Monthly newsletter - March 2026
Fieldwork Milestones and the Future of Conservation
March has been a month of significant transitions for the Ingwe Research Program. We have concluded a major field chapter on the R40, shared our findings with the broader scientific community, and continue our focus toward long-term organizational sustainability.
The Final Lap: R40 Roadkill Patrols
This month, we conducted our sixth and final roadkill patrol since we began this intensive monitoring in June 2025. This 14-day stint completes our seasonal dataset, aimed at understanding where we need to focus our mitigation measures to make our roads safer.
During this final period, we detected 63 roadkill incidents across 39 species. The data showed that 50% were birds, 29% reptiles, and 21% mammals. Specific recordings included three Mozambique spitting cobras, four rock monitors, two thick-tailed bushbabies, five European rollers, and one black-backed jackal.
Your support keeps our team in the field. If you value the data we collect to protect our local wildlife, please consider making a contribution through our website.
We are once again incredibly grateful to Trophy Car Rental for sponsoring a vehicle to make this work possible. Partnering with a local company that prioritizes conservation makes all the difference, and we highly recommend their services to anyone in the Hoedspruit area.
A Special Thanks to Africa Geographic
The entire wet season survey was made possible through the generous sponsorship of Africa Geographic. We are forever grateful for their belief in this project and their commitment to the Lowveld’s leopards.
We are also proud to announce that Africa Geographic has produced a mini-documentary about our work, set for release in the coming weeks. Keep an eye on our social media and their YouTube channel for the full release. If you haven’t seen it yet, you can watch the two-minute trailer below.
Underground Insights: Culvert Camera Results
The first section of our wet season camera trap survey is officially complete. We have collected over 19,000 videos and images, including 65 leopard images & videos. The cameras have now been redeployed for another 45 days in the second section of the R40.
Our volunteer, Florian—who joined the Ingwe and Transfrontier Africa program via BWild—has been an asset to the team. Florian was trained on the ArgusWild platform for individual identification and successfully identified four individuals:
Corkwood Male & Nigel: Both previously used the culverts during the dry season and have returned.
Kusile: This is the first time we have documented Kusile utilizing the culverts.
Unidentified individual: We are currently working to identify this leopard; if no match is found, it will be added as a new individual in our database.
Research equipment and data analysis require consistent funding. Help us identify and protect the leopards of the R40 by donating today.
Scientific Outreach: Savanna Science Network Meeting
Ingwe was represented at the Savanna Science Network Meeting 2026, where our student, Tanis Short, presented the preliminary results of the Dry Season Culvert Survey. This was a valuable opportunity to share our work with international researchers and practitioners.
We are grateful to our partner, Transfrontier Africa Research, for their co-supervision and support. Dr. Tara Pirie, an Ingwe Director and Director of the Department of Ecology at Surrey University, also attended the conference, gaining insights to share with her students and further bridging the gap between field research and academia.
Investing in the next generation of conservationists is a priority. Support our student research programs by contributing to our fund.
Expanding the Network: New Partners & New Territories
March was a high-intensity month for our Executive Director, who held numerous strategic meetings to reinforce existing relationships and discuss expansion into three new territories. We are also excited to officially welcome Karongwe Game Reserve and My Africa Adventures to the Ingwe network!
Video taken by Wesley Hill, head guide at Karongwe Game Reserve.
It is always inspiring to see more people get on board with our mission. By expanding these professional bonds, we are building the foundation for the next generation of research and conservation projects we hope to launch.
Ethics and the Future: Rethinking the Charity Model
One of our directors, Elwenn Le Magoarou, recently shared a TED Talk by Dan Pallotta: “The way we think about charity is dead wrong.”
Pallotta’s central message is that we should stop asking charities "What percentage of my donation goes to the cause?" and start asking "What is the scale of your impact?" He suggests that by obsessing over overhead (like talent, marketing, and growth), we have created a system where charities are forced to stay small and "frugal," which ultimately prevents them from ever solving the massive global problems they were created to address. If we want to solve the world’s problems—like the 30% decline of the leopard—we must allow charities to take risks and invest in the same tools for success that businesses use.
At Ingwe, we also believe professional conservation requires professional compensation. To find and retain the talents needed to take this organization—and the species we protect—to the next level, we must invest in our people. Competitive salaries ensure we keep the expertise required for large-scale operations. Our goal is to invert the leopard's 30% decline through transparency, accountability, and the unrestricted funding needed to grow our footprint from 3,200km² to 10,000km² by 2029.
While we are designing incredible new research and conservation projects, we cannot launch them until we have a full, dedicated team. To get there, we are working with a professional fundraising strategist to grow the organization sustainably. Our Board of Directors continues to be the backbone of this operation, and we truly wouldn’t be here without their involvement.
Finally, we have officially secured three high-profile Trustees who will be instrumental in Ingwe’s future. Stay tuned for a special edition newsletter shortly to introduce them!
Help us build a professional team for a professional cause. Unrestricted funding allows us to hire the experts needed to scale our impact.
Thanks for your commitment to wildlife.
We as nature lovers appreciate your time and effort.