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South Africa's Great Karoo: A Rewilding Success
23 Aug
Summary
- 11 livestock farms transformed into a 67,000-acre wildlife reserve.
- Cheetahs returned after a 130-year absence, followed by rhinos and lions.
- The reserve now aims to create an ecological corridor connecting national parks.
In 1997, Sarah and Mark Tompkins began restoring a degraded part of South Africa's Great Karoo. Their ambitious project converted 11 former livestock farms into the 67,000-acre Samara Reserve, enabling land recovery and wildlife return.
The reserve focused on rehabilitating the land and reintroducing species absent for over a century. Cheetahs were reintroduced in 2004, marking their return after 130 years. This was followed by the reintroduction of various herbivores like eland and white rhinoceros.
Significant milestones continued with the return of desert-adapted black rhinoceros in 2013 and elephants in 2017, absent for an estimated 150 years. Lions were reintroduced in 2019 after nearly 180 years, re-establishing apex predators.
Today, Samara hosts over 60 mammal species, including the Big Five, and 225 bird species. The reserve now serves as a tourist destination offering safaris and aims to create an ecological corridor linking three national parks.
