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Thula Thula Private Game Reserve with its centuries ofcultural and wildl ife heritage, traces it's origin back to the private hunting groundsof King Shaka, founder of the Zulu Empire. Thula Thula pays tribute to its richhistory, taking its name from the Zulu word “thula”, meaning peace and tranquil ity.Unique atmosphere, styl ish décor, exclusive and personalised service makes ThulaThula a truly magnificent bush experience.

The Elephant Safari Lodge offers eight luxurious chalets elegantly decorated in acolonial style. Thula Thula is one of the most renowned gourmet destinations inKwaZulu-Natal, using a fusion of the most delicate fare combined with exoticflavours and enhanced with the finest South African wines. Rediscover nature in astyle true to the African safari camp of a past era at the recently opened luxurytented camp, where the peaceful African bush surrounds you. Exclusivity isassured with only 8 luxury tents, al l with private viewing decks and luxurious en-suite Victorian bathrooms. View wildl ife from the swimming pool bar or relax in yourtree suspended hammock overlooking the Enseleni River.

Thula Thula is home to a diverse African wildl ife population; the re-introduction of afamily herd of elephant in August 1 999 marks the historic return of these greatcreatures to the area for the first time in 1 00 years.

Thula Thula is situated 2 hours from Durban and six hours from Johannesburg.

ContentsSunday Independent Newspaper

'Charm & Adventure at Thula' - May 2011

Country Life Magazine'Doing the Elephant Walk' - March 2011

Woman's Health'Retreat Yourself' - November 201 0

The Star Newspaper'Look what I found' - June 201 0

The Mercury Newspaper'Gobisa's Escape' - September 201 0

Zululand Observer'Handling the African Addiction' - January 2011

Weekend Argus'Thula Thula' - July 2011

Useful Links:Thula Thulawww.thulathula.comLawrence Anthony & Friendswww.lawrenceanthony.co.zaThe Earth Organizationwww.earthorganization.org

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Thula Thula Game Reserve owner, Lawrence Anthony, is the author of twobooks: 'Babylon's Ark', the incredible wartime rescue of the Baghdad Zoo, and hislatest book, released in South Africa in August 2009, 'The Elephant Whisperer', theextraordinary story of one man's to save his herd. This book is the beautiful story ofthe Thula Thula herd of elephants, since their arrival in August 1 999.

Lawrence is busy with his third book 'Blood Horn' . This high adventure story is asl ice of primal Africa fol lowing his adventures on Thula Thula and then on into theCongo and Sudan, trying to prevent the extinction of the Northern White Rhino.

DESCRIPTION: When the Iraq war began, conservationistLawrence Anthony could think of only one thing: the fate ofthe Baghdad Zoo, located in the city centre and caught inthe war's crossfire. Once Anthony entered Baghdad hediscovered that ful l-scale combat and uncontrol led lootinghad kil led nearly al l the animals of the zoo. But not al l ofthem. U.S. soldiers had taken the time to help care for theremaining animals, and the zoo's staff had returned to workin spite of the constant fire fights. Together the Americansand Iraqis managed to keep alive the animals that hadsurvived the invasion .

"Babylon's Ark" chronicles the zoo's transformation frombombed-out rubble to peaceful park. Along the way, Anthonyrecounts hair-raising efforts to save a pride of the dictator'sl ions, close a deplorable black-market zoo, and rescueSaddam's Arabian horses. His unique ground-levelexperience makes "Babylon's Ark" an uplifting story of bothsides working together for the sake of innocent animalscaught in the war's crossfire.

DESCRIPTION: When South African conservationistLawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of 'rogue'elephants on his reserve at Thula Thula, his commonsensetold him to refuse. But he was the herd's last chance ofsurvival - notorious escape artists, they would al l be kil led ifLawrence wouldn't take them. He agreed, but beforearrangements for the move could be completed the animalsbroke out again and the matriarch and her baby were shot.The remaining elephants were traumatised and very angry.As soon as they arrived at Thula Thula they started planningtheir escape. . .As Lawrence battled to create a bond with the elephants andsave them from execution, he came to realise that they hada lot to teach him about love, loyalty and freedom. Setagainst the background of l ife on the reserve, withunforgettable characters and exotic wildl ife, this is adelightful book that wil l appeal to animal lovers everywhere.

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Publication: Sunday Independent NewspaperPublished: 27 March 2011, page 10,11

At Thula Thula, intimate elephant encounters andfabulous French cuisine are top of the menu,

writes Joanne Rushby.

Charm &Adventure at

THERE it is again, "whispered Sizwe as I peered into the bush, l isteningintently. "The Gorgeous Bush-Shrike: very difficult to see. You can spend the wholeday looking for this bird - you wil l often hear it, but hardly ever see it. "

The call of the Gorgeous Bush-Shrike seemed to joyful ly and elusively fol low meon my three day trip to Thula Thula game reserve, a two-hour drive north ofDurban, and home to about 350 species of birds. I t is well worth taking a walk inthe bush with one of the knowledgeable guides if you want to spot at least some ofthem. I was lucky enough to see a Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Bateleurs and,most impressive of al l , Trumpeter Hornbil ls. Alas, not the Gorgeous Bush-Shrike -this time.

But it's not the birds that Thula Thula is most famous for: it's the elephants, andtheir friend, Lawrence Anthony - the "elephant whisperer" as he has becomeknown. Only a few months ago, the reserve was in the news again as a rogue bullelephant cal led Gobisa, brought in by Lawrence, broke out of its boma within hoursand crashed through the electric fences of Thula Thula and neighbouring reserves,causing havoc, and more than a few sleepless nights for Lawrence and his staff.

The bull was recaptured, with the help of Ezemvelo KZN Wildl ife, and has nowsettled peaceful ly into his new home. Finding the elephant cows has undoubtedlyhelped with integration. I t's not the first time that Lawrence has saved elephants.The conservationist made headlines in 1 999 when he agreed to take in a herdof nine maverick elephants who were about to be shot if not adopted.

Thula

Lawrence agreed and so began the story of his famous bond with the herd'smatriarch, Nana. The elephants broke out of the reserve, crashing through thewildl ife reserve of Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, a path that could have led to their demise.

Lawrence saved the elephants from the shotgun and persuaded the authorities toal low him to take the herd back to Thula Thula. There he spent every night for twoweeks sleeping outside the boma, talking and singing to the herd, unti l he final lyfelt they were ready to be released.

The bond he established with Nana and the herd would prove to be lasting, as shereturned to his house one night with her new baby. Nana had been pregnantduring this whole saga. Thus, a friendship was also born.

You may be lucky enough to see the elephants near the lodge, but it is probablysafer and, according to the staff, less damaging to the environment, that they areseen in their more natural habitat.

The reserve has recently doubled in size, providing greater and much-neededspace in which the elephants can roam. I t's an undulating landscape: acacias,thorn trees and scrub with the camps nestl ing in the valleys. Lawrence and histeam have done much to eradicate alien vegetation, and they are about to embarkon the new section of the reserve.

On our afternoon game drive, as the Land Rover lurched from side to side in themuddy grooves, the driver suddenly stopped and jumped out, having spottedtracks in the mud. They were fresh. As he bent down to check how long ago theelephants had passed by, there was a loud crack in the bushes behind us. Therewere three elephants plus a baby feasting in the trees. They were very close butunfazed by our presence.

Publication: Sunday Independent NewspaperPublished: 27 March 2011, page 10,11

Picture - Suite Imperiale, Thula Thula

Publication: Sunday Independent NewspaperPublished: 27 May 2011, page 10,11

A hush descended as we watched, and then one of the elephants, a cow,approached the truck. Curiosity had got the better of her and she came closer, soclose you could feel the breath from her trunk. The Land Rover inched a littlefurther-down the track, the rangers well aware of the dangers. The reserve, one ofthe oldest in KwaZulu Natal, is also home to leopard, two orphaned rhinos,wildebeest, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, hyena, kudu and a host of smaller animals.

We spent time with Alison, an English veterinary nurse, who is taking care of theorphaned rhinos, feeding them and keeping a close eye on their movements.

She watches anxiously from the ridge as the baby rhinos venture further into thereserve each day. The hum of a helicopter above is also cause for concern: rhinopoaching gangs often seek "fresh kil l" from the air.

With the current dangers (71 animals have been kil led this year alone in SouthAfrica), Al ison has every reason to worry. The rhinos wil l eventual ly sleep in thereserve, but they wil l be monitored at al l times.

However, it's not only the bush and game that attract people to this reserve. Thereis a different side to Thula Thula, and that is the impressive personality ofLawrence's wife, Francoise.

Francoise Malby-Anthony is bold, beautiful and ful l of l ife. A Parisian by birth,Francoise has made Thula Thula her home, after meeting Lawrence one coldwinter's night in a taxi in Paris.

She was unimpressed by his attire in the freezing Parisian temperatures. dressedin the bush uniform of someone used to 30oC heat. However, charm andadventure won her over and Francoise didn't take much persuading to swop Parisfor a hunting reserve in the bush that they have now lovingly restored.

Francoise is clearly the energy behind Thula Thula, and adds a touch of Frenchcuisine and flair to the lodge: four-course dinners around a large dining table arean evening feature, and Francoise careful ly works out menus with her staff toprovide a culinary experience of note. We feasted on venison terrine and seafoodbouil labaisse creole, sucking the meat from crab's claws and, if you have space forit, the desserts are legendary You wil l definitely need a bush walk after al l theeating.

Picture - Boma Dining, Thula Thula

Publication: Sunday Independent NewspaperPublished: 27 May 2011, page 10,11

I asked Francoise what it was like adjusting to l ife in Zululand. She said she lovedParis and its culture, but had easily settled into her new environment, and foundthe people here friendly and warm.

She signed up for Zulu classes when arriving in Durban more than 1 0 years ago,but once she got to Thula Thula, she soon found that no one could understand herrather old-fashioned Zulu grammar and conversation. She started all over again,and it is easy to see how well she communicates with her staff, handl ing what isclearly a frenetic environment on occasions.

On one of the evenings, she had to negotiate feeding 40 people, as well askeeping the two baby rhinos out of the lodge. They had wandered over, curious tosee what was happening, and at any moment could have crashed through thekitchens into the bar. Bouil labaisse all over their horns!

This is the bush experience with benefits, no roughing it out in the open with thesnap of twigs on the ground to keep you awake at night. You can sleep in thecomfort of a thatched chalet, with mosquito nets. There is also a luxurious tentedcamp, with en-suite bathrooms and secluded outside showers. The tented camp isvery popular with South Africans, where evening meals are round the braai orcampfire.

And if you want your bush experience with holistic benefits, Francoise now offersyoga bush retreat weekends, which are proving to be popular with groups fromJoburg and Cape Town. Francoise is passionate about the venture, and speaksabout her "yoga ladies" with enthusiasm. In fact, I 'm sure I spotted a wildebeestdoing the l ion pose!

I f you want to practise your asanas in the peace and tranquil l i ty of the bush, checkout the website for detai ls of available weekends. The cost of a weekend is R3 300for two nights al l inclusive (bar expenses not included). The weekend includesaccommodation, four yoga classes, an aromatherapy massage, one game driveand a bush walk, plus a cooking class with Francoise.

HOW TO GET THERE:Thula Thula Game reserve is a two-hour

drive from Durban, near Empangeni.

Check out: www.thulathula.com - for

rates and packages at the different

camps in the reserve. You can also visit

for the day - rates include lunch/dinner

and a game drive.

Contact Francoise Malby-Anthony for

detai ls of the yoga/ cookery weekends.

Tel: 035 792 8322

e-mail : thula@netactive.co.za

Publication: Country Life MagazinePublished: March 2011, page 68, 69, 70, 71

Thula Thula, a place where trust and time is restoringrelationships between humans and animals, and one man'spassion for conservation is making world headlines.

After going down on his front knees, Mabula gored the ground with his tusks andthen rol led over on his side, legs sticking ignominiously into the air.

Publication: Country Life MagazinePublished: March 2011, page 68, 69, 70, 71

Thula Thula, a place where trust and time is restoringrelationships between humans and animals, and one man'spassion for conservation is making world headlines.

THE NOVEMBER RAINS HAD REVIVED adrought-stricken Zululand. A constant I lowrumble of thunder animated nature I withelectrifying energy, and as the game-drivevehicle navigated the sl ippery hil l , the raincame down in straight jets. At the pinnacle alone elephant stood. "I t's Mabula," Siya saidfrom the tracker seat. "He's in musth".

Mabula is one of the seven rogue elephantsthat came to Thula Thula Game Reserve in1 999. Lawrence Anthony, the owner of ThulaThula, has chronicled the incredible story ofthis herd in The Elephant Whisperer, whichhe co-wrote with his brother-in-law GrahamSpence. I t is a book that has gripped theimagination of an ever-increasing group ofreaders, luring many to this place in ruralZululand that was once the hunting groundsof King Shaka.

Siya and Sima, the two game guides, wereapprehensive of Mabula's temper and wekept a safe distance. When he picked up ourpresence Mabula led us into a dance ofretreat and approach. Even the most docileof bul ls is turned into an aggressive,unpredictable animal when their testosteronelevels surge during musth. Eventual lyMabula turned sideways to show us his ful lsize and then went down on his front knees,goring the saturated earth with his tusks. I tthen seemed as if his sense of humour gotthe better of his hormones as he rol led overon his side, legs sticking ignominiously intothe air Twice this performance was repeated,and Sima decided it was time for us to beatthe retreat.

The original herd that Mabula belonged to came from Mpumalanga traumatised,angry and dangerous. Thula Thula was their last hope of finding sanctuary. But, ledby the matriarch Nana - named after Lawrence's mother - they continued down adestructive path that led Zululand's conservation fraternity to the conclusion thatthe adults were beyond rehabil itation and had to be taken out. Lawrence beggedfor a last reprieve and upon receiving it camped out in his Land Rover just behindthe electrified fence of the holding boma. Desperation and intuition must have >

^ Thula ThulaElephant SafariLodge is situatedbetween tal l tambotiand marula trees,and overlooks anactive waterhole.

< Nana, thematriarch of therogue herd ofelephants that cameto Thula Thulaeleven years ago.The bond betweenNana and Anthonyis a central theme inhis book TheElephant Whisperer.

Lawrence Anthonyand his wifeFrançoise withvolunteer AlysonMcPhee.

Publication: Country Life MagazinePublished: March 2011, page 68, 69, 70, 71

The original herd that Mabula belonged to came from Mpumalanga traumatised,angry and dangerous. Thula Thula was their last hope of finding sanctuary. But, ledby the matriarch Nana - named after Lawrence's mother - they continued down adestructive path that led Zululand's conservation fraternity to the conclusion thatthe adults were beyond rehabil itation and had to be taken out. Lawrence beggedfor a last reprieve and upon receiving it camped out in his Land Rover just behindthe electrified fence of the holding boma. Desperation and intuition must have >

> inspired him as he started talking and singing to the herd. So began theformation of a bond and communication between man and animal that transcendstraditional bel iefs and general knowledge about the social behaviour of elephants.In one of the most poignant scenes in Elephant: Whisperer, Lawrence describeshow, after two weeks of constantly talking to the elephants, a palpable changecame over the herd. Daring to approach the fence, Lawrence found himself face-to-face with Nana, who then put her trunk though the fence and started to gentlytouch him. The decision to release the herd into the reserve proved to be well-timed, as they proceeded to settle down in their new environment.

The rain had let up when we came across the breeding herd. The guests, from asfar afield as Vancouver; were keen for the guides to point out Nana, Frankie andthe other characters of The Elephant Whisperer. Nana - now blind in the right eye,her left tusk broken - grazed peaceful ly with her young calf. I t was evident that theemotional scars of 20 years ago had been healed.

Thula Thula's elephants now number 20 in total, including Gobisa, a mature bullthat was brought in to be Mabula's patriarch. Not wanting the legend of Nana andher herd to diminish his reputation, Gobisa also broke out of the boma and thereserve soon after his arrival. But, in Lawrence's own words, "He soon picked upon the females and realised there are a lot of pretty girls on the reserve! Hisattention has now switched from testing the boundaries to fol lowing the herd - avery good sign."

We met Gobisa on the road back to the lodge. Dusk was fal l ing as we watched himsquirting mud and sand into the air and over his head. Eventual ly he raised histrunk high, sensing us, before casually sauntering into the bush. How fortunate wewere to have encountered all of Thula Thula's elephants on that rainy afternoon.

Back at the lodge, the aromas from the kitchen promised culinary heaven.Francoise Malby-Anthony has brought al l the flair and finesse from her homecountry to this remote corner of Zululand. She's celebrated for the French-Africanfusion food that the guests are treated to at the luxury lodge. Once a year sheattends classes at the Le Notre Culinary Institute in Paris to keep abreast of thelatest food trends. "But we have to adapt to the local palate and products," shesays in beautiful ly accented English. To mention but one of the dishes from thefour-course dinner menu - pineapple chicken on sweet potato cake with chocolatechil l i and red wine sauce. Ooh la la! After dinner we sat around the bar, joking andlistening to the fascinating stories about everyday life at Thula Thula. The Anthonyfamily has deep roots in Zululand, Lawrence and Françoise’s love of the land, itsanimals and people defines their l ives.

With a growing l ist of awards for his various conservation projects and initiatives,Lawrence is described by the media as an environmental ist, explorer; and best-sel l ing author Both books from his pen - The Elephant Whisperer and Babylon'sArk - have been translated into several languages and are under negotiation forinternational fi lm rights. Lawrence dreams big and he takes bold steps in realising>

< his goals. Steps l ike entering war-torn Iraq in 2003 to rescue the traumatisedanimals that had survived the bombing of the Baghdad Zoo - a saga grippinglyportrayed in Babylon's Ark.

Today the Baghdad Zoo is again the biggest in the Middle East and receivesthousands of visitors every year- one up for the conservationists. But, saysLawrence, Uganda's northern white rhino has now been declared extinct - aspecies lost forever. Two years ago Thula Thula's only white rhino was lost topoachers, but since then two rhino orphans, Thabo and Nthombi, have come toThula and are being introduced into the bush by volunteer Alyson McPhee. This isthe scale of balances in the quest to save nature, and mankind. The trick is to tryto tip the balance in nature's favour - not an easy feat. In this, the Anthonys havecreated a beacon in Thula Thula.

In parting, I wanted to learn the secret to communicating with elephants. "There isreal ly no mystique about it - anyone can do it, " Lawrence declared affably. "I t is al labout reconnecting with nature and your instincts."

COUNTRY LIFE TEXT AND PICTURES:ANITA DE VILLIERS

FOOTNOTESThula Thula Game Reserve is situated north-west ofEmpangeni in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

The 4 000ha reserve wil l soon be joined to the 96000ha Hluhluwe-lmfolozi Game Reserve through acorridor that incorporates community land. After 1 4years of education and negotiation with thecommunities and the five chiefs that rule over thisland, two community game reserves have now beendeclared. Thula Thula and its surroundingcommunities have joined hands in the quest topreserve the land and animals.

Thula Thula Private Game Reserve035 792 8322,082 259 9732,083 787 9991 ,thula@netactive.co.za, www.thulathula.com

Pictures

Above - Alyson McPhee with her babies - the

white rhinos Thabo and Nthombi.

Below - Game guide Siya braves the rain and

Mabula's antics in the tracker seat.

Publication: Country Life MagazinePublished: March 2011, page 68, 69, 70, 71

Publication: Woman's Health MagazinePublished: November 2010, page 158, 159, 160, 161

Publication: Woman's Health MagazinePublished: November 2010, page 158, 159, 160, 161

I t's late afternoon at Thula Thula PrivateGame Reserve and five elephants -three adults, two little ones - have justsl ipped into the thick bush across theNseleni River. A tame and curious bushpig is sniffing then blowing sand aroundthe base of an acacia tree, scouring for ameal. She was rescued from a snare byLawrence, says his wife FrancoiseAnthony, who co-owns the lodge, over adecadent vegetarian lunch. Rescuinganimals is what he does. Often.(Remember the guy who saved all theanimals from Baghdad Zoo back in2004? That was Lawrence.) Thula Thulahas become a place of safety for manyanimals; a place for them to heal andflourish. Appropriate, then, that this isalso where to come for a yoga retreat.

"Tuck your tai l bone under," instructs theyoga teacher. "Drop lower into your frontknee. Lower. . . Lower. . . " And you sink alittle deeper into your pose. Further thanyou've been before. For the rest of thisclass, you're total ly in tune with yourbody.

A quick "yoga retreat" search on Googleyields 21 9 000 results - from a detoxretreat and a beginner's version thatincludes a spa treatment, to an advancedAshtanga retreat in India. "There aremany different types of retreats as yogahas so many expressions," says JessikaMunnell , co-owner of Yoga Life studio inCape Town. "There are l ight-heartedretreats that offer yoga and surfing; thereare serious raja retreats - the meditationside of yoga - where you may do a lot ofmeditating, studying and very l ittle asanapractice." (Asana practice, by the way, iscal led Hatha yoga and is a tiny part of thediscipl ine, but has been perceived by theWestern world as what yoga is.)

"A retreat is a great way to recharge and>

A time to chillSo here you are on Friday evening, wearing

yoga gear on the wooden deck of a luxury tented

camp, with a bush pig less than five metres

away. You and eight others are lunging into

warrior I I , but your mind's sti l l in the office,

running through a daunting task l ist, when

suddenly something curious happens: you

become aware of the breeze on your bare arms.

The office fal ls away as you notice the air flowing

over your knuckles, brushing the skin of your

inner wrists. The air is so soft, you think as youfocus your senses, and it carries that earthyfragrance of dry winter grass.

Publication: Woman's Health MagazinePublished: November 2010, page 158, 159, 160, 161

< connect with yourself" says teacher - "On a yoga retreat, the focus is balanceand real relaxation" trainer Tracey Rohan-Irwin from Shades of Yoga, who runsretreats around Southern Africa. "I t's an opportunity to immerse yourself in the pureindulgence of eating healthy food, and to move stress out of your body throughmovement and breathing exercises."

But this being my first yoga holiday, I was initial ly apprehensive, unti l the promiseof a French cooking class, game drive, massage and a bush walk made it seemboth enticing and accessible. Being relatively new to yoga, I was concerned aboutbeing able to keep up. I f I can't touch my toes or remember what "trikonasana" is -how on earth would I cope with four classes in one long weekend?

These yoga-newbie insecurities, coupled with an insane diary and that task l ist atwork, meant I almost cancelled - but for those very reasons, it turns out, thisweekend is just what I needed.

Spirited awayAnd the good news is you don't have to be a seasoned yogi to reap the chil l-outbenefits of a weekend retreat. The beauty for everyone, explains Munnell , is thatyou are out of your everyday routine and can be free to experience yoga with morepresence. A retreat is not just about the poses, so if spending a weekendpretzel l ing yourself on a mat sounds too intense, consider this: if it makes you feeltwitchy, it's probably just what you need. Although yoga is a 5 000-year-olddiscipl ine, retreats are a modern answer to modern l iving, says Stafford Whiteaker,author of The Good Retreat Guide. "They're a special time to give yourself somepeace and calm."

BALANCING ACT - How to get themost from your yoga weekend...> Take your own yoga mat. "I t's a more personal journey towork out on your own mat every day," says Medina. "Plusyou won't have to worry about sharing other peoples' sweat!"

> Consider going alone. "I t's anopportunity for quality 'me' time.You'l l never be lonely, as you'l lmeet amazing, l ike-mindedpeople," says Tracey Rohan-Irwinof Shades of Yoga. "That said, it'salso a very special experience toshare with a friend or partner."

> Stop drinking coffee and alcohola week before you go. "Yogapostures work to detox and purifythe body, and you wil l achieve fargreater results if your bodydoesn't have to struggle withremoving toxins," says MeganMedina, who teaches the retreats

at Thula Thula.> Turn your phone off for theduration of your retreat. You'l lsurvive without it. Promise.

Thousands of people are realising this. In 2007, the United Nations World TourismOrganisation identified "hol istic tourism" as a market to watch: as stress levelsincrease and hectic l ifestyles intensify, they reasoned that more people would besearching for holidays that would give them time to focus on their mind, body andwellbeing. "People are realising that we're looking to the wrong things forhappiness and You don’t need to be a seasoned yogi to reap the benefits of aweekend retreat that true contentment l ies in balance, in finding our connection tothe earth, to ourselves and to each other," explains Cherryl Duncan, teacher andowner of Living Yoga in Joburg. "Instead of rushing off for a break in another big,bustl ing city where it's al l about shopping, coffee and public transport, people arenow opting for a week of rejuvenation, relaxation and true happiness."

We've just completed our second yoga class of the weekend. I 'm feeling a l ittlel ighter and total ly relaxed, while soaking up the morning sun from a deckchairoutside my four-star tent. While waiting for a scheduled massage, I watch abushbuck graze lazi ly around a tree stump; the pre-trip angst seems so far away.

"On a yoga retreat the focus is balance and real relaxation," says Duncan."Practising a yogic l ifestyle on holiday truly gives the mind, body and spirit achance to rejuvenate, which is what holidays are meant to do." Observing mysurroundings from that deckchair, I 'm living proof of that - and it's only Saturdaymorning.

Where: Thula Thula Private GameReserve, 45 minutes from Richard's Bay,KwaZulu-Natal

It's for you if...you're longing for the peace and quiet ofthe bush. Accommodation is in a luxurytented camp (maybe you'l l get to sleep inthe same bed as Jul io Iglesias did in 2008)on the banks of the Nseleni River.Between Friday afternoon and Sundaymorning there are four yoga classes, agame drive, bush walk, massage and aFrench vegetarian cooking class.

Tame bushbuck roam the camp, andelephant and other wildl ife can often beseen drinking from the river.

Teacher: Megan Medina / Charlene HeynsStyle: HathaWhen: One weekend a month; see thewebsite for dates

What it costs: R3 300 per person sharing,al l-inclusive. Info at: www.thulathula.com

Picture - Thula Thula Tented Camp

Picture - Thula Thula Tented Camp

Publication: Woman's Health MagazinePublished: November 2010, page 158, 159, 160, 161

Publication: The Star NewspaperPublished: 28 June 2010, page 13

I t’s early evening in Thula Thula

Private Game Reserve. The

day’s exercise of walking around

my beautiful home is over and

look what I ’ve come across; it’s

warm, wet and round. I f I push it

around and rol l it about it could

be used as a soccer ball , but wait

a minuteP oh no, here comes

mom behind me. I ’ l l pretend that I

don’t see her. Suddenly I feel her

trunk tugging at my floppy ears

and she’s pul l ing me away from

my new toy. Mom gives me a firm

nudge and I suddenly find myself

on her trai l off to look for a spot to

bed down for the night.

^ OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAYPAn adult

and her baby walk on the road close to the

Safari Lodge in Thula Thula Private Game

Reserve.

> THIS WAY, JUNIORP

AND DON’T TOUCH ANYTHING: The young

elephant leaves the road and disappears into

the thorn veld to find somewhere to sleep for

the night.

Publication: The Star NewspaperPublished: 28 June 2010, page 13

1 . HELLO, WHAT’S THIS? Theyoungster decides to investigate afresh pile of “poo”. Hard to resist!

2. OH NO YOU DON’T: Things arefar too quiet. Mom comes over tosee what the l ittle one is up to.

3. CAN I HAVE IT? The youngstertries to pick up the pile of freshlylaid dung. Not very portable.

4. I CAN’T TAKE YOUANYWHERE: Big Momma decidesto get mischief out of there. Awgee, Mom!

5. I NEVER HAVE ANY FUN: Momand baby head away from theinappropriate toy.

Pictures and words:Karen Sandison

1

2

3

4

5

UP YOUCOME,

BIG FELLA

Bull elephant Gobisa is hoisted on to the back of a truck after it was recaptured byan Ezemvelo KZN Wildl ife game capture team near the R34, between Empangeniand Eshowe, yesterday. Gobisa lay waste to a fence of gum poles at Thula Thulagame reserve, went through electric fences as if they did not exist and travelledmore than 25km before being recaptured. Ironical ly, the bull was brought to ThulaThula to calm down the reserve’s young elephant population.

PICTURE: DYLAN ANTHONY

Publication: Mercury NewspaperPublished: 23 September 2010, page 1

PICTURES: DYLAN ANTHONY

Thula Thula - Elephant Safari Lodge

RHINO RESCUE

Two months after Thula Thula White Rhino Heidi was tragical ly ki l led by poachers,Thula Thula has welcomed a five month old White Rhino onto the reserve.Relocated to Thula Thula on the 25th October 2009, the 1 70kg youngster, namedThabo, arrived after a fourteen hour long trip from Limpopo and was brought on thereserve by his adopted family. When he arrived at Thula Thula it was pouring rainoutside, a sign of good luck in the Zulu culture. Thula Thula acquired the rhinofrom the Moholoholo Rehab Centre in Limpopo after the one-day old calf wasfound alone, badly dehydrated, in a Free State game reserve. I t is not knownwhether his mom died in childbirth, abandoned him (thinking he wouldn't survive)or was scared off by predators.

Just in time for Christmas, Thabo got a friend! Ntombi had beenfound after her mother had been kil led by another rhino and shewas also taken to Moholoho Rehabil itation Center. Thabo hadnever seen another rhino before and the two have since builtquite the friendship. Both Thabo and Ntombi have settled well intheir new home.

Top Left - Thabo at one day oldTop right - Thabo at Moholoho Rehabil itation Center.Bottom Left - Thabo received milk preparation every 4 hours during 24 hour care.Bottom Right - Thabo, Lawrence Anthony, game ranger Pieter le Roux & handler Alyson.Left - Thabo and Ntombi meet.

Publication: Zululand ObserverPublished: 06 January 2011, online <click to see original article >

From Bristol to Buchanana, AlysonMcphee (28) fol lowed her dream tocare for creatures in the African bush.‘I ’ve always been interested inanimals, ’ confesses Alyson. ‘I justprefer them to humans. '

HANDLING THEAFRICAN

ADDICTION

Alyson attended a college in Gloucester where she studied animal care andhusbandry. She then went on to do a year’s work experience with a vet, workingtowards becoming a veterinary nurse. From 2003 unti l the end of September 2009she worked as a veterinary nurse for Woodvet Group in Gloucester, devotingherself to animal care. ‘I ’d been watching a programme, Wild at Heart, and reallywanted to volunteer my services to looking after animals in the African bush, ’recalled Alyson. ‘I ’d been to Zimbabwe with a boyfriend three years ago and hadgot a taste of the African addiction. ’

Volunteer - Alyson went through a volunteer agency and was placed at Moholoholorehab center in Limpopo where she was placed in a group, looking after differentanimals. I t was here that Alyson met Ntombi. ‘In the second week of October,2009, a baby White Rhino, Ntombi arrived from the Kruger. ‘Ntombi was fivemonths old and an orphan as her mom had been kil led during a fight with a bull . ’Ntombi was severely distressed so Alyson and a fel low handler, Risha, talked toher throughout the night, bui lding up a bond with the animal and getting her to feedfrom a bottle. That same day, several hundred kilometres south of Moholoholo,another orphaned White Rhino, Thabo, arrived looking for love at Thula ThulaPrivate Game Reserve in Zululand.

Teaming up - Two months down the line, Thula Thula needed a handler to lookafter Thabo and they agreed to take on Ntombi as well . ‘ I didn’t want to leaveNtombi, ’ said Alyson, ‘so I went with her to Thula to look after both of them. I t didn'ttake long for the two of them to become inseparable. ’ Orphaned rhinos are usuallycared for up unti l about 1 8 months. ‘They fol lowed me around everywhere. They’reso affectionate and just love cuddles. ’ Alyson recalled two incidents where she wasupset and was comforted by her pachyderm friends. ‘Back at Maholo I was a littlehomesick and Ntombi cuddled up and put her head under my arm. ‘Another time Iwas feeling down, the two rhinos sat around me, shielding and protecting me unti l Ifelt better. ’ A month ago the two rhinos were official ly released from the boma intothe wild. ‘They sort of decided themselves and wandered out al l day. ‘They’vesince stayed away more and more, although they do visit the boma occasionally. ’There is a strict no human interference rule to discourage the rhinos becomingfamil iar with people, making them vulnerable to poachers. However they wil l beguarded 24/7 in case of poachers.

Two months after Thula Thula White Rhino Heidi was tragical ly ki l led by poachers,Thula Thula has welcomed a five month old White Rhino onto the reserve.Relocated to Thula Thula on the 25th October 2009, the 1 70kg youngster, namedThabo, arrived after a fourteen hour long trip from Limpopo and was brought on thereserve by his adopted family. When he arrived at Thula Thula it was pouring rainoutside, a sign of good luck in the Zulu culture. Thula Thula acquired the rhinofrom the Moholoholo Rehab Centre in Limpopo after the one-day old calf wasfound alone, badly dehydrated, in a Free State game reserve. I t is not knownwhether his mom died in childbirth, abandoned him (thinking he wouldn't survive)or was scared off by predators.

Top Left - Thabo at one day oldTop right - Thabo at Moholoho Rehabil itation Center.Bottom Left - Thabo received milk preparation every 4 hours during 24 hour care.Bottom Right - Thabo, Lawrence Anthony, game ranger Pieter le Roux & handler Alyson.Left - Thabo and Ntombi meet.

Publication: Weekend ArgusPublished: 17 July 2011, page 17

POACHING poses such a severe threat to rhinos' l ives that at Thula Thula, aprivate game reserve near Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal, the rhinos have beenassigned armed bodyguards. In what might be seen as an ironic contradiction,these wild, free-ranging animals are fol lowed in the bush day and night by guardswho are dedicated to ensuring that they do not meet the fate of so many otherrhinos in Africa, slaughtered for their horns.

Thula Thula is owned and run by Lawrence Anthony, the man who helped savemany of the animals in the Baghdad Zoo after the beginning of the war in Iraq, andwhose book on the subject, Babylon's Ark, made for gripping reading. He has alsowritten a book called The Elephant Whisperer, about coping with a troubled herd ofwild elephants he took on at Thula Thula. In many ways Thula Thula doesn't quitemeet one's idea of a wild reserve deep in the bush. That's because it is not remoteat al l , and from many parts of the reserve you can see vil lages on the surroundinghil ls. This is not, however, unfortunate - it is part of Anthony's plan to involvecommunities in the wildl ife of Africa.

To the rescue of SA's rhinosA private game reserve in Kwazulu-Natal is taking no chances with the riskposed by poachers, and has assigned guards to their special charges,writes Vivien Horler

Guns and guards can only do so much, he believes, and the true way to fight poaching is to

restore communities' traditional and cultural ties with nature - ties that were destroyed by

colonial ism and apartheid. "People around here have lived on the edge of reserves all their l ives,

reserves l ike Hluhluwe-Umfolozi and now Thula Thula, and yet have never seen a zebra. "White

people visited reserves and admired the animals, but black people couldn't do that. "The old style

of tackling poaching was guns and fences and uniforms and exclusivity, but you can't do that

anymore - meaningful moves against poaching depend on communities."

Anthony has held "hundreds" of meetings with the communities surrounding Thula Thula - where

many locals have found work - and in consequence, poaching for meat has dropped in the

reserve by 90 percent. The other kind of poaching is the organised hunting of elephant and rhino

for their tusks and horns, and that is a different matter altogether Rhino poaching in South Africa

is out of control, he says, with an average of one animal a day being slaughtered. Thula Thula

has lost two rhinos to poaching. In the second attack, the poachers came in by helicopter The

aircraft's identifying numbers had been covered so there was no way to trace it. "We saw the

helicopter, but had no idea what it was doing. The next day we found Heidi, who had been shot.

She'd had a huge horn, nearly a metre long and was a magnificent specimen."

The current spate of rhino poaching began when the Vietnamese minister of health went on TV

to announce that his cancer had been cured by rhino horn. In China rhino horn, because of its

price, has long been a available as a traditional medicine only to the wealthier sections of society

"But now, with the Chinese economy booming, more and more people can afford rhino horn.

Weight for weight, I understand, rhino horn is more valuable than gold in the final powdered form.

So Heidi 's metre-long horn is seen by the poacher as a horn of gold. That gives you some idea

of the problem." Apart from the cruelty - the animals are sometimes darted and have their horns

hacked out while unconscious, leaving them to bleed to death - losing rhinos is also horrendously

expensive. Anthony says a white rhino costs around R375 000, and a black rhino, double that

Insurance companies wil l no longer cover them. And then of course there is concern about the

species. Historical ly there were thousands of Western Black and Northern White rhinos and save

for five Northern Whites in a facil ity in Kenya, where they are trying to breed them, they are all

gone. "So the large-sounding numbers mean nothing - entire sub-species have been wiped out

in the past few decades."

Publication: Weekend ArgusPublished: 17 July 2011, page 17

But there is good news; for one thing, official attitudes are changing, says Anthony. In 1 996 two

poachers were caught with duiker carcasses and shotguns, and the magistrate, a Zulu woman,

acquitted them, saying "Zulu men must hunt". Nowadays, he says, locals know that you can get

1 5 years in jai l for rhino poaching. Recently a man was convicted in Ulundi, and sent to jai l for 1 5

years. "The news flew around Zululand," says Anthony. 'Attitudes are changing - people know

that animals and reserves bring in money, and people and the government are saying, 'Why

should foreigners take our rhino?' There's been a huge change in perceptions."

At Thula Thula, the solution has been bodyguards and community outreach. Thula Thula has just

two rhinos, both two years old - and relative babies - although almost a ton in weight each. Both

were hand-reared, so are particularly vulnerable to poaching as they don't fear people. Nthombi,

the female, was rescued after her mother had been kil led by a rhino bull . The male, Thabo, was

found near a waterhole in the Free State with his umbil ical cord sti l l attached, and no sign of a

mother. I t is assumed she had been poached. They were taken to Thula Thula where their

primary carer has been Alyson McPhee, 29, a veterinary nurse from Bristol, who came to South

Africa as a volunteer, fel l in love with Nthombi, and has stayed. To this day, McPhee fol lows the

two rhinos all day in the bush, in the company of security guard Bheki Gumede. At night two

other guards take over. Not having been reared by their mothers, the baby rhino have needed all

sorts of coaching from McPhee, including how to take mud baths, which are important to protect

their skin and get rid of parasites. "I 've had to be their mum and constant companion," says

McPhee. "They're becoming more independent now, but wil l sti l l come to me if they want comfort

or a cuddle. Thabo, particularly, sti l l l ikes to be kissed on the nose and have his face stroked."

They have less human interaction as they get older, but they sti l l need protection. McPhee gets

very fierce when the subject of poaching comes up. "I f anyone hurt these rhino, I 'd hunt the

poachers down, torture them for a week and when near death I 'd tie them to a tree and let the

hyenas do the rest." Hopeful ly with Anthony's community outreach programmes and the 24-hour

bodyguards, it wil l never come to that.

Publication: Weekend ArgusPublished: 17 July 2011, page 17