Hoedspruit · Greater Kruger
Conservation in Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit grew up on the Kruger's western boundary, among private reserves, and the town is a base for the rehabilitation centres, researchers and anti-poaching teams that work across the Greater Kruger. Here are the local initiatives, the organisations and the people committed to keeping it wild.
Find conservation in the directory
The businesses and organisations listed in each area of conservation work.
Wildlife education and courses
Local programmes and institutions offering specialised training, nurturing a new generation of wildlife enthusiasts and conservation advocates.
See the listings →Research
Local institutions and projects adding to what is known about the region's wildlife, for a deeper understanding of how to protect it.
See the listings →Conservation services
Organisations and professionals offering services for the preservation and sustainable management of the area's natural resources.
See the listings →Game and nature reserves
The sanctuaries and reserves around Hoedspruit that keep its wildlife and landscapes intact, and let visitors in to see them.
See the listings →Our rhino
The companies and organisations in Hoedspruit committed to protecting the rhino, a species heavily targeted by international crime syndicates.
See the listings →The organisations doing the work
Each runs independently and takes visitors, volunteers and donations through its own channels. Wild About Hoedspruit has no financial tie to any of them. Visiting times and prices are on their own sites.
Cheetah, rhino, wild dog and vulture conservation
Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC)
Breeding and rehabilitation of rare and endangered species, a rhino orphanage, and guided tours for the public.
Visit their website →Injured and orphaned wildlife
Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
Treats and, where it can, releases injured and orphaned wild animals; those that cannot go back to the wild help teach visitors on guided tours.
Visit their website →Elephant rehabilitation
Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Conservation (HERC)
Cares for orphaned and injured elephants and supports elephant conservation. Visits are by pre-booked educational experience.
Visit their website →Elephant research
Elephants Alive
Long-term research on the elephants of the Greater Kruger and on how people and elephants live alongside each other.
Visit their website →Anti-poaching
Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit
An all-women anti-poaching unit working in the Balule Nature Reserve, combining patrols with education in the surrounding communities.
Rhino orphans
Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary
Rescues and rehabilitates rhino calves orphaned by poaching. It is near Barberton rather than Hoedspruit, but part of the same conservation network.
Visit their website →The UNESCO biosphere Hoedspruit sits in
Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region (K2C)
Coordinates biosphere work across the region, from the Farmers Market to community environmental projects.
Visit their website →Community and conservation
Nourish Eco Village
A non-profit in Sigagule village on the road to Orpen Gate: early-childhood education, a permaculture farm, cultural tours and a backpackers.
Visit their website →
Volunteering
Several of the organisations above take volunteers and students, each with its own application process and usually a minimum stay. Start with their websites, or ask us and we will point you at the right one.
Conservation stories
Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve Projects
The K2C Biosphere is a working landscape for active conservation, research, and community projects. Behind the headline wildlife and canyon experiences sits an unusually dense network of organisations doing the actual conservation work — rhino anti-poaching, wild dog research, environmental education, ground-hornbill reintroduction, community-based conservation. The projects are what makes the biosphere a UNESCO designation, not just a region.
Conservation as a Vital Part of Our South African Heritage
Conservation in South Africa is heritage, not policy. The protected areas, institutions, species recoveries and ongoing crises are an inheritance built over more than a century — by Stevenson-Hamilton, generations of rangers and scientists, communities alongside the parks, and visitors who fund the work. Hoedspruit sits at the centre of one of southern Africa's densest conservation clusters.
Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve — A Complete Guide
The Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve is a 4.8-million-hectare UNESCO biosphere linking the Drakensberg escarpment in the west with the Greater Kruger and Mozambique border in the east. Declared in 2001, it is one of South Africa's largest biospheres. Hoedspruit sits at its geographic heart, with both the canyon country and the wildlife areas accessible within 90 minutes' drive.
Nourishing A Culture Of Caring
Nourish Eco Village is a Non-profit Organisation based in Hoedspruit, en-route to the Kruger National Park.
Sasol Rewards Mzansi Tour visits Nourish Eco Village
During the recent Sasol Rewards Mzansi Tour the winners had the opportunity to visit Nourish Eco Village deep in the lowveld as part of their country wide tour. Wild About Hoedspruit had the pleasure to connect the two parties and set up the exciting visit.
Sustainable Safaris in the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere
In the heart of South Africa lies a haven where nature's delicate dance with humanity takes center stage.
Spotted an organisation we have missed?
If it is independent, established and puts the animals first, tell us and we will add it.