In 1997, couple started with 11 farms; decades later, their 67,000-acre reserve is home to more than 60 mammal species

A South African couple’s nearly three-decade conservation effort has transformed 11 former livestock farms into a 67,000-acre wildlife reserve in the Great Karoo. Sarah and Mark Tompkins restored degraded habitat before reintroducing species absent for generations. Cheetahs, black rhinos, elephants and lions have since returned, while Samara now records more than 60 mammal species and 225 bird species.