On  April 5, 2012, a rhino notching operation took place at the Pilansberg National Park. “Notching” is a method of marking an animal so that it can be recognised easily by conservationists. It involves cutting a specific pattern onto the ear – similar to the methods used by cattle farmers.

Cape Town based children’s author, Linda “Lulu” Fellowes has penned a delightful children’s book to help raise awareness about the rhino poaching crisis in South Africa. She has donated 200 books to the Wilderness Foundation which will receive the proceeds from each book sold. The book is entitled iThemba, which is the Xhosa word for hope.

Executive director of the Wilderness Foundation,  Andrew Muir was one of five leading innovators named as the Social Entrepreneurs of the Year 2012 Africa by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship at the World Economic Forum on Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Thursday, May 10, 2012.

“This award will help us to build on what has already been established with regards to the Umzi Wethu programme as well as our other social investment and environmental programmes. We will have access to the Schwab Foundation’s global network, providing unprecedented opportunities to engage global decision makers,” says Muir.  The Wilderness Foundation is headquartered in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape .