Tswalu Kalahari: Private Wildlife Reserve, South Africa

Support a reserve that trains trackers

A scuff in the sand here leaves missing from the lower branches of a tree there – an experienced tracker can read the earth like a book, interpreting signs from the wild to help safari guests and conservationists find even the rarest animals. Although these skills have been passed down orally among the Indigenous peoples of southern Africa for 10,000 years, they’re quietly fading away. For younger generations with limited opportunities to pursue a traditional lifestyle, Tracker Academy (a division of the SA College for Tourism) is an excellent opportunity to reconnect with their culture and earn a qualification that will practically guarantee them a job in ecotourism. Tswalu Kalahari Reserve is home to one of the academy’s three campuses in the Kalahari Desert. Its 386 sq mi (1,000 sq km) provides more than enough opportunities for field trips sure to inspire a lifetime of conservation. So when you search for signs of aardvarks among Tswalu’s red sands, you’re helping support the education of future trackers.