RESTOREDย  PROTECTEDย  PRESERVEDย  WILD

Zuka Private Game Reserve is the cornerstone property of a pioneering land assembly founded by Tara and Jessica Getty in 2001. Today, this progressive rewilding project has thus far expanded to 10,300 hectares of environmentally restored and protected northern Zululand and stands as a beacon of light as to what is possible on our planet.

1990 – The Beginning of the Story

ย โ€œCaring for wilderness, wildlife and people is multifaceted. There are many models. This is ours.โ€

~ TARA GETTY ~

ย โ€œCaring for wilderness, wildlife and people is multifaceted. There are many models. This is ours.โ€

~ TARA GETTY ~

Where we are

Zuka Private Game Reserve is 10,300 hectares of the Munywanaย Conservancy, a formal Protected Area bordering a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

Zuka Private Game Reserveโ€™s proximity to the Indian Ocean, and the Lebombo Mountains creates dramatic topography with varied geology and soils from the ancient sea bed and historic volcanic activity; in turn supporting an array of habitats and vast biodiversity.

Map of the countries of Africa and where Zuka Private Game Reserve lies
Zuka Private Game Reserve is feature in National Geographic Traveller Middle East and Africa
THE STARTย ย 

Zukaโ€™s co-founder Tara Getty traveled and worked in Africa in his early twenties. He fell in love with this wilderness area of Zululand in the northern reaches of Kwa-Zulu Natal and never looked back.ย 
ย 
A Wild Constellation traces the story back to where it all began.ย 

#AWildConstellationย 
#Zuka25Years

...

217 42

...

100 4
LION ENERGY

World Lion Day falls within this time known as the Lionโ€™s Gate Portal, a period in the year when our planet Earth is aligned with the sun and the brightest star in the sky - Sirius, bathing us in extra light and energy!ย ย ย 

Positioned in this Leo season is World Lion Day, which asks for a moment of awareness of these big cats, the importance of conserving them and, preserving their place in the natural system.ย ย 

Today we hope our lions inspire your deepest courage with an invitation to dream your biggest! 

โœจ๐ŸŒž๐Ÿ’ซ๐Ÿฆโ™Œ๏ธ๐Ÿฆ๐Ÿงก๐Ÿฆโ™Œ๏ธ๐Ÿฆ๐Ÿ’ซ๐ŸŒžย โœจ

#WorldLionDayย 
#LionsGateย 
#Courageย 
#DreamBigย 
#ThisIsZuka

...

72 8
GREEN FRONTIERSย 

Zuka is part of nearly 30,000 hectares of protected wilderness.ย ย 

Zukaโ€™s 10,000 hectares has helped this land assembly to expand and become the Munywana Conservancy.ย ย 

Protecting, restoring and connecting wilderness - our endeavour from the beginning.ย 

#AWildConstellation
#Zuka25

...

145 6
CELEBRATING

Twenty-five years under the same wild sky.โ€ฏย 

A Wild Constellationโ€ฏpremieres 19.09.26.ย 

#AWildConstellation
#Zuka25

...

326 78
A WILD CONSTELLATIONย 

Twenty-five years ago, a wild idea took root in the South African bush.ย ย 
ย 
This September we share the story of how it became Zuka.ย 
ย 
ย โ€œA Wild Constellationโ€ film premieres at this yearโ€™s Wildlifeย Ranger Challenge in September.ย ๐Ÿงก

#AWildConstellationย ย 
#Zuka25

...

74 23
WORLD RANGER DAY 

Today on World Ranger Day, we honour the remarkable men and women who dedicate their lives to protecting wildlife, safeguarding biodiversity and caring for landscapes and seascapes that sustain us all.

To our wildlife guardians, rangers, trackers and conservation staff here at Zuka, our greater Munywana Conservancy and all who share this work far beyond our bounds here - thank you for your endurance and care.

#WorldRangerDay
#Wilderness
#FloraandFauna
#Inspired
#ForWildlifeRangers

...

85 15
EARLY LEARNINGย ย 

For the first two months or so, a lioness will keep her cubs safely hidden away and unseen, in a secret protected โ€œdenโ€, only leaving them when she must hunt for herself.ย 
ย 
When the cubs emerge, they are still totally dependent on her for the next few months - nursing, playing, learning to eat meat and how to hunt.ย ย 
ย 
Staying with their mother for around two years, the cubsโ€™ relationship with her is crucial crucial for their learning and survival.ย ย 

#LionCubsย 
#LionPrideย 
#wildlifephotographer 
#AfricanBigCatsย 
#ThisIsZuka

...

57 0
BIODIVERSITY

Biodiversity is the extraordinary variety of life that shares our planet and together with the habitats they depend upon and the relationships that connect them. 

This web of life enables all life and systems to thrive.

Large wildlife often becomes the most visible symbol of biodiversity, but of course, their presence โ€“ as well as our own as humans โ€“ is only possible because of the support of an immense cast of smaller, often unseen life โ€“ pollinating insects, healthy soil, fungi, grasses, microbes and water bodies.

While we protect wildlife, we are also safeguarding the living systems that sustain them.  We are protecting biodiversity itself: the richness and interconnectedness of life on Earth.

#Biodiversity
#Wilderness
#Wildlife
#Conservation
#ThisIsZuka

...

98 7
WORLD CUP FINAL energy โœจ

Meet our starting eleven!

Team Zuka stationed for kick off ๐Ÿ† โšฝ๏ธ

#TeamZuka
#FIFAWorldCup
#FIFAWorldCup2026Final
#WorldCupFinal
#ThisisZuka

...

84 2
PHOTOGRAPHY

Patience and rewards in wildlife photography - capturing cheetah and wild dog in the same frame! ๐Ÿ“ธ

#Cheetah 
#Wilddog 
#WildlifePhotography 
#AfricanWildlife 
#ThisIsZuka

...

77 1
SAFARI

๐Ÿฆ’Safari /sษ™หˆfษ‘หri/ (noun)โ€จ
From the Swahili word meaning โ€œjourneyโ€. A purposeful passage through wild places, where observation becomes understanding and every encounter deepens our connection with the natural world.

๐Ÿฆ’Journey /หˆdส’ษœหni/ (noun)
โ€จA passage from one place to another; an experience that changes the traveller.

๐Ÿฆ’Journey of giraffes (collective noun)

As a journey of giraffes moves quietly through our Zuka landscape, the meaning of safari comes full circle๐ŸŒ

#Safari
#Giraffes
#Journey
#WildPlaces
ThisIsZuk

...

80 4
OCEANS WITHOUT BORDERS

One of our earliest beneficiaries, and a longstanding commitment of Ocean Family Foundation is @oceanswithoutborders.

Across the western Indian Ocean, Oceans Without Borders works at the intersection of science, community and conservation - from the coral reefs of Mozambique, to the seagrass meadows of Tanzania, and the rich coastal ecosystems of Kenya and South Africa.

The projects within Oceans Without Borders include:

๐Ÿฆˆ Apex Predators 
๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿพ Community Development 
๐Ÿ™ Reef Diversity
๐Ÿชธ Coral Reef Restoration
๐ŸŽฃ Fisheries & Food Security
๐Ÿ”Š Ocean Soundscapes 
๐Ÿข Sea Turtles 
๐ŸŒ Seascape Mapping & Monitoring
๐Ÿ’š Terrestrial Biodiversity 
๐Ÿณ Whales & Dolphins

This work is practical, visible, interconnected and effective, with partner communities, key stakeholders and school aged children who will inherit the impact of today.

Guided by Marine Programme Manager and Principal Scientist Dr Camilla Floros, Oceans Without Borders continues to help us better understand these seascapes and how we may protect them.

This work is positively safeguarding the health of our oceans, strengthening ecosystems, and supporting communities connected to these natural systems that sustain us.

#MarineConservation
#ScientificResearch
#CommunityDevelopment
#Collaboration
#ThisIsZuka

...

101 5
CELEBRATING 

๐Ÿ’™World Sea Turtle Day today!๐Ÿชธ

๐Ÿ“ท@ta_devs๐Ÿคฟ
๐ŸŽฌ@its_jamie_lucas 

#SeaTurtles
#WorldSeaTurtleDay2025
#OceanMonth
#Turtles
#TurtleHatchlings

...

59 3
Bayala Private Safari Lodge and Camp
Nkonka Private Game Reserve Logo
Sungulwane Private Game Lodge Logo
ukhuni game lodge logo
Bayala Private Safari Lodge and Camp
Nkonka Private Game Reserve Logo
Sungulwane Private Game Lodge Logo
ukhuni game lodge logo
Bayala Private Safari Lodge and Camp
Nkonka Private Game Reserve Logo
Sungulwane Private Game Lodge Logo

โ€œCourage is the measure of our heartfelt participation with life, with another, with a community, a work; a future.โ€

~ DAVID WHYTE ~

โ€œCourage is the measure of our heartfelt participation with life, with another, with a community, a work; a future.โ€

~ DAVID WHYTE ~

Engage with us

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!