Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Isiolo, Kenya. Image by David Clode

Philanthropists have long played a huge role in wildlife conservation, but now a more holistic approach is needed in a world where humans and nature increasingly live cheek by jowl

Andrew Shirley

Sometimes, to see the bigger picture, you have to turn things inside out. For decades, wildlife conservation, particularly in Africa, has focused on what lies within the boundaries of national parks, reserves and other protected areas, many of which owe their existence to the fortunes of benefactors and donors enthused with a passion for the environment.

But despite their efforts and the hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars spent, the continent’s wildlife is still in a state of precipitous decline. Now, there is growing recognition that part of the solution is to be found on the other side of the hard and not-so-hard boundaries separating man from nature.

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To many, the conservation battleground in Africa is a war – literally, conducted by both sides with military-grade equipment and planning – against the illegal trade in ivory and rhino horn. And wildlife isn’t the only victim. Paul Milton, founder of the Milton Group, an advisory firm to a number of ultra-high-net- worth families with a combined interest in over 1.5 million acres of conservation lands in Sub-Saharan Africa, has seen evidence of this first-hand. The story from just one community in Mozambique is harrowing. Scores of children orphaned; fathers lost while poaching or through long-term incarceration; mothers forced into prostitution to survive.

Huge sums are spent to thwart poaching, but too little on addressing the reasons that drive people to do it. Having interviewed many poachers, he says, they want just two things: food security and work. Asking someone who already spends millions on conservation to fund employment creation isn’t an easy sell, yet long term, generating local economic value offers a more sustainable means to reduce poaching.

Conservation and the hospitality industry that springs up alongside it does create jobs, but it’s not enough. Park boundaries that ten years ago were relatively devoid of habitation are now marked by informal settlements of hundreds of thousands of people – the fences of some of the world’s most iconic wild spaces are used as washing lines.

Creating buffer zones around parks is one solution, but only increases the sense of dislocation between local people and wildlife. Even the word ‘conservation’ is controversial due to its colonial undertones: high-minded thinking from afar, divorced from the daily realities of existence.

Part of the problem is that very little attention has been paid to how population growth and infrastructure development, such as new transport corridors, increasingly affect the disparate conservation zones scattered across Africa. The base data exists – the world has been comprehensively mapped from space – but nobody has thought to join the dots in Africa. A new initiative between mapping and geographic information system providers ESRI, Nasa and The Peace Parks Foundation, coordinated by Milton Group and the UN, looking at a ten-million-hectare swathe of Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, should act as a framework for a more unified approach to conservation.

The other elephant in the room is that conservation in its current form isn’t financially sustainable over the long term. Since the financial crisis, the NGO model appears to have hit a glass ceiling and even the most deep-pocketed philanthropists don’t wish to leave money pits for future generations.

Tourism was long regarded as the answer, but alone, it is no silver bullet. At the top end of the market, the cost of providing luxuries to attract big-spending visitors to remote areas makes it difficult to generate huge profits. Further down the chain, the volume of guests on more affordable safaris can damage the flora and fauna supposedly being protected.

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Well-resourced individuals and families, however, are looking at new hybrid hospitality models involving impact investment, public/private partnerships and hospitality programmes for their exclusive use. This model is particularly suited to private reserves, however most of Africa’s protected spaces are under a wider umbrella of stewardship. More innovative models are required, that may not be linked to the protection of a species, but to the wider benefits to society, such as carbon sequestration that can mitigate the speed of climate change. The payment for this ‘natural capital’ could come from companies looking to offset their own carbon emissions.

In my role as editor of The Wealth Report I’ve been lucky enough to see first-hand the amazing work being done by philanthropists in Africa, whether conserving existing wild areas or rewilding landscapes given over to agriculture. The success stories are awe-inspiring. But a new narrative is required that accommodates the needs of people as well as wildlife, one that is not imposed on the continent, but works in harmony with it.

For UHNWIs looking to get involved in conservation, there is a unique opportunity now to shape that narrative. Some advice: let your passion drive you, but don’t let it overwhelm your decision making. Work out where your efforts will have most impact; an isolated block of land may be ideal for a private reserve, but somewhere providing a corridor between existing conservation areas may offer longer-term benefits. Visit existing projects, assemble a team of experts, talk to potential partners and don’t look at wildlife in isolation, the local community is an equally important part of the equation. Finally, have a clear vision of how your project will be financed in future to protect your legacy.

Many wealthy individuals have created their fortunes by turning things inside out to create new perspectives. They still have a huge role to play in safeguarding the world’s wildlife.

The Wealth Report, a guide to prime property and wealth trends, is published by Knight Frank. knightfrank.com/wealthreport

This article was originally published in the Autumn 19 Issue.

Considered the largest waterfall in the world, Victoria Falls lies along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe

Abercrombie & Kent founder and LUX contributor Geoffrey Kent forecasts the hottest travel experiences and destinations for the coming year

I believe that human beings collect experiences throughout our lives that both inform our personality as well as that speak to who we are. We each have an ‘experience portfolio’ that reveals what inspires us and what we care about. It reflects our tastes and signals our aspirations. What and where will you experience in 2019?

Explore the extremes of The Arctic

For over 500 years, the Northwest Passage and all its inherent possibilities have fascinated intrepid souls. The changing climate has now made it possible to explore the entire length of the famed sea route, which runs from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Explorers began to search for such a route in the 15th century but it wasn’t until 1906 that Norwegian Roald Amundsen’s expedition managed to navigate the passage. It’s thrilling to retrace the route pioneered by early polar explorers like Henry Hudson, John Franklin, Robert McClure and of course, Amundsen, from Kangerlussuaq in Greenland to Nome in Alaska. Travel through and past islands and sparsely settled lands where many pioneers were forced to overwinter when their ships were trapped by fast-moving ice.

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Which experience will make it into your ‘portfolio’? Perhaps seeing whale and grizzly, black and polar bear, meeting the Ingalikmiut people, or seeing the Northern Lights.

Pencil it into your diary: 26 Aug-18 Sep. Cruise from western Greenland through the Canadian Arctic to the Bering Sea in the company of A&K’s award-winning expedition team. This 24-day Northwest Passage cruise starts at £25,350 per person.

Geoffrey Kent dog sledding on an Abercrombie & Kent trip to Finland

Find yourself in Finland

Or more aptly, lose yourself in Finland. I led a trip above the Arctic Circle in 2018 and all the guests who accompanied me described it as “the trip of a lifetime”. Pictures simply do not do justice to the experience of losing yourself in this country’s vast landscape. Finland is a country in which it’s possible to escape the crowds, especially when you travel off-season. Beyond its vibrant capital, it reveals a very different side of Scandinavia – unspoiled, sweeping and still.

Which experience will make it into your ‘portfolio’? Ice driving, snowmobiling, searching for the aurora borealis, meeting Sami reindeer herders, dog sledding?

The Croatian town of Dubrovnik is known for its picturesque Old Town surrounded by 16th century stone walls

Visit the ancient world in Croatia

Croatia and its dramatic Adriatic coastline are delightful. Immerse yourself in Dubrovnik’s old-world charm as you walk the narrow street of the Old Town, surrounded by the historic 16th-century battlements. As we head into the eighth and final season of HBO’s epic fantasy TV programme Game of Thrones, it seems like an apt time to tour some of its filming locations. Dubrovnik has doubled as King’s Landing throughout the entire series and fans will recognise locations galore including St Dominika Street, Stradun, Minceta Tower, Fort St Lawrence and Trsteno Arboretum. Elsewhere Diocletian’s Palace in Split acts as Meereen, Trogir is otherwise known as Qarth and Kastel Gomilica goes by Braavos.

Go gourmet in Peru

Known for its ancient ruins, spectacular scenery and colonial architecture, Peru has added cuisine to its international appeal. Voted ‘best culinary destination’ at the World Travel Awards for the sixth year running, Peru’s vibrant restaurant scene is home to some of the world’s most influential chefs, who all delight in raiding the home larder for indigenous produce. With two of top 10 restaurants in the 2018 San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant list (and three in the top 50), foodies are rightly taking notice of Peru’s gastronomic scene. Legendary super-chef Gastón Acurio, Virgilio Martínez Véliz and Mitsuharu Tsumura’s establishments in Lima and Cusco are a must for visitors. My tip: there is no better way to understand the local cuisine than to see where so many of the indigenous foods are harvested, so be sure not just to stick to the cities. In addition, petrol-heads should note that in 2019, the Dakar Rally will take place in only one country for the first time in its history, with Peru playing sole host.

Read more: Philippe Sereys de Rothschild on fine wine & supporting the arts

Discover the wonders of Zimbabwe

There’s never been a better time to visit Zimbabwe. A renewed hope is evident amid a changing political landscape and this spirit of optimism is attracting a fresh wave of tourism. ‘Zim’ is home to five different UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the glorious natural attractions of Victoria Falls, the Zambezi River and Hwange – the country’s largest game reserve. The country is more vibrant than ever with a burst of exciting hotel re-openings to boot – Bumi Hills Safari Lodge on Lake Kariba recently completed a £2.3 million upgrade and Singita Pamushana Lodge in Zimbabwe’s Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve reopened in May 2018 after a complete refurbishment. I recommend a helicopter flight over Victoria Falls – so breathtaking a sight that when David Livingstone first saw the falls, he proclaimed that they ‘must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight”.

Experiencing wildlife in its natural habitat is one of travel’s greatest rewards, says Geoffrey Kent, such as seeing Giant Pandas in China (pictured above)

Admire the diversity of our world’s wildlife

Experiencing wildlife in its natural habitat is one of travel’s greatest rewards. From the playful lemur to the elusive Bengal tiger, the giant panda and the mountain gorilla, the incredible diversity of the world’s wildlife contributes to the rich tapestry on Earth. As I read reports such as the WWF’s most recent, which states that humanity has wiped out 60 per cent of mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles since 1970, my desire to conserve our world’s wildlife is reaffirmed anew.

Every holiday you undertake with us contributes funds to A&K Philanthropy and its excellent animal conservation and local community benefit programmes. It’s a simple and easy way to help protect animals including rhino and leopard, and benefit local communities, while you enrich your life through experiential holidays. I have designed a safari by private jet that makes it possible to visit the world’s most intriguing wildlife in their dramatically varied natural habitats on one remarkable journey in the company of leading conservationists.

Pencil it into your diary: 15 Feb – 10 Mar, 2020. A&K’s 25-day Wildlife Safari: Around the World by Private Jet starts at $139,950 per person.

Discover Abercombie & Kent’s portfolio of luxury travel tours: abercrombiekent.com

Not far from the Victoria Falls, down dusty, winding tracks of thick red Saharan sand, hides one of the world’s newest luxury safari camps: &beyond’s Matetsi River Lodge. Digital Editor Millie Walton visits the banks of the Zambezi River, watched by a troops of baboons, bush buck and the invisible eyes of a leopard, and contemplates the return of luxury tourism to Zimbabwe.

Candlelit dinner on the edge of the Zambezi 

Beyond the falls, Zimbabwe doesn’t attract many tourists. For one, it’s expensive. In 2008, inflation reached 79.6 billion per cent. In 2009, their currency was redundant and replaced with the US dollar. Crisp Z$200,000,000 bills can now be bought on the side of the road for a couple of dollars, euros or whatever else you have in your pocket. More seriously – and mistakenly – it’s considered a bit of a nowhere. Why go to Zimbabwe, when you can just as easily cross the border into Botswana?

Ask any Zimbabwean and they’ll tell you. It’s in the burnt red earth, the ancient trunks of the baobabs, the hidden caves of the kopjies, the warm golden hue of dusk and the open smiles of it’s people. It’s a country that’s loved deeply and widely, even by those who have been forced to leave it.

Suites are unfenced with private plunge pools and open terraces

Slowly, though, tourism is catching on. At the end of last summer, the luxury travel company &Beyond, renowned for it’s luxury camps across South Africa, returned to Zimbabwe, opening a lodge on the banks of the Zambezi in Matetsi private game reserve. That’s where I’m sitting now, as I write this, on the terrace of our private suite. It’s early afternoon, when the bush is lazy and hot. A large male baboon stares as he stalks past and dips his head to drink from our plunge pool. A bush buck daintly follows behind the troop picking leaves from the trees. A leopard is a resident in the area, but at this time of the day big cats are sleeping and the smaller animals can relax.

A herd of elephants in Matetsi Private Game Reserve

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Our suite, like the rest of the camp, is un-fenced so nighttime is a tenser, more exciting time for us too. After a candlelit dinner on the river bank, we’re led by a member of staff back to our room just in case we happen to cross paths with a hungry predator. We know the leopard’s around. During an evening drive, our guide Milton received the call and instantly, the headlights went out, the torch beam sweeping the bush from side to side, catching the gleam of a startled kudu’s eyes. The leopard had moved on or – quite possibly – was watching us from the dark branches of a tree. It’s what I love most about safari: the unpredictability. No matter how good your guide is or how much you’re paying per night, there are never any guarantees. Some animals are so well adapted to the wild that they can seemingly melt into their surroundings and disappear.

Inside one of the 18 riverside suites. Image by James Houston.

A good safari isn’t, for me, what you see, but the experience itself, which is where &Beyond excels. You can tell that instantly from the design of the camp. The buildings are open and inviting, made from materials that interact beautifully with the natural surroundings. Light is given privilege above everything else. It shines dappled through the roof onto concrete floors and licks down the curved walls of the outdoor shower. Smoothed and polished tree trunks act as tables and abstract paintings by an artist in residence hang on the walls. It’s beautiful in it’s simplicity and calming in it’s unobtrusiveness.

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It’s not just the way the camp looks though that sets you at ease. It’s the staff too. They’re warm, fun people, who are genuinely enthusiastic about what they do. There are no set meal times and no menus. When you’re ready to eat, your table is waiting and the choice is limited to a couple of dishes, which can be adapted to your tastes. Honestly, it’s a relief not to be impressed with endless decisions and it’s fitting for the setting. Somehow, it would seem almost grotesque to be fed a seven course tasting menu of rich meats when all around you animals are struggling to survive in the wild.

A sunset game drive. Image by James Houston.

The game drives or activities (depending on what you choose) are twice daily. At 5am coffee and biscuits are pushed through the butler’s hatch with a wake up call so that the drive can commence just as the sun is rising and the air’s still cool. Whilst the afternoon makes the most of the soft sun before it dyes the sky orange, pink and gold, and dips behind the horizon.

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On our final morning, we kayak down the Zambezi. “Don’t trail your fingers in the water,” our guide warns. “Crocodiles sometimes follow the kayaks because of local fisherman who trail bait.” I watch warily for a yellow eye to appear, but we only see hippos at a distance and otherwise, the water stays still, reflecting the sky like a giant mirror. It’s the best way to see the kingfishers who hover and dive for insects and fish, or the thin legged storks picking their way through the reeds. On the opposite bank is Zambia, where a group of women are collecting water from the river, balancing the buckets on the tops of their heads. Depending on the size of their family, they may need to return three or four times in a single day.

As our truck winds its way back to the camp for the final time there’s rustling and whispering in the front. We seem to slow, then round the corner, a table appears laid for breakfast with champagne, fresh fruit and a braai under the spread arms of a kigelia tree.

Rates start from US$495 per person per night, based on two guests sharing and including all meals and twice daily game drives. For more information about wider andBeyond itineraries and combining Zimbabwe with South Africa, Botswana and island stays in Mozambique and Tanzania please contact your preferred Africa travel specialist or visit www.andBeyond.com