Year 1
Year 1 activities begin with the governance and planning phase, which includes fundraising and financial planning, legal and contractual agreements, and collaboration between organisations, followed by recruiting required staff and determining local support structures while surveying the location for the reserve and beginning the process of designating and purchasing the land for the Rewilding Reserve. We are currently at the land surveying stage (Year 1, Q3). We hope to be able to purchase the land in Year 1, Q3 or Q4. Once the land has been purchased, we will establish our field station and regularly host research and volunteer groups that will contribute to developing the reserve and collecting baseline data while generating income. The property on the reserve will be rented out through Airbnb and other booking platforms to generate revenue during the development phase.
Furthermore, we will launch a high-donor program at the reserve to engage key contributors in creating the Rewilding Reserve. This program includes exclusive presentations, brainstorming sessions, and personalised discussions, allowing high donors to actively participate in shaping the future of the reserve. Our goal is to cultivate meaningful relationships with these funders, ensuring their involvement in realising the vision of the Rewilding Reserve from the very beginning. Through this program, donors will gain a deep understanding of our ambitious conservation efforts and the impact of their contributions, fostering a collaborative partnership that extends beyond financial support. While this occurs, the first elephants to be introduced to the reserve will be identified and assessed while negotiations with cooperating entities begin. Once the elephants have been identified and their readiness for rewilding confirmed, we will initiate a targeted fundraising campaign to garner financial support for the transition of these elephants back into the wild.
Year 2
Year 2 will be focused on initiating communication and collaboration, marketing and fundraising, and finalising land acquisition and legal agreements for the reserve. Extensive facility design and implementation of fencing and infrastructure will also be initiated. Once land is acquired, the Ecological and Elephant Management Plans on size and ecological demographics will be developed. All permits and required permissions will be drafted and acquired, and proclaiming it a Nature Reserve will be initiated to ensure its security as a reserve into perpetuity.
Year 3
Year 3 will consist of completing infrastructure development, including fencing, buildings, vehicle and equipment acquisition and preparation, bomas, and all other supporting utilities. Once infrastructure is finalised, the Rewilding Reserve can accept elephants when negotiations for elephant procurement are finalised. Translocation plans will be developed, and the necessary support systems will be established. Upon completion of these preparations, the arrival of the first elephants to the Rewilding Reserve can be scheduled. Scientific monitoring and assessments will be designed and implemented.
Efforts to create wildlife corridors and connect surrounding lands will continue, further promoting range expansion and the restoration of rewilded landscapes. An exclusive ecotourism experience will be launched, offering high-end wildlife safaris with a private chef and ranger. Guests will enjoy a unique, personal introduction to the rewilding of elephants, an inspiring experience that cannot be found anywhere else. The reintegration process will continue as elephants continually move through the various phases and are rewilded. Land extension and expansion of rewilding efforts and further collaboration in rewilding other wildlife will continue.
Note: As the Elephant Park Game Farm, currently on the market, already has much of the necessary infrastructure in place, the expected timeline for establishing the rewilding reserve could be significantly reduced. Once the land has been purchased, we expect to introduce elephants within two years, considering permits and property development requirements.
Rewilding Elephants 