Staff Reporter
FOUNDED in 1978 by Marita van der Merwe after she rescued her first monkey from the North, Harnas Wildlife Foundation is a cornerstone in the Namibian conservation story.
Located 115 km east of Gobabis, the sanctuary hosts a variety of wildlife animals, including predatory species.
Cila Ventor, the General Manager of the Harnas Wildlife Foundation, explained that the sanctuary is owned by Marlize Jansen van Vuuren, the daughter of the founder.
She added that the foundation runs a volunteer programme whereby guests, mostly from overseas, pay for their stay and get involved with caring for the animals and get first-hand knowledge on the wildlife.
The foundation has animals such as lions, leopards, ostriches, kudus, buffalos, crocodiles, springboks and a host of other domesticated animals.
The tourist volunteers also experience the San Ancient Skills activities whereby tourists get a glimpse on which plants the San people use to survive in the wild.
In addition to this, they are told San folklore and how the San people interpret the galaxy and their different beliefs.
“The San are very shy and are not loud. However, when they open up to you, they brighten your experiences with them. Their’s is not a dying culture and I believe marginalised San people should be uplifted,” Ventor said.
The General Manager added that the foundation currently employs a total of 65 workers, of which the majority are of Khoi origin.
