FOLLOWING the donation of eight kilometres of fencing and electrification by a US benefactor, the first phase of the Pongola Game Reserve in north-eastern KwaZulu Natal's "Space for Elephants" project is once more on track for completion.
Dr Heinz Kohrs from the Pongola Reserve explained that Mrs Fleur Wales-Baillie's, founding director of the Khumbula Thina Trust, donation is a "major boost for conservation and tourism" as the development of the project had to be put on hold due to lack of funds - until now.
"The sponsored fence has made it possible to incorporate the pristine Ubombo Wilderness area into the Pongola Game Reserve and bring us a step closer to the main objective of Space for Elephants, which is to develop elephant corridors linking several reserves in Maputaland, Swaziland and Zululand to reinstate old elephant migratory routes."
He says the second phase of the project - a joint initiative between Khumbula Thina Trust and Pongola - will be to link the Pongola with the Mkuze Game Reserve via the Ubombo Mountain Nature reserve and Mkuze River near Tshaneni (better known as Ghost Mountain).
According to Kohrs, similar projects are being looked at in the Ndumo Reserve, to link up with Swaziland's protected areas via the Ingavuma Valley and Temba Elephant Park, linking up south via the Muzi Swamps with Mkuze Reserve and Great St Lucia Wetland Park.
(Adele Mackenzie)
