Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary

Mwaluganje

OVERVIEW

Mwaluganje is a community run ecotourism initiative that was set up in 1994 and was the first dedicated elephant sanctuary in Africa. We have been working here since 2005 promoting responsible ecotourism and elephant conservation by raising the profile of the sanctuary, monitoring the wildlife and developing alternative sources of income for communities so that they view the sanctuary as beneficial to their livelihoods.

To date, our volunteers have helped to build an Elephant Dung Paper factory, planted several thousand trees and continue to maintain roads and fences within the sanctuary. Other activities include working in the local school to improve facilities, maintain the tree nursery and run environmental education activities with the local school children, all with the ultimate aim of enabling wildlife and people to coexist peacefully.

What ARE THE MAIN ISSUES?

Lack of visitors and the income they bring
Deforestation
Illegal livestock grazing
Wildlife poaching
Increasing human-elephant conflict
Poverty

PROJECT TIMELINE

2005:

Visitors Centre, Campsite, EDP Factory - Built visitors centre, campsite and elephant dung paper (EDP) factory
Kadingo Drift - Constructed Kadingo drift to create a good safari route through the sanctuary

2006

Ablution block - Built proper sanitation facilities for visitors
Signposts - Installed stone signposts around the sanctuary to make it more user friendly, encouraging more tourists to visit

2007

EDP Shop - Renovated main office and elephant dung paper shop
Elephant Display - Created educational elephant display at main gate
Repairs - Rebuilt Kadingo drift after severe flooding
Livestock De-worming - Started livestock de-worming programme
Environmental Education - Started work with Ngonzini Primary School by creating tree nursery, vegetable patch and enhancing extra-curricular activities
Wildlife Club’s nature trail
Established Environmental Education programme with the school

2008

Wildlife census - Wildlife monitoring and census started
Buffer Zone - Planted Jatropha buffer zone around the sanctuary

2009

Tree Nursery - Expanded school tree nursery
Erosion Control - Erosion control around school. Improved sports pitch
Waterholes - Improved water holes for elephants

2010

Tree planting - Tree planting
School Kitchen - Started build of a new school kitchen
Sports court - Cleared area and started construction of a basketball court

YOUR ROLE AS A VOLUNTEER

Project work will vary depending on the needs of the sanctuary at the time but may include:

Conducting wildlife counts and monitoring poaching activity as part of our ongoing conservation work
Learning about elephants and their conservation from a wildlife expert
Making Elephant Dung Paper that can be sold to visitors
Ongoing road improvements to encourage tour operators to run safaris in the sanctuary
Working in the school tree nursery planting and maintaining stocks and teaching the children about the importance of forestry. This is important to minimise illegal wood poaching and charcoal burning by providing a sustainable source of wood for the community
De-worming goats, sheep and cows as part of our regular clinics. This ensures that the communities have healthier livestock that will produce more (and better quality) meat so that they will no longer have to search for alternative protein sources from illegal wildlife poaching
Enhancing visitor facilities to attract tourists to the sanctuary. Without sufficient visitors and their corresponding financial contributions, the sanctuary will no longer be able to operate and the land will likely be turned back to agriculture that will not tolerate elephants
Developing and running environmental education workshops with the local school to teach them the value of conserving their wildlife

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Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary

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