2021

While celebrating 20 years of restoring, protecting and preserving the wild that is Zuka Private Game Reserve, Tara and Jessica created Getty Asterism.

At this stage, our first 20 years of rewilding, conservation and preservation had shown us the possibilities of wilderness restoration. Throughout this time, we attracted some passionate individuals and by formalising this growing team, with their extraordinary discoveries across the reserve, we created Getty Asterism as a multifaceted ecology venture.

Getty Asterism, as an alchemy of Zuka Private Game Reserve, research, scientists, opportunities, solutions and a platform is dedicated to research opportunities for students, to craft formal scientific projects, for ecological innovations and partnerships and to be the heart of the interrelated areas of land, wildlife and humanity on Zuka Private Game Reserve.

This fully funded vehicle and unique department gives the opportunity to individuals to settle into the reserve, work on ideas, make discoveries, innovate and sensitively apply solutions, and for us to expand the integrated conservation model that is Zuka Private Game Reserve. This freedom and innovation could mean that our impact evolves and ripples outwards to be significant in the future.

2001 – 2021

Words by Jessica Getty

Nature.

Thriving and beauteous in her perfection, she needs nothing from us.

We are called to be with her and to watch, witness, observe and learn. Nature is our axis that inspires an instinct to revolve around her and respond.

Zuka is our response.

Under our auspices since 2001, Zuka has an infinitely wide matrix of history before it and around it; angles, truths, humans and circumstances that account for and construct a different beginning before our own. For Tara and me, to put Zuka and our personal commitment in to context, 1990 is the rightful starting point to our story and the germination of what would birth 10 years later: Zuka Private Game Reserve.

Zuka is one of myriad examples around the world of the common point where humanity meets the natural world in order to protect her.

Every minute since 2001 has been filled with nature playing her role, there for us to coexist, to immerse in wonder. Simultaneously, every minute since 2001, has been filled with the best intentions from a vast human collective connected to Zuka. All those minutes have turned in to days and years threaded together bringing us to this place in time, 2021, where we allow ourselves a pause, to notice and celebrate.

We honour 20 years of this collective of human hearts, attributes and actions. These humans have been on board and held on tight over 20 years with tenacity, expertise, passion, kindness, willingness, loyalty and mercifully, a sense of humour!

2021 is our vantage point to look back, be here, notice Zuka quietly thriving and with gratitude and vigour, go onwards.

2020

Words by Musa Msweli
House Manager Zuka House & Gladstones

Food insecurity is a reality for many South African households with approximately 50% of households living below the poverty line and unable to afford food for basic healthy eating.

The spread of the 2020 global Covid-19 pandemic across South Africa added pressure to vulnerable households as they faced temporary or permanent employment interruptions. In addition, the primary care givers of these households had more mouths to feed with children that previously benefited from the national school feeding programme.

From the outset, and through the lockdowns of Covid-19, Zuka Private Game Reserve, responded to what quickly became the most urgent needs of our surrounding communities: food and personal protection.

We put our human resources, funding and donations in to compiling, transporting and distributing much needed food parcels, masks, sanitisers and essentials.

During these critical months, Zuka Private Game Reserve delivered these essentials to 10,500 people in urgent need of assistance in KwaNgwenya and Mnqobokazi.

Our gratitude to all who participated, for your kind and generous support.

2020

It is estimated Tembe Elephant Park, situated in northern Zululand, is home to the largest concentration of Big Tuskers anywhere in Africa.

Although these giants once roamed freely across the Pongola River between South Africa and Mozambique, in 1989 as a result of frequent poaching incidences in Mozambique, a fence was erected to contain the elephant population within the Tembe Park.

A 30,000 hectare reserve limiting them, their population grew to such an extent that Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the custodians of the Tembe Elephant Park, took the decision to relocate a number of bulls and small family groups to other reserves within South Africa.

The Munywana Conservancy, seized the opportunity to help out with this relocation programme and in September 2020, two adult bulls (29 and 39 years old) arrived on the conservancy.

Since their introduction, these placid giants, fitted with GSM collars for monitoring, have settled into their new environment, integrating already with the existing herds bringing an additional gene pool and boosting our elephant population.

This success prompted the relocation of a further 11 animails from Tembe Elephant Park to the Munywana Conservancy in 2021 .

Tembe Elephant Park