN OFFERING

The three main components of Lapalala’s custodianship offering are:

1. Free-hold title ownership of 1450 hectare of pristine land with the right to build a luxury 12-bed safari lodge. 2. Participation as a shareholder in the Lapalala Special Species Breeding Project. 3. Traversing rights in perpetuity over the entire 42 000 hectare reserve.

A Lapalala Conservation Fund endowment will be combined with the breeding initiative to create an integrated sustainable model for Lapalala. LION AND PREDATOR NUMBERS ARE BEING INCREASED LAPALALA HAS BEEN A PIONEER IN PRIVATE PROTECTED AREA RHINOCEROS CONSERVATION THE WIDELY ACCLAIMED LAPALALA WILDERNESS SCHOOL HAS EDUCATED OVER 70,000 LEARNERS SINCE ITS INCEPTION LAPALALA HAS PLAYED A ROLE IN ROAN ANTELOPE CONSERVATION SINCE INCEPTION The Kudu is one of 59 large mammals found at Lapalala BUFFALO HERDS ROAM LAPALALA WILDERNESS LAPALALA IS HOME TO THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED BLACK RHINOCEROS

~ Diceros bicornis AN AFRICAN FISH EAGLE SOARS FREELY ABOVE THE PALALA RIVER A LEOPARD RESEARCH PROJECT IS UNDERWAY AT LAPALALA BLACK RHINOCEROS BREEDING PROJECT BUFFALO FORM AN IMPORTANT PART OF LAPALALA’S BREEDING INITIATIVE, ALONG WITH ROAN ANTELOPE AND RHINOCEROS SAFEGUARDING AND NURTURING THE RHINOCEROS POPULATIONS IS A PRIORITY A CRASH OF RHINOCEROS MOVING THROUGH ACACIA VELD OFF-GRID DESIGN

Lapalala has developed an off-grid design and aesthetics theme for the custodian lodges.

The 12-bed custodian lodge sites will be located in carefully selected areas on each respective 1450 hectare land portion.

The sites will be made up of a combination of landscapes ranging from elevated view sites to riverside sites, all located in interesting wildlife areas. North Gate

BUFFALO PAN MOHLATSE PLAINS

P ELAND PLAINS a la la TSHUKUDU FIG KGOKONG PAN Ri ver

“Of what avail are forty freedoms SELOUS without a blank spot on the map” ~Aldo Leopold SUNBIRD KINGS POOL

n WATERBERGn TAMBOTIE

Map Legend Main Gate ROAN PLAINS Custodian site Munadu KGOKONG VIEW Rapids Rapula Rock Commercial lodge site MUNADU WILDERNESS MARULA

Head Quarters AREA BONWA PHALA

Lapalala Wilderness MELORA School LEPOTEDI Places of historic Ransomes MODUMELA interest RUNDGRENS 1923 REST Paperbark MELOTE Plains r Entrance gate Melora Iron e Age Site iv R Main road West Gate a FOUNDERS CAMP l a Game drive route l COMMERCIAL LODGE SITE a WILDERNESS TRACK KWENA P

Perennial river system

r Drainage lines e HEAD QUARTERS v DRAGONFLY i R Special Species g Breeding Centre n Kubu Dam o MOLOPE k Airstrip o n n g SOUTH AFRICA K Zimbabwe M BURKEA

o z Limpopo a Place of the m THOLO

b Big Sky Rock Art

Botswana i

Mpumalanga e Namibia BUSHMANS PAINTINGS North West Gauteng Swaziland KOLOBE

THAKADU PLAINS ELEPHANT POOLS Free State Kwazulu- Natal Sacred Lake Lesotho Northern Cape Eastern Cape South Gate Western Cape Scale Lapalala 0 5 Wilderness School KILOMETRES THE LAPALALA LEGACY

Clive Walker’s Illustrious career has spanned five decades, with a focus on environmental education and wildlife conservation.

He founded Educational Wildlife Expeditions in 1975 and produced ‘Signs of the Wild’, one of his most successful books, in the late 1980s. He has written a number of books since then.

In 1985 Clive was elected Chairman of the Wilderness Trust of South Africa. He founded the Endangered Wildlife Trust and co-founded the Rhino and Elephant foundation and the African Rhino Owners Association.

Clive Walker will be dedicating a new Lapalala Wilderness book to the memory of Dale ‘Rapula’ Parker, with whom Clive worked on the development of Lapalala Wilderness from its founding 31 years ago.

Clive Walker and Lapalala founder Dale ‘Rapula’ Parker AN INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LAPALALA LEGACY

“Lapalala Wilderness represents one of the last true wilderness areas in southern Africa.

Dale Parker and I shared a dream which, with the support of all of our Lapalala staff, we achieved in his lifetime.

This was to conserve an area of high biological diversity, a remarkable river system and vast landscapes of astonishing beauty.

The responsibility of maintaining this exciting legacy into the future now lies with Duncan Parker, Gianni Ravazzotti and the future custodians of Lapalala.” ~ Clive Walker

Dr George Hughes of the then Natal Parks Board, right, congratulates Dale Parker on being the first private black rhino owner in Africa in 1990. Clive Walker in the centre looks on approvingly. For more information on

LAPALALA WILDERNESS & LAPALALA CUSTODIANSHIP PROGRAMME www.lapalala.com

Contact Peter Anderson | [email protected] | +27 829002024 | +27 116562041