Natural Selection
IT'S WORLD GIRAFFE DAY AND WE'RE CELEBRATING AT THAMO TELELE!
That's because our new Botswana lodge, Thamo Telele, is ALL about giraffe. Perfectly situated in a 250-hectare private game reserve within the “village” of Maun on the outskirts of the Okavango Delta, Thamo Telele (meaning “tall neck”) harbors a large variety of game but is known for its successfully breeding herd of giraffe. In fact, the newest member of the herd, aptly named Telele, was born during the refurb of the lodge at the end of 2021.
At Thamo Telele, our focus is on giraffe education & research.
The giraffe at Thamo Telele have all been brought here from hunting areas over the last decade and have done exceptionally well in this safe haven. It is an idyllic spot to hang out with giraffe that are approachable on horseback and relaxed near the hide, while learning about giraffe conservation. The program is led by our rather brilliant giraffe scientists Katie and Emma, who joined Natural Selection from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) in Namibia. GCF are our conservation partners at Hoanib Valley Camp, Namibia and more importantly, are the foremost experts on giraffe. They are the only organization in the world focused entirely on the conservation and management of all giraffe species in the wild. In fact, they established and launched World Giraffe Day!
A portion of each guest’s stay supports Giraffe DNA Research through GCF… which helps governments make informed decisions about giraffe population management and conservation. The advancement of DNA sequencing has enabled GCF and fellow researchers to differentiate between the populations of giraffe across Africa, finding that there are in fact 4 separate species. In addition to enabling this work to expand into Botswana, our long-term vision at Thamo Telele is to set up a Giraffe Education Centre to provide an impactful conservation experience for both tourists and locals that also informs visitors about the plight of giraffe across Africa.
So today, being World Giraffe Day, we couldn’t be prouder to tell you about the work we are undertaking and planning at Thamo Telele, and how through our giraffe experience, guests can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for giraffe conservation and why it is so important to protect these magnificent creatures.
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