Corporate Affairs
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ver the last 100 years of formal conservation in KwaZulu-Natal, this large world class organisation, Ezvemvelo KZN Wildlife, has regularly achievedlocal, national and international acclaim for its continued outstanding contribution to conservation and eco-tourism. Probably the best known conservation success story is bringing the white rhino back from the brink of extinction. Major highlights include the declaration of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, and the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park as a World Heritage Sites - the culmination of years of dedicated conservation work.
Our eco-tourism destinations are some of the finest in the world. These regularly win top international awards and are the destination of choice for more than 1 000 000 visitors annually. The climate and wildlife diversity in the region is dramatic. This, together with the Zulu culture, makes KwaZulu Natal and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife a must to visit by any visitor to Southern Africa.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has the largest and most prestigious wildlife auction in Africa. Here excess animals are sold live to private wildlife areas predominantly in Southern Africa. This programme has assisted in increasing the wildlife populations of KwaZulu-Natal to levels that exceed precolonial days. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is the forerunner of successful private conservation initiatives and traditional community involvement in the business of conservation and tourism.
Approximately a third of KwaZulu-Natal is under some form of private conservation. Traditional communities benefit directly from the protected areas through managed natural resource use, craft markets, partnerships in eco-tourism developments and through a tourism levy. The establishment of Local Boards who have direct participation in the management decisions relating to parks is another first for the Organisation. Ezemvelo is the Zulu term for the concept of the environment, while wildlife covers all aspects of biodiversity, including animal and plant life, land forms and ecosystems.