Modisa Wildlife Project
Safeguarding the Heart of the Kalahari
Founded to protect
Modisa, meaning 'shepherd' or 'guardian' in Setswana, reflects our collaborative mission: working alongside local communities to advocate for wildlife and their habitats. In partnership with traditional landholders and local stakeholders, we manage a 170 km² (247,105 acres) wildlife area in the Kalahari, building on generations of local ecological knowledge. Located in one of the least populated areas of Botswana, our mission is to serve as an example of sustainable conservation, fostering an environment where wildlife flourishes, local communities prosper, and our guests forge a profound connection with the extraordinary Kalahari ecosystem.
Our Partners
What we do
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Working with traditional ecological practices, we carefully manage and monitor our area to restore the balanced ecosystem that has supported Kalahari wildlife for millennia. Our conservation efforts focus on protecting endangered species while addressing the fragmentation caused by modern development, which has disrupted historical migratory routes and access to vital water sources.
Within our 70 km² Modisa reserve, we maintain six strategically placed water sources, ensuring year-round availability that mimics natural seasonal patterns. Our anti-poaching efforts are conducted in full partnership with local authorities and community leaders, recognizing that effective wildlife protection requires local support and benefits local people. This collaborative approach transforms former survival hunting into sustainable conservation employment, creating economic alternatives that make wildlife more valuable alive than dead.
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The Khawa community has granted us, along with our partners Akashinga and KRC, the lease for KD-15, a community-managed wildlife area outside our reserve, on the border of the Kalahari Transfrontier Park. They have entrusted us with capacity building and management assistance for this pristine wilderness.
This partnership demonstrates our core principle: conservation succeeds only when local communities lead and benefit. We provide technical support and training to strengthen community-based wildlife management, while the Khawa community retains decision-making authority over their ancestral lands. Our educational programs with local schools focus on building the next generation of conservationists, combining traditional ecological knowledge with modern wildlife science.
This collaborative model creates sustainable conservation employment and ensures that wildlife protection serves community development goals, not external agendas.
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Our Interactive Guest Program at the Modisa Wildlife Project invites you to immerse yourself fully in the pulse of the Kalahari. As an integral part of the Modisa family, you'll participate in our conservation activities, gain insights into the fascinating ecosystem, and connect on a deeper level with the enchanting wildlife. From campfire evenings, lectures about the ecosystem to engaging in stimulating conversations with like-minded people and getting your hands dirty, you'll contribute to our mission and take away memories that will last a lifetime. Ready for the adventure of a lifetime? Discover more about our program and book your journey today.
Discover the Uncharted Frontier of Botswana
Nestled in the southwest corner of Botswana, our private wildlife area is a gem in an uncharted wilderness, bordering the wildlife management areas surrounding the legendary Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Signed in May 2000 as a cross-border conservation area, jointly managed between South Africa and Botswana, it became the first peace park in southern Africa. With an incredible opportunity to observe a vast array of wildlife, the area remains one of the most untouched by western civilization and together with Botswanas Central Kalahari Game Reserve makes up one of the largest protected areas on earth.
