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Diamonds are forever but time is running out for our planet which is why De Beers’ heir, Nicky Oppenheimer & his wife Strilli work tirelessly for environmental conservation.

Tswalu Kalahari Reserve owners, Nicky & Strilli Oppenheimer, were recently jointly presented with the prestigious World Wildlife Fund (WWF) - Lonmin Award for environmental conservation.

The Lonmin Award was made for the Oppenheimer’s active & involved support of conservation projects aiming to foster the biodiversity of the county’s mammals, birds, invertebrates (insects), fish & reptiles & vegetation. It highlighted the establishment last May, of the Diamond Birding Route on the many conservation areas surrounding De Beers mines & on Oppenheimer properties in South Africa.

Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, an exclusive luxury private, malaria free game reserve situated in the heart of the Northern Cape Province is included in the Diamond Birding Route. Tswalu offers the ultimate safari experience in elegantly simple surroundings with the swimming pool opening to the remarkable scene of animals drinking at a nearby watering hole.

To Tswalu Kalahari Reserve game stock belong lion, leopard, hyena, kudu, nyala, eland, buffalo, waterbuck, tssesebe, wildebeest, kudu, impala, black & white rhino, zebra, cheetah & many more.

Star gazing is big at Tswalu, hot air ballooning too, but Tswalu Kalahari Reserve is known across the world as an excellent place for bird watching with more than 200 species of birds some of them indigenous to the arid zone, found in the varying habitats of the reserve. Raptors & in particular, vultures, are very well represented. The most abundant species are the white-backed vulture & the lappet-faced vulture.

Tswalu gives a refuge & suitable habitat for vultures & is attracting more & more birds to the area. The game reserve participates in the monitoring programme of the Kalahari Raptor Project which was established because raptor numbers in this part of the country were dwindling due to conflict between farmers & the raptors. Over the past decade the Kalahari Raptor Project has been successful & the Kalahari area has become an important destination for bird-watchers who want to observe these magnificent birds in their natural habitat in the Kalahari.

Presenting Nicky & Strilli Oppenheimer with the Award, Dr Rob Little CEO of WWF South Africa said: “This Award is a fitting acknowledgement of the outstanding contribution the Oppenheimer family & De Beers have made to environmental conservation in our beautiful country.”

Strilli Oppenheimer, in thanking Lonmin & the WWF for recognising the hundreds of people who did so much to make the conservation work which was being recognized replied; “Changes in the environment is beginning to affect all of us. At last environmental conservation which we have inherited as custodians isn’t a subject of only specialist & activist interest; rather it’s an imperative for society as a whole to hand on a less distressed situation than that we have caused.”

The Diamond Birding Route is a partnership between BirdLife South Africa, De Beers & the Oppenheimer family company, serves as a collective & related brand for all these completely unique & different birding conservation areas, dedicated to biodiversity, environmental conservation & ecotourism which supports the development of communities.

Nine De Beers & Oppenheimer properties, situated in Gauteng, Northern Cape & Limpopo Province, have opened about 250,000 hectares of ecologically rich & diverse protected areas to the public. Tswalu Kalahari Reserve is included in the diamond Birding Route & part of the Kalahari Raptor Project.

Duncan MacFayden is the Manager of Research & Conservation at EO&Son & can be reached at +27 11 274 2184, Cell: +27 83 379 2139 or via email: Duncan.MacFayden@eoson.co.za or via Tswalu Kalahari Reserve at +27 11 274 2182

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