South African couple transforms 67,000 acres of farms into thriving wildlife reserve

In 1997 Sarah and Mark Tompkins set out to revive a degraded portion of South Africa’s Great Karoo by acquiring eleven livestock farms that together cover 67,000 acres and represent five of the country’s nine vegetation biomes. Working with ecologists, they eradicated alien weeds, dismantled internal fences and allowed the land to lie fallow for almost ten years before beginning a systematic rewilding effort. The first milestone was the 2004 release of three wild cheetahs, ending a 130-year gap in the region, including a rescued female named Sibella who later produced many cubs.

Subsequent introductions included eland, giraffe, white rhinoceros, and buffalo, followed by the desert-adapted black rhinoceros in 2013, elephants in 2017-18, and lions in 2019, with a leopard first recorded in 2021. Today Samara Reserve records over 60 mammal species, including the Big Five, and 225 bird species, while operating guided safari and walking tours. After Mark’s death, stewardship transferred to their daughter Isabelle, who envisions an ecological corridor connecting three national parks to further expand wildlife movement.