It was my great pleasure to work with another PR agency recently to promote the refurbished ‘Last Word Madikwe’ in Madikwe Game Reserve following the purchase last Summer. Along with the property renovation, they have added a new tour of the Anti-Poaching Unit’s Surveillance Centre, showcasing how Madikwe protects South Africa’s 4th largest game reserve and the horned rhino’s that call it home.
Madikwe’s Game Reserve not only hosts a unique breadth and diversity of bird and wildlife including the Big 5, but is also one of a handful of reserves with black and white rhinos which have their horns intact. This is due to Madikwe not following suit when other game reserves de-horned their rhinos’, attempting to prevent the rise in poachers seeking the prized horn, which by weight is more valuable than gold, diamonds or cocaine.
That decision made Madikwe a key target for poachers, and in response ‘Madikwe Futures Company’ (MFC) a non-profit that assists North West Parks & Tourism Board with anti-poaching and reserve maintenance, created a high-tech 24/7 ‘Ops Room’ utilising sophisticated technology to combat rhino poaching. Since 2021, the Ops Room has successfully helped to arrest more than 16 poachers, through embracing the strategic use of sophisticated technology in and around the Madikwe bush.
Tours of the Ops Room are now available by arrangement through Last Word Madikwe on a donation basis to MFC and will prove fascinating to all those interested in a “boots on the ground” perspective of conservation of endangered rhinos in the wild.
