Thula Thula Private Game Reserve, Zululand, Natal
‘Thula Thula’ is Zulu for peace and tranquility, and the tranquility you will find as a guest on this exclusive private game reserve extends to the elephant herd at Thula Thula – “tamed” by the Elephant Whisperer, Lawrence Anthony, who passed away in early March 2012.
Thula Thula has a fascinating history – a history which makes it one of South Africa’s most unique game reserves. Famed Conservationist and the owner of Thula Thula, Lawrence Anthony, was the founder of The Earth Organisation and received the Earth Day medal from the United Nations for the rescue of the Baghdad Zoo during the Iraq War. He is also the author of several books – the Elephant Whisperer, Babylon’s Ark and The Last Rhinos, this last released in 2012, just after his passing. However, it was his struggle to save his elephant herd that made him the Elephant Whisperer and for which he will be the most remembered. In short, in an attempt to communicate the need for a newly acquired herd of ‘rogue elephants’ to stop breaking through the Reserve’s fences and risk being shot, he went to live among them and over the years became a member of their family. The elephant herd of Thula Thula is still very much a wild herd, but one that ended up counting a human among them.
It was reported recently that when Lawrence Anthony passed away in the main house on the reserve, the elephants sensed it and the entire elephant herd came to the house to pay their last respects.
Thula Thula is home to many other species of game, including Rhino, Buffalo and Giraffe, and offers safari packages, luxury accommodations and cuisine, conference and wedding facilities…and even gourmet cooking classes!
More on Thula Thula – the oldest game reserve in Natal.
Getting there: Thula Thula is situated 45m from Richard’s Bay, and has its own 700m landing strip. For detailed directions from Johannesburg, Durban or the Natal Drakensberg area, download the Map.
| More info on the town of Richards Bay | More info on the Zululand area |
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