(Posted 05th August 2023)
This World Lion Day, (10th August 2023), Morukuru Family and the Morukuru Goodwill Foundation will celebrate their remarkable success story in lion conservation by safeguarding the future of these majestic creatures and their natural habitat while ensuring genetic diversity and a sustainable future within the population.
Lions face various threats in South Africa, including habitat loss, fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict, poaching, and illegal trade in lion parts. Thanks to donations to the Morukuru Goodwill Foundation, the guests of Morukuru Family and owners, Ed & Anka Zeeman, essential steps have been taken to ensure the well-being and preservation of the lion population.
Lions hold a crucial position with the ecosystem, exercising top-down control and regulating the populations of herbivores such as wildebeest and zebra, which in return prevents overgrazing and ensures the protection of vegetation. Yet conversely, excessive number of lions can lead to a decline in prey numbers, resulting in dense vegetation and an imbalanced ecosystem. This therefore emphasises the importance of ethical lion management in maintaining a harmonious and balanced ecosystem.
The Madiwke Game Reserve employs several measures to ensure effective lion management. In terms of health, regular vaccinations are administrated to protect against diseases such as rabies or distemper. Lion populations are monitored through genetic profiling, allowing researchers to understand the intricate connections between family trees, ensuring the genetic integrity of lions within Madikwe.
Lion movements are also recorded, providing the reserve management with insights into the seasonal movements of various prides throughout the reserve. Researchers and guides have also implemented lion contraception, preventing overpopulation within a short span of time, allowing for a balanced lion population within the reserve.
“Lion Management is more complicated than just having an optimal number within a reserve, there are multiple different aspects we need to consider. For a Lion population to be sustainable it needs cubs in the mix to ensure the population remains stable and continues with their normal behaviours.” said Shane Kloeck, Conservation & Sustainability Manager, at Morukuru Family Madikwe.
The Morukuru Goodwill Foundation recognises the urgency of addressing the challenges facing the lion population and has supported such initiatives in the Madiwke Game Reserve, ensuring the long-term sustainability of lion populations. The foundation has also been pro-active in the protection of other endangered species, including wild dog, cheetah and rhino. Through Morukuru Family’s renowned Safaris with a Purpose, a three-day interactive safari venture, guests are also able to gain first-hand experience of the conservation efforts within the Madikwe Game Reserve.
“We are so grateful to the vital role our guests play with their donations to the Morukuru Goodwill Foundation. It is such a privilege to be a part of the amazing work being done in protecting and preserving iconic species. Through contraception, vaccinations, genetic profiling, and comprehensive research. Every contribution, no matter how small, makes a significant difference in safeguarding the future of these majestic creatures and their natural habitat.” added Shane who has many years of hands on ranger experience at Morukuru Family Madikwe.
The protective measures in the Madikwe Game Reserve serves as a model as to why conservation go hand in hand with community development and sustainable tourism. The remarkable efforts of the Morukuru Goodwill Foundation and the Madiwke Game Reserve have been pivotal in protecting the lion species and is a testament to the dedication and collaborative spirit of all involved.
The Morukuru Family Properties:
Owner’s House, River House and Farm House are all part of the unique Morukuru Family experience. The ‘Houses’ as they are called, all operate on an exclusive use basis, so there are never any other guests besides those travelling with you. Guests not only have the entire property to themselves, but personal staff to attend to their every whim. Even more wonderful are the utterly private safaris – including a private vehicle and your personal guide who works with a gifted tracker to bring guests the very best that there is to offer in Madikwe Game reserve.
The three exclusive-use houses of Morukuru Family are situated in a private concession in the southeast corner of Madikwe Game Reserve, located in the North West Province of South Africa. The reserve covers over 75.000 hectares, offering guests a premier safari and wildlife experience. The malaria-free Madikwe is one of South Africa’s largest Big 5 game reserves. Its extensive grass plains are home to not just the Big 5, but also the African Wild Dog, Cheetah and a large selection of plains game, as well as over 340 species of birds.
Morukuru Family welcomes children of all ages. We have based our whole ethos around hosting families or groups of close friends. Our junior guests are allowed on game drives throughout the Madikwe Game Reserve and are able to enjoy every magical aspect of being on safari with their parents. Children are kept busy with baking, kiddie-adventures, swimming, fishing and much more. We also offer a babysitting service.
Our Morukuru Freedom Concept has been designed to offer our guests total freedom with regards to the activities and the meals they prefer to enjoy. Our guests can decide whatever they want to do, whenever they want, with no fixed time schedule. Each of the three exclusive-use houses comes with 8 staff, including your own private guide, tracker, host, butler, chef and housekeeping staff.
