Our story
Francoise and Lawrence met in London in January 1987 and she moved from Paris to South Africa in December 1987. They were based in Durban, Kwa Zulu Natal until 1998, when they bought a rundown hunting game reserve in the heart of Zululand, and named it Thula Thula, Zulu word for “peace and tranquility”
" Thula Thula means peace and tranquility."
After Lawrence wrote the best seller “The Elephant Whisperer” in 2009, the emotional story of how he saved a herd of wild elephants from death by rescuing them and bringing trust into humans for the first time, he became recognised as an international best-selling author and conservationist. Lawrence passed away on the 2nd of March 2012 from a heart attack.
Francoise carries on his conservation work at Thula Thula game reserve as well as the running of both lodges. In August 2012 she created the Thula Thula Rhino Fund, after one of her orphan rhinos were shot at by poachers just 2 weeks after Lawrence passed. The Rhino Fund initiated several projects aimed at the protection of the rhinos and the creation of a rehabilitation centre for rhinos who have been orphaned from poaching. The rhino orphanage closed down after a poaching tragedy in February 2017.
In 2016, Francoise founded the South African Conservation Fund, Thula Thula non-profit organisation, which incorporated the Rhino fund and wildlife protection actions, as well other conservation projects as the expansion of Thula Thula for the elephant habitat, as the herd from seven elephants on their arrival in 1999 is now twenty eight and they are in great need of additional space.
Part of the conservation projects and the SACF (South African Conservation Fund) The Thula Thula Wildlife rehabilitation centre opened in 2017 where orphans or wounded wildlife is being taken care of before being rehabilitated into the wild where they belong, and the Thula Thula Volunteers Academy, where people from all over the world come to work and be educated into the world of conservation in an African game reserve. The volunteers Camp academy opened on the 1st of July 2018.
Francoise carries on his conservation work at Thula Thula game reserve as well as the running of both lodges. In August 2012 she created the Thula Thula Rhino Fund, after one of her orphan rhinos were shot at by poachers just 2 weeks after Lawrence passed. The Rhino Fund initiated several projects aimed at the protection of the rhinos and the creation of a rehabilitation centre for rhinos who have been orphaned from poaching. The rhino orphanage closed down after a poaching tragedy in February 2017.
In 2016, Francoise founded the South African Conservation Fund, Thula Thula non-profit organisation, which incorporated the Rhino fund and wildlife protection actions, as well other conservation projects as the expansion of Thula Thula for the elephant habitat, as the herd from seven elephants on their arrival in 1999 is now twenty eight and they are in great need of additional space.
Part of the conservation projects and the SACF (South African Conservation Fund) The Thula Thula Wildlife rehabilitation centre opened in 2017 where orphans or wounded wildlife is being taken care of before being rehabilitated into the wild where they belong, and the Thula Thula Volunteers Academy, where people from all over the world come to work and be educated into the world of conservation in an African game reserve. The volunteers Camp academy opened on the 1st of July 2018.
Francoise runs Thula Thula with her team of 50 loyal employees. As hunting is not permitted, all funds for conservation are generated by the two lodges at Thula Thula, the Elephant Safari Lodge and the luxury tented camp that Francoise created in 2000 and 2006. These lodges welcome local and international guests for eco and photo safaris. Thula Thula also relies on the generosity of donors to the South African Conservation Fund to support all her wildlife conservation efforts.
Francoise’s book AN ELEPHANT IN MY KITCHEN, the sequel of THE ELEPHANT WHISPERER by Lawrence Anthony, was launched on the 26th of July 2018 in the UK, Australia, India, New Zealand and Canada.
Since its release on the first week of August in South Africa, AN ELEPHANT IN MY KITCHEN has been number one best seller. Described as “The most magical book about the African bush since Born Free” by the UK Daily Mail, the book relates to the life changing responsibility in the world of wildlife conservation, and the numerous challenges she encounters while running the game reserve after Lawrence passed away in 2012. The book was released in France in April 2019, in Germany in February 2019, and released in the USA in November 2019. The book was published in Dutch in June 2020. It is will be published in Chinese in March 2023.
A movie on the book “The Elephant Whisperer” is planned to be released in 2023, as well as a full length documentary on Francoise’s life by a UK film production.
Award received in recognition of a French National living abroad
March 2019, Francoise received the prestigious award “Prix du Public des Trophées des Français de l’étranger» in Paris, at the Ministry of Foreign affairs, in recognition for her work in conservation in South Africa.
Awarded the “Knight of the National Order of Merit”
Francoise received the prestigious Medal of “Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Merite” by the French Government in February 2022 for her work in Wildlife Conservation at Thula Thula Game Reserve.
Francoise' second book “THE ELEPHANTS OF THULA THULA”, published by Pan MacMillan UK, was released in September 2022.
This book relates the entertaining stories and adventures of the wilds of Thula Thula despite all adversities and challenges encountered, while being an inspirational tale about all work done by Francoise and her team to preserve African wildlife, with the introduction of new species and the successful expansion of the game reserve, working closely with local communities to create more space for wildlife conservation, and bringing awareness to the dramatic situation of endangered species in Africa.
The book was released in the UK in September2022, then successively in Australia, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka. USA and Canada and of course South Africa. The German version came out in 2023 and the French version is planned for April 2024.
The next stage of the conservation achievement of Thula Thula is happening with the land expansion for the elephant habitat. From its humble beginning of a small 1000 hectares game reserve in 1998, Thula Thula will be 5500 hectares by mid 2023. A dream come true with more exciting projects in perspective !
