21 Aug 2019

Wilderness Wildlife Trust Funds Two More Solar Pumps in Hwange

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Wilderness Safaris’ non-profit partner, Wilderness Wildlife Trust (WWT), has funded the installation of solar pumps at Makalolo and Airstrip 2 pans in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park. This ongoing wildlife water supply project demonstrates Wilderness Safaris’ continued vision to conserve and restore Africa’s wilderness and wildlife through sustainable ecotourism.

“We are proud pioneers of wildlife conservation in Hwange, and have seen first-hand, through our annual full moon counts, the positive impact of this project on wildlife populations in our private concessions. Our most important contributions in the Park have been helping to drive the development of sustainable ecosystems and preserving its biodiversity”, says Wilderness Safaris Zambezi Operations Manager, Courteney Johnson.

With the first borehole having been sunk as far back as 1935, water provision in Hwange has always been crucial for wildlife survival, particularly during the dry season. For nearly two decades, Wilderness Safaris has maintained 15 boreholes in the Park, supporting them logistically and financially through refuelling and upkeep of the pumps.

While the pumps usually run for a number of hours a day during summer, from early April the dry season gets into full swing and the pumps run 24 hours a day until the end of November, and sometimes December, when the summer rains arrive. To keep up with the elephants alone is a major operation, as they can consume some 70 000 litres of water per pump every 24 hours! The two solar pumps, with back-up generators, will help to reduce the amount of noise and air pollution within the Park.