0:00:09.740,0:00:12.510
Looking at those shots[br]it's really hard to believe

0:00:12.510,0:00:16.350
that this currently [br]thriving area in South Africa

0:00:16.350,0:00:20.100
was once dedicated to cattle[br]and pineapple farms,

0:00:20.100,0:00:23.630
with almost no biodiversity and wildlife.

0:00:25.030,0:00:29.655
Phinda was established in collaboration [br]with the local Zulu tribal community

0:00:29.655,0:00:31.790
to rehabilitate the ecosystem,

0:00:31.790,0:00:34.510
allowing for the return of the wildlife

0:00:34.510,0:00:36.760
that had once flourished in this area.

0:00:37.020,0:00:40.200
Phinda is local Zulu word for 'return'.

0:00:40.200,0:00:43.330
Animals were brought in [br]from other regions of southern Africa

0:00:43.330,0:00:46.275
to establish new populations[br]in the conservancy.

0:00:47.100,0:00:52.480
There is a lot of doom-and-gloom stories[br]about biodiversity.

0:00:52.480,0:00:55.511
However, this story is a hopeful one.

0:00:55.511,0:00:58.900
Phinda is a modern success[br]conservation story

0:00:58.900,0:01:02.300
so stick around around to learn[br]how they managed to do it.

0:01:03.700,0:01:06.950
I think the key to the success for Phinda

0:01:06.950,0:01:10.992
is the fact that they've used[br]this ecotourism model

0:01:10.992,0:01:14.715
to benefit not only the reserve itself

0:01:14.715,0:01:18.080
but also the local communities[br]surrounding them.

0:01:20.500,0:01:24.626
A lot of work goes [br]into managing 30,000 hectares:

0:01:24.626,0:01:26.630
making sure that animals are healthy,

0:01:26.630,0:01:29.435
that they are reproducing,[br]but not inbreeding,

0:01:29.435,0:01:32.400
that herbivores [br]do not overgraze the land,

0:01:32.400,0:01:34.820
that territorial animals [br]have enough space

0:01:34.820,0:01:36.840
and do not compete between each other,

0:01:36.840,0:01:40.270
that invasive species[br]of plants are under control,

0:01:40.270,0:01:43.900
that the areas will be protected[br]by anti-poaching units,

0:01:43.900,0:01:48.303
and that is all while still[br]running lodges and operating tourism

0:01:48.303,0:01:50.148
and voluntourism in the area

0:01:50.148,0:01:53.660
that brings much needed funding[br]towards conservation.

0:01:54.400,0:01:57.300
With the data collected here[br]by our volunteers

0:01:57.300,0:02:00.680
that go out every day [br]with one of our Ecological Monitors

0:02:00.680,0:02:03.860
that data feeds live [br]into our data systems,

0:02:03.860,0:02:05.854
which we can then analyse.

0:02:05.854,0:02:08.630
This helps us to make [br]our management decisions.

0:02:09.800,0:02:12.700
Animal populations in Phinda are thriving

0:02:12.700,0:02:16.150
from an initial population[br]of just 30 white rhinos,

0:02:16.150,0:02:21.368
Phinda now has one of the largest[br]white rhino populations in Africa

0:02:21.368,0:02:24.888
and have been relocating[br]and repopulating rhinos

0:02:24.888,0:02:29.440
to other reserves and countries,[br]due to their success at protecting them.

0:02:31.840,0:02:35.920
This also facilitated what we call[br]Rhinos Without Borders,

0:02:35.920,0:02:39.710
so where our white rhinos[br]have been translocated to Botswana

0:02:39.710,0:02:41.955
to start up a founding population there.

0:02:41.955,0:02:45.590
Phinda is the first private [br]game reserve ever to be a part

0:02:45.590,0:02:48.470
of the Black Rhino Range[br]Expansion Project,

0:02:48.470,0:02:51.160
so this is a project together with WWF.

0:02:53.500,0:02:56.660
The cheetah population here[br]has grown so successfully

0:02:56.660,0:03:00.760
that some individuals were relocated[br]to other parts of southern Africa

0:03:00.760,0:03:03.806
to establish healthy[br]cheetah populations there.

0:03:04.540,0:03:07.690
Cheetah alone, Phinda and the MunYaWana

0:03:07.690,0:03:10.430
is currently seen as one [br]of the most important

0:03:10.430,0:03:13.640
cheetah meta populations [br]throughout southern Africa.

0:03:16.500,0:03:19.040
Phinda has been chosen as a release site

0:03:19.040,0:03:22.650
for pangolins that have been[br]confiscated from poachers

0:03:22.650,0:03:25.470
and saved from the illegal wildlife trade.

0:03:25.470,0:03:27.110
The pangolin is arguably

0:03:27.110,0:03:29.730
the most trafficked animal on Earth

0:03:29.730,0:03:32.650
leading to their disappearance[br]in the world.

0:03:33.600,0:03:37.970
So pangolins were reintroduced [br]here in June 2019,

0:03:37.970,0:03:42.260
before that pangolins have been[br]completely extinct from the reserve.

0:03:42.260,0:03:46.970
Over time, these animals have now [br]established home ranges, territories,

0:03:46.970,0:03:49.620
and thankfully have even had pups.

0:03:49.620,0:03:52.320
It is also an educational ground -

0:03:52.320,0:03:54.610
numerous researches occur here

0:03:54.610,0:03:55.810
every year.

0:03:55.815,0:03:59.285
From the get-go a lot of data[br]has been collected

0:03:59.285,0:04:03.090
and that has resulted [br]in numerous PhDs, Master's projects,

0:04:03.390,0:04:06.140
also suitable protocols being out there

0:04:06.140,0:04:11.178
on what's the right way [br]for soft-releasing lions into new areas.

0:04:11.530,0:04:13.693
I have been here a few weeks volunteering

0:04:13.693,0:04:15.700
with African Conservation Experience,

0:04:15.700,0:04:17.980
participating on all the daily tasks

0:04:17.980,0:04:21.380
needed for animal management[br]and conservation like:

0:04:21.710,0:04:23.830
monitoring, data collection,

0:04:23.830,0:04:26.730
updating ID profiles of animals,

0:04:26.730,0:04:30.010
tracking using some [br]of the most modern technologies,

0:04:30.010,0:04:31.770
trying to understand.

0:04:32.005,0:04:33.355
So what is the reason

0:04:33.355,0:04:36.931
of this overwhelming conservation success?

0:04:37.061,0:04:38.944
Is it the modern technology

0:04:38.944,0:04:42.700
and their ability to use camera traps,[br]telemetry, satellites,

0:04:42.700,0:04:44.980
drones, acoustic sensors,

0:04:44.980,0:04:48.190
a variety of apps [br]for data collection and analysis?

0:04:49.005,0:04:52.170
This project is neat because [br]our cameras are actually tools

0:04:52.170,0:04:54.060
and what we're doing is collecting data

0:04:54.060,0:04:55.690
that's going to help us identify

0:04:55.690,0:04:58.200
these individuals in the wild[br]at a later date.

0:04:59.080,0:05:02.390
Is it their ability to utilize[br]conservation tourism

0:05:02.390,0:05:05.730
and voluntourism to fund these projects?

0:05:05.730,0:05:09.560
Around the world, [br]many protected areas are underfunded.

0:05:09.720,0:05:14.021
Allowing visitors to observe exciting[br]and important conservation tasks

0:05:14.021,0:05:18.910
provides additional source of funding[br]for necessary management activities,

0:05:18.910,0:05:21.052
such as ecosystem monitoring,

0:05:21.052,0:05:24.580
anti-poaching patrols, [br]invasive species eradication,

0:05:24.580,0:05:27.480
and environmental educational programs.

0:05:29.900,0:05:34.100
Tourism potentially has a big role[br]to play in education

0:05:34.100,0:05:35.640
when it comes to conservation.

0:05:36.830,0:05:37.880
One of the best things

0:05:37.880,0:05:39.943
is there's so many people that care

0:05:39.943,0:05:41.810
and that's just really lovely to see.

0:05:41.810,0:05:43.341
Just spreading the word of, like,

0:05:43.341,0:05:44.840
the sort of work that's done here,

0:05:44.840,0:05:46.190
trying to get more funding

0:05:46.190,0:05:49.770
and letting people know [br]how important this is to preserve,

0:05:49.770,0:05:50.980
is really important.

0:05:53.500,0:05:56.550
When people connect with nature [br]during their travels,

0:05:56.550,0:05:59.090
when they see first-hand how hard it is

0:05:59.090,0:06:01.730
to protect our nature[br]and what goes into it,

0:06:01.730,0:06:04.840
it can lead them into being[br]more appreciative

0:06:04.840,0:06:07.810
and become more invested in protecting it.

0:06:08.560,0:06:09.715
I think the fact we don't know

0:06:09.715,0:06:11.960
what we're gonna see [br]or discover each day...

0:06:11.960,0:06:12.910
it's very exciting.

0:06:12.910,0:06:15.651
Like every day I've done so far[br]has been really different.

0:06:15.651,0:06:17.660
And I've had a really unique experience

0:06:17.660,0:06:20.630
seeing loads of animals [br]that are endangered.

0:06:20.900,0:06:22.460
So I'd say I'm pretty lucky.

0:06:24.150,0:06:26.710
Of course, it is all [br]of the above and more.

0:06:26.710,0:06:30.420
This project truly exists due [br]to the exceptional management

0:06:30.420,0:06:32.700
and the work of numerous [br]passionate people

0:06:32.700,0:06:35.400
that spend hours and days in the bush,

0:06:35.400,0:06:37.800
making sure that the area is thriving

0:06:37.800,0:06:40.390
while educating tourists and visitors,

0:06:40.390,0:06:44.760
and conducting research that helps other [br]organizations and reserves

0:06:44.760,0:06:47.080
to obtain this success as well.

0:06:50.780,0:06:53.030
We mainly focus on movement data

0:06:53.030,0:06:54.890
and being able to correlate all of that

0:06:54.890,0:06:56.650
and expand it over a few years,

0:06:56.650,0:06:58.545
and see the movement of different species,

0:06:58.545,0:07:01.480
how they react to different[br]weather conditions and habitats

0:07:01.480,0:07:03.010
and different influences like that.

0:07:03.010,0:07:04.290
Seeing their movement data,

0:07:04.290,0:07:06.790
how long it's taken them[br]to settle in this reserve,

0:07:06.790,0:07:10.160
will be useful for other reserves[br]who want to do the same thing.

0:07:10.800,0:07:14.070
Your time and your effort[br]really help with things like,

0:07:14.070,0:07:16.920
hands-on things, [br]if we need help lifting something

0:07:16.920,0:07:20.240
or moving things, photos for ID kits,

0:07:20.240,0:07:23.230
like lots of different small contributions

0:07:23.230,0:07:25.680
that add up to larger contributions.

0:07:26.790,0:07:28.780
I hope that this success story

0:07:28.780,0:07:32.500
got you inspired [br]and serves as a hopeful reminder.

0:07:32.500,0:07:36.600
When people start seeing [br]the benefit of having tourism in the area,

0:07:37.380,0:07:38.840
they are more inclined

0:07:38.840,0:07:40.470
to wanting to keep the area wild

0:07:40.470,0:07:43.880
and they also support these new ventures

0:07:43.880,0:07:45.520
that are being undertaken.

0:07:47.900,0:07:50.960
We want to use tourism to expand,

0:07:50.960,0:07:52.390
you know, conservation areas,

0:07:52.390,0:07:56.353
and not just expand but to ensure[br]that it sustains itself.