Where We Are Based
Wild At Tuli is based in the Tuli Block in south eastern Botswana. Run by Helena Fitchat and Judi Gounaris, two women with a great sense of adventure and an undying passion for the African wilderness, you have the opportunity to immerse yourself in very wild places and experience one of Botswana’s lesser known destinations as a Volunteer on this unique Project.
Volunteering with REAL purpose. The ‘Wild At Tuli’ conservation project’s aim is to provide a safe, habitable area for wildlife.
Facilitated by two unique ladies, who share a spirit of adventure, with an undying passion for the magic of the African Wilderness and its wildlife. This project has been running since 2011 and has welcomed a couple of thousand visitors eager to help.
We welcome local and international groups to the the project.
Where You Will Stay
Motswiri Tented Camp is a comfortable, rustic tented camp on the Wild At Tuli Reserve which is the base camp for all Volunteering and Conservation Activities . This is where you will live whilst volunteering on the Project. There is a Communal kitchen, lounge/dining room and boma for sitting around the fire at night. It overlooks a floodlit waterhole which is visited by many creatures including hyena , bush pig, porcupine , zebra and much more.
In this camp it is possible to make a group booking and become immersed in the daily life of running the Reserve. You will take part in many activities including Mammal and Bird Census, waterhole maintenance, Road maintenance and repair, Anti-poaching patrols, Camera Trap projects and much more. Get to sleep out under the stars for a once in a lifetime experience and hear and see all the nocturnal creatures going about their business. Once you have seen a Botswana sky you will never forget how clear and bright it is and how many shooting stars there are.
“The ideal setting to lose yourself in nature’s peace and tranquility.”
participation / volunteering
An experience of a lifetime! The ‘Wild At Tuli’ conservation project’s aim is to provide a safe, habitable area for wildlife.
Facilitated by two unique ladies, who share a spirit of adventure, with an undying passion for the magic of the African Wilderness and its wildlife. This project has been running since 2011 and has welcomed a couple of thousand visitors eager to help.
We work in partnership with a number of organisations who facilitate local and international groups joining the project.
game viewing
Discover over 20,000 hectares of vast, rolling, unspoiled land, boasting many exquisite Baobab trees amongst scattered koppies, thick Mopane bush and a variety of indigenous trees.
Animals that can be found include elephants, leopard, lion, zebra, wildebeest, kudu, eland, warthog as well as nearly 400 species of birds.
Extensive game roams the reserve including antelope, elephant, leopard, cheetah, hippo and crocodile along with a variety of other species.
“The Tuli Block shows how local changes make a global impact.”
NGO News Publication | April 2016
History
The Tuli region has one of the longest and most fascinating histories in Botswana, with many different groups fighting over it. It eventually became a sanctuary for wildlife and now forms one of the most amazing wildlife regions in Africa.
The Tuli Block is situated in south eastern Botswana and is known as "The Land of Giants." The region has an illustrious history that has made it one of Botswana's prime destinations. The Tuli Block is located at the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers and is in the hands of private conservationists doing all they can to preserve this pristine area.
For tens of thousands of years the majestic land was inhabited by the Bushman or San who roamed the endless plains, living in sheltered caves that occur among the amazing geological rock structures of the Limpopo Valley. These early settlers were neither farmers nor herders, and lived solely off the land. Glimpses in to their lives can be seen through their rock art and cave paintings, which can still be seen around the Tuli area.The bushman lifestyle remained unhindered for a long period up until 2000 years ago when they were uprooted by the aggressive ways of the Iron Age settlers. The arrival of these people from the east and west dramatically altered the cultural landscape of the region. These traders were skilled iron craftsmen and made pottery specifically for trade and thus established vibrant commercial villages forcing previous traditional settlers off the land. They created large trading communities between neighboring tribes and regions which lasted for many years.
“Creative adaptability is the key to successful conservation.”
JUDI GOUNARIS | CO-Founder
How we work
Collaboration
We own our own Reserve in the Central Tuli Block where we run a camp called Motswiri Camp which welcomes volunteers from all over the world. They live on the Reserve , and learn all about Conservation issues and what it takes to keep a Project like this running.
Conservation
We are passionate about conservation and all things wild and part of what we do is involve our volunteer program in helping any of the Reserves in the Central Tuli Block, should they need our help. This could be anti-poaching, helping with alien plant removal, maintaining the backline veterinary fence, protecting species of trees, conducting game census - whatever anyone requires we are happy to get involved.
Community Support
We support our local communities in a variety of ways including employing all our staff locally.
We take our guests to the local villages to experience village life, visit the Rock paintings in the area ,learn to weave bracelets the traditional way or watch a performance of traditional dancing by the local Zebras Dance group. All these activities are paid for and bring much needed income to local people.
Almost 20,000 hectares saved from commercial development
Protecting the environment
2007 - todate
cause for Conservation
Dr Helena Fitchat and Mrs Judi Gounaris, owners of Wild At Tuli Safaris are two unique women who share a spirit of adventure and undying passion for the magic of the African Wilderness and its wildlife.
As Trustees of one of the biggest Wildlife Rehabilitation Centres in South Africa both, having spent decades saving wildlife, realised that the only way to really make a difference is to preserve habitat. In 2007 Judi and Helena purchased a large tract of wilderness in Botswana’s ‘Big Five’ Tuli Block. Since they dedicated this land to wildlife it has become a safe haven for all wildlife passing through. This is the legacy they will leave to conservation.
You will not find anyone more knowledgeable than Helena who has spent over 30 years on and off in the wilderness. She is an expert tracker, has crossed the Kalahari desert on her own and lived with the Bushmen for a year. She is also a pilot, a biologist specialising in Animal Behaviour (for which she obtained her PhD) , and she single-handedly navigated her way through the vast Okavango Delta in a leaking boat and survived! For 10 years she was the Operations Director of The Centre for Rehabilitation Of Wildlife (CROW) in Durban, South Africa during which time an estimated 40,000 animals will have been admitted. Helena is a mine of information and will enthral you with her fascinating stories about life, adventure and the world of wildlife.
Judi worked for more than 30 years in the corporate IT world and always volunteered her spare time to help animals. Apart from numerous creatures needing help, she has looked after baby cheetah, helped Helena rear two lion cubs who were featured on Animal Planet and spent several years with two Cape Clawless otters that learnt to swim and fish before being released back into the wild. Aside from the lions cubs, one of her favourite animals is the bush baby and she has hand-reared a number of these rare little creatures. For more than 8 years Judi was a Committee Member and latterly Chairperson of The Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) in Durban South Africa.
Helena and Judi have spent the last few years working and travelling together and reared and released many animals back into the wild. They have experienced some incredible adventures travelling in Botswana. These include sleeping on top of a vehicle surrounded by 26 lions, sitting amongst a herd of 300 elephants, being stranded for days in the middle of nowhere because their vehicle broke down, tracking elusive leopards, chasing hyena through camp because they had pinched their wine, and fishing in a mokoro (a type of canoe made out of a large tree stump) surrounded by hippos and crocodiles.
Wild at Tuli Safaris is their way of sharing what they have experienced with others.
–Ready to help? –
Start Your Journey as a Volunteer Today
Contact us, we’d love to hear from you!
Please use the form below for general inquiries, or visit our contact page to complete the Booking Form.