TV Program 50/50
On Thula Thula Game reserve and the situation of poaching during lockdown, real challenging times for wildlife conservation
Most adorable video of a baby rhino with her mum
This is the first video where we can see clearly our little bundle of joy baby rhino that we named Sissi, name short from Busisiwe, which means "blessing" in Zulu.
After the tragic death of little Lisa from viral infection in January this year, we were so devastated and never realized that her mother Mona was pregnant.
Sissi was born just before the lockdown was announced in March. Highly protected by her mother, we had very few sightings so far. Mona is gaining more confidence and trust that she lives in a safe environment as we see her more and more in open grassland. Mona, Sissi, Thabo and Ntombi are monitored 24/7 by our anti-poaching team.
The video was taken by our game ranger Victor
Wat olifanten mij leerden over moed, liefde en overlevingskracht
Op 15 juni verschijnt de Nederlandse vertaling van An Elephant In My Kitchen, het vervolg op de wereldwijde bestseller The Elephant Whisperer. In Een olifant in mijn keuken beschrijft Françoise Malby-Anthony hoe ze alles op alles zet om haar beroemde kudde olifanten te beschermen en hoe ze haar droom, een opvangcentrum voor wilde dieren, waarmaakt. De twee boeken spelen zich af in Thula Thula, een private game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal.
Speaking with elephants
One of the strange consequences of lockdown happened at Thula Thula Game Reserve northwest of Empangeni in Zululand. This is where Lawrence and Francoise Anthony, in 1999, took custody of a herd of wild and traumatised elephants - and added to the annals of Africa’s wildlife story.
Jack Hanna into the wild
We had the pleasure to welcome Jack Hanna, his wife Susan and daughter Kathaleen at Thula Thula in November 2019 for the filming of a new episode of their popular TV program INTO THE WILD. The two episodes aired in June and July in the United States.
Here is the presentation of the first episode!
Our US guests can see the whole episode in the US in replay: episode 1305 and 1307 of Jack Hanna INTO THE WILD.
Thula Thula Wild Newsletter August 2020
Mona and baby Sissi: Our little rhino baby. Sissi was born at the end of March as lockdown kicked in and has grown so much already. This “surprise” baby has become a little bundle of joy, gaining more confidence every day and her curiosity is a good sign of her learning from Mommy Mona, who is still ever alert and protective. They are also getting used to the discreet presence of their 24/7 surveillance, anti-poaching team and the game viewers.
Rhino Love, the arrival of Mona and Lisa 10 May 2019
What does it take to move two rhino from one reserve to another? Loads of men (and women) power, plenty of dedication and heavily armed guards! Helicopter to dart, vets checking stability and performing tests, transport boxes and a truck for the transport.
The distance from Phinda to Thula Thula is 164km. Driving with two rhino through Zululand in the middle of the war on wildlife is a high security operation. The convoy included a security vehicle in the front and a security vehicle in the back with every imaginable "fire power" plus three support vehicles following.
It was all team work moving Mona and Lisa, here are Siya, Lynda, Vuzi and Francoise just ahead of the transport from Phinda to Thula Thula! Twenty km before reaching Thula Thula a surprise was thrown at us. The truck transporting Mona and Lisa broke down. What followed was simply incredible to witness.
Grant from Tracy & du Plessis Game Capture, the organiser of the relocation, called everyone in Zululand to assist. When Richards Bay Crane Hire heard that there were rhinos involved they dropped everything they were doing and rushed to our help. The transport boxes were reloaded to the new truck; and Mona & Lisa were on the final stretch to Thula Thula.






A hero at work! How driver Lesly Ndawonde from Richard's Bay Crane Hire navigated the the narrow paths of Thula Thula and reversed the massive truck into our boma is simply miraculous! Just a few steps away to welcome Mona and Lisa to their new home!
Security measures deployed during the relocation and capture of Mona and Lisa was done by armed guards.
Rhino protection in the year 2019!
Not only for the transfer between Phinda to Thula Thula heavily armed guards ensured safety and security. Now armed guards are protecting 4 rhino at Thula Thula, 24 hours of each and every day. For a private game reserve such as us the single biggest expenditure every month to ensure the safety of Thabo, Ntombi, Mona and Lisa, and all our precious wildlife.
THANK YOU !
Our gratitude and thanks go to:
YOU, our dear Thula Thula friends. For helping to get Mona and Lisa to our safe wildlife haven to create a rhino family at Thula Thula and by supporting and generously donating to our conservation efforts!
Grant and Team from Tracy & du Plessis Game Capture
The Team at Phinda Private Game Reserve
The Team of Richards Bay Crane Hire
Security 4U
The Thula Thula Wildlife Team
To continue to support us please visit: www.SAConservation.fund the official fundraiser for Thula Thula
TO SEE THEM MEET
Follow this link to YouTube
Surprise Rhino Baby Born at Thula Thula Game Lodge in South Africa
What a surprise! When the call arrived early Monday morning from the rhino monitoring guard – calling “Mona has got a baby” – we all thought we were still dreaming. Writes the team from Thula Thula Game Lodge in South Africa.
L'INSTANT T DE FRANÇOISE MALBY ANTHONY ET DES ÉLÉPHANTS
Une parisienne, patronne d’une réserve africaine de près de 5000 km2, au cœur des territoires zoulous! C’est l’incroyable destin de Françoise Malby Anthony.
Elle est arrivée à Thula Thula, en Afrique du sud il y a 20 ans. A 9000 km de sa patrie la France!
UN ÉLÉPHANT DANS MA CUISINE
Une leçon de vie ou comment ne pas baisser les bras! Cette Française tombée amoureuse de l’Afrique du Sud, de son bush et de ses habitants sauve les animaux sauvages du braconnage.
RENCONTRE AVEC FRANÇOISE MALBY-ANTHONY
Cette Française qui a fondé une réserve animalière en Afrique du Sud.
AFRIQUE DU SUD : UNE RÉSERVE POUR PROTÉGER LES ÉLÉPHANTS
La réserve de Thula Thula en Afrique du Sud offre depuis 1999 une protection aux éléphants ainsi qu'à d'autres mammifères, sous l’œil bienveillant d'une Française.
AN ELEPHANT IN MY KITCHEN:
WHAT THE HERD TAUGHT ME ABOUT LOVE, COURAGE AND SURVIVAL
If you don’t have time to run off to Africa, but would appreciate an authentic wildlife adventure filled with noble elephant matriarchs, orphaned baby rhinos, a hippo named Charlie, and extraordinary humans dedicated to rescuing and protecting these imperiled creatures, consider reading An Elephant in My Kitchen: What the Herd Taught Me about Love, Courage and Survival. Written in the first-person narrative, the book recounts how Françoise Malby-Anthony unexpectedly became sole director of the Thula Thula game reserve upon her husband’s sudden death and her extraordinary efforts to keep the reserve open, build a wildlife rescue centre for orphaned animals, and protect them from ruthless, relentless poachers. And yes, an actual baby elephant appears in her kitchen.
FRANCE 24
Invité du jour Francoise Malby Anthony - Braconnage : "si on ne fait rien, dans 20 ans, il n’y aura plus de rhinocéros"
FRANCE 24
Guest of the day Francoise Malby Anthony - Poaching: "if we do nothing, in 20 years, there will be no more rhinoceros"
UN ÉLÉPHANT
DANS MA CUISINE
Un éléphant dans ma cuisine, l’histoire extraordinaire de Françoise Malby Anthony, sort en librairie. Cette Française tombée amoureuse de l’Afrique du Sud, de son bush et de ses habitants sauve les animaux sauvages du braconnage.
FRENCH ABROAD AWARD
The “French abroad award” that was awarded to Francoise Malby Anthony at a spectacular function at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris on the 12th of March not only recognized her relentless work for the protection of African wildlife, the award also acknowledged her achievements in creating a vision of a sustainable game reserve that includes a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and an educational Volunteers Academy, as well as following the dream of her late husband Lawrence Anthony with the expansion of Thula Thula to increase the elephant habitat.
Her unique story is also available in an enchanting book as her book “An Elephant in my Kitchen” that re-counts her hardship and challenges, the joy and the despair and of course how an elephant ended up in her kitchen, was released in Germany in February and will be launched in French in bookshops in France in April, and in the United States in September 2019.
WIDOWED AND LEFT WITH 21 ELEPHANTS
When her husband unexpectantly died, Françoise, who didn't know much about animals, took on Lawrence's Game Reserve.
AN ELEPHANT IN MY KITCHEN
How does a glamorous urban blonde end up running an animal orphanage in Africa? Frangoise Anthony tells her incredible tale of love, loss and baby elephants.
"I HAVE A BABY ELEPHANT IN MY KITCHEN, AND A RHINO IN MY BEDROOM!"
When Françoise Malby-Anthony, 64, moved to South Africa, she had no idea just how wild her life would become.
AN ELEPHANT IN MY KITCHEN
What the herd taught me about love, courage and survival Francoise Malby Anthony Memoir on Conservation, Determination and Inspiration/ Voices for Biodiversity
To find out more about this bestseller, described by the Daily Mail UK as "the most magical book about life in the African bush since Born Free".
Have a look at the website
Into the Wild
A trip to Thula Thula gets visitors up close with the infamous elephant herd immortalised in Lawrence Anthony's bestselling books. But that is not all...from French Cusine to cutting edge conversation, this is a destination with so much to give!
MEDIA ARCHIVE
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
For more information please email info@thulathula.com