It has been a busy and wonderful year working to save wildlife and wild spaces in southern Africa. The team at Wild Tomorrow Fund is both proud and humbled to look back on so many impactful moments while looking forward to doing even more next year with your help.

Here's some photos of our favourite moments and impactful program work in 2017.

*A river scene at Ukuwela, our protected wildlife conservancy in KwaZulu-Natal South Africa.*

HABITAT PROTECTION
After almost a year of negotiations, we took ownership of former farmland in August, creating the Ukuwela Conservancy. This newly protected area will expand habitat for threatened species including elephants, rhinos, leopards, lions and more. We began land rehabilitation work by removing alien plant species, old farm fencing and plastic pollution - with lots of help from our volunteers. We also started our 're-wilding' efforts with the release of six beautiful giraffe plus many smaller animals including a family of rescued and rehabilitated mongoose, while conducting biodiversity surveys to create a baseline for measuring ecological recovery.

*Rangers at Tembe Elephant Park receiving a delivery of uniforms from Wild Tomorrow Fund*

WILDLIFE RESERVE SUPPORT
We helped fourteen government reserves and three private reserves by providing them with critically needed supplies and equipment. This included uniforms and over 150 pairs of boots for rangers, darts for wildlife vets, care packages for anti-poaching K9s, emergency batteries for generators, boreholes for water, tires for patrol vehicles and many other requested supplies.

WILDLIFE PROTECTION
We dehorned the full population of critically endangered black rhinos at Phinda Private Reserve, plus 15 white rhinos. Removing their horn is a last-resort strategy to help keep them safe them from poachers.

We also equipped three elephants with radio-transmitting collars, measuring them at the same time for research on elephants and climate change. Read more on our blog Dehorning before the Poachers Do and New York Detective Work Saves Rhinos in Africa.

ANTI-POACHING TRAINING
We conducted our first wildlife crime scene training program at the transfrontier boundary between South Africa and Mozambique, training eleven anti-poaching rangers and reserve managers.

*Ukuwela rangers receiving Krav Maga self-defence training thanks to Global Conservation Force.*

UKUWELA RANGERS
We now employ six rangers who patrol our protected conservancy Ukuwela. We are so proud of our team who took self-defence training this year and are looking sharp and professional in their new uniforms.

*Sampling seized illegal ivory in New York, August 2017*

FORENSIC SCIENCE TO FIGHT IVORY TRAFFICKING
We sampled seized illegal ivory before its public destruction in Central Park this summer, with results of the forensic analysis to be announced on World Elephant Day 2018. The information yielded from the forensic results will inform anti-wildlife trafficking efforts. Read more in the NY Times story on New York's record ivory bust and our work to fight ivory trafficking with science.

Our incredible team of Wild Volunteers converging on Ukuwela from New York, Washington DC and the United Kingdom - August 2017 — *Our incredible team of Wild Volunteers converging on Ukuwela from New York, Washington DC and the United Kingdom - August 2017*

WILD VOLUNTEERS
Our first big group of volunteers spent two weeks rolling up their sleeves on our Ukuwela Conservancy, participating in hands-on conservation work while having the experience of a lifetime in South Africa.

THANK YOU

Our heartfelt gratitude to all of our supporters. Best wishes for a wonderful year ahead. Together, let's protect wildlife and wild spaces in 2018.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE WILD TOMORROW FUND TEAM

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018