Duke Safaris
Your Gateway to Unforgettable African Adventures
Whether it is the Big Five that calls you to Africa or the diversity of plains game species, Duke Safaris will cater to your every need. Hunting and photographic safaris can be tailored to ensure an unforgettable adventure. Our policy is to adhere to fair-chase principles and ethical hunting practices based on sustainable utilization. We hope that you support this concept of sustainable hunting and will join us on one of the most exciting hunting adventures in Southern Africa.
John Luyt and Roelof Niemann, owners of Duke Safaris, were both exposed to the outdoors and wildlife from a young age. They started out guiding photo safaris, which was a great stepping stone and taught them a great deal about animal behavior, especially dangerous game.
Later on they managed large game reserves, where they gained valuable experience in the conservation field. This led them to establish Duke Safaris in 2003. Today they consider themselves privileged to be able to hunt the very areas they once managed, and they view themselves as passionate conservationists rather than professional hunters.
Duke Safaris uses hunting as an integral tool of game management. During the first part of the century, much of Southern Africa’s wildlife was eradicated, and animals with high ecological demands and those that experienced the most conflict with humans were the first to disappear. Large carnivores and herbivores were particularly affected. This, combined with increasing human population pressures and continued fragmentation of the landscape, has had a negative impact on many species. Therefore, it has become increasingly important to conserve Southern Africa’s remaining habitat for wildlife, especially wide-ranging carnivores and herbivores.
Private nature reserves and ranches now play an increasingly important role in management and conservation of South Africa’s unique natural resources. However, biologists and wildlife managers are faced with the problem of isolated and fragmented populations, as fences prevent natural dispersal of the animals. Unless monitored and managed effectively, this could have disastrous effect on the genetics and social structure of the animals, as well as damage sensitive vegetation and upset the delicate balance between predator and prey populations.
Duke Safaris has a number of concessions in Southern Africa where hunting is used as a management tool to regulate the populations and maintain an ecological balance between species. This type of management is important to ensure the sustainability of Southern Africa’s valuable resources.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Roelof: +27 82 929 0667
John: +27 83 254 1352
US Mobile: 682 706 5240/3
Fax: +27 15 318 4455
Website: dukesafaris.com
