On 3 August 2020, a passionate and determined sibling team comprising of former British Army Officer David Bozas and conservationist Jonty Bozas, will embark on a journey across the wilds of South Africa’s Zululand to fundraise for the relocation of 20 endangered rhinos.
David Bozas cut his teeth in conservation working with a herd of rogue elephants in Zululand with Lawrence Anthony. He has a real passion for South Africa’s local communities and wildlife heritage. Having previously been a Commissioned Officer in the British Army and completing several tours of duty, he is no stranger to adventure. He is currently working with local communities in building game reserves and promoting wildlife economies.
Jonty Bozas has been working in the guiding world for more than a decade and has had the privilege of working at some of the best and most prestigious properties and lodges in South Africa. With a passion for wildlife, communities and adventure, this journey was a no brainer for Jonty.
The rugged reserves of the Kwazulu Natal Province are home to the big 5 – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and Cape buffalo and will present challenging terrains and drastic temperatures, with warm highs during the day and freezing lows during the night. Despite this, the two Bozas brothers will embark on the 20-night challenge roaming through over 32,000 hectares of bushland, carrying everything that they need to survive. They will have water drop offs but other than that they will be on their own – no tents, no rifles.
The goal of this walk is to raise funds for the relocation of 20 white rhinos from the Manyoni Private Game Reserve to the Somkhanda Game Reserve, and to raise awareness around the Zululand Rhino Orphanage and the fantastic work that is ongoing with the Zululand Conservation Trust.
Armed with only a camera to capture the action, the two brothers will be posting updates and short video clips on Instagram and Facebook for all to see. They plan to eventually create a documentary covering their survival and dealings with the local and dangerous wildlife.
Despite the dangers of being in the wild, Jonty Bozas said he thinks the biggest challenge of the walk will be missing their family.
“I am sure the first thing I will be looking forward to after 20 days in the wild is seeing family, and a nice big, warm meal,” Jonty Bozas revealed.
David Bozas said he doesn’t think it will be too tough spending the 20 days alone with his brother as they are very close.
“We have been fortunate to spend a lot of time together, often in highly stressful situations. We know we have each other’s back out there”
“I am guessing we will pass time with some sort of game to challenge each other during the 20 nights as we are very competitive,” David Bozas added.
Poaching and complicated land management issues have plagued this region of South Africa for many years. This has led to local conservation trusts like the Zululand Conservation Trust supporting reserves such as Manyoni Private Game Reserve with their rhino management projects, which focuses on the fundamentals of rhino conservation; protection and preservation.
Managing such large creatures and properties is costly. This is where the donations and support help, with all money raised from ‘Wild Again For 20’ going towards relocating the 20 rhinos. Donations can be made via https://zululandconservationtrust.org/wild-again-for-20/.
The ‘Wild Again For 20’ initiative follows on in a tradition of siblings walking for wildlife, first initiated by Josh and Amy Attenborough on the Wild Again for 19 challenge. To see more of the ‘Wild Again For 19’ challenge, check out the video here.
About the Zululand Conservation Trust
Zululand Conservation Trust aims to facilitate a far-reaching impact throughout the greater Zululand region in South Africa. They provide funding for community engagement and the conservation of endangered species, specifically the wild dog, black rhino and white rhino. Their conservation projects include the Zululand Rhino Orphanage, which is a facility born out of tragedy, but is giving rhinos who are in a compromised state a second chance at a wild life.