The new Tintswalo Lapalala Wilderness luxury lodge in the Waterberg, has partnered with the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) to introduce a unique travel experience. Groups of four guests can join park rangers on a conservation excursion to track and collar the last free-roaming pack of African wild dogs in South Africa.
The total cost of the experience is R99 500 (€6 323) per group of four. This includes the costs of the accompanying veterinarian, game rangers, sponsorship of the monitoring collar used and three nights’ luxury accommodation at the newly opened lodge with full board.
Alistair Leuner, Tintswalo Regional Manager for Safari Products, says: “Nature conservation and sustainability are major pillars of the Tintswalo product. We invite our guests to join our efforts to help ensure the freedom and sustainability of the Waterberg dogs as a free-roaming pack. Our regular safari guests may be lucky to spot the wild dogs during game drives within the 44 500-hectare reserve, but this project extends to a whole different level of personal involvement as a unique and enriching experience. We are thrilled to provide a select few guests with the opportunity to make their mark and contribute in such a meaningful way to the conservation of the wild dog species.”
Tintswalo Lapalala has also sponsored a GPS-enabled satellite collar, valued at R30 000 (€1 914), to the EWT Waterberg Wild Dogs Conservation project, enabling the researchers to track the movement of the pack in real time. The information gleaned from the collars is currently being passed on to local farmers to enable them to protect their livestock and therefore minimise the impact of negative human-animal interactions.