Namibian wildlife warrior

Founder and owner of the Naankuse collection, Marlice van Vuuren knows no other life than that in of wildlife. With her tremendous dedication, Marlice has created safe havens for animals with the help of her husband, Rudie van Vuuren.Growing up her life was anything but mundane and normal - so much so that her life story and work has garnered international attention - from a 2008 documentary based on her life called ‘A vision for Africa’, to partnering with A-list celebrity Angelina Jolie to establish the Shiloh Wildlife Sanctuary.Deep-rooted love of the wildTo understand the woman she is, one has to understand where she comes from. She is more than just a small-town girl who grew up on the first wildlife sanctuary established in Namibia by her parents - the Harnas Wildlife Sanctuary. Harnas, based near Gobabis, was first established as a livestock farm that later became “a place where animals are given a second chance”.Marlice is the daughter of Marieta and Nick van der Merwe, the latter who passed away in 2001 from Congo fever – afterwards the family’s work with wildlife conservation intensified. Inspired by her parents, her love for wildlife was instilled early. “I started working with animals in movies when I was 13, and I knew that animals were my life,” she said. With an early-life foundation deeply-rooted in the conservation, protection and rehabilitation of wildlife, it is no wonder that Van Vuuren has created her own path in playing a key role in the protection of Namibian wildlife.Big jobThe protection of wildlife is about more than rehabilitation, and includes the protection of animals on a judicial scale. With a team of top lawyers and advocates, the Van Vuurens started a campaign dubbed Justice for Animals to advocate for updated animal welfare laws. The campaign is also aimed at drawing attention to the mistreatment of animals. “We will expose the injustices and crimes against animals,” Marlice said. She said because of the work that she does, she and her family are sometimes targeted by the people they expose. Her mother, Marieta, found herself in a recent contestation with the law. Marieta was charged with three counts against her where it was alleged that she contravened the Nature Conservation ordinance. This led to a court application to remove two lionesses from the Harnas Wildlife Sanctuary. Marieta successfully filed an interdict against the environment and tourism ministry to prevent the removal of the lionesses, as reported in the Informanté in May.Marlice said her mother was humiliated due to her work protecting animals. A life dedicated to conservationBesides her passions of protecting wildlife, she and her family have also dedicated their work to conserving the marginalised San community. Having spent her childhood growing up with the San, Marlice not only learned to speak their language as her first language, but was taught valuable life lessons. The San taught her to live in the moment. “They take each day as it comes and that is an important life lesson.”Marlice and Rudie started Naankuse due to the tragic death of a San girl in 2003. Therefore, Marlice continues to make it a part of her life’s work to “uplift the San community”. Their work is extending to the running of the Harnas Wildlife Sanctuary and Foundation. Marlice also works closely with the Naankuse Primary School, and she has worked closely with the Naankuse anti-poaching and K9 operations. “For me, I always help where I can and I like putting structures in place,” she said.A takeaway from Marlice“Find what you love. Then put 100% into it. If you make a mistake or have a setback, get up again and keep going in the right direction. Take small steps. If your values and your purpose are honest, faithful and true, and what you are doing is not for the wrong reasons, you will always succeed. It might take longer than expected and you will have uphill battles but keep on pushing and doing what you love. Most importantly, find something that you love, and then the cards will fall into place. It’s not always easy, and there will be heartache and struggles, but keep on pushing for what you love.”

Namibian wildlife warrior

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Republikein 2026-02-03

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Namibian wildlife warrior

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Republikein 2026-02-03

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