Tag Archives: rhino conservation

African Travel Donates Funds to Help Support Rhino Conservation at Shamwari Game Reserve

Celebrating 26 years of “conserving a vanishing way of life,” Shamwari Game Reserve has worked to rehabilitate and consolidate their 25,000 hectares of land so that the flora and fauna may flourish.  African Travel’s $100 per couple donation in their name will go towards the building of the rhino boma at Shamwari. a haven to rehabilitate injured or orphaned rhino until they are strong enough to be released back into the wild.

BOCA RATON, Fla. As World Rhino Day approaches, African Travel, Inc. encourages travelers to celebrate the species and support the future of these critically endangered animals.

In honor of The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) 100-year anniversary, African Travel, Inc., will donate $100 per couple traveling on the Majestic South Africa itinerary in support of rhino conservation.

This incredible 10-day journey begins in Cape Town, the stunning port city crowned by the natural beauty of Table Mountain.   Over four nights, guests will enjoy 5-stary luxury at the Table Bay Hotel on the vibrant Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and feast on African, Afrikaans and European flavors at the hotel’s Camissa Brasserie.  From its culinary scene, to its natural beauty, the best of South Africa’s Mother City is revealed as guests explore the majestic coastline of the Cape Peninsula, the crowd-pleasing penguins of Boulders Beach, or the rich and charming winelands of Franschhoek, the gourmet capital of the Cape.

A different kind of beauty unfolds as guests fly to Port Elizabeth and transfer by road to Shamwari Private Game Reserve.  This premier safari lodge encompasses 61,000 acres of vast, ever-changing vegetation and multitudes of different animal and bird species.

Celebrating 26 years of “conserving a vanishing way of life,” Shamwari Game Reserve has worked to rehabilitate and consolidate their 25,000 hectares of land so that the flora and fauna may flourish.  The $100 per couple donation in their name will go towards the building of the rhino boma at Shamwari. a haven to rehabilitate injured or orphaned rhino until they are strong enough to be released back into the wild. Guest can also visit the Shamwari Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre which helps to rehabilitate and care for sick, injured, abandoned or orphaned animals under the care of their professional veterinary team. Once these animals have been nursed back to health, they are released back into their natural habitat.

“We exist because our goal in life is to make travel matter.  It’s our responsibility to protect some of the species most at risk from extinction in the places we visit, and we are extremely passionate about rhino conservation” said Sherwin Banda, president, African Travel, Inc.  “At Shamwari, this is something our guests will experience first-hand and we’re proud that we’re able to support sustainable tourism through this effort.”

At Shamwari, guests will enjoy twice-daily game drives and nature walks and stay three nights at the cliffside Eagles Crag Lodge, which offers the ultimate in luxury, privacy and spectacular scenery.  Priced from $6,195 per person.

For a bird’s eye view of Shamwari and African Travel, Inc.’s partnership and support of them, enjoy this video.

To book African Travel, Inc. at (800) 421-8907, or visit www.africantravelinc.com.

Follow African Travel, Inc. on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and join the conversation using the hashtag #WeKnowAfrica

Created as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands, the TreadRight Foundation is a not-for-profit that works to help ensure the environment and communities we visit remain for generations to come. To date, TreadRight has supported some 40 sustainable tourism projects worldwide. To learn more about our past and current work at TreadRight, visit us at TreadRight.org

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Natural Habitat Adventures Introduces “Namibia: In Search of the Desert Rhino” Safari Expedition

NatHabitat-Namibia3Natural Habitat Adventures has created a safari expedition for travelers to learn about Namibia’s endangered black rhinoceros

BOULDER, CO– Natural Habitat Adventures has created a safari expedition led by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) scientists and rhino conservation experts for travelers to learn about Namibia’s endangered black rhinoceros.

Namibia: In Search of the Desert Rhino, offered this fall and next, provides a chance to track this rare animal that survives in the Namib Desert, one of the harshest environments on Earth. The trip is the second in the “In Search Of” series developed by Nat Hab and WWF, which began in 2013 with “In Search of the Snow Leopard” in Mongolia.

Guests will travel alongside local researchers, WWF experts and personnel from Save the Rhino Trust, learning firsthand about crucial measures WWF has pioneered in tandem with local community groups to protect the desert rhino and other threatened species. With the support of the Namibian government, such efforts have made Namibia a global conservation leader.

“These are unprecedented opportunities to meet with experts that have been arranged specifically for this trip and are not included on any standard Namibia safari,” said Ben Bressler, founder and president of Nat Hab.

The desert rhino remains critically endangered because of rising demand for rhino horn, largely among Asian consumers who believe it has value in folk remedies; this has driven poaching to record levels.

The new 10-day safari starts at $9,895 per person, double (single supplement $2,295) with departures Sept. 29 and Oct. 17, 2015 and 2016. The rate includes scheduled light aircraft flights, accommodations, airport transfers, meals, non-alcoholic drinks at camps and in vehicles, house alcoholic beverages in camps, services of a Nat Hab Expedition Leader, local guides and lodge staff, some gratuities, all permits, entrance fees and taxes. See: http://www.nathab.com/africa/namibia-in-search-of-the-desert-rhino/

Guests, limited to 12 per trip, will track the desert rhino and other desert-adapted species, including elephant, by vehicle and on foot throughout Namibia’s vast wilderness expanses. Varied habitats, from the arid wastes of Damaraland to the savannas and saltpans of Etosha, sustain a surprisingly diverse and vital wildlife population.

Private reserves, such as the Palmwag and Ongava concessions, are central to the experience. From the Ongava Reserve adjacent to popular Etosha National Park guests can view an abundance of wildlife without the presence of other visitors. Certain activities prohibited in national parks are offered as well, such as guided bush walks for an intimate perspective on the landscape and its wild inhabitants, and night drives in search of nocturnal animals.

One of Namibia’s top naturalist guides, Franco Morao, guides this special safari. A Namibia native, he has worked at camps and lodges throughout the country and holds a Level 3 national guiding certificate, the highest achievement possible in Namibia. In addition, as with all Nat Hab Expedition Leaders, Franco has received additional resources and training provided by WWF’s leading scientists, including those on the forefront of rhino conservation.

Guests travel in light aircraft, private mini vans, and top-of-the-line 4×4 safari vehicles with a window seat for each person. Flight transfers between destinations maximize time with wildlife. Accommodations are a highlight in their own right, with a focus on isolated, small-scale luxury camps featuring spacious individual tents with private verandas for secluded viewing.

The safari begins and ends in Namibia’s capital, Windhoek. From here guests travel to Desert Rhino Camp in the heart of the private million-acre Palmwag Concession in far-northwest Namibia. Few safari locales offer the privacy and isolation found amidst this expansive tract of desert wilderness. Several freshwater springs support healthy populations of wildlife including the camp’s namesake and the trip’s primary focus — the desert-adapted black rhino (Diceros bicornis bicornis). The largest, free-ranging black rhino population anywhere in the world lives here, as well as desert-adapted elephant, endemic Hartmann’s mountain zebra, giraffe, gemsbok, oryx, springbok and greater kudu. Namibia’s second-largest predator population thrives here, too, with more than 100 lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena. Birds are also abundant, including a number of southern African endemics.

Nat Hab and WWF have been working together since 2003 to provide conservation travel adventures exemplified by the “In Search Of” series.

“Twelve clients signed up for the first exploratory trip, and together with some of the world’s foremost snow leopard experts they journeyed to the far-western edge of Mongolia to visit two national parks where WWF Mongolia is performing important snow leopard research. Our guests were so moved by the experience that they came home and raised more than $20,000 for further snow leopard research in the region,” said Bressler, who hopes that this trip will similarly raise awareness about the black rhinoceros.

Natural Habitat Adventures is a world leader in responsible adventure travel and nature-based ecotourism. Since its founding in 1985, the company has offered eco-conscious expeditions and wildlife-focused small-group tours to the planet’s most remarkable nature destinations. Inspired and created from years of scouring the planet for the singular and extraordinary, Nat Hab’s itineraries are artfully crafted experiences that are far from “typical.” Trips are guided by professional naturalist Expedition Leaders, and Nat Hab enjoys a longstanding reputation for hiring some of the world’s best guides. Conservation is at the forefront of everything NHA does, and its philosophy is simple: tourism must work with and benefit local communities, which will in turn find value in protecting natural resources and wildlife. NHA is proud to be the travel partner of World Wildlife Fund, sharing a mutual commitment to travel as a means of helping to protect the world’s wondrous natural places.

For trip information, descriptive itineraries, date availability and reservations, call 800.543.8917 or visit http://www.nathab.com/. Click HERE to order a copy of the 2015 catalog.

 

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