Harnas Wildlife Foundation

Description

Harnas Wildlife Foundation is a wildlife rescue and conservation organization in Namibia.

It began in 1978 when Marieta and Nick van der Merwe turned their cattle farm east of Gobabis into a wildlife rescue centre after saving an abused vervet monkey. Over the decades the family expanded it into a major wildlife refuge and tourism site, taking in lions and many other abused, injured, and orphaned animals from Namibia, Botswana, and other southern African countries.

Its mission is to protect wild animals through responsible management of the resources needed for their care, treating and rehabilitating them at an on-site clinic before releasing fit animals back into surrounding conservation land. The main site at Harnas Gobabis covers around 10,000 hectares of Kalahari sand-veld and includes animal enclosures, free-roaming game camps, research stations, and a guest lodge.

Beyond animal work, Harnas runs community programs for the local San people, who make up most of its staff, including an adult literacy project teaching practical skills and the Cheeky Cheetah day-care and education project for children. Nick van der Merwe was also involved in shaping Namibia’s conservation legislation and in setting up a local health clinic before his death in 2001.