Safari with heart: the N/a’an ku sê Foundation and Buffelsdrift Game Reserve

Here at Buffelsdrift Game Reserve we believe wildlife and the safari experience is more than just a tourist event. It’s a way to boost conservation, preserve our precious wildlife heritage and bolster the local communities who make this unique landscape so incredible. That’s why we established the Buffelsdrift N/a’an ku sê foundation to give back to the land that provides so beautifully for us and our guests.More about the foundationFunds for the Buffelsdrift N/a’an ku sê foundation derive from tourism activities on the reserve, as well as generous support from external funders. With those funds, we focus on ensuring long-term, sustainable conservation for the wild populations on the reserve, as well as endangered species throughout the reserve catchment area and beyond.It’s not all about the wildlife, however. The foundation also tends to the Vrederust school that lies close to the reserve. We help bypass the limitations of Government funding, allowing the school to focus on the business of educating the young minds that will make up our futures.Support for the Mangetti conservancy areaThe foundation is also assisting with bolstering wildlife conflict resolution in the Mangetti area of north-east Namibia. Here we’re seeing 125 free-roaming elephants creating conflict with commercial farming activities. We assisted towards the monitoring of this herd through a collar-style GPS tracker. The teams working on the ground here use these camera traps and satellite tracking to help all parties successfully sustain their goals. The Mangetti project also focuses on the endangered wild dog, where low prey numbers in their natural habitat have driven them to the land of cattle farmers in the area. With support from groups like us, this valuable wildlife project can continue to help man and the land work together towards our future.Buffelsdrift’s own elephantsThe Mangetti elephants aren’t the only ones to benefit from the foundation. We focus strongly on the animals of the environs close to Buffelsdrift, particularly the lion and elephant populations you will meet on your trip. The three elephants currently in residence at Buffelsdrift were all calves from poached herds, meaning they came from extreme high-risk circumstances where only the foundation’s ‘interference’ have ensured their survival. While we would have rather seen them as part of their wild natural habitat, the need to be human-raised creates circumstances where the safest environment for them is a less wild life. This is why they serve as beacons of hope at Buffelsdrift, facilitating education through monitored, welfare-conscious interaction and enjoying life on the reserve in a positive and safe environment free from cruelty, abuse and the risks that a human-raised orphan will face in a fully natural environment.Our elephant excursions help with funding towards the procurement of tracking collars- as with the Mangetti elephants- which in turn help mitigate conflicts between wild elephants and human populations.This work towards conflict mitigation is a primary focus of the foundation, hoping to contribute meaningfully to this multifaceted and complex issue through empowerment, education, development and mentorship as well as conservation efforts. We’re proud to be able to stand firm in our values and offer you a true chance to not only experience, but also contribute towards the future of Africa’s exceptional animals and the people who call this land home.