About

When one thinks about wildlife, one thinks of Africa. Its beauty is a rhythm composed by an orchestra of species unknown to many parts of the world. Its wildlife and botanic diversity are what makes it unique. Sadly, Africa’s tremendous diversity has also put it under threat. For decades, people have travelled to Africa in the hope of taking a piece of it home. This, along with a disconnect between Africans and their heritage, has been its downfall. Big game, including species of elephant, rhino, lion, giraffe and a great many more have been poached and exploited to near extinction. Smaller species, such as species of monkey, birds and reptile have found themselves in the illegal exotic animal trade along with the illegal trade of exotic plants and insects. Biodiversity crime, which is the illegal trade of animals and plants, includes for example, the trade of meat, bones, ivory and horn, insects, plants and reptiles.

Africa’s biodiversity is now in a state of urgency.

Urgent intervention requires urgent action

If we do not repair what has been taken and have a long-term plan for conservation, our children will not know the Africa we know today. Although many have made strides with various targeted approaches to the conservation of certain species, conservation does not happen in a vacuum.

Haraka knows that we must leap if we are to get ahead of this problem. An approach to conservation must take into account the communities that live side by side with wildlife and vegetation and put in place a strategy that includes these communities in a manner that allows them to benefit from their conservation efforts so that they may flourish and be impervious to exploitation themselves. By supporting The Haraka Wildlife Initiative, you are supporting the urgent fight for Africa; moreover, you are supporting an initiative that understands the holistic effort that must be in place for any conservation effort to succeed in the long term. Whilst focus is unquestionably placed on critical issues (such as the current poaching of rhino), Haraka ensures that targeted projects are fully supported by its philosophy of incorporating community, conservation tourism and commodities for calculable and sustainable change.

The SANParks Rangers

Named for its urgency in East Africa’s Swahili language, Haraka devotes itself to supporting those who have already begun to make real change; the SANParks Rangers. These armed forces, deployed across the South African National Parks, put their own lives at risk to protect Africa’s vulnerable wildlife.

Haraka partners with the SANParks Honorary Rangers

With overwhelming passion to conserve South Africa’s natural heritage, the SANParks Honorary Rangers are the official volunteers of SANParks. At a thousand nine hundred strong spanning thirty-one regions, these world-class volunteers spend weeks away from their families and endure the brutal death and suffering of wildlife in the Parks on what must be a daily basis.

Officially established on 5 May 1964, the Honorary Rangers became an integral partner to the South African National Parks. The SANParks Rangers are the sole beneficiaries of their profits and have received R248,6 million in public and business donations and volunteer support from this world-class organisation in the last 10 years.

The Haraka philosophy of change in conservation thinking

The pillars of sustainable conservation

The African 3-legged pot

• Community
• Conservation tourism
• Commodities

Based on the iconic African three-legged cast iron pot, Haraka’s belly holds the responsibility of sheltering Africa’s wildlife so that their populations may once again grow to fill the sanctuaries that were built to protect them. The pillars that bear the weight of this responsibility, like the legs of the three-legged iron pot, are community, conservation tourism and commodities.

The pillar of community takes the responsibility of conserving Africa’s wildlife back to the communities that live side by side with these vulnerable animals. The pillar of conservation tourism empowers these same communities to build a sustainable income from their conservation efforts. And the pillar of commodities allows the initiative to generate an income so that it may remain a sustainable solution in the hands of the SANParks Rangers.

Haraka and the importance of collaboration

The Haraka Wildlife Initiative endeavours to partner with world-class organisations so that it may urgently support the preservation of Africa’s rich wildlife heritage. With collaboration from the private, business and entertainment sectors spanning the national and international sphere, Haraka drives support for the SANParks Rangers.

This is our urgent plea. Haraka. For Africa.