Pictured above, wild giraffe at Loskop Dam Nature Reserve in South Africa.

At first glance, a giraffe moving through the landscape at Loskop Dam Nature Reserve may look like a familiar African scene. But at Loskop, each giraffe represents something much bigger: a protected population with the potential to help restore one of South Africa’s most important wild landscapes.

Led by WeWild Africa and funded by The Aspinall Foundation, the project at Loskop is part of a major conservation effort to strengthen protection across the reserve, secure surrounding wilderness and expand the protected area by 12,000 hectares. Once complete, the wider Loskop landscape will cover an astonishing 35,000 hectares, creating more space for wildlife and helping to safeguard an area of exceptional ecological value. 

Pictured above, Loskop Dam Nature Reserve.

For Loskop’s Southern giraffe, that expansion is especially significant. Before the current management arrangements were introduced, access control at parts of the reserve had broken down, creating opportunities for illegal entry and wildlife crime. The project has since restored control over a key gate, placed rangers on site, introduced vehicle checks and added monitoring technology. According to the team, those measures have stopped giraffe poaching within the reserve. With those protections in place, the project is focused on supporting the existing giraffe population and helping it grow. The reserve is currently home to 26 giraffe, with the population growing by around 8% per year. Since the project began, multiple giraffe calves have been born on the reserve, showing that this protected population is not only surviving, but increasing and helping to strengthen the southern giraffe population in South Africa.  

Pictured above, a wild giraffe at Loskop.

Over time, giraffe from the existing reserve will help populate the 12,000 hectares of newly secured land, supporting the creation of new groups within the wider Loskop landscape, improving genetic resilience and contributing to the long-term sustainability of the population. The significance of the project reaches beyond giraffe. The wider Loskop landscape also protects habitat for 30 globally threatened species, safeguards biodiversity and cultural heritage, and helps defend vulnerable landscapes from pressures such as development and mining.

For The Aspinall Foundation and WeWild Africa, Loskop’s giraffe are becoming more than a local conservation success. They are part of a bigger vision to protect wildlife, restore habitat and help rebuild one of South Africa’s most promising rewilding landscapes.

Loskop’s giraffe are part of a much bigger story: one of protection, restoration and hope for the future. With stronger security, expanding habitat and a growing giraffe population, this landscape is becoming a safe haven for wildlife once again.

Donate today to help protect threatened species, restore wild spaces and support conservation work that gives animals the chance to thrive.