Issue 1 | Spring 2022

YOUR GUIDE FOR FAIR TRAVEL

MAGAZINE
A JOURNEY INTO
SUSTAINABLE
LIVING
Sarah Ritzen shares her story

PLAN4COEX
Changing people’s
perspective on wildlife

ELEPHANT WELFARE
Research on elephants in a captive environment

www.ubuntumagazine.com
Ubuntu Magazine transforms the travel market toward sustainability
by sharing fairly. Our aim is to create awareness around the beauty
of the world, by putting a spotlight on the conservationists working
day and night to conserve our surroundings. Only with thorough
research and sharing knowledge, we can assure ourselves of a
bright, biodiverse future.

With Ubuntu we broaden our perspective in living together with

nature, instead of alongside it.

Emerge yourself in the articles and become inspired.

CONTENTS
08
Björn Donnars | Meerkats

Introduction 07 Angela Boghui 32-41

Let’s live Ubuntu. Romania and its nature.

Björn Donnars 08-19 Christina Tholander 42-51

A visit to the stars of Elephant researcher at the
meerkat manor. African Elephant Research
Unit.
Ifigenia Garita 20-29
Overtourism and sustainable Latoya de Jong 52-61
travel. Malapascua in philippines.

Sarah Ritzen 30-31 Frank Landman 62-67

Zero waste sustainable living. Years of experience in SDGs.

30
Sara Ritzen

I make sure to research where it comes

from and the impact it has on animals and
the planet.
 42
Christina Tholander | Elephant researcher

“We live in a world

where animal habitats
become less and less.”

Ron van der A 68-77

Painted dog conversation.

Silvio Marchini
Bridge-builder in human- 78-85
wildlife coexistence.

Ana Santacruz
A naturalist guide in the 88-97
Amazon forest.

Fernanda Abra 98-107

Mitigating roadkill.

78
Silvio Marchini
88
Ana Santacruz

5
Your #1 magazine for fair travel

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Get inspired on ubuntumagazine.com
and our socials:

@ubuntu.magazine.official

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@ubuntumagazine

@ubuntumagazine
 INTRODUCTION
LET’S
LIVE
UBUNTU
It has been many years since I picked up my first
mouse to save it from our cat’s deathly mouth. My
parents were in awe, while others around me were
disgusted. How could I pick up a mouse?
That love for nature, without distinguishing small or
big animals, was a love that never ceased. I started
my studies in Applied Biology, where my interest in
whales grew. I soon realised that there was more
to these creatures than just sheer beauty, but that
they were facing many threats as well. I wanted to
do something about that.
Through my studies I got in contact with the
Future for Nature Academy and the Future
for Nature Awards. It was a place where I met
other conservationists and nature lovers like me.
However, they loved to do their research, whereas
I never got a good grip on that. I realised I wanted
to make a direct and big impact, but research
wasn’t going to be my way.
It is a couple of years later when I’m sailing through
Norway, when these thoughts keep coming back.
Making an impact - a positive impact - was my
goal, I had yet to find out how to achieve it.
Within weeks team members started to gather
around me. People with the same vision and with
their own strengths and qualities. Within a blink
I realised more than I could ever dream of. The
website you just visited and the magazine you are
reading right now are the first results of this special
and fruitful collaboration. Let’s work together, let’s
live ‘Ubuntu’ and collaborate on conservation and
sustainability! I’m counting on you.
Love, Manon
Director Ubuntu Magazine
Instagram
@ubuntu.magazine.official
Website
www.ubuntumagazine.com
7
 BOTSWANA

Meerkat in the desert of Botswana.

 BJÖRN
DONNARS
It’s a special life, to be a veterinarian and wildlife photographer
while working all over the globe. But, being able to combine that
with community based conservation definitely gives you some
great experiences in life. Björn Donnars from the Netherlands
has made this scenario his real life. One of the projects he visited
displays a beautiful balance between wildlife photography and
community based conservation.

A visit to the stars of meerkat

manor.

Meerkats. Who doesn’t know these cute but fierce creatures that
stand straight up while looking for predators. You might know
them from Animal Planet or perhaps you have seen the series
Meerkat Manor. It’s hard to imagine that these animals can be
seen in real life, yet today it is easier than ever. The reason why
you can see these animals in the wild is due to a phenomenon
called habituation. It’s a process where animals get used to human
presence without being disturbed. You might recognise it from the
gorillas and chimpanzees of Central- and East-Africa. But, before
we tell you the whole story of seeing these incredible animals let’s
just explain something about the animals first.

9
 BOTSWANA
“Where humans can be
in the presence of the
meerkats.”
LET’S GET TO KNOW THEM
Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) are mammals and
are part of the mongoose family. A family of small
predators living in Africa, Asia and Southern Europe.
Meerkats are lightgrey to yellowish brown of color
and have poorly defined bands on their back. The
animal is about 30 (24-32) centimeters tall from
head to tail and females are usually bigger than
males. They weigh less than 1 kilogram. Meerkats
live in groups with a strong bond, which can grow
up to 30 individuals. The group consists of multiple
families and their young. Females are dominant
over the males and only the more dominant
couples within the group mate. All individuals help
with raising the pups, especially the meerkats
lower in rank. It’s a clearly defined structure.
The home range of a single group is usually about
5 km2 and includes multiple burrows which can be
50-100 meters long. Meerkats can and will be very
vigilant when they come across another group of
meerkats which can lead to heavy injuries and
even death. Mostly pups die from clan fights.
Meerkats are omnivorous, but live primarily on an
insectivore diet, eating mainly beetles and moths.
They do also feed on small amphibians, lizards and
are known to eat scorpions. However, when there
is no “meat” around they can also live on seeds
and roots. Meerkats are very vulnerable when
foraging, so there are always some meerkats on
the look-out. They look for higher grounds and
make themselves tall by standing straight up.
10
When danger is spotted, an alarm call will be used.
It’s a well developed system, with different calls for
different types of danger.
MEERKATS IN BOTSWANA
Traveling around the world doesn’t mean I can see
the Meerkats everywhere. They can only be found
in the deserts and semi-deserts of Southern Africa
and live within the borders of just five countries.
They can be found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho,
Namibia and South-Africa. The population of
meerkats is stable and the IUCN classifies meerkats
as least concern. Nevertheless, finding meerkats in
the wild during a game drive can be very tricky
and difficult. Usually when you do find them on a
game drive, they will flee as soon as possible. This
makes it almost impossible to see and adore them.
Luckily, there is an animal friendly alternative.
In Gweta, Botswana, you can go on an excursion
to find meerkats. Here, they do not flee at the
presence of people, because of habituation. Don’t
confuse this with animals that have been fed or
trained to be near people. What they did is the
following: one person would be present within
range of the meerkats. It starts with being far
away, so the meerkats can get used to the smell of
people. Step by step that one person comes closer
to the meerkat family. It is a process that can take
months or even years, but eventually it leads you
to a situation like the one in Gweta, where humans
can be in the presence of the meerkats, without
them fleeing.
Meerkats in the desert of Botswana.
Meerkats are part of the
mongoose family. A family of
small predators living in Africa,
Asia and Southern Europe.
MAKGADIKGADI PANS
The meerkats near Gweta live in the Makgadikgadi
Pan National Park and a visit to these large salt
pan is included in the meerkat excursion. The
excursion to see the meerkats costs around 120$
per person. A good price considering how much
effort has been made to make the meerkats feel
comfortable. You will leave early in the morning
at around 5 o’clock. The ride to the meerkats is
about 2 hours, and if you’re lucky you encounter
other wildlife during this ride (this is subject to the
time of the year).

When you get to the meerkats you get about 30

minutes to spend with these incredible animals.
You can get very close to them and take awesome
shots of their natural behavior. They are all out
on the hunt, looking for the big fat beetles or if
they (and you) are very lucky they might find a
scorpion. That way you can see them handle a
highly venomous creature.
Having a continuous watch
is their defense system for
the many birds of prey and
different foxes around..
 BOTSWANA
As you’ll notice soon enough, some of the animals
have a watch shift. They are on the look-out,
because meerkats are quite low in the food chain.
Having a continuous watch is their defense system
for the many birds of prey and different foxes
around. The guide will tell you to lay down and
if you are lucky (again no animals are pushed,
so I wasn’t lucky) the meerkats will use you as
their lookout spot. You are much higher than the
surrounding, so you are perfect for the job.
After being fascinated for about thirty minutes,
your time is over and a lovely breakfast has been
set-up by your guide. During breakfast you can
see the meerkats from a distance and you will see
that they don’t come begging for food at all. After
that, you will continue the excursion and you will
visit the famous Makgadikgadi salt pans, which at
its largest is as wide as Portugal. Depending on the
time of year you will see a massive white flat area,
where you can see the curvature of the earth. Or
you will see a massive lake, filled with flamingos
and pelicans.
If you want to go on this excursion, it is easiest
to stay at Planet Baobab, an accommodation with
campsites and some small huts. Here you can book
the excursion and once you get back (at around
noon) you can relax around the pool. Gweta was
the first place where they offered this excursion,
but you can find them in more places now. You
can also visit Naankuse, a wildlife rehabilitation
centre close to the international airport of
Windhoek, Namibia. The excursion as far as the
meerkat interaction is the same as in Gweta, only
difference is that these meerkats (or their parents
and grandparents) were once rescued as orphans
and later on released on their property. Naankuse
also offers many other activities and all profits go
to the Naankuse foundation, helping wild animals,
but also the local San people.
“There are other
ways to encounter
wildlife.”
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AFRICA
Sustainable tourism is very important. Especially
when it comes to wildlife involved tourism. Around
the globe, and also in Africa, a lot of wildlife tourism
isn’t managed sustainably and ethically. Looking
at Africa, examples of this are elephant rides,
and photographic opportunities with cats such as
cheetahs and lions. The lion cub industry is big and
cub petting brings in a lot of money. It’s part of the
bigger ‘canned lion hunt’. Once these cubs grow
old, they will be shot by tourists.
Luckily there are many projects with a positive
impact, with many great examples all across
Africa. This example of meerkats is sustainable
and ethical, with no animals harmed or fed. It
creates awareness about a beautiful species and
most importantly it creates an income for locals.
Additionally, this revenue stream creates urgency
and awareness for them, which keeps them from
fighting against nature. Other great examples
in Botswana are the many community owned
reserves. Here, many jobs in hotels, restaurants,
guiding etc. are created which indirectly help
with wildlife conservation. It’s the reason why
community based conservation is diverse.
Instagram
@wildlife.reizen
Website
www.wildlifereizen.com
17
*As Björn describes, these examples of elephant
rides and the awful industry of the canned lion
hunts are exactly what we are against here
at Ubuntu. The example of visiting meerkats,
where only habituation has taken place, is a
great way to show that there are other ways to
encounter wildlife. Both in Africa and beyond
its borders.
 COSTA RICA

OVERTOURISM
AND SUSTAINABLE
TRAVEL
Ifigenia Garita of Osa Wild shares her thoughts.

Ifigenia Garita is a tropical biologist, conservationist, and

naturalist guide from Costa Rica. She’s the founder of Osa Wild,
a tour operator that supports the local community through
tourism. Apart from organizing tours, she volunteers for Escuna,
a non-profit organization that helps youngsters develop. Ifigenia
strongly believes it’s important to help people in the first place,
and that by offering them opportunities, they will realize how
beautiful nature is and that it needs to be preserved. We asked
her a few questions about the tours she’s organizing and the
impact of overtourism in Costa Rica.

21
 COSTA RICA

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO STUDY TROPICAL

BIOLOGY?
Since I was a kid, I’ve always felt best in nature,
but I was also inspired by my mom, who was also
a tropical biologist and specialized in entomology.
Thanks to her and what she has taught me, I
became a person that’s connected to both humans
and nature. My mom was also the president of the
NGO that I run now, so I have really been following
in her footsteps.

IS OVERTOURISM SOMETHING YOU’RE

WORRIED ABOUT?
Yes, that’s something I’m very afraid of, overtourism
is a big problem in certain areas of Costa Rica. I
have also seen the benefits of tourism, though; it
distributes money to so many people - from drivers
and guides to hotel and restaurant owners! Sadly, I
see how places have changed because of tourism
too. For example, swamps, where there used to be
lots of birds, were drained to build hotels.

“Visit locally-owned
restaurants and
hotels.”

HOW CAN WE COMBAT OVERTOURISM?

Visiting places that are less touristy helps, but
unfortunately, it doesn’t solve the problem. I think
the government of Costa Rica needs a policy that
keeps the development of an area limited. What
we can do is try to empower and educate local
people so that they have more opportunities.
Some of the best things you can do is to visit
locally-owned restaurants and hotels, stay at
homestays, and book tours through operators
that are based on community-based tourism. This
way, your money will benefit local people instead
of big foreign hotel chains, for example.

22
 ANTEATER IN THE TROPICAL FOREST OF COSTA RICA.

24
 COSTA RICA

LIVING A LIFE IN THE RAINFOREST.

25
 COSTA RICA

ECOLODGES
IN THE AREA
La Leona Ecolodge
www.laleonaecolodge.com

Bosque del Cabo

www.bosquedelcabo.com

La Parios
www.laparios.com

Danta Lodge
www.dantalodge.com

El Remanso
www.elremanso.com

26
 COSTA RICA
CAN YOU TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT COSTA
RICA AND THE OSA PENINSULA?
Costa Rica is a very special place. Since 1949, the
country doesn’t have an army anymore, and most
of the projects that continue from the abolishment
of the army are related to educational programs.
That’s something I really admire about this country!
The place where I work as a guide is called the
Osa Peninsula. It’s located close to Panama, in the
Southwest of Costa Rica, and National Geographic
named it the second most biodiverse place on
the planet (right after the Amazon). One-third of
the Osa Peninsula is covered by the Corcovado
National Park, which was created in 1975 after a
group of biologists convinced the government
that this area should be protected. It was the last
remaining humid rainforest on the Pacific Slope of
Central America, and at the time, our neighboring
countries were cutting it down for cattle and
agriculture. Thanks to these biologists, though,
that’s something that didn’t happen in Costa Rica.
You can see tapirs, macaws, whales, monkeys,
dolphins, turtles, etc. in Corcovado National Park,
and there’s also a wide variety of endemic species
of birds, reptiles, and amphibians here.
OSA WILD
Osa Wild offers tours that
connect people with nature
and promotes ecotourism.
Instagram
@osawild
Website
www.osawild.travel
“The best way to
make people thrive
and succeed is by
supporting their
projects.”
WHAT TYPE OF TOURS DO YOU ORGANIZE?
Osa Wild offers tours that connect people with
nature and promotes ecotourism. The tours we
offer contribute directly to the local economy, and
they ensure the wellbeing of the environment as
well. The Intense Jungle Trek, for example, is our
most popular tour, and you will stay in a place
owned by an ex-poacher on this trek. Thanks to
people’s efforts, this man got to see how people
love nature, and because of this, he and his
community have changed completely!
WHAT IS YOUR NUMBER 1 TIP TO ALL OF US
TO TRAVEL MORE SUSTAINABLY?
Try to be a researcher before traveling. Make sure
you have the right information and be conscious
about where your money goes to. Support local
businesses and buy from local people - the best
way to make people thrive and succeed is by
supporting their projects, especially after such a
bad time for tourism.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN
WE’RE VISITING THE JUNGLE?
Don’t invade the animals’ space and be quiet. It’s
also important not to bring anything home from
the jungle. I see people who collect stones or sand,
for example, but those things are needed in the
jungle, so it’s important to leave them where they
are.
29
 “I make sure to research
where it comes from
and the impact it has on
animals and the planet.
The packaging of my
shampoo bar, for example,
is made of sugarcane,
which is sustainably made
and easy to recycle.“
ZERO WASTE
SUSTAINABLE
LIVING
SARAH RITZEN’S JOURNEY INTO ZERO
WASTE AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING
Sarah Ritzen is a Human Design Expert who’s been
passionate about sustainability from a young age.
Now 27, she became a vegetarian when she was
only 11 and has been eating mostly vegan for the
last couple of years. During her teenage years,
Sarah started learning more and more about
sustainability and the environment, and the more
she learned about it, the more passionate she
became.
At the beginning of her journey, Sarah was mainly
focused on zero waste, but soon, her interest
pivoted to the overall impact we humans have on
the environment. She explains: “Many people don’t
know that an organically grown cucumber that’s
wrapped in plastic, for example, is still better for
the environment than a non-organically grown
cucumber without packaging. When you look at
the entire process, organically grown products are
more sustainable, even when they’re wrapped in
plastic.” This insight completely changed Sarah’s
perception of sustainability.
Of course, buying organically grown products
and turning off the tap while brushing your teeth
is great, but Sarah wanted to do more: “I started
buying as little new things as possible and stopped
buying things I don’t really need. Whenever I do
need to buy something new, I make sure to
research where it comes from and the impact it
has on animals and the planet. The packaging
of my shampoo bar, for example, is made of
sugarcane, which is sustainably made and easy to
recycle. The shampoo bar itself has no chemicals
- I always make sure to check the ingredients as
well.”
Sarah doesn’t own a car either, and she has solar
panels and a hot water pump at home, which
are both very sustainable. When it comes to
using bleach, she has a nice alternative too that
she learned from her father: “I use baking soda
combined with vinegar. On the contrary to bleach,
which goes into the sewer and then into the earth
when you flush it down the toilet, baking soda and
vinegar don’t have a negative impact on the planet
and work too. These are cheap, natural products
without any chemicals – so it’s a win-win situation!”
Living sustainably is not always easy, though, and
there are quite some challenges Sarah has to face.
“I find it quite difficult to speak out my preferences
to people who are not that close to me. My in-laws,
for example, know I don’t eat meat, but they don’t
know I am vegan, which is challenging when it
comes to cheese and eggs. Besides this, one of
the things I struggle with the most is taking the
plane. I refused to fly for many years because of
the impact it has on the environment, but I have
become a little less strict about it now. Although
I fly as little as possible, I allow myself to take the
plane every once in a while. I do pay for my CO2
compensation, make sure to stay at the destination
as long as I can, and use the bike, train or bus once
I arrive.”
FEELING INSPIRED BY SARAH’S STORY?
HERE ARE SOME OF HER BEST TIPS
The best tips I can give is to eat less meat and
animal products, but also to buy less new stuff. If
you can buy something second hand, do it - that’s
way better for the environment.
SARAH’S BOOK RECOMMENDATION
-The Hidden Impact by Babette Porcelijn
SARAH RITZEN
Human Design Expert
Instagram
@sarahritzen
31
 ROMANIA

ROMANIA AND
ITS NATURE
Angela Boghui

Romania is a country of extremes: when it comes to economic

data, the country is pretty much at the end of all statistics in
the European Union. However, when it comes to environmental
statistics, Romania is on top of all lists: it has the largest surface
of virgin forests, the biggest populations of large carnivores, the
highest biodiversity and the largest unfragmented forests left in
the Union.

33
Right now there are over 6
million hectares of forests.
 ROMANIA
Romania, as no other country in the European
Union, has a high importance for conservation and
a potential for a green economic development.
Right now there are over 6 million hectares of
forests, out of which a significant portion is still
virgin; large, unfragmented mountain areas with
no settlements except in the surrounding foothills
and mountains of stunning beauty, surrounded by
natural forests. Untamed rivers, who‘s dynamic
still shape the valleys are surrounded by bears,
wolves, lynx and over 3,700 plant species, many
of them endemic to the region. In times of human
overpopulation, climate change, and a biodiversity
crisis, these natural assets become a treasure,
which most other countries in Europe have lost.
Yet, instead of using this potential and developing
Romania into the greenest country of Europe and
thus setting a benchmark in modern development,
these resources are being destroyed at an
alarming rate.
Foundation Conservation Carpathia (FCC) has a
huge vision: to create a new, world-class wilderness
reserve in the Southern Romanian Carpathians for
the benefit of biodiversity and local communities.
CARPATHIA’s specific activities are those to which
wildlife rangers contribute or perform directly:
interventions in human-wildlife conflicts, collection
of samples for genetic analysis, participation in
some actions related to the reintroduction of bison,
and others. But how do you do that?
HOW TO START A PROJECT ON THIS SCALE?
In the past 10 years, the project has purchased over
20,000 hectares of forests and alpine meadows
in the South-eastern Carpathians, which we now
fully protect. The Romanian Carpathians provide
a home to the most diverse mix of wildlife – over
3,500 animal species are thriving here, many of
which are strictly protected by European law. With
few exceptions (bison, beaver), the entire mammal
fauna is still present in viable numbers, including
the large carnivores - wolf, bear and lynx. In
respect to birds, only vultures and black grouse
are missing from the original species.
Unfortunately, these forests and alpine meadows
aren’t the same as they used to be anymore.
After the fall of communism, numbers of large
mammals have suffered from overhunting and
poaching, and disturbance through logging and
livestock farming activities. In Romania, wildlife
management and hunting rights are not linked to
land ownership, but administered by the state and
auctioned off to the national or private hunting
associations. In order to effectively protect wildlife
in the general area of land acquisitions, FCC has
founded its own hunter’s association and managed
to lease the hunting rights for the core area of the
project in the upper Dimbovita Valley. Together
with the adjacent National Park Piatra Craiului,
this translates into an area of 36,000 hectares
of hunting free zone – an important refuge for
predators and prey alike.
By taking over the hunting area, we have also
challenged the traditional wildlife monitoring
system, which is normally conducted by the hunters
themselves and naturally prone to mistakes and
even falsification with the goal to obtain higher
quotas. To get a good and reliable estimate on the
current population sizes of key species, we have
started to use genetic analysis of scat and hair
samples, and use of camera traps, together with
traditional sign surveys (ground snowtracking, den
counts). Due to our efforts, we could prove that
chamois numbers have dramatically decreased
in the entire Papusa Mountain. Consequently, the
Ministry has put a moratorium on chamois hunting
until the population recovers.
35
Romania and its nature.
 ROMANIA

BISONS
In addition to protecting what is present, FCC is
also committed to bring back what has been lost:
the European bison should soon be part of the
native fauna again. In the Fagaras Mountains, first
efforts have been made to achieve this. In May
2020 eight bison were reintroduced in the area. A
missing link in the trophic chain was finally back
again. Right now, 28 bison are roaming free in the
wild. Yet, FCC’s efforts will continue until they reach
75-100 individuals.

Even though this sounds fairly easy, it’s important

to know that a thorough strategy was and is
being used for this purpose. First of all, the 100
individuals that we’re striving for are needed for
a feasible reintroduction, so they can survive and
multiply. Which until now has been successful, as
the first bison calf born in the wild has already
been seen. Besides that, the new individuals should
be separated into three areas (with a minimum of
30 individuals in each area). Bison can move and
migrate between these areas, facilitating over time
the meeting of individuals from the three groups.
That’s important because the bison brought in are
from different origins: Great Britain, Sweden and
Vanatori Neamt (another area in Romania).

The reintroduction of the bison is not only a matter

of repairing the environmental mistakes of the past,
or a case of modern biodiversity conservation,
but is also an excellent example of how nature
conservation can help local communities thrive and
develop. They play a significant role in local tourism
based on natural observation. Consequently, in
order to support the development of tourism in the
area, we plan to build a series of visitor centres for
tourists who want to know the story of the bison,
especially those from the Fagaras Mountains.
Also, from a natural point of view, as the number
of bison stabilises, biodiversity will benefit directly:
the meadows will be maintained by grazing bison
and forests will acquire a better natural structure,
at the same time benefiting the deer.

38
 The most skilled engineer
of nature, the beaver, has
returned home after more
than 100 years.
 ROMANIA
RETURN OF THE BEAVER
Besides the reintroduction of the bison, another
animal has returned to the Fagaras Mountains.
The most skilled engineer of nature, the beaver,
has returned home after more than 100 years. It
took two years of scientific and socio-economic
studies and thousands of hours spent in the field.
The beaver families will return through an extensive
programme which reintroduces this charismatic
species. Over the next three years, approximately
90 beavers will be reintroduced.
Reintroduction is a great deal in creating the
ultimate environment here in the Southern area of
Romania. However, many big carnivores already
living in the area propose a great danger and
threat to local communities. FCC is therefore also
involved in monitoring the animals who roam
wild and free here, with the aim of establishing
long-term policies to protect species and reduce
human-wildlife conflicts.
MONITORING SPECIES
Two of the species that have been monitored
and researched the past year, are bears and
European lynx (Lynx lynx). In a pilot area in the
Southern Carpathians, a first scientific, quantitative
monitoring programme has been completed
successfully for the latter of these two species.
Monitoring was done with the help of 152 camera
traps with motion sensors, after which 23 adult lynx
and nine kittens were seen. The aim of this method
was not only monitoring the lynx, but also creating
a model for monitoring wildlife at a national level.
Alongside that, Conservation Carpathia has been
working on the first genetic study in Romania,
with the result of identifying bears over an area
of 120.000 ha (1.200 square km). The efforts of
this quantitative assessment will be useful in the
future for responsible management of the bears
in Romania. For example, the data from this
research can be used to manage human-bear
conflicts. During bear attacks in households, we
collect evidence in order to find out which specific
animal has caused the conflict or the damage.
After thorough research, the magnitude of the
problem is better known and action can be taken
accordingly.
Preventative measures have to be taken to reduce
the human-bear conflicts in the future. Thus,
since mid-2019, 41 electric fences were installed
free of charge. The main result until now was
the lack of incidents on these premises. Also, 45
shepherd dogs were offered free of charge to
the shepherds from the Fagaras Mountains area
and a private farm was created to offer cows and
sheep in exchange for the damages caused by
carnivores. Even though many efforts have been
made, the intervention teams had to capture and
relocate one bear and eliminate three bears that
endangered people’s and livestocks’ lives.
A WILDLIFE BOARD
The research and preventative measures with
our bears has been of great effect. However,
we also realise that the local communes should
have an equal vote in the actual regulations of
how to approach human-wildlife conflicts. In this
regard we have founded a Voluntary Regional
Committee for the Prevention and Management of
Wildlife Conflicts in 2020 with the role of identifying
existing problems, their causes and proposing and
prioritising solutions in a transparent manner for
preventing and mitigating human-large carnivore
conflicts. Among the members of the Committee
are designated representatives of local authorities,
farmers, forest rangers and environmental
authorities, the FCC and hunters. Thus, together,
we aim to reduce human-wildlife conflicts for the
benefit of humans, as well as for the benefit of
large protected carnivore species.
Instagram
@conservation_carpathia
Website
www.carpathia.org
41
 CHRISTINA
THOLANDER
Elephant researcher at the African Elephant Research Unit (AERU)

Christina Tholander is a Danish elephant researcher at the African

Elephant Research Unit (AERU) at Knysna Elephant Park, South
Africa. Though her primary focus is in the lab, she also has a role as
a volunteer coordinator. She studied biochemistry at university and
has always loved elephants. We asked her a few questions about her
role at AERU, the volunteer program, and her favorite animal.

42
 SOUTH AFRICA

“Our main focus is doing

research on the welfare
of elephants in a captive
environment. It’s important
to note that this is not in a zoo-
like environment, though.”

Herd of elephants during a sunset walk.

 SOUTH AFRICA
“We live in a world
where animal habitats
become less and less.”
WHAT KIND OF RESEARCH DOES AERU DO?
Our main focus is doing research on the welfare of
elephants in a captive environment. It’s important
to note that this is not in a zoo-like environment,
though. Knysna Elephant Park is a huge, fenced
area that is more like a reserve. It’s also a tourist
destination, so most of the research we do is from
this aspect. One of my personal main tasks at the
lab is collecting dung samples for physiological
analysis (laughs).
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO DO RESEARCH ON
CAPTIVE ELEPHANTS?
We live in a world where animal habitats become
less and less. It’s estimated that by 2100, the
population in Africa alone will have doubled - but
where are these people going to live? Obviously,
the land will be taken from wildlife reserves,
and there will be less and less of them. It’s quite
controversial, but in my opinion, we have created
this problem, and we need to take responsibility
and find a solution. That’s why there is a need for
an establishment like the Knysna Elephant Park.
44
WHY DID YOU BECOME AN ELEPHANT
RESEARCHER?
It wasn’t planned, it was a matter of following your
dreams, and when the opportunity presented itself,
I didn’t hesitate at all. I joined the research unit
of Knysna Elephant Park as a volunteer in 2016,
and towards the end of my stay, I was offered a
position, so I accepted it and never looked back.
Initially, I planned to stay for 3 years, but I’m now in
my 6th year, and I’m not going anywhere!
There has been a lot of research on classical zoos
and wild herds in nature, but not in a facility like
the one we have here. It teaches us a lot about
the elephants’ welfare, and the more research we
do, the more we learn about the language these
animals speak. We then report our findings to the
park’s management and suggest changes for the
benefit of the elephants.
Christina and Sally the elephant.
46
 SOUTH AFRICA
CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE
VOLUNTEER PROGRAM AT AERU?
As a volunteer, we get you involved in everything!
No day is the same, and there are always
unpredictable things happening around here.
We offer two programs; the Walking With Giants
Program, which requires volunteers to stay for at
least 3 weeks, and the 1-week Everything Elephant
Program, for volunteers that can’t stay for a longer
time.
The first week of the Walking With Giants Program
is an introduction and training. You need to learn
how to identify the elephants, for example. During
the second week, you get familiarized with the
program and starting from the third week, you will
really start to enjoy it.
Elephant herd at the Plettenberg Game Reserve.
We have two studies that we do every day, where
the volunteers get to partake in: herd activity (what
are the elephants doing?) and the nearest neighbor
(who’s friends with whom?). But volunteers also
get to help with other, temporary, studies. We’re
currently doing a study on audio enrichment; we
play different types of music for the elephants, and
try to see which one is their favorite. Right now,
they really seem to enjoy classical music. (laughs).
“Right now, they
really seem to
enjoy classical
music.”
 “South Africa has the
its own pen. After researching this, we suggested
that the elephants would benefit more from

reputation of being one big stable, without individual pens. The park
listened to us and changed this as well.
a very violent place,
THERE’S A DISCUSSION GOING ON ABOUT
but I don’t agree WHETHER VOLUNTEERING IS GOOD OR NOT.

with this.” WHAT’S YOUR OPINION ON THIS MATTER?

I think it has to do with finding the right place.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of projects out there
that have become money-making machines.
HAVE THERE BEEN CHANGES IN THE PARK
THANKS TO YOUR RESEARCH?
Yes! For example, years ago elephant riding was
part of the tourist experience at Knysna Elephant
Instagram
Park. We told the park this should not be done, so
@aeru_elephants
they stopped offering it. Another example is that
the park had built a big stable for the elephants, Ecologde nearby
and they first thought each elephant would want www.aeru.co.za

48
 SOUTH AFRICA
As a volunteer traveler, you have to be careful
not to end up with one of these. The best advice
I can give is to search for a particular place on
social media and to look for people who have
volunteered here. Ask them about their experience!
If you’ve never done it, I would highly recommend
volunteer travel, just to see if it’s something you
can benefit from. It gives back to you, but it also
benefits the local community of the place you visit.
WE OFTEN HEAR STORIES ABOUT ELEPHANTS
BEING POACHED FOR IVORY, HOW ARE YOU
DEALING WITH THAT?
Luckily, elephant poaching isn’t a problem in South
Africa, but it is in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Rhino
poaching, on the other hand, is a problem here.
Just a few weeks ago, we lost 18 rhinos in one
week. The pandemic hasn’t helped either because
people starve, and they would do anything for
money.
CAN YOU TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT
SOUTH AFRICA?
It’s not dangerous down here! (laughs) South
Africa has the reputation of being a very violent
place, but I don’t agree with this. It’s true that you
have to be precautious and that there are certain
places you better avoid, but it’s the same for any
country. As long as you’re vigilant, South Africa is a
safe country to visit.
CHRISTINA AT AERU
As a volunteer, we get you
involved in everything! No day
is the same, and there are
always unpredictable things
happening around here.
49
SOUTH AFRICA

ECOLODGES
IN THE AREA
Teniqua Treetops
www.teniquatreetops.co.za

Plett Forest Cabins

www.plettforestcabins.co.za

Kuthumba
www.kuthumba.co.za

Wild Spirit Lodge

www.wildspiritlodge.co.za

51
 MALAPASCUA
IN PHILIPPINES
3 years ago I left the rat race of life to travel the world. It all started in
the Netherlands, but since a while I’ve been living in the Philippines. It’s
a place where many beautiful things can be discovered every single
day. My name is Latoya and I’m excited to tell you more about one of
my recent discoveries.

52
PHILIPPINES

The island of Malapascua, Philippines.

 PHILIPPINES
UNLOCK NEW ADVENTURES AND DISCOVER
THE DEEPEST WATERS
However, as I said my most recent discovery
had nothing to do with walking or smoothies, but
everything with the underwater world. Malapascua
is a renowned island for snorkeling and scuba
diving, so that’s what I did. You must wonder, why
is this island so famous for diving? It’s by far the
best place in the world where you can encounter
the famous Thresher sharks.
The Thresher sharks, also called Fox Sharks, are
separated into three species. The smallest species
is the Pelagic Thresher shark, which is about three
meters long. Famous for their beautiful long tail,
they also know how to use it.
They whip it to strike prey from the shoals as a
way of hunting. Especially in the Visayan Sea, the
Pelagic Thresher sharks are often seen. But, there
is a catch.
What makes it adventurous is that the sharks live
in the deepest waters of the ocean. They only rise
during the early mornings, before sunrise. They
love to get cleaned daily at their favorite cleaning
station. Their cleaning station is Monad Shoal
which is a sunken plateau. It is very close to the
island of Malapascua. There are plenty of cleaner
wrasses from which these sharks get free cleaning
services. It’s not only a luxury, but also a necessity
to remove parasites and dead tissues from their
body.
DIVING ON MALAPASCUA
To enjoy a moment with the
thresher sharks make sure
to have your diving license in
level Advanced, as you might
have to descend to 30 meters
of depth.
“This is by far one
of my favorite
parts, jumping into
the unknown!”
HOW ABOUT THE DIVE EXPERIENCE ITSELF,
IS IT EVEN WORTH IT?
If you are willing to make an extra effort, then
yes! For this beautiful experience, your alarm is
ringing at 4.00 am. It’s dark outside and we use our
flashlights to make sure we are walking in the right
direction. Keep an extra eye out for all the sleeping
dogs. During this time of the day, they get anxious
and start barking. I can tell, it was fun walking to
the dive shop.
Only a few other divers are waiting for us, so with a
small intimate group, we walk towards the beach.
While waiting for the boat to pick us up, I enjoy
seeing the beautiful sky. It is completely dark with
a lot of twinkling stars and a clear moonshine.
We jump on a small boat which brings us to our
diving boat. On the boat, the tanks and equipment
are already waiting for us. Still with the use of our
flashlights, we manage to make ourselves a cup
of coffee. With this, we enjoy the traditional Filipino
bread, which is typical to eat in the morning. We
are enjoying the moment when the sky starts to
change in beautiful colors. The sun rises above the
horizon and the only thing you hear is the sound of
the waves with the wind lifting up my hair.
The boat ride itself is a true experience, but that’s
not our goal today. In only 30 minutes on the water
we reach Monad Shoal. Here, we are instructed
to gear up, after which we get a clear briefing
on our dive. We are all experienced divers, yet
safety always goes first. When the first sun rays
hit the water surface, it’s our call to dive it. This is
by far one of my favorite parts, jumping into the
unknown!
55
Famous for their beautiful
long tail, they also know
how to use it. They whip
it to strike prey from the
shoals as a way of hunting.
 PHILIPPINES
SO, ARE YOU READY TO FEEL SOME
ADRENALINE KICKING THROUGH YOUR
BODY?
Even though it is only 5.30 am, the water feels
comfortable. Our first stop to see the sharks is at a
depth of 24 meters, where the first cleaning station
is. The sharks are very shy, and because of this,
it’s advisable to kneel at one of the boundaries.
Here you wait for the sharks to show their faces.
The downside is that you can only stay for a few
minutes at this depth due to the consumption of
air.
Looking into the blue for a few minutes brings
excitement. But don’t let the excitement take
control as it’s so important to remain calm. During
these minutes we don’t see any sharks so we
decide to move up to the second cleaning station.
There we kneeled for the second time, and luckily
we spotted a glimpse of the shark. It was only a
glimpse, as he most likely got shy and kicked his
fin very hard to move away from us.
By the end of the dive, we were more at the
shallow waters, where two divers spotted a shark
beneath them. Again, during this moment we saw
a glimpse of this beautiful creation. This reminds
me that the sharks are always there. Yet, they are
very shy animals and, like most pelagic fish, they
are not huge fans of our bubbles.
WHAT DOES NOBODY KNOW?
The natural habits of the sharks have changed
during the pandemic. It used to be the best time
to encounter the shark at 5.30 am. Speaking out
of my own experiences this has changed. Around
8.00 am, everyone jumped off the boat again for
a second chance. This time manifesting to spot the
sharks. We were lucky. While we kneeled on one of
the boundaries, a shark seen in the distance came
pretty close to us. This shark was not shy to have
some quality time!
I’m impressed by the way he moves and breathes
and by the look of his eyes. It’s quite a thrill to see
these scary-looking predators swim toward you.
Before you know it, it’s within a few meters. But
as soon as it comes, it also turns his back on us.
For some reason, I’m not scared of sharks. I get so
excited when I see one that I forget that they are
able to kill me.
IS THIS EXPERIENCE SUSTAINABLE?
Yes, the experience at the moment is completely
100 percent sustainable. Every diver encounters
sharks in their natural habitat. This means, there
is no feeding or any other attraction methods
involved. The divemasters ensure that everyone is
following the rules, like staying calm while kneeling
down and not getting too close to the sharks. It’s
beautiful to see that they take such good care.
During this experience, there were only three
diving boats, which makes it a unique experience.
The divemaster informed us that before the
pandemic there could be 30 boats at Monad Shoal.
As this is too much for a sustainable coexistence
and interaction with the sharks, I hope rules and
regulations will be created to keep it the way we
experienced it today.
HOW TO GET THIS EXPERIENCE?
To enjoy a moment with the thresher sharks make
sure to have your diving license in level Advanced,
as you might have to descend to 30 meters of
depth. However, even when you are completely
new to scuba diving, you can get certified on
Malapascua. On top of this there are many other
dive spots to discover and you can do this all
year around. The best season is late February till
September. During this time there is good visibility
and the sea is calm enough to dive into. One of my
favorite local dive shops is Malapascua Thresher
Divers. Make sure to ask for Jess. He can’t wait to
take care of you together with his crew.
59
 PHILIPPINES

“Hidden waterfalls, amazing

mountain views and rice terraces
are some of the breathtaking
sceneries here.”

SUSTAINABLE TRAVELING AROUND ABOUT LATOYA

MALAPASCUA
Even though it is great that Malapascua offers
such underwater experiences, it is also very busy
at times with travelers. It is important to mention
that Malapascua is also the getaway island to
more undiscovered places like Carnaza and
Kalanggaman Island. On both islands, you can
even stay overnight.
Kalanggaman has become more known to tourists
over the years. It became famous for its long white
stretched sandbar. However, my personal favorite
is Carnaza Island. It’s a hidden gem. A beautiful
turtle-shaped island with surreal rock formations
and bays. The island is so small that you will not
see any cars and only a handful of scooters. There
is no such thing as restaurants, so what you will
get is a pure local experience. On top of this, the
island is eco-friendly as the electricity comes from
solar panels. Do you feel like escaping the tourist
sights? Carnaza is the place to be.
Over the last few years, I have enjoyed over 50
dives at several beautiful dives spots, most of the
time in Asia. For me diving is the ultimate feeling
of relaxation and peace while being underwater in
combination with an exciting search for different
kinds of marine species. There are so many kinds
of creatures living underwater, but it’s always a
matter of a surprise what you will see. For example,
you start looking at the beautiful corals to find a
nudibranch or even a shrimp. However, when you
dive in an attempt to find a shark, it’s a whole new
experience. Go find out for yourself!
LATOYA DE JONG
Travel and Business
Coach

Instagram
@beyondmyfootsteps

60
62
FRANK
LANDMAN
COLUMN NR. 1 INTRODUCTION
Looking back at my career path, it has never
been just one thing. I’ve always developed and
challenged myself through every chance I got,
even though sometimes that meant I had a busy
schedule and I traveled to various places around
the world. Only now, when I look back at things, I
see that many of my choices belong together and
are follow-ups of one another.
During my jobs in municipalities and consultancy,
I was always involved in international business. I
have always been attracted to a broad perspective
of the world and how everything feels connected.
So, I guess unknowingly, I chose those jobs and
additional council positions for a reason. My
experiences in Africa, in Langenberg, for example,
came from those choices, and I’m very grateful
that I can share them with you now.
A beautiful and impactful memory I have from
my early years there is a visit to a local township
called Nkqubela. We walked by a shop that sold
engraved glasses. All of them said ‘New York’ and
‘Paris’. The owner knew these are famous places,
so he thought it would be great for people to buy
those glasses here. When I asked him why he
never engraved his own township’s name, he didn’t
understand. Why would people want to buy that?
He totally forgot the value of his own hometown,
and it took some effort to make him realize this.
I once visited a beautiful dance group in Zolani
Township In South Africa. Those kids were dancing
on an old floor and the entrance was just a hole in
the wall. The clothes they were wearing were the
only clothes they had. One of the dancers made
an enormous impression on all of us, his dancing
touched our hearts. Sometime later, I found
out he got the chance to compete in the South-
African ballet competition. He won gold and got
a scholarship at the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre in
New York. This boy with the name Mthuthuzeli is
now an example for all the people in townships
who believed there was no way out and no future.
What I’ve learned in the townships that I visited,
is the feeling of Ubuntu. The group helps the
individual, and the individual helps the group. In
every possible way. However, the word Ubuntu
only came to me years later, when Desmond Tutu
visited the Netherlands to raise awareness about
the Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI). During his
prayer, he told us about the ‘we-mindset’, which
denotes ‘I am because we are’. That was the
moment I knew we needed this mindset, called
Ubuntu, in the Netherlands on a macro and
microscale.
Sometime later, I was invited to a conference on
the topic SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).
I asked myself: “What can I implement from these
goals in my municipality?” I realized I had to get
my goals clear and bring focus to my organization
if I wanted to get results. Everything just started to
come together at that point, and soon I found the
analogy with Ubuntu. ‘Local for the world and the
world for local.’ As a municipality you can’t achieve
it by yourself, so you have to stick together, both
with the world around you and with the people in
your town. However, I also had to keep in mind
that what you do with one SDG, always influences
another one. So you have to anticipate what
influences each other and act according to that.
“The group helps
the individual, and
the individual helps
the group.”
63
64
65
 “About the SDG’s. It’s an United Nations
strategic agenda of 17 goals adopted by 193
countries. The intention is to achieve those
goals by 2030 to become a more sustainable,
social and developed world for everyone in
every country.”

In 2018, we were announced as the most promising
SDG municipality in the Netherlands, and in 2019
we actually became the most inspiring one in
the country. In that directive position, I was able
to make an impact on many people in our own
municipality, but looking back at all the stages
and congresses I was invited to after this award,
we also inspired many people around us. I decided
to take the leap and start my own business, to
further spread the knowledge and experiences
about SDGs to institutes, municipalities and other
organizations.
One important message I always share with
my audience is this one: “You can never start
with implementing just ‘a couple’ of SDGs in
your business. Not even if you have the aim of
increasing the number of SDGs over time. As soon
as you start, you have to commit to all of them. And
most importantly, you have to take a deeper look
and create a deeper understanding of the whole
chain that you are part of. Only then will you be
able to stay clear from unwanted and unexpected
negative spinoffs. By doing this, you can make the
right impact on a social, economic and sustainable
level. We have to realize this balance is necessary
because our ecological footprint is getting worse
every day and more and more people need to
visit food banks every year.
the world. But as space and time are limited, I’d be
happy to share more about that and many more
of my experiences with Ubuntu and SDGs in the
next edition.
UBUNTU’S NOTE:
Frank Landman has got years of experience
in SDGs and he has personally been involved in
many cases of living ‘Ubuntu’. Due to this diversity
and thorough knowledge, we invited him to share
more of his stories here in Ubuntu Magazine. How
can we, and you, as a business owner or as a
civilian, participate in creating a better world?
When I first met Frank, I assumed that Ubuntu
Magazine could include nr. 14 and nr. 15 of the
Sustainable Development Goals, which focus on
life on land and life below water. Now, I know
better than that. Oh, and after hearing more about
his life, I know there is so much more to discover in
his stories, and I can’t wait to read more in the next
editions. If you have questions that you would like
to ask him, let us know through social media.

But as with everything, it’s easier said than

done. That’s why I’m currently working on a new
conceptual framework, which also focuses on a
deeper layer of global understanding; sentiment.
FRANK LANDMAN
And underneath that: feelings and emotions as a
Owner Everlast
guiding approach to making a true connection in
Consultancy

66
 KENYA

PAINTED DOG
CONVERSATION
More commonly known as The African Wild Dog.

It’s the mid 90’s and he is sitting in a car in Kenya during a safari. Ron
and his wife are finally watching a rhino in the wild. It’s a moment
of amazement. Not just because of this animal standing in front of
them, but also because of the van in the background. ‘Wild nature’
is what they came for, but they soon realized reality was totally
different.

I’m talking to Ron van der A, a wildlife enthusiast from the Netherlands.
Even though he has a background in banking and investments, Ron is
the embodiment of the saying “I wasn’t born in Africa, but Africa was
born in me”. During his first safari in Kenya, a lot of things changed
for Ron and his wife. I can’t wait to ask more about the journey he
took and the position he fulfills now at the Painted Dog Conservation.

69
 KENYA
“People outside of these
communities are not allowed as
an employee, as the jobs and
payments are very necessary to
the locals themselves.”
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT FIRST
MOMENT IN KENYA?
After my wife and I witnessed the rhino in Kenya,
I knew I had to give something back. I started
eco-volunteering, something that happened a lot
those days in Africa. My first project was based in
Swaziland, where I would ‘walk the white rhinos’.
After that, I joined Peter Westerveld in building
dams. We did this to restrain the water from
flowing away. I watched elephants bath, shrubs
grow and crocodiles inhabiting small pools. All as
a result of our efforts. After that, I was standing
at an event, talking about our rhino project. That’s
where I met Peter Blindston and Greg Rasmussen
from Painted Dogs. I knew then and there that this
would be my next project.
IT WAS A LONG TIME AGO THAT YOU JOINED
THE PAINTED DOGS. HOW DID THAT CHANGE
OVER THE YEARS?
The first years, we visited the Painted Dogs multiple
times. Typically, we didn’t see a single animal that
first year. However, in 2001 when my wife joined
me on my trip, we finally saw the dogs!
70
After visiting multiple times, I decided to become
more professional in my way of supporting this
project. The foundation Painted Dog Conservation
(PDC) was established.
Right now, PDC has grown to roughly 60
employees, who work there full time. All of them
are locals, connected to two local chiefs. People
outside of these communities are not allowed
as an employee, as the jobs and payments
are very necessary to the locals themselves.
You can imagine that 60 employees have the
total responsibility over 600 people who live in
the villages nearby. They are family, friends or
neighbors that don’t earn enough themselves.
We’re proud to see PDC grow and evolve with the
locals so thoroughly involved.
Peter and I are the only ‘white men’ involved in the
PDC. Even though we don’t usually give ourselves
job titles, I now fulfill my role as chairman in the
foundation. Peter is the executive director and he
has been doing this for over 20 years now. We
can’t imagine it otherwise.
A painted dog in Zimbabwe in Hwange National Park.
72
 It is important for us to
show local people the
beauty and importance
of painted dogs in their
area. The Bushcamp is our
way of educating young
children about this topic.
 ZIMBABWE
CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE
LOCATION OF PDC?
We are based in Zimbabwe in Hwange National
Park. It’s where the dogs live as well. The history
behind this location is based on research that was
done here. In the 90’s research showed that the
dogs who came outside of Hwange National Park
were often found dead. This was the area where
they came in conflict with local people. Snares,
traffic accidents and shootings were the main
cause of these deaths. Sometimes intentionally,
sometimes bad luck.
Our core value which rose from this research is still
the same today. We want to help and conserve
the painted dog population, by firstly finding the
critical issues on site and then changing this for the
better. As some of the critical issues are directly
related to ignorance and prejudice from locals
about this species, we also have a strong focus on
education.
WHICH FACILITIES AND SUBTEAMS DO YOU
HAVE ON SITE?
RESEARCH TEAM
Let’s start with the research team! We have both
senior and junior trackers, who try to find the dogs
daily. We do this by sight (who has seen them
and where) and with the use of VHS collars. The
past years we attached these collars to some of
the dogs, so we can find them via radio telemetry.
Our team is trained in finding the dogs this way.
As soon as they find them, our trackers take the
dogs’ feces and sometimes they ‘dart’ them for
blood samples. Both of this will be used in further
research, to find out what they ate and if they’re in
good health.
REHABILITATION CENTER
Next we have the rehabilitation center. We use this
for temporarily hurt dogs, who have been caught in
snares or have hurt themselves in the field. Snares
are part of poaching here in the national park,
so we see it a lot unfortunately. Besides that, the
rehabilitation center is the permanent residence of
some of the dogs. They are blind, have only three
paws or they are otherwise heavily injured. The
only option for survival is keeping them with us.
ANTI-POACHING UNIT
Our third team is the anti-poaching unit. Knowing
that the snares in the field are waiting for dogs and
other wildlife is devastating, so we are proactively
working on removing those snares from the field.
16 people and 2 K9-sniffing dogs are working
together to find and remove the traps. Though
this might sound perfect, it’s important to notice
that it hasn’t always been this way. Taking snares
or a dead dog home, used to be seen as a sign
that said: ‘If you take just a small part of the snare
home, there must be a bigger part still out there.
The only reason for leaving that behind could be
your own involvement in poaching.’ It sounds cruel,
but the general thought would be that way. We are
happy to have innovated a system in which we
reward the anti-poachers for bringing home the
caught dogs and the snares. It has truly changed
our results.
BUSHCAMP
One of our most impactful facilities and programs
is the Bushcamp. As I said previously, it is
important for us to show local people the beauty
and importance of painted dogs in their area. The
Bushcamp is our way of educating young children
about this topic. Four days long, they are fully
taken care of. Three meals a day, a proper bed
and interesting topics to learn about. Often, it’s
the first time these children go to a national park
and it’s the first time they actually do a safari. It’s
amazing to see that after so many years, many
of them come back to work here as rangers, anti-
poachers or journalists. The Bushcamp has the
impact we want it to have.
MUSEUM
Besides that, we have a museum with an exhibition
and we have a global outreach program, in
which we help build wells and plant vegetable
gardens. Lastly, we support youngsters from
local communities with creating responsibility and
self development. Without this, they are prone to
poach due to boredom. They are very important
parts of our program. However, they are smaller
projects than the others mentioned.
75
 ZIMBABWE
WHAT PROBLEMS AND ROADBLOCKS DO
YOU NOTICE WHILE TRYING TO HELP THE
PAINTED DOGS?
After many years of trial and error, we are finally
at a stage of earning trust from local people and
from the chiefs. We are able to track down snares
and (wounded) dogs, which enables us to work
on a brighter future. But of course, there are also
negative aspects to our development and things
that we should be very aware of. As much as we
would like to solve every problem from our own
perspective, we must stay focused on the dogs.
We are still and always in service to them.
At the same time, we should keep the local
community in our minds. Collaboration with and
understanding them is one of the aspects we must
never forget. And last but not least, don’t forget
that ‘the more research you do, the more insecure
your previous research becomes’. Don’t be fooled
by the mistakes you made when you didn’t know
any better.’
PAINTED DOG
CONSERVATION
Painted Dog Conservation
really focusses on the
wellbeing of the dogs, while
contributing to the local
community.
“I can keep on WHAT’S YOUR LAST ADVICE?
Come and see the painted dogs for yourself. I can

talking about the keep on talking about the multi-faceted beauty of

this species and our project, but only one glance

multi-faceted beauty here will win you over. I’d be happy to show you
what I mean.

of this species and

our project, but only Instagram

one glance here will @painted_dog_conservation

Website
win you over.” www.painteddog.org

77
78
 WORLDWIDE

SILVIO
MARCHINI
What’s taught in school is usually not how the real world works.
Yes, it’s great to have some theoretical knowledge about certain
topics, but the real world often contains many more direct and
indirect factors that determine the outcome of what you want
to do. When talking to Silvio Marchini, who is a bridge-builder
in human-wildlife coexistence, we find out that this also applies
to the field of conservation. What position do we have as a
conservationist when we focus on human-wildlife interactions?
 WORLDWIDE
“We expect people to be
more tolerant with this
neutral approach.”
He started out as being a biologist himself. The
general thought of ‘I love nature and I want to
protect it’ was also at the core of his career.
Yet, today his career has been shaped by his
experiences in the field and he is the proud owner
of Plan4coex. Who is he today and what can he tell
us about his perspective in conservation?
After graduation Silvio soon found out, just
being a conservationist wasn’t enough. The
usual approach when being a conservationist
is: ‘I did some research, found some results and
now I’ll tell the locals how they should deal with
wildlife.’ Oftentimes, the emphasis on research
and documentation is so big, that the actual
emphasis on change gets forgotten. Another
problem with this approach is the wrong balance a
conservationist gets when he proposes a solution
to locals and surrounding people. Suddenly, the
conservationist who is supposed to be on two
sides of this situation, chooses the side of wildlife.
With the aim of mitigating the conflict, it is necessary
to be neutral in a conversation. Taking the wildlife’s
side will work against you in solving the problem.
According to Silvio “We expect people to be more
tolerant with this neutral approach”. As a so-called
80
bridge-building in human-wildlife coexistence, this
is exactly his goal with Plan4coex. That brings us
to the fact that he is an entrepreneur besides his
role as conservationist. During the enlightenment
that we can’t choose the wildlife’s side in any given
situation, I also realized that we as humans are at
the core of the problem but we are also the core of
the solution. Often, the local or involved people that
I talk to, don’t even know that they are involved in
a so-called ‘problem’ or ‘human-wildlife conflict’.
That - not even knowing that they are involved in
a conflict - is also the reason why he never speaks
of conflicts anymore. The meeting of humans with
wildlife, with any given result (positive or negative)
is simply an interaction. The general term ‘human-
wildlife conflict’ is often too focussed on the
negative and this can easily be changed.
But with this information, how should
conservationists act then, when interfering or
trying to solve an interaction? It’s quite simple.
By changing the terminology used and trying
to understand every single stakeholder, the
perspective on the situation gets wider and better.
As he said before, the solution can be found in
‘change’.
 WORLDWIDE
“Change should be introduced in a precipatory
way. Conventionally, biologists say “I do ecological
research, because I love this specific animal.
As I love them, I don’t want them to die and be
extinguished.” I, however, would rather say: “I’m a
biologist, an expert at jaguars.” And then I would
go beyond that. I step outside university and the
lab. I will ask society: “What problems do you have
with jaguars?” There will certainly be stakeholders
who have problems with them. Those are my
clients. He works with and for them to resolve the
problem. We decide what research needs to be
done, what the intention is and what our end goal
ideally should be.”
It is clear that is searching for a trans-disciplinarity
collaboration. Which program or project should
be addressed? What are the steps that need to
be taken? And how can we monitor the effects
and the changes which are a result of our steps?
When we look back at the conservation history,
we can now see that we arrived at a third stage.
We went from a solely ecological approach, to a
combination with social sciences.
SILVIO MARCHINI
Bridge-builder in human-
wildlife coexistence and proud
owner of Plan4coex.
“We should make
decisions on what
is true.”
Today we have arrived to a situation where those
disciplines are also combined with an ethical
perspective.
It remains the question when something, a project
or an approach in human-wildlife coexistence,
is ethically right. It takes us back to the more
philosophical roots of decision making. You could
say “I understand that there is a certain subjectivity
of what is right and wrong, but I understand that
there is a form of universally right or wrong as
well”. The bottom line of all this, is that you should
consider that there is a diversity of ethical views.
What I consider right and wrong is not right and
wrong for everyone.
It is so common that scientists, ecologists, biologists
think ‘I have the truth’, because science is the truth.
We should make decisions on ‘what is true’.
However, the trend in wildlife conservation is
beyond that. Luckily. What ultimately matters is
not just the scientific truth. The ultimate decisions
will be based on people’s lives and ethical values.
“We need other ways to take this into account in
a fair way. In Plan4coex we implement this in our
daily chores, but we also teach others this way of
thinking via our workshops.” Alone there is a lot
Silvio can do, but sharing knowledge and making
people responsible for their own situations is a
better and more efficient tactic.
83
 WORLDWIDE
“It’s about changing the
people’s perspective on
wildlife.”
A workshop starts with the participants identifying
the human-wildlife interactions. Then the
participants create a map of the system. It’s about
identifying the direct and indirect factors that are of
interest in this human-wildlife interaction. Once we
have that, we know what we can do and what we
can develop to influence that interaction positively.
And we can improve the interaction altogether.
For each of those indirect and direct effects, we
want to monitor the results. And that’s the basis for
adaptive management. It’s a sideways movement,
not lineair.
In the last year we have done six of these workshops
from jaguars in Iguazu National Park to North
Eastern Brazil (semi-desert with jaguars), in the
Amazon and in Costa Rica. “I’m looking forward
to more diversity. Both in wildlife species and in
landscapes of this workshop from Plan4Coex.”, as
Silvio emphasizes.
The aim of Plan4Coex is to go beyond that one
specific species that you want to save. It’s about
changing the people’s perspective on wildlife, with
whichever species they are dealing with. That also
makes it difficult to invite people from abroad
to become involved in any of Silvio’s projects.
Luckily there are definitely some projects and
ecotourism locations in Brazil which he prefers, so
we are more than happy to share this intel. The
most sustainable project in the Central Amazon is
definitely Mamirauá. This institute for Sustainable
Development takes care of research, management
and extension programs in the Solimoes region
in the Amazon. Alongside this institute you
have Uakari Lodge. Silvio is determined that this
ecolodge should be your accommodation if you
want to have the full sustainable experience in the
Amazon.
Secondly, the Atlantic Forest cannot be forgotten.
With only a 2 to 3-hour drive, it is extremely close
to São Paulo City. It’s less focussed on wildlife
conservation, yet just as stunning with the high
intensity of diverse ecosystems. Don’t forget to visit
local people and communities. You are supposed
to ‘just watch the animal’ when you’re a wildlife
tourist. However, you can add great experiences
and benefits during your trip if you go beyond
enjoying the wildlife and nature. Take the most out
of your stay and indulge yourself in the full cultural
experience of Brazil.
As a truly inspiring connector, more about Silvio’s
work can be seen on his website and heard in
his TEDtalk. If you are eager to join his workshop
about coexistence with nature, a simple email will
do the work, but if you are ready today to dive into
this topic, browse to his Facebook group ‘Human-
Wildlife Coexistence: science & practise’ and join
now!
85
If you want to add a bit of spice
to your hiking experience, then
you need to visit the province
Limburg in the Netherlands.
Limburg has a diverse landscape,
from steep hills, to green forests.
Walk over small gravel roads and
discover this tiny but surprising
European country.
 Photos: Mischa Kemna

AVONTUUR
DICHTBIJ
Avontuur Dichtbij is a travel organization, founded
by two sustainable entrepreneurs.We offer individual
and group packages in the Netherlands and Belgium.

DUTCH MOUNTAIN TRAIL

Are you ready for a tough hike with spectacular views? In the
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tour is suitable for the experienced and adventurous hiker who is
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We offer this trip as a 6-day and a 7-day trip. The 7-day adventure
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Website
www.avontuurdichtbij.nl
 A NATURALIST GUIDE
IN THE AMAZON
RAINFOREST
Ana Santacruz, born in Quito, Ecuador, studied
ecotourism at university.

She now works as a naturalist guide in the

Amazon Rainforest, her favorite place in the
world. In this interview, she answers a few
questions on what her job is like and what
ecotourism means to her.

88
ECUADOR

WHY DID YOU BECOME A NATURALIST

GUIDE?
I love nature and when I was a teenager, I wanted
to become a biologist. Here in Ecuador, it’s very
hard to find a job in that industry, though, so when
I found out that it’s possible to study ecotourism,
that’s exactly what I decided to do. Being a
naturalist guide is a great way to help with nature
conservation.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A

NATURALIST GUIDE AND A REGULAR GUIDE?
Just like regular guides, naturalist guides also help
people enjoy the area and see the animals. But
what naturalist guides do on top of that is educate
people on how to preserve nature so that we can
keep enjoying these places.

89
90
Lago Agrio, Nueva Loja, Ecuador.
“Seeing animals and how
they behave is fascinating!”
 ECUADOR
WHAT DO YOU LOVE THE MOST ABOUT YOUR
JOB AS A NATURALIST GUIDE?
The animals! Even when you’ve been working in
the same place for a long time, you always see
different things and there are always new things to
learn as well. Seeing animals and how they behave
is fascinating! Apart from that, I love interacting
with people as well. You get to know people from
all around the world, learn from them, and even
make new friends.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL AND
WHY?
The animals I love watching the most are monkeys,
not a specific type, but monkeys in general. I don’t
really have a favorite animal, though. It’s hard to
pick a single one because I love all animals: birds,
mammals, insects - they’re all so interesting!
CAN YOU TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT THE
AREA WHERE YOU ARE WORKING AS A
GUIDE?
The Amazon is the largest tropical forest in the
world. Approximately 60% of it is located in Brazil
and just 2% in Ecuador. What we like to say as
Ecuadorians is that we have the best and most
diverse part of the Amazon, though! (laughs)
We have the low, flat Amazon but also the high
Amazon, in the Andes Mountains. Thanks to the
difference in altitude and temperatures, we have
many indigenous species.
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ECOTOURISM?
Ecotourism is based on three things: ecology,
society, and economy. The ecological part focuses
on nature conservation, whereas the sociological
part strives to include local people, tribes, and
indigenous groups. The last part, the economy,
is based on tourism. The idea is to make money
sustainably and to teach the locals and the people
who work in the tourism industry to preserve
nature. The profit made from tourism then goes
to the locals, the guides, and nature preservation.
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
ABOUT ECOTOURISM TO YOU?
To me, the most significant part is to preserve.
Nature is very sensitive and if we destroy it, we
won’t be able to live on this planet anymore. We
need nature for water, food, oxygen, etc.
93
 ANA ON SUSTAINABLE TOURS

“I help people organize sustainable tours around

Ecuador. I did this as a freelancer for different
companies at first, but soon noticed that there are
areas that aren’t covered yet.”

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

An Ocecat
2Spider Monkey
Ana with Alpacas
Group tour

94
 ECUADOR

EXPLORE THE BEAUTY OF THE AMAZON WITH ANA AS YOUR GUIDE

95
The Amazon is the largest
tropical forest in the world.
Approximately 60% of it is
located in Brazil and just
2% in Ecuador.
 ECUADOR
“In real life, nature is
different from what you
can see in documentaries,
as these often take several
months to make.”
NOW LET’S TALK BUSINESS, WHAT TOURS
ARE YOU ORGANIZING?
I help people organize sustainable tours around
Ecuador. I did this as a freelancer for different
companies at first, but soon noticed that there are
areas that aren’t covered yet. I think these areas
have a lot to offer as well, and by offering tours
here, we can also support the locals in these places.
My type of tours focus on interacting more with
locals and nature in a sustainable way. My clients
and I organize the tours together so that it fits their
interests. I also offer private transportation, as this
is the easiest and nicest way to take tourists to
specific areas. Ecuador is very small, so we can
easily go anywhere in the country.
We like to say that, in Ecuador, you can have
breakfast at the coast, eat lunch in the Andes, and
have dinner in the Amazon!
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN
WE’RE VISITING THE AMAZON?
Don’t put your expectations too high. In real
life, nature is different from what you can see
in documentaries, as these often take several
months to make. If tourists expect to arrive in the
Amazon and see a jaguar pass in front of them
while monkeys are jumping all around, then people
will start to attract animals by placing feeders and
catching or taming them.
Just be prepared for what the forest is prepared to
give you, it might not be like in the documentaries,
but you will still see wildlife!
Instagram
@ana_tourguide
Ecologde nearby
www.sachalodge.com
97
MITIGATING
ROADKILL
in the most famous tropical forest.

She is 36 years old, lives in Brazil and she is currently working on

her post-doc. Fernanda Abra is the absolute expert when talking
about road mortality and how to mitigate it to promote wildlife
conservation and today she tells us all about it. What is she
working on right now? How did she get to this point in her career?
And how could we implement the knowledge from her research
anywhere else?
“It’s not just the loss of many
individuals, but also the
negative effect on the tropical
ecology.”

99
 BRAZIL

CAN YOU TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT

YOUR RESEARCH BACKGROUND?
I started to become interested in road ecology
in 2010, when doing an internship. Even though I
had a broad interest in different topics - such as
fungi and tropical forests - road ecology attracted
me the most. I instantly knew I wanted to find out
more about this field of conservation. In 2011 I
first started my research on how to mitigate the
impact of roads on wildlife. That was during my
masters. It took me until my PhD before I found out
approximately 39.000 wild mammals were killed
on roads every year, in the Sao Paulo state of Brazil
alone.. It was and still is a shocking fact for me. In
my PhD I therefore focused on road mortality in
combination with the effects on human safety and
economic effects. Now, I’m working as a Postdoc
in the Amazon, where I do research as well as
implement the knowledge I gathered in previous
research I did.

“39.000 wild
mammals were
killed on roads
every year, in the
Sao Paulo state
of Brazil alone.”

100

“Without them,
we would never
be able to start
this project.”
WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN YOUR POSTDOC?
The biggest project I’m currently working on is my
project in the Amazon, which is called Reconecta.
Here I work with indigenous community Waimiri-
Atroari on decreasing roadkills on a specific
Federal highway, BR-174, that run through their
forest and their homelands. It’s evident that our
human made highways have a very large impact
on wildlife and indigenous people. It’s not just the
loss of many individuals, but also the negative
effect on the tropical ecology that highlights the
importance of what we are trying to do.
The project is still in the beginning phase. It will be
separated into three phases in the coming years.
In phase 1 we will monitor road mortality in the
area. By doing this, we will find out exactly what
the threats are for wildlife and how they behave
naturally. With this knowledge, we can better adapt
our approach for phase 2, where we will install
30 canopy bridges. During this phase, the local
community helps us with weaving the materials
and connecting the canopies above the roads. We
will use two different designs, so we can test which
ones work the best.
At almost the same time phase 3 starts, because
now we need to monitor these canopy bridges.
Which animals use them, how frequently, when,
etc. This needs to happen for at least 2 years for
good results.
 BRAZIL
HOW ARE THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
INVOLVED IN YOUR PROJECT?
They are incredibly important for our research.
Without them, we would never be able to start this
project. First of all, they are the ones that have
been asking for methods and solutions to mitigate
roadkill in the first place. The animals that live
alongside them, have a special meaning in their life.
Some of them are sacred, such as specific types
of monkeys. Seeing these animals and species die
through roadkill, is heartbreaking for them.
The past years, even before we connected with
them, they started connecting canopies together
for wildlife to use. For many locations this has
turned out to be successful. However, some
canopies are simply too far away from each other
to connect naturally.
That is exactly why we are now building artificial
canopy bridges to create these connections
between areas. During phase 2 and 3 of our
project, we need to work with the indigenous
people very closely. We need to learn from them
how to weave the materials, to build the canopy
bridges the right way.
After that, we need to train them how to collect
the data from the camera traps. Downloading
the data, looking at the videos and defining which
animals can be seen is crucial in this part of the
research. As locals, they have a ton of knowledge
on the species that live there. Even Fernanda, who
is Brazilian herself, has never seen many of these
species in real life. Indigenous people therefore
play a vital role in this project
FERNANDA ABRA
Expert when talking about
road mortality and how to
mitigate it to promote wildlife
conservation.
103
 BRAZIL

ARE YOU WORKING ALONE OR WITH A

TEAM?
I never truly work alone, as you need other people
to support you both with knowledge as well as with
finances to run a project. In the company ViaFauna,
which I run with my fellow colleague Paula, we
work on several projects across Brazil. This is the
place where we implement our knowledge that we
gained from our research. As she and I are both
working on our postdocs at the same time, it’s
always a mixture of projects coming together and
a mixture of people that you’re working with.

“I never truly work

alone, as you need
other people to
support you.”

For example, in my Amazonian research

and project, I am working with two students
and a Professor from Federal University of
Amazonas. They help me conduct the research,
to communicate with the indigenous people and
to gather the right data. Alongside that, I’m a
postdoc fellow fromthe Center of Conservation
and Sustainability, Smithsonian Conservation
Biology Institute from the US and I’m contacting
many national and international funds for financial
support. Running such a project is often way more
complex than simply conducting the research
itself.

104
Living in Brazil - or at
least in South America -
is therefore sometimes
a roadblock while
researching and helping
wildlife.
 BRAZIL
“Every month we have
a different problem to
solve.”
HOW DO YOU SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE
WITH OTHER CONSERVATIONISTS?
Future for Nature is a Dutch competition in which
conservationists can win a sum of money to
develop their research and conservation projects.
As I won this competition in 2019, I am now part
of the Future for Nature Family. This ‘Family’ is
one of their latest projects, in which they connect
previous winners with each other, to share
knowledge and skills. I’m now connected with Els
and José, who work in Suriname and Colombia.
This year I will visit them, and they will visit me in
the Amazon, to further implement canopy bridges
in their countries. It’s a great start to make this
happen. In the future I hope to also implement it in
other countries, specially tropical areas with high
arboreal species diversity. Even though nobody is
working on these problems there yet, I’m sure it
would be great to further extend our research and
project to these countries.
WHAT ROADBLOCKS DO YOU ENCOUNTER
IN YOUR RESEARCH?
There are plenty, way too many to tell actually.
People always think that conducting the research
itself is causing the greatest roadblocks, but in the
end, it is always way more than that. For example:
we need many many funds to build the canopy
bridges here in the Amazon forest and to pay all
the people working on the project. Even though
we are currently funded by 7 different parties -
including the Future for Nature Award - we are still
trying to gather more funds.
This also comes back when we look at similar
research projects in Europe and Northern America.
Here, they also work on canopy bridges and similar
problems. However, the funds are way bigger and
the materials used way more expensive.
Living in Brazil we therefore have to be innovative
and creative in how to set up a new project.
Especially here in the Amazon, where all the
materials are far away and more expensive. The
logistics is insane!
We always say: “Every month we have a different
problem to solve.” Yet somehow it always works
out again.
Living in Brazil - or at least in South America
- is therefore sometimes a roadblock while
researching and helping wildlife. However, to me
it’s all worth it to put in the time, money and effort.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR
FUTURE ECOLOGISTS/CONSERVATIONISTS?
Try many different things before you choose a
career path. By experimenting with different topics,
locations and research fields, you will find out what
you really love doing. There will be one thing that
you are willing to spend your life on doing. As a
conservationist you have to be ready to give your
full 100% at any time of the day, so only if you’re
completely committed to your project or research,
you will be able to make it.
Instagram
@nanda_abra
Website
www.viafauna.com.br
107
COLOFON

DIRECTOR
Manon Verijdt
DESIGN ILLUSTRATOR
Arina van Londen Emma Ritzen
Suzanne Lek
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Carmen Castricum
Laura Meyers
Amy van Loon

CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EDITION

Ana Santacruz, Björn Donnars, Fernanda Abra, Latoya de Jong,
Angela Boghui, Ifigenia Garita, Christina Tholander, Ron van der A,
Frank Landman, Silvio Marchini & Sarah Ritzen.

SALES
Amy van Loon
amy@ubuntumagazine.com

PR MANAGER
Judith van der Steen
Judith@ubuntumagazine.com

MARKETING
Chiara Holzer

WEBDESIGNER & CREATOR

Marijn Jansen

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109
ISSUE 1 | SPRING 2022