Snapshot APNR

The Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) in South Africa is made up of five reserves: Klaserie Nature Reserve, Umbabat Game Reserve, Balule Game Reserve, Thornybush Game Reserve, and Timbavati Nature and Game Reserve. Snapshot Safari cameras have been placed on the same sites as observational transects from which data on vegetation has been collected since 1989. The combination of camera traps that tell us where the wildlife are and vegetational data taken from the transects will allow us to evaluate how trees respond to the restoration of large mammals over time.

Because each of these reserves has agreed to remove boundary fences with Kruger National Park to make more space for wildlife at different times over the past several decades, an interesting natural experiment has taken place whereby wildlife have had access to each reserve for varying lengths of time. Klaserie, Umbabat, and Timbavati removed their boundary fences with KNP in 1988, Balule in 2003, and Thornybush in 2016. We have also deployed Snapshot cameras in neighboring Kapama, which has not yet removed its fences, to serve as a control. This sequence combined with data collected at each reserve before and after removal of the fences provides an unprecedented look at the long-term effects of large mammal reintroductions on tree community composition and recruitment to heights sufficient to survive wildfires.

The APNR covers 180,000 hectares of land and supports a wide variety of conservation, research, and community development programs. These include the “Save the Elephants” project founded by Dr. Ian Douglas Hamilton, the "The Southern Ground Hornbill Project," a rhino protection group, and the “Tembo” project which is dedicated to studying buffalo and hosted by the University of Wageningen.

The Klaserie Private Nature Reserve was established in 1972 and is one of the largest privately owned reserves in South Africa. The reserve is home to the Eco Children organization, which aims to increase environmental awareness and education amongst youth in the area, with the goal of generating better conservation and economic outcomes for South Africa.

The Umbabat Nature Reserve has been open since 1988, when the fences bordering the Kruger Nature Reserve were dropped. Umbabat is known for the birth of the first wild white lions born in the Timbavati area under natural circumstances. The Umbabat Reserve includes N’tsiri, Ndlopfu and Ingwelala game reserves where mopani bushveld, watering holes, and river beds attract a huge variety of wildlife.

The Balule Nature Reserve includes a number of privately owned farms that have been formed a collective to share resources and protect wildlife. Balule is home to the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit, the first majority female anti-poaching unit in South Africa. Their mission is guided by the "Broken Window" philosophy, in which they strive to make this reserve the most difficult and least profitable place to poach any wildlife species. Balule also hosts the Bush Babies Environmental Education Program, which has reached over 2000 children thus far in their mission to teach future community leaders about the benefits of nature conservation.

Image attributions for species menu exemplars not collected from our camera traps can be accessed here.