Oppenheimers Win World Wildlife Fund Award for Environmental Conservation Efforts

Diamonds are forever but time is running out for our planet which is why De Beers’ heir, Nicky Oppenheimer and his wife Strilli work tirelessly for environmental conservation.

Tswalu Kalahari Reserve owners, Nicky and Strilli Oppenheimer, were recently jointly presented with the prestigious World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – Lonmin Award for environmental conservation.

The Lonmin Award was made for the Oppenheimer’s active and involved support of conservation projects aiming to foster the biodiversity of the county’s mammals, birds, invertebrates (insects), fish and reptiles and vegetation. It highlighted the establishment last May, of the Diamond Birding Route on the many conservation areas surrounding De Beers mines and on Oppenheimer properties in South Africa.

Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, an exclusive luxury private, malaria free game reserve situated in the heart of the Northern Cape Province is included in the Diamond Birding Route. Tswalu offers the ultimate safari experience in elegantly simple surroundings with the swimming pool opening to the remarkable scene of animals drinking at a nearby watering hole.

Experiencing World Wildlife – From Whale Watching to the Wildebeest Migration

The world wildlife instinct is clearly not to be reckoned with: salmon fight their way upstream to spawn in the creeks they hatched in, birds manage to embark on epic migrations twice a year and reach the same destinations, and herds of wildebeest rumble in great packs across the Serengeti in the famous wildebeest migration. We can’t always understand why the wildlife of the world faces these challenges, but we can appreciate that the instinct to do it is something pretty powerful, and witnessing one of these epic animal migrations will give you a sense of being part of something vast and painstakingly slow and ancient, yet also of the potential for renewal.

Several years ago I was lucky enough to get plugged into the world wildlife instinct when watching the first few moments in the lives of a clutch of baby turtles. Hatching from eggs buried in the sand, without being shown what to do, they dug their way out into the air above and skittered, as fast as their tiny, newly hatched flippers would carry them, towards the ocean. Even if they feel the air or hear the ocean from inside their eggs, they’ve never experienced those things before, so it’s the world wildlife instinct which must dictate to them what to do. In that moonlit moment I thought baby turtle instinct must be one of the most powerful forces in nature, but that’s really just the tip of the world wildlife iceberg. It was like being plugged directly into nature. Better for your soul than refreshing at a spa!

4 Outstanding World Wildlife Havens

International travel affords the adventurous tourist the opportunity not just to visit wild and rugged landscapes, but also the chance to witness diverse and rare wildlife. The options are endless, from truck safaris crossing the vast savannahs of Africa, through to independent treks through forest and mountain regions in Asia. Wherever you go and whichever method you choose just make sure you’ve got the essentials to hand: mosquito net, binoculars, note book, all the appropriate jabs and comprehensive travel insurance.

Chagos Archipelago – Marine The Chagos archipelago is home to some of the most pristine coral reefs in the world and forms a vast oceanic Environment Preservation and Protection Zone. Located 500km south of the Maldives, the reefs and islands cover an area of approximately 19,000km2 of tropical sea and remain largely unpopulated. Whilst tourism is pretty much limited to a small number of yachts, the lack of footfall is the reason behind its rich biodiversity and clean reefs which support many endemic species, including the Brain Coral and Chagos Clownfish.