 Operation Phoenix (background) is the exciting wildlife reintroduction and monitoring project taking place in Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa. The area now known as Madikwe was transformed by visionary North West Parks Board personnel from degraded cattle farms to one of the most exciting game reserves in Africa - hence the code-name "Phoenix"! Operation Phoenix included the largest transfer of big game ever to have taken place in the world, and all the introductions have been an outstanding success! The philosophy behind Madikwe is to restore the area to its previous ecological status. This has led to the reintroduction of various antelope and other herbivores, as well as the major African predators these being lion, spotted hyaena, wild dog and cheetah. (Leopards had managed to survive in the area despite the efforts of farmers to eradicate them.) With valuable species being introduced to Madikwe, it is important to know how they have adapted and which areas of the park they are utilising. To achieve this objective, certain selected species in the park have been fitted with radio transmitters to allow their movements to be monitored. These include individuals from the elephant and buffalo herds, some of the lions and lionesses in the two lion prides, as well as several cheetahs, wild dogs, hyaenas and rhinos. The radio tracking is done on a daily basis by wildlife veterinarian Dr Markus Hofmeyr, the Predator Monitoring Officer in Madikwe. Visit our page on this site to keep up to date with all the developments at Madikwe, and of Markus' trials and tribulations in this new, exciting and vibrant wildlife conservation area.
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