STATEMENT
Savé Valley Conservancy's sustainable use model allows abundance in animal populations for restocking depleted areas.
We as the Savé Valley Conservancy (SVC) have a proud and enviable heritage of strong ecological and security management over a period of some 30 years, using the sustainable-use model which has enabled us to grow our animal populations to such levels as to allow restocking of areas that have seen numbers decline.
Whilst we acknowledge that we have excess numbers of animals in certain key species, particularly elephant, the reason for this excess has nothing to do with drought or climate change, though it is acknowledged that we are not immune to droughts or the effects of climate change, they are NOT the reason as to why we have an abundance of animals that we would be willing to translocate to areas requiring restocking.
Furthermore, we as the SVC, subscribe to National Policies, such as Zimbabwe’s Elephant Management Plan and believe that it is crucial that any translocation destination party should fully adhere to such policy documents as well as engage with and seek agreement with the relevant conservation and community stakeholders in the recipient area so as to ensure that both conservation and community objectives are attained for the greater good of Zimbabwe, its wildlife, and people.
A huge thank you to all our sponsors who made our inaugural Rhino Ranger Run in Harare on September 8, 2024 at the Farm @ ART a success. You made it possible and we appreciate your partnership with us. We are already looking forward to a bigger and better event in 2025 at the same venue. Thank you for helping us make a difference!
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The Savé Valley Conservancy is one of the largest private game reserves in Africa. Located in the South Eastern lowveld of Zimbabwe, bordering on the Save River on its eastern side, the Conservancy comprises 750,000 acres of diverse wildlife habitat.
Visitors to the Savé Valley Conservancy (SVC) have the opportunity to see most all of Southern African game species, including the Big Five (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, and rhino). The SVC is home to one of Africa’s largest populations of black and white rhino, and to a healthy population of rare African Painted Dogs. Both of these critically endangered species are carefully monitored and protected within the Conservancy. Over three hundred species of birds can also be found in the Conservancy during the year, including many raptors.
The SVC consists of privately owned, Government owned, and community owned properties that are aligned under a constitution to manage animal populations on a landscape scale. Individual properties operate tourist lodges that offer different types of accommodations in varied ecological settings.
The Conservancy is a vast and varied natural landscape. Unlike some game reserves where animals are confined to smaller spaces and well habituated to humans, the animals in the Conservancy are wild. This sometimes makes them harder to photograph, but finding them and observing their behavior is truly an adventure. The SVC is not a destination for people who measure the success of their safari by completing a checklist of animal sightings. There are no zebra painted buses in the SVC and no competition between photographers at leopard or lion kills. Lodges are small and have thousands of private areas around them which limit access and create exclusive game viewing experiences.
A brief Introduction & History of the Savé Valley Conservancy.
Our Partners in conservation
Zimbabwe Information
Travel information
Location Map
Safaris
Lodges
Conservation
Anti Poaching
Ranch Scouts
Survey
Photo Gallery of the Savé Valley Conservancy.
Important contact information for the Savé Valley Conservancy community.
The Savé Valley Conservancy was formed as a result of the coming together of a number of circumstances. The first was that an epic drought brought an end to cattle ranching and agricultural endeavour in the area and with it, the realisation that wildlife was the only viable future for the area. This dovetailed perfectly with the arrival of the first Black Rhino which had been moved from the Zambezi Valley where they were being poached to extinction.
A few enormous ranches were subdivided and sold in lots. These attracted local, regional and international investors; all keen to be a part of the new conservation vision that officially became the Savé Valley Conservancy in 1991 when the constitution was signed by all parties.
All internal fences were removed from an area totalling 3,442sq km and a 350 km double perimeter fence was constructed. Approximately 4,000 animals of 14 species were reintroduced, including elephants in the largest translocation of that species ever undertaken.
As a result of the size of the area and the enormous habitat diversity contained therein the conservation of the full range of indigenous mammals was possible and the ecological value of the area is considerably greater than that of most game ranching areas in southern Africa (most of which are fenced into small compartments). Wildlife populations increased rapidly, including those of several threatened and endangered species, and SVC developed into a conservation area of global significance. For example, SVC now contains a viable population of critically endangered black rhinos, a healthy number of endangered African wild dogs, a rapidly growing population of African lions and significant populations of other threatened species, such as southern ground hornbills, lappet faced vultures, elephants, cheetahs, and white rhinos.
Plans to involve surrounding communities in the Conservancy were initiated early on with the formation of the Savé Valley Conservancy Community Trust.
During the Government of Zimbabwe’s fast track land ‘reform’ programme in 2000-2001, approximately 33% of SVC was settled by subsistence farmers and 80 km of perimeter fencing was removed in the process. The government has since made the decision to retain conservancies for wildlife production, but the partial settlement of SVC remains for now, resulting in a mosaic of human habitation and wildlife habitat. This mosaic creates conditions conducive to intense human-wildlife conflict, illegal hunting and habitat destruction: essentially, a microcosm of the key conservation threats facing wildlife in Africa.
Save African Rhino Foundation (SARF) is a voluntary, non-profit organization that is dedicated to saving the Rhino. Established in 1987, SARF is one of the world’s biggest NGO donors to Zimbabwe rhino conservation. We have partnered with SARF since 1999. To date we are still enjoying our partnership.
We are grateful and appreciative of SARF’s continued support as our donor in the SVC for our rhino conservation efforts over the years, making sure that our rhino population is well looked after. SARF has continually funded projects and is contributing towards the day-to-day operational costs of our Specialist Species Protection Unit (SSPU).
The Zimbabwe Australian Embassy partnered with the Savé Valley Conservancy (SVC) in its Direct Aid Program (DAP) funded by the Australian Government to spearhead a community development program. This project will run for 2 years and will provide educational materials for a number of underprivileged schools bordering the SVC. A total of four primary schools (approximately 3,000 children) will benefit in this Project, under the theme Happy Readers. The Project will see the donation of books for grades 1 to grade 3 and the training of teachers in the reading techniques required. The success of this project will hopefully generate more funding to enable further extension of the Project to other schools abutting the Conservancy (90 schools are located on the boundaries of the SVC).
Savé Valley Conservancy (SVC) has recently partnered with The Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) Challenge Fund for an important long term project in the Conservancy. This program is an extremely important initiative and will be highly beneficial to the SVC and its surrounding communities in stemming illegal wildlife trade and enhancing community livelihoods at the same time. This will see the engagement of the communities, in particular women, in Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) mitigation measures.
Created by the Wildlife Conservation Network in partnership with the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, the Lion Recovery Fund (LRF) funds game-changing conservation actions by the most effective, vetted partners who work collaboratively to bring lions back. LRF is committed to seeing thriving savannah landscapes where Africa’s people, its economic development and its lions all co-exist. We partnered with LRF in 2021 in a project to design a Human-Lion Conflict Management Plan to adequately address human-lion conflict issues and ensure a peaceful co-existence. The First Phase of the Project is almost complete and we are looking forward to Phase 2 as we implement recommended mitigation solutions as highlighted in the Management Plan.
The European Union Savé Valley Conservancy Project is aimed at conducting a feasibility study to come up with a comprehensive business model for the Savé Valley Conservancy which focus on expanding the Conservancy area, effectively engaging its adjacent communities, enhancing the commercial viability of the Conservancy, outlining the most appropriate governance structure and giving it the capacity to attract investment capital – including, potentially, on the global market.
Africa's animals and untamed regions are the sole focus of the world's foremost conservation organisation, the African Wildlife Foundation. The initiatives and conservation tactics of AWF are intended to safeguard the continent's wildlife and untamed areas and guarantee a more sustainable future for its inhabitants. Savé Valley Conservancy (SVC) has worked with the African Wildlife Foundation as a partner for many years, and more recently, AWF has handled the delicate task of helping the SVC communicate with other donors to support the SVC in our daily operations so that we can continue to be successful in our conservation efforts. They have been helping with funding and were strategically involved in putting together and ensuring the 2021 Rhino Audit (first ever Rhino Audit of a single landscape to be undertaken in Zimbabwe) was successfully carried.
Autoworld Chisipite an official Isuzu dealer in Zimbabwe partnered with SVC in 2022 to make a worthwhile contribution in conserving our beautiful piece of one of the World’s largest privately owned conservancy by kindly donating an Isuzu Double Cab vehicle for use by our Ecology Team. This will ensure that our Ecology Team plays their vital role in maintaining the equilibrium of our wildlife environment.
Savé Valley Conservancy (SVC) partnered with Guides Against Poaching’s (GAP) who provided a vehicle to be used in the SVC to aid in bushmeat anti-poaching and since then significant strides have been made by the men on the ground in capturing poachers and recovering wire snares set to catch wildlife within the Conservancy.
Fiver Bikes Zimbabwe and Savé Valley Conservancy became partners in 2022 after we bought some motorcycles from them for our Ecology Team and they, in turn, were incredibly kind to donate one extra bike to the Savé Valley Conservancy for usage to support our conservation needs.
We are very appreciative of this and confident that the newly established partnership will continue to bear fruit in the future. Our Ecology Team has added tools to perform their research roles efficiently, effectively and reduce the risk of animal encounters on foot.
At Savé Valley Conservancy we appreciate your donation to protect this unique landscape and the endangered species that inhabit it, which include Elephant, Lion, Cape Buffalo, Rhino, and Leopard together with partnering with the local communities for their benefit through various developmental projects.
Thank you for assisting us with your kind donations which can be channeled to any of the below listed focus areas of your choice. Your generous donation will help ensure the continued protection of this pristine wilderness and its wildlife for the benefit of future generations to come.
1. Security / Rhino Protection.
2. Conservation / Ecology.
3. Management and Operations.
4. Communities.
5. General / Infrastructure / Maintenance.
Donate now to make a difference in safeguarding this World renowned Landscape and its endangered species.
For more information on the Savé Valley Conservancy please fill out the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible
ADDRESS
Savé Valley Conservancy
P.O. Box M13
Mabelreign
Harare
Zimbabwe
The Savé Valley Conservancy Fund Inc is a non-profit, registered public benefit corporation organized under Chapter 617 Florida Statutes U.S.A. and has 501 (c) (3) status.
CONTACTS
Email:
admin@savevalleyconservancy.org
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