Thula Thula

Last updated
Thula Thula Private Game Reserve
South Africa adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of the reserve
Location KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa
Nearest town Empangeni, South Africa
Coordinates 28°35′24″S31°45′27″E / 28.59000°S 31.75750°E / -28.59000; 31.75750
Area4500ha
Established1911
www.thulathula.com

Thula Thula Private Game Reserve is a private game reserve situated in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. It is part of the Royal Zulu Biosphere.

Contents

Thula Thula means ‘peace and tranquility’ in Zulu.

History

Thula Thula was once the private hunting grounds of the mighty Zulu Warrior, King Shaka. The first historic meeting between Shaka and his father, Senzangakhona, which set the stage for the creation of the Zulu Nation. [1] took place at the Nseleni River at Thula Thula.

The land became a game reserve in 1911 and is believed[ by whom? ] to be the oldest private game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal.

The game reserve has two lodges.

Owners

Thula Thula was owned by international conservationist and founder of the Earth Organization, Lawrence Anthony and his wife Francoise Malby-Anthony. Later, the Earth Organization was separated from Thula Thula, and Francoise Malby-Anthony founded the South African Conservation Fund to operate Thula Thula. [2] Anthony died in 2012 and the reserve is now run by his wife Francoise Malby-Anthony. The reserve is the setting for Lawrence's books The Elephant Whisperer (2009) and The Last Rhino (2012). In 2018 Francoise Malby-Anthony published a sequel to Lawrence's book An Elephant in my Kitchen (2018) [3] [4]

Wildlife

Thula Thula is home to a wide variety of animals, including African bush elephant, Cape buffalo, southern white rhinoceros, African leopard, South African giraffe, zebra, nyala, hyena, Nile crocodile, kudu, wildebeest as well as other indigenous species. Over 350 species of birdlife has been identified, including a breeding population of white-backed vulture.

Conservation

Since Lawrence's death in 2012, his wife Francoise has started various conservation projects including a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and a Conservation Volunteer Camp. For her effort in conservation Francoise was awarded the French Abroad Award at the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs in Paris in March 2019. [5]

Elephants

In 1999 Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of 'rogue' wild elephants from Mpumalanga onto Thula Thula which were destined to be shot unless alternative arrangements could be made. The herd was housed in a boma on Thula Thula but managed to break free and escape. The elephants were successfully tracked, recovered and transported back to Thula Thula. The story of their rehabilitation and Lawrence's subsequent relationship with the herd is told in his book The Elephant Whisperer. The elephant herd, including Nana, Frankie and Mabula are still at Thula Thula as of 2018. The herd had grown to 29 elephants as of 2018. The matriarch Frankie died of a liver failure in January 2021, leaving 28 elephants remaining at Thula Thula. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zulu people</span> Nguni ethnic group in Southern Africa

Zulu people are a Nguni ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, with an estimated 10–12 million people, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pietermaritzburg</span> Capital city of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its Zulu name umGungundlovu is the name used for the Umgungundlovu District Municipality. Pietermaritzburg is popularly called Maritzburg in Afrikaans, English and Zulu alike, and often informally abbreviated to PMB. It is a regionally important industrial hub, producing aluminium, timber and dairy products, as well as the main economic hub of Umgungundlovu District Municipality. The public sector is a major employer in the city due to local, district and provincial government offices located here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park</span> Nature reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park, formerly Hluhluwe–Umfolozi Game Reserve, is the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa. It consists of 960 km² of hilly topography 280 kilometres (170 mi) north of Durban in central KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and is known for its rich wildlife and conservation efforts. Operated by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the park is the only state-run park in KwaZulu-Natal where each of the big five game animals can be found.

The Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area was born out of the Peace Park Foundation’s vision to establish a network of transfrontier conservation areas in southern Africa. It straddles the border between South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, southern Mozambique, and Eswatini.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phinda Private Game Reserve</span> Private game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal

Phinda Private Game Reserve, formerly known as Phinda Resource Reserve, is a 170 km2 (66 sq mi) private game reserve situated in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, between the Mkuze Game Reserve and the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park. Designated in 1990, Phinda is derived from a Zulu phrase "Phinda Izilwane" meaning 'return of wildlife', or more accurately 'do again'.

KwaDukuza, previously known as Stanger, is a city in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In 2006, the municipal name was changed to KwaDukuza, but the Zulu people in the area called it "Dukuza" well before then.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is a governmental organisation responsible for maintaining wildlife conservation areas and biodiversity in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Their headquarters is in Queen Elizabeth Park situated on the northern slopes of Pietermaritzburg, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial capital. Prior to 1994, it was known as the Natal Parks Board.

KwaZulu-Natal is one of the most diverse provinces in South Africa in terms of its fauna and flora. Many of its wide variety of ecosystems have been preserved as parks and reserves, which are popular tourist attractions. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is a governmental agency that maintains the wildlife conservation areas in the province. 

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hluhluwe</span> Place in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Hluhluwe is a small town in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is situated between iSimangaliso Wetland Park and Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park on the banks of the Hluhluwe River. Hluhluwe is situated on the elephant coast, an area known for its national parks, natural diversity and cultural heritage. Although relatively undeveloped the area is of growing interest to international tourists and travelers. Several local and international movies have been filmed in Hluhluwe, such as I Dreamed of Africa,Ghost Son, and documentaries filmed in the surrounding national parks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mkuze</span> Place in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Mkuze, also named Mkhuze or uMkhuze is a small town in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is located approximately 350 km from the city of Durban. It is along the N2 road en route to Johannesburg, Eswatini and Mozambique; between the Mkuze River and Intaba Yemikhovu. Mkuze is some distance from other small towns such as Hluhluwe (50 km), Nongoma (76 km), Pongola (65 km), and Jozini (25 km). Mkuze is the seat of Umkhanyakude District Municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tembe Elephant Park</span>

Tembe Elephant Park is a 30 012 ha game reserve in Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is adjacent to Ndumo Game Reserve.

Phongolo Nature Reserve is an Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife reserve in Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The reserve is 10,485 ha in extent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KwaZulu–Cape coastal forest mosaic</span> Subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of South Africa

The Kwazulu-Cape coastal forest mosaic is a subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of South Africa. It covers an area of 17,800 square kilometers (6,900 sq mi) in South Africa's Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maputaland coastal forest mosaic</span> Subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion on the Indian Ocean coast of Southern Africa.

The Maputaland coastal forest mosaic is a subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion on the Indian Ocean coast of Southern Africa. It covers an area of 29,961 square kilometres (11,568 sq mi) in southern Mozambique, Eswatini, and the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. Mozambique's capital Maputo lies within the ecoregion.

Lawrence Anthony was an international conservationist, environmentalist, explorer and bestselling author. He was the long-standing head of conservation at the Thula Thula animal reserve in Zululand, South Africa, and the Founder of The Earth Organization, a privately registered, independent, international conservation and environmental group with a strong scientific orientation. He was an international member of the esteemed Explorers Club of New York and a member of the National Council of the Southern Africa Association for the Advancement of Science, South Africa's oldest scientific association.

Babylon's Ark, The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo (2007) is a book by South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony, with writer Graham Spence. The book tells of the struggle to save the Baghdad Zoo during the US-led Coalition invasion of Iraq.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zulu Kingdom</span> 1816–1897 state in southern Africa

The Zulu Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Zulu Empire or the Kingdom of Zululand, was a monarchy in Southern Africa. During the 1810s, Shaka established a modern standing army that consolidated rival clans and built a large following which ruled a wide expanse of Southern Africa that extended along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela River in the south to the Pongola River in the north.

<i>An Elephant in My Kitchen</i> 2018 book

An Elephant in my Kitchen, published in July 2018 by Pan Macmillan in London, is the first book written by South African author and conservationist Françoise Malby-Anthony along with author Katja Willemsen.

The South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR), is a non-government, non profit company and public benefit organisation which contributes to the conservation of marine and coastal resources in the Western Indian Ocean, founded in 1951.

References

  1. ↑ "Bio Shaka Zulu". SAhistory.org.
  2. ↑ "South African Conservation Fund". saconservation.fund. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  3. ↑ Anthony, Lawrence; Spence Graham (April 2009). The Elephant Whisperer. Pan Macmillan. ISBN   978-0-330-50668-7.
  4. ↑ Malby-Anthony, Francoise; Katja Willemsen (July 2018). An Elephant in my Kitchen. Pan Macmillan. ISBN   978-150-986-489-8.
  5. ↑ "Le Petit Journal Prix Publique". lepetitjournal.com.
  6. ↑ David Adam (22 February 2009). "The Elephant man". Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.