Valeria Margherita Mosca, cultural anthropologist and Montura Ambassador, joined the Wildlife ACT team in the heart of South Africa -the only on-the-ground volunteer organization officially supported by WWF across the African continent - working alongside zoologists and rangers in the wild savannah to protect critically endangered species.

My name is Valeria Margherita Mosca, a cultural anthropologist specializing in ethnobotany, wildlife conservation, and partnership studies. I have long dedicated my life to observing, studying, and protecting natural ecosystems.

Recently, I joined a conservation project in South Africa with Wildlife ACT, the only on-the-ground volunteer initiative officially supported by WWF across Africa. My work focused on critically endangered species like the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) and the black rhino (Diceros bicornis), using direct monitoring, satellite telemetry, and participating in delicate dehorning operations to protect them from poaching.

The journey began in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, one of Africa’s oldest protected areas, a mosaic of wooded savannah and subtropical bushveld teeming with elephants, zebras, rhinos, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and wild dogs. The park’s biodiversity thrives on intact natural cycles shaped by alternating rainy and dry seasons.

At night, the bush comes alive with hyena calls, distant lion roars, and the hum of nocturnal insects. Sleeping in a tent each night, I was immersed in wilderness, surrounded by its most vulnerable and awe-inspiring inhabitants - one of the few places on Earth where true wilderness still reigns.

The Hidden Biodiversity of Africa

The African bush is not only the land of great mammals. Its true vitality pulses within the small forms of life that inhabit the tall grasses, thorny shrubs, and seasonal waterholes. Reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects, and small mammals weave an invisible yet essential balance.

Across sands and clearings, snakes and lizards keep small animal populations in check; as the sun sets, frogs and toads announce the coming of the rains. Above the canopy, colorful birds, winged predators, and tiny weavers bring the skies to life, while in the undergrowth galagos, caracals, and wild cats move silently through the shadows.

And yet, the smallest creatures sustain it all: pollinating insects, termites, and beetles that transform, fertilize, and let the soil breathe. Together, they build an ecosystem as complex as it is fragile.

The bush reminds us that conservation is not only about iconic animals, but about the entire web of relationships that sustains Africa’s biodiversity.

Monitoring Threatened Wildlife

Each day began before dawn.

Alongside a team of zoologists and rangers, we traversed kilometers of sandy tracks and clearings, searching for radio signals from the GPS collars fitted on select African wild dogs and rhinos. Telemetry monitoring is an essential technique for studying the movements, territories, and social behaviors of elusive or low-density species. By tracking an animal’s location and heart rate, we can assess its health, estimate reproductive success, and intervene in case of risk or injury.

At the same time, we conducted direct observations of packs and family groups, recording every interaction: postures, scent-marking, hunting behaviors, and parental care. These data form a biological archive indispensable for developing evidence-based conservation plans.

Manyoni Private Game Reserve: Where Beauty Meets Responsibility

After my experience in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, I moved to Manyoni Private Game Reserve, 23,000 hectares of savannah and bush in the heart of KwaZulu-Natal. Established in 2005 to host a founding population of black rhinos, it has grown into one of South Africa’s most important private reserves, now home once again to lions, cheetahs, and wild dogs — a true Big Five reserve.

But Manyoni’s strength lies not only in its large predators. The reserve works toward holistic ecological restoration, protecting even the less conspicuous forms of life — insects, reptiles, small mammals, and native plants — that maintain the balance of the entire ecosystem.

Here I realized that conservation is not only an ethical choice but also a scientific and cultural responsibility. In the field, the beauty of the bush is fragile: behind the picture-perfect image of a safari lie fragmented habitats, threatened species, and increasing human pressures.

Seeing is no longer enough. One must truly see: understand, participate, act. Those who enter the bush as tourists leave with memories and photographs; those who enter as conservationists leave transformed, with a renewed mission — to safeguard that beauty so it may endure.