The Ivory Wilderness Ethos & Family
At the centre of it all, the core ethos of Ivory Wilderness is an utmost respect and passion for wildlife and the desire to conserve local biodiversity for future generations. In sharing this bushveld experience with others, we are privileged to be able to contribute to this cause and in turn thank you for supporting our local wildlife.
Warren, Orla and son, Sage Howson
Warren Howson
Deeply rooted and Owner run
Warren grew up in the reserve, breathing it's air at only three days old and having his first bath from Klaseire waters in a steel beer bucket. He has an infectious passion for the soil, fauna and flora of the reserve along with the great Klaserie Legacy. He and his wife Orla started Ivory Wilderness in 2017 and are proud to share with guests a taste of its mystery and magical wild inhabitants. Together they run the business while instilling in their children the love of the lands. Warren's grandfather's words still ring true to this day, " This land does not belong to you my boys, you belong to this land ".
Young Sage ( one of Orla and Warren sons ), is fifth generation to the reserve. With deep family roots in the Klaserie area, brothers Warren and Craig are passionate about conservation and supporting local conservation initiatives. Leading our intimate safaris, they will share this passionate connection with the surrounding landscape with you.
Sage, Orla and Warren's oldest son
Managed and guided with passion
Danell and Wienand both share a deep passion for wildlife and embody the Ivory Wilderness ethos of a humble respect for nature. Both are talented trails guides and together they manage the lodge on the ground. Their warm and wonderful personalities make guests feel right at home and more like old friends than guests. Ian is another valued member of the guiding team who offers guests his extensive knowledge, experience and kind demeanour. Ian reads the bush like the back of his hand and is a treat for guests to experience.
Lodge manager and guide Danell & partner Wienand, manager and head guide.
Reservations with Care
With a genuine interest for our guests Clare handles reservations , catering to all guests bookings , queries, help and advise. You'll find Clare a breeeze to chat with and wanting to help where ever she can.
Maintained with a smile
Meet Thabang, our friendly and highly efficient maintenance manager. Nothing is too much and always done with a smile
Clare - Reservations manager
Attentive hospitality
Your every need will be catered to by Maloumi ( front of house manager ), Bonolo and Andew ( front of house )
Culinary Experts
Meet Agreement and Piet. Agreement has been with Ivory Wilderness since 2017 and is a delight in the kitchen and in person. Piet is a culinary wizard and together they make a formidable tantalising tastebud team, whipping up wonderful local dishes with an ivory wilderness twist and flare. They give you a taste of African delights and leave you requesting a recipe or two.
House keeping magicians
Looking after your rooms with magical care the house keeping ladies will even fold you welcome animals in various shapes and sizes out of your towels linens.
Thabang - Maintenance manager
Bonolo - Front of House
Piet - Executive Chef and kitchen manager
Agreement- Chef
Xholi - housekeeping manager
Victoria - housekeeping
Crookes' Klaserie Story
Warren's great grandfathers, George Crookes' history started in the reserve with three rondavels and a pit toilet by the Klaserie river - a simple start to the Crookes family in the Klaserie. It was so simple that it was considered "unfit" for women until proper wash areas were arranged later on, and so the men bathed in the river and lived off the land. George, John, and Edwin Crookes ( Warren & Craig great grandfather ) first came to the land in 1924 and continued their journey in Klaserie in 1936 with the purchase of eight farms in total. George in time passed his properties onto his two sons, Vernon and Charles; as well as close relatives – Edwin and Freddie Gillatt.Charles, Warren and Craig's grandfather, was always interested in preserving the bushveld and sharing it with others. This inspired much of Warren's early passion for wildlife. Most notably, in the establishment of the area as a private nature reserve, Charles donated a portion of his property for the reserve headquarters to be built. Connected as a private nature reserve allowed effective co-operation between the farms and management of the reserve area as a whole. This has had long term benefits regarding local biodiversity. Charles' passion for the Bush was instilled into his family including Warren and Craig, who from an early age loved nothing more than connecting with their surroundings in the local Klaserie lowveld.The Crookes were at the centre of creating the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve (KPNR) as they occupied four large farms along the Klaserie river, and without their contribution the reserve would not have existed. Thus the largest private nature reserve for it's time in South Africa was established on 8 October 1969. As a result of his help, Charles Crookes was elected to the Executive Committee of the KPNR.
George Crookes 1936
T.C.B " Charles Crookes
Through supporting local initiatives we hope to play our part in alleviating local poaching pressure and supporting the empowerment of local communities. The two projects that we currently contribute to are the Klaserie Rhino Protection Fund and the Eco Children.
The Klaserie Rhino Protection Fund
The Klaserie Rhino Protection Fund has a number of initiatives that aim to alleviate the serious decline in Rhino numbers in the KNPR. This is done through dedicated anti-poaching teams and military-grade surveillance technology. We plan to help out wherever we can, even if it means new boots and uniforms for the team, or contributing to the latest technology to protect these endangered giants. By supporting the Rhino Protection Fund, we are in fact supporting a whole umbrella of local wildlife suffering from poaching that this dedicated team are protecting day in and day out, from pangolin and elephants to wild dog and antelope.
about the
The Klaserie Private Nature Reserve Conservation Levy
The proceeds from the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve Conservation Levy directly support wildlife conservation initiatives in the nature reserve, conserving this vast wilderness and it's more vulnerable wildlife. This ranges from anti-poaching technology and improving the fences to team training and functional equipment. With the technology and funding required to effectively conserve this habitat ever increasing, your support goes a long way.
The above levy primarily approach wildlife conservation and community outreach through:
1. Anti-poaching forces, and
2. Education & Empowerment of local communities.
We have a fundamental mission to support anti-poaching initiatives in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve and wider area. Part of our mission is to support initiatives which address the socio-economic concerns in our local communities, including education and access to our basic needs such as food and water, thereby empowering communities while simultaneously reducing local involvement with poaching.
Eco Children
Eco Children provides hands-on environmental education for local children, to engender respect for and understanding of local wildlife and to raise awareness around the issues of poaching. Another initiative of the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, Eco Children support local communities by providing clothing and Eco Villages, educational bursaries and tackling researched, socio-economic issues. Their mission is ''To sow seeds of change, empowering the children in rural Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces by increasing their awareness of conservation; stimulating their desire to learn; improving their learning environment; improving the quality of their education; and providing opportunities for talented learners''
Other fund-raising initiatives of Ivory Wilderness include the sale of wildlife art pieces and bespoke clothing accessories in order to further contribute to these projects.
For more information or to get involved please email admin@ivorywilderness.com
Ivory Wilderness shares Charles Crookes' vision in conserving the local environment, so that it may be shared with future generations to come.