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KALAHARI ENDANGERED ECOSYSTEM PROJECT (KEEP)

The Kalahari Endangered Ecosystem Project (KEEP) is a project which is responsible for studying the effects of climate change in Africa. Suzuki Auto South Africa continued with supporting this project as it aligns the brand with a cause that is close to the hearts of many Suzuki customers. For a second year, the project team was sponsored with two Vitara GLX All Grip models which were used by students, researchers and professors of various institutions to track animals and collect data within the 110 000 HA Tswalu Kalahari Reserve.

Traversing the terrain at Tswalu, particularly in the dunes, required 4×4 vehicles. The vehicles were the perfect contribution to investigating responses of Kalahari organisms, across trophic levels, to environmental change. The brand benefitted by the association of our sponsorship as all findings and teachings were shared at various public talks, various blogs as well as activities held at the Oppenheimer Research Conference, the Zoological Society of South Africa Conference, workshops on Thermal Biology and Climate Change. During the COVID pandemic and lockdown periods, Suzuki was proud to be associated when Tswalu Kalahari joined Wild Earth for one of its fireside chats to talk about the link between the research and sustainable conservation.

Live safaris by WildEarth, shown via YouTube, Facebook and DSTV television have featured the reserve with numerous references to K.E.E.P. The show became hugely popular worldwide in 2020 following the COVID lockdowns.